Centile measurements

[Littleflump15]

hi all, just out of interest are centile graphs in your maternity notes specific to you, ie I am quite short so will my 90th centile be different to someone else's? Just had 31 week appointment and measuring on 90th centile just wondering what this means?? Thanks x

[Roxie85]

No the charts are the same for everyone.
If you are on the 90th centile it means that if every pregnant lady stood together 89% of them would have a smaller bump and 9% would have a bigger bump. It doesn't take into account your stature at all and to be honest it isn't anything to be concerned about.
I think it's generally just to help guide midwives as if the bump measurements are towards the top end they may advise extra scans to see if it's a big baby or lots of water to help with birth plans and also they want to make sure that the bump is still growing well. ie if your bump is on 90th centile but at your next app it drops to 50th they might do a scan just to confirm baby is still growing well and you aren't losing waters etc.

It's all the same when baby arrives as you have a chart for their weight and it's just to make sure baby isn't losing weight and is tracking their weight centile.

[Roxie85]

Oh and I tracked 50th centile all the way through my pregnancy but baby was born on 9th so it doesn't necessarily mean anything about the size of the baby

[Littleflump15]

Thanks guys first baby and midwife gave no explanation! just expected me to know what she was on about I'm not worried as long as baby is growing nicely x

[Hellohellohowareyou]

See my midwife said they were specific to each person and will be generated based on your height and weight from your booking in appointment and details from your 12 week scan?

[Littleflump15]

Hello that's what I had thought due to the fact they made a big fuss about it at my twelve week scan ( they lost my notes and had to just give me the measurement ) sheet she said more than once they it was specific to me??? Would help if they gave you some explanation! :-)

[StrawbsAndCream]

Hi Little I think it may differ as my growth chart is made using my height and bmi so is actually specific to me. The midwife printed this out and stuck it on top of the normal one in my notes, it has my bmi and height in the corner so you may be able to tell if yours has. My baby has never measured below the 95th centile with measurements and growth scans! I'm 5ft2 and start weight 8st2 so I think it would be slightly different if I was taller etc. being induced tomorrow so we'll see! Hope that helps but I think it differs from area to area.

[Littleflump15]

Hi strawbs mine does have name/height/bmi ect on it hence the assumption it was specific to me, I am also 5/2, good luck with the induction!! ??

[StrawbsAndCream]

Thank you, hoping I'm not in for a 10 pounder! Scans would suggest 8.5lbs so we'll see. I blame his Dad..6ft4 rugby player! In my next life I'll choose a small husband to reproduce with . Hope the rest of your pregnancy goes well!

[Happilymarried155]

They are specific to each person so your graph is based on your wieght and your height. I wouldn't worry to much my bumped measured on the 90tj centile at 26 weeks even though it was only 26cm but a scan showed the baby to only be on the 50th centile line at the moment x

[Littleflump15]

Strawbs that made me lol I too have a larger parter 6ft2 and they have said baby has long legs ! 8llb 5 would do me nicely!

[Katnipp]

It varies from trust to trust. Think about 2/3 use individual growth charts now. Was one of thigs covered in recent bbc documentary about efforts to lower rate of unexplained still births (other area they covered was extra scans and Doppler scans that kings in London do).
I don't have individual growth charts but friends in other trusts do.