PLS HELP 21 WKS AND MIDWIFE JUST TERRIFIED ME

[Ditablue]

I've just had my 21week scan this is my second baby and all seemed to be going well - everything is where it should be and looking fine. Then the sonographer told me that baby's stomach was big for 21 weeks...more like 24 weeks and way above the 95th percantile. She then went on to say that this could either be genetic or a sign that I have diabetes.
Well this really upset me and I don't know if I'm overreacting. They have booked me in for an 'urgent' sugar test which is 3 weeks away to check it's not diabetes.
Has anyone else had this experience? I remember having had to do the sugar test in my first pregnancy but Diabetes was never mentioned! It's really freaked me out and I don't know why I'm overreacting - looking at my notes of the scan when I got home baby's head circumference and femur length were both 95th percentile. Could it just be that I've got the dates wrong? We weren't actively trying for this baby as DD1 was IVF and wanted to see if things happened naturally so I wasn't being anal about keeping track of my dates.
Sorry for the essay but if anyone could reassure me that this is normal and doesn't necessarily mean I have diabetes I would appreciate it. I think I eat healthily lots of fresh fruit/veg and salads but will have a choccie bar - maybe one a day...is that too much when you're pregnant? I don't normally eat choccies regularly at all but i do eat loads of fruit...

[vj32]

At 27 weeks I had a private scan and baby measured above the 95th% for all measurements, with abdominal circumference being off the scale! The sonographer said as all measurements were high it was just a big baby. If the measurements are not ALL high then that might indicate a problem. Diabetes was never mentioned! I would go for the test but not worry too much about it.

[OffToNarnia]

At my 20week scan for last baby was told abdominal circumference indicated I was going to have a large baby...err...7lb6ozs!!! Try not to panic. An urgent sugar test 3 weeks away does not sound that urgent. Just keep up with healthish diet and chat to a sympathetic Gp or midwife because you are worried. Calm down!!

[FourFortyFour]

I measured big twice during my first pregnancy, and had scans. First said baby was normal size. Second said baby was 7lb 12oz. My midwife predicted a baby of 8-9lbs. 3 hours after my second scan my baby was born my emergency section and was 6lb 12oz. I had polyhydromnious.

[schmee]

I had exactly the same thing and was freaking out hugely (thinking that I'd damaged the baby because I had some Celebrations over Christmas). I managed to get a test just over a week later and got my results today. Negative for me. Oh and some of my baby's other measurements were only just above 50th centile, so much more pronounced difference here.

The midwife at hospital when they did the test was also really helpful. Reassured me that the main reason for concern if I did have gestational diabetes was that the birth would be more difficult, rather than any damage to the baby per se.

I've vowed to try to maintain a low GI diet though.

[PrincessScrumpy]

My friend was told her baby had a big tummy on the scan but when he was born he looked normal to me (obviously I'm not a dr but he's fine and healthy so didn't become and issue). Mind you they told me I was having a big baby with dd1 and she would be an 8 to 9lb baby - she was 6lbs 14oz.

Honestly, try not to worry. x

[GreenCar]

Hi Ditablue

I'm not sure if you meant baby is generally big or whether just the stomach ia big (i understood the latter). In any case, at my 20 week scan, I was also told that baby had a big stomach (in comparison to rest of baby-otherwise she was normal size). They explained what this could mean but otherwise said it could be just because she had swallowed too much amniotic fluid that day. I had to go back 10 days later to check the size of the stomach again. When I went back the stomach was a normal size in proportion to baby so she really had just eaten too much that day!! No one mentioned me doing the 3 hour glucose test then (although did it at 28 weeks and all was fine). Baby is now a healthy 4 year old.

Good luck!

[ZacknJakesMuma]

I had exactly this with DS1. They freaked me out totally at the 21 week scan saying his tummy was measuring big and it could mean diabetes etc. Went home, fell to bits felt devastated. Went for glucose tolerance test, came back fine no probs. Had my son, he was 9lb 12oz! Completely normal, big babies run in out families btw. With DS2 had scans etc all normal, docs saying this one was going to be smaller. When I had him, guess what- another 9lb 12oz monster. DS2 now 14 months and still enormous. Both boys totally strapping and healthy! Some babies are just bigger than others. If there are any probs they will be picked up and dealt with so please try not to worry. (Currently pg with baby no.3 any guesses on how big..!)

