Is it possible to fatten baby/fetus?

[JoyApple]

Hi,

I had my 20 week scan and been told baby is weighing small, below the 10th centile. DC1 was 5lb 13oz and was considered small (babies on DH's side have historically been small). She struggled with regulating her temperature, developed a bit of jaundice and ended up being put on antibiotics as a precaution and was fed through a tube for about 4 days. We ended up staying in hospital for 5 days which was horrendous and this time I'm determined to try my best to avoid. Bm

So is there a way for me to increase baby's birth weight and what and when is the best way to do it (without it piling on me 🙈)? I'm not really getting super hungry. I tend to have two meals and 2 light snacks. I didn't put on much extra weight in last pregnancy.

No

No you can't do a thing. To put weight on your baby. Is there a reason for the history of low birth weight ?

The best you could do is keep yourself healthy and fed nutritiously.

That sounds really difficult OP, I hope this baby won’t have the same problems.

But no, I don’t think there is a way. Also remember that scans aren’t particularly accurate in estimating weight.

I would pick up some American baby books their advice on nutrition is interesting. I had twins and their advice is to eat more healthy fats oily fish, cheese and cream to build them up. Natal nutrition is neglected in this country

@mauveiscurious how would eating cheese and cream put weight on a fetus? Please explain

I don't think you are eating enough. You should aim for three healthy meals a day and two snacks.

As for your baby, are you receiving any extra care in this pregnancy due to your last baby's low birth weight?

Have you been told to take baby aspirin? This is often indicated for various reasons in pregnancy, including a previous low birth weight baby, because it is believed to improve the flow of blood and nutrients through the placenta. If you're not already taking it, it might be worth it, although most women would start taking it earlier in their pregnancy.

You might also benefit from additional growth scans at the end of your pregnancy. If your baby stops putting on weight the doctors might decide it is safer to deliver your baby early and focus on feeding for weight gain once they are born. This is because if the placenta isn't functioning properly there isn't a huge amount they can do about it and they can support your baby to put on weight more easily outside the womb. But obviously they need to strike the right balance between that and leaving the baby as much time as possible to finish developing, particularly lung and brain development which continue right up until the end of pregnancy.

The only thing I can think of would be low dose aspirin (which increases function and blood flow of placenta, in turn increasing supply of oxygen and nutrients to baby), has this been discussed with you?

Other than that, I'd ensure a healthy balanced diet and take prenatal vitamins.

All my babies were big, over 10lbs, no gestational diabetes. My last baby was 11lbs 8oz and ten days early. Doctor that delivered him commented on his stomach and asked if I drank much milk on him. Milk was actually one of my cravings and I would have a pint of cold milk every night.

All babies on DH sider were 6lbs or less.

My two babies were very different birth weights despite same diet and same gestation. I really don't think there's much you can do other than try not to worry!

Bizarrely there is some evidence that beetroot juice is helpful in preventing foetal growth restriction.

My baby was around 10th on the 20 week scan but around 50th on every other scan and born on 50th. I don't think that 20 week scan is as accurate because everything is so small.

All you can do is eat healthily (and enough) and exercise normally.

Scans are not so accurate- and unless the hospital seem worried- you shouldn't. (My 'average size' baby turned out to be over 11Lb. )

The baby not growing enough would be to do with things you can't control- like the transfer of nutrients across the placenta.

My 8 month old was born on the 9th and now on the 2nd. He is developing perfectly and is a happy healthy boy. Just a little small. Try not to worry.

I think you need to eat nutritious food and in healthy amounts. I would say that for most (non-pregnant) people, 2 meals and 2 light snacks is bordering on not enough. As you are pregnant, you probably need to eat a bit more. It's hard to gauge from your description of what you eat if it's a healthy amount - 2 sizeable meals and 2 light snacks might be plenty. If it's like a sandwich and a big salad, plus a handful of nuts and some biscuits, probably not. You probably aren't going to massively change your baby's birth weight if they are naturally smaller, but you can at least make sure you aren't restricting calories so much that they aren't growing as much as they should be. Could you fill out your snacks with a bit more healthy, filling food if you only want to eat 2 actual meals?

Thank you everyone! It seems I am not eating enough so I will be stricter with myself and make sure I have three meals.

I have had strong food aversions in earlier weeks and bitter taste in mouth (which seems to be worse when I eat more) and been poorly too (caught a bug), so I don't think I have been eating perhaps as well I could. Let's hope the next scan shows good growth :)

@mauveiscurious That's interesting! is there a specific american book you would recommend?

I am also on a gluten free diet and can't tolerate milk (although seem to be OK with other dairy), so I need to up my dairy in take too.

I would not panic too much about the scan prediction. One of mine was scanned the day before and then induced (not due to weight) and was 12lb heavier the next day when delivered than on the scan. Obviously with the prior history it is a concern but scans are not particularly accurate in terms of weight predictions.

No The baby's weight depends on a well functioning placenta but
you can help by eating and drinking well and it doesn't necessarily follow that all babies will be small.
My DS1.. 5lb 13
My DS2.. 7lb 5
My DS3.. 7lb 41/2
All 6'1 healthy adults
Don't worry
Tbh growth scans mean very little

Don't smoke or drink alcohol because those are known to be able to cause low birth weight.

As for eating: I didn't gain much during pregnancy and lost more than 3 stone in the week after birth and my baby was nine pounds. They take from you what they need so just try to eat extra healthy so you keep strong yourself.

• The current NHS advice says ‘you should eat no more than 2 portions of oily fish a week, such as salmon, trout, mackerel or herring‘

so be careful with advise that contradicts that.

I'm having growth scans because low PAPP-A indicates a problem with my placenta. When I saw the consultant I asked about the babies size because she was showing as smallish at 20 and 23 weeks and the consultant told me it's too early at that stage to take any real prediction for birth weight from, so as long as you're between the 5th and 95th centile don't worry this early on

The advice in the US is to eat a lot more as the baby is drawing on you especially fats calcium and protein.

Their baby books in twins give mothers the guide to increase birth weight as the babies often are prem. I had normal birth weights even though it was a few weeks early.

They recommended that women need to eat more for the baby. There is more guidance regarding nutrition now.

I didn't increase to larger portions but ate differently for them

I was obsessed with a baked potato beans and cheese I think I had it for lunch nearly every day in the second trimester and then the craving passed

don’t smoke

I don't think it's something you can control. Dd2 was sent for an extra scan as she was "small for dates" but came out a week early at nearly 7lb.
I was sick and hardly ate through pregnancy too, because I had morning sickness throughout. I lost so much weight that I was 2 stone lighter at the end of pregnancy ~(obviously after baby had come out) than I was at the beginning.
All my babies were good weights.

I'd say don't worry too much-they're not terribly accurate at judging weight but maybe you're just genetically predispositioned to have small babies.