Odd fundal measurements.

[Jakeyblueblue]

Hi, was hoping for some advice.
Am 31 weeks pregnant with ds2. Ds1 has just turned 3 and was born on his due date weighing 9lb 2oz.
Went to midwife at 28 weeks and was measuring 29cm so above 90th centile. Midwife not concerned as previous large baby, just said she'd keep an eye and send me for growth scan if measuring 3cm over.
Returned yesterday at 30+6 and now only measuring 30cm. She's arranged a growth scan for Friday as says I've dropped to 50th centile. I know these measurements are largely inaccurate, and she is bound by protocol, and actually my chart is predicting quite a big baby anyway so even a 50th centile baby wouldn't be a
small baby but she's really worried me. She said baby doesn't feel like it's grown much, but I am really not sure how she can remember! She must have seen scores of women in between and both palpations lasted all of 20 seconds and the one where I measured big, my son was
trying to escape from the room so hardly an environment you could concentrate in!
I don't feel masses bigger but I'm certainly not small and
starting to feel more uncomfortable daily so sure there has been growth.
Also I looked at my 12 week and 20 week measurements and both were plotted just above the 50th centile so
would ring true with the last smaller measurement, meaning the bigger measurement was the one that was out.
Has anyone had similar? Can anyone think of any reasons this might have happened?
Do you think she's over reacting or do you think I'm under reacting by not seeing this as too much of a problem?
Everything else fine, loads of movement and heart rate good. Baby feels stronger everyday and can now feel a bottom under my ribs, whereas a few weeks ago I couldn't.

[SomeSunnySunday]

DC2 appeared to stop growing at a similar point in pregnancy, and I was referred for a growth scan. At the scan they discovered a average-slightly large baby who was breech. The sonographer speculated that turning breech had probably caused my fundal height to appear static. The midwife had not picked up that he was breech when she palpated me the day before - I think that it is really very hard for them to accurately tell just by feeling (and for you - I had no idea that the 'bottom' I could feel was a head). FWIW every midwife appointment I had with DS2 post 28 weeks resulted in me being referred for a growth scan. He was born at 39 weeks weight 8lb10, so utterly normal / a good size. I think you are right not to worry too much for now (I have resigned myself to growth scans in this pregnancy and have already decided not to panic!). It's good to have the scan though - the sonographer will check cord flow and fluid levels too, and so should pick up a genuine problem. or be able to set your mind at ease.

[Sconeintheoven]

I think she's probably overreacting.
I am now 38 weeks pregnant and have had a similar thing. Was measuring along the top centile until I got to 34/35weeks when my measurements seemed to plateau; my bump only increased by half an inch in 3 weeks. I was sent into hospital at 37 weeks despite bump still measuring on 50th centile, so not small but just smaller. They monitored baby's heartbeat and movements which were all fine and asked me to come back the next day for a growth scan. Scan was good with baby measuring nice and average.
I thought that was the last of that until my community midwife appointment yesterday when she measured me and discovered bump had dropped by 2 inches! So 38 weeks but measuring 33 inches. Because I'd been scanned just under a week ago, community midwife was not overly concerned but certainly confused because according to her palpitations baby's head was no longer engaged and so if anything should be measuring longer as head not buried inside my pelvis.
I started to worry that I might be leaking waters as nobody could give me an explanation for measurement dropping. I called triage for advice yesterday and they told me to come in to check waters had not broken although she didn't think it sounded like they had.
Had internal and confirmed waters still intact but she also discovered with a thorough palpitation that baby's head is fully engaged and what the other midwife had felt was actually baby's shoulders not head! So this goes some way to explaining shorter measurement. The hospital policy is to wait 2 weeks between growth scans which is fine with me.. If I still have any concerns next week, they will scan me then.
The overwhelming message I've taken away from all this is there is an awful lot of fallibility in the old tape measure and really the growth scan supersedes this. As it stands, it sounds like you are measuring nice and average and have absolutely no reason to worry. Only a scan would prove otherwise, and even they are not always that accurate.

[Jakeyblueblue]

Thanks all for reassuring stories. Scan is tmrw at 11.20.
I'm thinking it was down to baby's position, baby def head down now but there was atone when I was sure he was breech as all kicks below belly button. Can't remember if this was still going on at first visit but she didn't record position so I'm thinking she didn't check. Also I do look pretty massive, considering I've still got 9 weeks to go. I'm a nurse and did midwifery training some years ago and have been measuring myself every 5 mins since and am consistently getting much bigger measurements. It will be interesting to see what people say at work today as I've not been in for over a week, will see if anyone can notice a difference

[IShallCallYouSquishy]

Fundal height with DS stopped/slowed growing after about 36 weeks. Again my MW was bound by duty to refer me for a scan as of course they can't take any risks.

Scan showed EFW of around 5.5lb if born full term.

Induced early due to slow growth plus high BP. He was born at 38+4 weighing a completely normal 6lb 11oz so if born at 40 weeks would have been a good 7.5lb

Fundal height and EFW are a load of rubbish in my experience!

[frankiebuns]

I had a growth scan yesterday as I hadn't grown for 3 weeks my baby is stuck in the oblique position so no vbac for me! [Sad] but that's the reason why I hadn't grown cos of her position

[Jakeyblueblue]

Just an update - been for scan. All fine. Baby growing perfectly on same centile as scans at 12 and 20 weeks. Around 4 1/2 lbs at present, likely to be 9lbs + full term. Midwife I saw today thinks first measurement is likely to be out.
Panic over!
Thanks for your replies.