Scan at 38 weeks?

[becca2007]

Hi,

This is my first post here, brought on by visit to midwife today. I've always seen the same midwife up until now, but this afternoon saw a different one... I'm 37+5 and although I only found out I was pregnant at 24 weeks, everything with the pregnancy so far has been fine (apart from horrible SPD ). However, today when she measured me... she was getting a smaller measurement than I've previously had. She seems to think baby's head has engaged, and that could be why.. but as she can't be sure he's still growing normally, she's referred me for a scan (so far I've only had the one scan at 27 weeks).

Is this something I should be worried about, or is it likely just a precaution? Could it be anything to do with seeing a different MW? Is it normal for the measurement to be smaller when the head is engaged? Anyone else had to have a scan this late for similar reasons?

As you can probably tell, this is my first and I'm very nervous. Am very much alone with this pregnancy, so nobody around me in real life with experience to tell me when I'm worrying about nothing! One more thing... once the head is engaged, is that a reliable sign that things are going to happen soon?

Thanks in advance for any help, sorry for all the questions! xx

[scorpio1]

i had a scan at 37 weeks-the obstetrician thought i was having a small baby-i gave birth to a 8lb 1oz baby!!when i had the scan they estimated he already weighed just over 7lb, and that somehow the doctor thought he was a small baby!

my first guess is that its a precaution.

[Piffle]

becca - precaution I'm sure, my measurements also changed as dd engaged
Enjoy the scan we got an awesome picture of our dd's face at 37+4 wk scan she was born 4 days later and looked just like her picture!

[hippmummy]

Hi Becca

No real experience of this but it really does sound like just a precaution to me.
If you have been measured over previous weeks and the measurements have been going up, it could just be engagement as she says.

Even if growth has slowed down, I would imagine that at 38 weeks everything would be fine even if s/he arrived tomorrow.

Wow - at only finding out at 24 weeks! I thought these things only happened in magazines

Good luck with everything x

[Marne]

Hi, i had a scan at 35 weeks as midwife thought bump was small, at the scan i was told baby was big (just curled up) she was 7lb 9oz and born a week early.

Try not to worry.

Also if its your first baby the head can engage early, with my first the head engaged at 30 weeks with the second they tend to engage later.

[lulumama]

you will measure smaller once the head has engaged, teh top of the uterus is not as high as it was...

however, the head can be engaged a while before things happen, but it is certainly good that your LO is head down ,engaged and ready to go !

it is probably a precaution as if you only found out at 24 weeks, they don;t have as many measurements to look at a pattern of growth , IFYSWIM

congrats and welcome x

[10weeksandcounting]

My midwife has always stopped measuring at about 36 weeks - am suprised they have measured you - would also agree that once the baby engages all measurements kind of go out the window - I would go for scan and enjoy seeing baby!

[becca2007]

Thank you all, very reassuring to hear it's probably nothing! Thought that might be the case as she didn't seem overly worried... I am secretly quite pleased at the chance to have another peek before he arrives too, hehe

Hippmummy - I know, so did I! Certainly not the kind of thing to happen to me, anyway.. but obviously I was wrong. Had no morning sickness or anything, just thought I'd put on a bit of weight-- I should be grateful for easy pregnancy, I know, but I wish I'd found out a lot earlier!

[becca2007]

Also, nobody has given me any indication of him being either particularly small or large.. I'm assuming that means everything is probably about average. I guess they would have mentioned if they were concerned? Can they always tell from feeling and measuring you, or is baby's size something that can only really be detected by a scan?

Will they be likely to give me an estimate of his weight at this scan? Sorry again for all the questions... every time I see the midwife I seem to develop amnesia and don't ask any of the questions I mean to!

[scorpio1]

they gave me an estimate of his weight at that moment in time, and also estimate of birth weight-they were only 1oz out!

i think they may have mentioned if they thought you were too small or big

i honestly think that they are covering themselves and just doubly checking you, i would enjoy seeing your little man again !

[becca2007]

Hmm, appointment came through today and scan isn't until next Monday (19th)... I'm due on 24th!! Due to see midwife again on Weds, kind of assumed that scan would be sooner so we'd know if everything was ok.

Not sure if it's worth trying to get it changed, as surely if there'd been a sooner appointment they'd have given me one? I wish I wasn't such a wimp when it comes to phoning people up about these things!

[lulumama]

call and say you are anxious, is there any chance of the scan being sooner, or at the least being able to talk through your worries ,?