Expert: Catherine Beier MS CBE - 4/26/2008

Question
QUESTION: My boyfriend and I have been together for a little over two years. His ex-girlfriend got pregnant after they broke up.  He told me that the last time they were together was around Nov. 27th, 2004.  He didn't know exactly when but he knew that it was before December of that year.  Supposedly around Dec.7th, she knew that she was pregnant. She gave birth to a healthy baby on Sept. 13, 2005.  My boyfriend thinks he's the father but I don't think the dates add up. Is it poosible that he is indeed the father?

ANSWER: Gayla,

Given the information you've provided, there's little chance that he's the father.  To have had a full-term baby in mid-September, she would have conceived some time in late December.

The dates don't match for the time frame in which the baby was born.


Best,
Catherine

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Once again, he claims that she knew like Dec. 7th that she was pregnant. Is it likely that for some reason her monthly cycle for the month of Dec. didn't occur for some reason and that she probably got pregnant before her next scheduled cycle?

Answer
Gayla,

In order to have found out she was pregnant at that time, she would have to have been about 4 weeks pregnant (from the date of her last period).


Without knowing if she has regular cycles or ovulates late, then it's difficult to say for certain.  But if she knew she was pregnant by December 7, then the date her child was born just doesn't add up with this.


This could mean several things:

1.  She has very long and/or irregular cycles
2.  She got pregnant by someone else
3.  He's mis-remembering the date she said she was pregnant.
4.  She lied about when she found out she was pregnant.


Soon you'll have the paternity test results to know for certain, but it still looks unlikely that he's the father.  It could be possible, but isn't likely.


Best,
Catherine