Not great news from latest scan......(sorry, long)

[becaroo]

...I am 38 weeks this week. I have been having serial growth scans with this pregnancy due to my first child being born with undiagnosed IUGR and being very small and poorly at birth.

Up til 2 weeks ago everything seemed fine - growth really good, excess fluid but they didnt seem worried.

Today they have found that the baby has stopped growing - gone from top of the 75th centile to the 35th in 2 weeks. Fluid has also gone up again (after coming down) which should be diminishing at this stage.

Am so upset. Its all happening again.....my son was so ill when he was born, it was awful. I dont think I can do it gain.

Has this happended to anyone else and did you go on to have a healthy/good weight baby???

Why cant I healthy grow babies? Why?

[Wheelybug]

Hi Becaroo. I had a slightly different situation but my dd grew slowly all the way through but it really tailed off between 35 adn 37 weeks when they induced me/c-sec etc. DD was absolutely fine though - no problems whatsoever. She spent a couple of hours in SCBU to get her blood sugars up but that was it.

I know you've been through it before and your ds was poorly but maybe that was because it was undiagnosed so they weren't able to act at the right time. What have they said about delivery ?

[Wheelybug]

Oh and don't beat yourself up about it - its just one of those things. I am 12 weeks today so getting nervous about whether history will repeat itself again but if it does, it does (and then I'll quit this baby making process - I added in a m/c too in between dd and this pg and then 2 years of unexplained infertility so am just going to think this isn't one of the things I'm best at in life).

[lou031205]

becaroo

what are they doing about it? I was induced at 35+4 last time because DD stopped growing. She went from 50th to 25th in 2 weeks with static growth.

What is the next step for you?

[Ewe]

Oh becaroo, this must be so worrying for you. I have no experience of this myself but do know someone who had a similar experience and her baby had stopped growing around 36 weeks, he was small, 5lb10oz but still a really good weight and had no problems at all.

Forgive me if I am wrong/this doesn't apply to IUGR but 36 weeks is considered term and you have done a fabulous job getting this far.

Good luck! What is the plan now? Get the little monkey out soon as? I know it must be hard but do try and think positively, history doesn't have to repeat itself.

[becaroo]

Thank you for your posts....they have booked me in for another scan and doppler next monday, but am so worried...will not sleep a wink til then.

I think 37 weeks is considered term - would be quite happy to have the baby now!!! Its obviously not doing to well inside me

[Hulababy]

Oh That must be stressful, a week's wait. Can you push with your HV for early intervention?

[Wheelybug]

From my experience of being monitored for this issue late on (and I only got to 37 weeks so you're doing great !) - they wouldn't leave you another week at 38 weeks if there looked like there was a problem so I think you can take some comfort from this (although I know how worrying it is).

[lou031205]

Becaroo, have you expressed your concerns to your consultant?

I was given a vague discussion re: IUGR, but in the end, I insisted on talking through the options. The registrar was pretty dismissive, saying "we see worse", but midwife knew me from my admission at 33 weeks, and saw that I was very worried.

I said that I was deeply concerned, and as they didn't know why she had stopped growing, and couldn't guarantee her safety, I wanted out!

The reg and I discussed it, she wanted regular monitoring, I wanted DD in my arms where I could see her. She went to get the consultant. Consultant said that either was an acceptable course of action at 35+4, and that I could come in the next morning for induction.

I tell you this story not to encourage you to insist on induction, but to reassure you that it is YOUR pregnancy, and they have to take your concerns seriously. I would be phoning my midwife or the Maternity unit, and asking for a further consultation.

[becaroo]

I must admit, I wish now that I had asked a few more questions, but I was on my own - dh had to work - and I felt really upset and confused. Things had been going so well.

I am thinking that because of my ds IUGR issues and sibsequent health problems I should be being a bit more proactive BUT I HATE the thought of induction.....

[cathym]

Sorry to hear that you seem to be having the same problem again. My first was an undiagnosed (until the week before she was born) IUGR baby. From reading this thread though it sounds like people have been able to have a normal delivery with an IUGR baby? Am I reading this right? I had to have a c-section, and although this was partly because she was breech they said they prefer c-sections for IUGR babies. Therefore I am half expecting another IUGR baby and another c-section At least I will have the extra scans this time though so I will know what is going on.