Pregnancy scan

by Amy
(United Kingdom)

I went for my first pregnancy scan today and was told I was 8 weeks 5 days gone. This is impossible. I was told I conceived on then 31st March, this date is after I had taken two tests to confirm my pregnancy and been to the doctors. From the 17-25th March I was away from my partner so know it could also not have been then. How accurate is the scan? Because there is no way that I could have conceived on the date specified, is there any chance the baby could be small and so further on than first believed?

Accuracy Of Pregnancy Dating Scan

The most accurate way of dating a pregnancy is through knowing when you had sex and your last menstrual period date. Dating scans are good, but their accuracy does vary and even the best scanners don’t always get it right. Where the scans are useful is in detecting abnormality and this is by far the most important use for them. They also provide reassurance and are one of the first ways in which parents can bond with their baby. Finally, for those who are unsure of the pregnancy date, the scan can provide a rough guide in this situation.




My name is Dr Peter Thatcher MBBS, MRCPI and I am a consultant physician and gastroenterologist in the UK. I have an interest in internet based medicine and administer this site in my spare time. I hope you find this site useful and informative. If you have any suggestions, please Contact Me or if you would like to comment on my site, please do so by Clicking Here. If you like the site and would like to make a donation to support what I am doing please do so by Clicking Here. Thank you for visiting and please drop by again!