[happycamel]

Even if you have GD it's no big deal really. Lots of us have and there are a few extra risks but so long as it is diagnosed they can be managed.

There's a GD support thread here where you can find out more about it and how those of us who have it deal with it. You don't need to worry about it even if you are diagnosed and it is entirely possible you don't have GD anyway.

Oh and your diet during pregnancy could not have caused GD if you have it. Being obese before pregancy increases the risk of developing it but plenty of obese people don't develop it and plenty of people who aren't obese or even overweight (like me) do. Your ethinicity would alter the risk (v low for Europeans, higher in Asians and higher again in Africans) but, again, I'm European and have developed it so it's by no means cause and effect.

Feel free to PM me if you want to ask more about GD. But I'd advise you to relax until you get your GTT results. Most people don't have GD diagnosed until around 28 weeks and the few increased risks there are manifest themselves around your due date and labour not beforehand so a few weeks until diagnosis won't cause any problems.

[Ditablue]

Thanks so much for your reassurances everyone - woke up feeling a little less freaked out this morning.
GreenCar baby as a whole is big - head, legs and tummy all measuring in 95th centile.
ZacknJakesmuma wow those ARE big babies - my sister's three children have also all been 9lb + so clearly it looks like something that runs in my family, when I told the midwife this she still didn't reassure me tho. Hope all is going well with no 3. Am quite angry today actually that they would freak me out so badly when there's nothing I can do about it for another 3 weeks!!
And happycamel thanks for your advice. I'm a size 12-14 and didn't put on much weight with baby number 1 and so far have held steady on my size with baby number 2. Was feeling guilty really that it could have been something I had done with regards to my eating habits etc that caused this. Mainly because my horrid mother in law has been commenting non stop about my weight - asking me if my clothes still fit me etc that she's actually given me a complex!!! Witch - I'm the same size I was with baby no 1 but she thinks I've put on 'loads of weight' this time around. So thanks for helping me to keep everything in perspective.

[buttonmoon78]

Dita I had my scan yesterday at 20+6. Baby was slightly large all round (ie just over the 50th centile) but like yours it's belly was right up there at maximum! Off the top of my head it was about 180mm, does that sound right? If you're interested in the numbers I put them on the July ante-natal thread I'm on so you can prob search for that.

Incidentally, no one has mentioned it to me and it was a very long scan (60mins) as baby wouldn't play ball, and was reviewed immediately by a MW as she had to plot a growth chart for me.

One bar of chocolate a day is really not eating to much - unless we're talking family size blocks here. I told my DH that I'd put on 6lbs so far and he went 'you're joking right?' so you're not alone in feeling . I do carry about 2.5stone too much normally so I'd have thought I was a prime candidate for GD but it's not been mentioned once.

Chill out and filter the information which comes your way. A lot of it will be TMI. In the un-rude sense!

[Ditablue]

Hi buttonmoon (loved that show as a child btw)
Yes my scan also showed baby's tummy was 181mm - will check out the July thread to see how everything else compares.
Thanks for reassuring me about chocolate intake...urgh we have to take our little pleasures somewhere right:o and I promise they are not family size (do come from a multipack tho but only 1 at a time promise)
When's your due date then? So far mine is 28 July but that may very well change!!!

[buttonmoon78]

July 29th. And I put the wrong measurement But it's still high!

[stottiecake]

Hi Dita
Am due 13th July and had my scan last week.The baby is measuring on the 95th centile and I have also been called back for the glucose test on the 7th April as his (his!!) tummy was looking slightly big. So I had a bit of a worry about it. This thread has been really reassuring so thank you!!
My ds was for the first 18 months following the 98th centile so I am wondering if I'm just due another big one!!
Ow.