Worried about measuring small!?

[Allibear]

Hi guys, this is my first pregnancy and I've been a worrier the whole way through! My baby measured small on Thursday at 28 weeks, I can't get a growth scan untill Monday and I've been having monitoring every day since Thursday. I noticed baby's heartrate sat around 140 the first day, then 150 and today was about 165? Isn't this worrying?! The midwife in triage was kind of dismissive and didn't even tell me not to worry but sent me home!! Does anyone know if this is normal? I'm so worried about my LO :(

[noblegiraffe]

Are you tall? I measured small in both my pregnancies, had normal growth scans in both and both babies were born a perfectly normal size. I had small bumps but am tall so the babies had more room to stretch out.

The tape measure method is also no

[Whatsername17]

I measured 3 weeks under my entire pregnancy with my dd. People commented on my small bump and some were rude enough to suggest I needed to eat more because be baby was starving. Everyone kept saying that there was no way she'd be above 6lb. The midwife ummed and ahhhhed about growth scans but ultimately didn't send me for one. Dd was born at 41 weeks weighing 7lb15oz! Try not to worry. Your baby may just be tucked up inside.

[noblegiraffe]

Sorry, pressed post by accident.


The tape measure method is notoriously unreliable and the tables they use to trigger growth scans differ from area to area. I was told that I got a growth scan for my measurement, but if I lived down the road in a different trust, I wouldn't have as my measurements would have been considered fine.

I don't know about the heart rate, have you been called in for monitoring or just been going in?

[TheMumsOnTheBusShoutEqualPay]

I measured small with DS and was sent off for a growth scan. The growth scan put him on the 91st centile and I spent the last few weeks worrying about having a 12lb baby. He was 7lb 12 when he born. Bang on 50th centile!

[Luckystar1]

I measured over 2 weeks small with both DCs, DS was 8lb 11, DD was 9lb. I'm 5' 5 so not tall, and I only weigh 8 stone 'normally' so i have no clue where these babies appear from (well I do, but....!)

Don't worry, as pp said, a tape measure is subject to a fairly big margin of error!

[Allibear]

Thank you everyone

I am quite tall I guess I could put it down to that :)
And yeah people tell me I have a tiny bump and one lady even told me I should put my 'anerexia' behind me if I am having a child?! (I'm not anerexic and a pretty normal size lol!)
They called me in for monitoring because I couldn't have a growth scan till Monday :/
Thank you all, you've calmed my nerves

[Nahma]

I've been measured small at 28+2 today and booked in for a scan on Wednesday. I thought my bump was huge, people have even commented how big it is! Makes no sense to me...

[YorkieDorkie]

The anorexia comment is shocking OP! People are so effing rude!

[Becciilouisex3]

Try not to worry too much as I've struggled to find a woman who has said their LO's predicted weight was accurate. I've spoken to a lot of ladies who had scans and were told baby would be 10lb but was 7lb something or even the other way around!
As for the tape measure it's pretty ridiculous as your bump will change depending on where baby is lying and some ladies carry a lot of water etc there's so many factors your bump can be "big" or "small"! The scan will be lovely anyway as you'll get to see your LO and hopefully they can put your mind at rest about the heart rate. It could just be to do with baby sleeping or being active at different times of the heartbeat being listened to

As for people's rude comments just ignore them. I don't know why but people seem to think they have some newfound moral high ground when you're pregnant and will shower you with judgement and advice however unwelcome!

Good luck.