Bump hasn't grown in 2 weeks- help me stop worrying.

[AnathemaDevice]

I'm 35 weeks, and saw the midwife today for the usual wee in a pot/blood pressure/bump measuring. Midwife measured me, and said that the bump was 33cm, same as it was 2 weeks ago.

I've been referred for a scan tomorrow afternoon, but I've spent all day in a panic. Can anyone reassure me that there's nothing to worry about, and it's just baby lying in an odd position, or human error? I feel sick, an I'm imagining all sorts of problems. (DS and I have both had rotten colds for the last week or so, and I can't remember the last time I slept all night, which isn't helping me stay calm!)

One thing that does make me feel better is that during my last check up (the one 2 weeks ago) there were 2 midwives- one measuring, and one writing the notes. Midwife who was writing asked the midwife measuring to confirm that she said 31cm, to which she replied 'no 33cm'. Now I think about it, maybe she did say 31, but got confused because I was 33 weeks.

[jellyhead188]

Hi - try not to worry, I def measured smaller with my second they sent me for a growth scan it could be a number of things:

if you're tall you carry a lot inside as you have a lot of room (the sonographer was annoyed I'd even been sent as I'm 5'10")

baby may have engaged which would mean you measure smaller (when they're second/third pg they can engage and pop out again)

in my experience, you don't retain as much water second/third time round, I blew up ridiculously with my 1st but 2nd and 3rd time lost a lot of weight and subsequently seemed a lot smaller.

Measuring with a tape measure is not accurate!, you're only measursing 2 weeks smaller - which in my area would not even be a concern, unless your more than 2 weeks bigger or smaller they don't send you for a scan!

Hope this helps a little xx

[MandaHugNKiss]

This is very easy to type, you've no doubt done it yourself, but you really shouldn't worry about this. Especially as I'm guessing you're still feeling baby move as much as usual? And I presume she listened in to the heartbeat?

It sounds like it could very easily be human error! Either a screw up with recording the fundal height last time, or a screw up with the measurement last time OR this time - it's definitely no exact science and two different midwives will often get two different figures.

Or baby could simply be in a different position.

I really think everything is fine and the scan tomorrow will confirm that

[PrettyCandles]

I have never had my bump measured in three pregnancies. I thought measuring the bumP was outdated and not done any more as it was a very inaccurate estimate of, well, anything.

OP, you really don't need to worry at all. It is perfectly normal not to grow much at the end of pregnancy. It is even normal, particularly in your first pregnancy before your stomach muscles have been turned into soggy spaghetti, for your bump to shrink as the baby settles downwards.

[AnathemaDevice]

Thanks for the kind words and reassurance, everyone. I'm sure I'm getting myself into a panic over nothing. I'm worrying that, if there is even a little problem I won't get a home birth.

jellyhead188- Unfortunately I'm only 5'2" so I can't blame it on my height. I think the baby is moving in and out of position though, I'm definitely feeling pressure on my cervix at times.

MandaHugNKiss-Yes, the baby is moving around a lot. Even more so than usual today, almost as if it was trying to reassure me. Yes, midwife listened to the heartbeat, no problems there.

I'm sure my bump is smaller than it was with DS, but to be honest it wasn't worrying me until today- in fact, I was quite relieved, as DS was 9lbs 1oz and I don't really fancy having a bigger one this time around. Also, the bump is a little lopsided, which may have made a difference to the measurements.

[ILikeToMoveItMoveIt]

What do YOU think? Do you think your bump has grown or changed shape?

My bumps have always grown in spurts. Nothing for a couple of weeks, then seemingly overnight the fundus shoots up a couple of cm's. It's easy enough to feel your fundus yourself, so if you feel a bit uneasy about it, check it yourself every week or so and see if the height has changed - and I don't mean with a tape measure, as that is a load of crap imo!

[WattleTheyDo]

Hi AnathemaDevice, I measured small at 34 weeks and then again at 40 weeks and had been sent to the hospital both times to be checked - and both times it's because the MW or Doctor had been measuring me incorrectly! I know it's easier said then done, but try not to worry, I'm sure you'll be fine x.

[AnathemaDevice]

Well, I had the scan today, and the sonographer said there was nothing to worry about. But later on I got a phone call from the maternity ward, asking me why I hadn't taken my notes up to them after the scan. Well, it could be because they phoned me yesterday to tell me that I didn't need to go to the ward at all

So I had to go back to the hospital, went to the ward they told me to go to, only to be told that I was in the wrong place. Midwife eventually looked at my notes, and said that, while the baby is within the normal range, it's not within my normal range, IYSWIM,(Because DS was 9lbs 1oz they expect me to have a fairly big baby again this time- current prediction is baby will be around the 6 1/2 lb mark at birth) so I have to go back for another scan next week, then another one (plus a meeting with the consultant) the week after that.

So I'm back to worrying again...

[sh77]

Tape measure method is crap. At 27 weeks, midwife measured me as 25. Consultant then measured me as 26 (2 hours later). Scan showed all was ok and baby was measuring along its centile.

At 29 weeks, I measured 28.

They tend not to worry if 2 cm behind.

[PrettyCandles]

Single scans are very unreliable indicators of the baby's weight. Repeated scans give a much more accurate indication. That's probably why they want you to have a series of scans.

I thnk the tendency is for subsequent babies each to be bigger than the previous one, but it certainly is not a rule. I know mums where the babies did not follow any pattern, and ohers where the babies were each smaller than the previous one. And all were healthy.

[TheEvilDead2]

My bump wouldnt do anything for ages, then I might have a "growth spurt" over a week..

And it would be very noticable to the point poeple from work always noriced and commented.

[Mahraih]

I had the same thing as jellyhead: midwife measured the bump as 'small' at 37 weeks and when I went for a scan, the baby was a completely normal size, in fact, he's long!

I'm also tall - 5'10" - and they said that was probably the reason. Everyone on here reassured me that the tape measure method is notoriously inaccurate, and they were right!

As for the normal range - maybe if you'd had 10 babies, but you've had one, maybe baby number one was the abnormal one?!