Help baby measuring at the 2.3 percentile at 36 weeks

[panickingmumtobe]

I’ve been having regular scans from about 28 weeks because of babies size. But at the last one 3 weeks ago it was measuring at 8.9 or something close to that.
Mum’s with small for gestational age what was your experience?
This is my first baby too and I already have so much going on it all just feels so unfair.

Deep breaths.

They are monitoring you to keep an eye, but all babies need to be a percentile somewhere, and there's even the possibility to be off the charts (my nephew was off the scale long). And that's before you get to measurement inaccuracy.

Try taking a list of questions to your next session, I never had the presence of mind to ask the right ones.

My dd baby was measuring just over 5 1/2 lb so they induced her at 38 weeks. Baby was 6lb 2. Sometimes they are just off with the measurements. Try not to worry and just follow advice from the medical professionals

Hi OP with dd1 I was told at 35 weeks she was measuring small had to go in everyday for movement checks and then every other day, they scheduled a c section for 38 weeks (my choice didn't fancy induction) and she was 6.5lb! I wouldn't worry to much and I comforted myself knowing that if she was small that they can do amazing things for small babies now!

My baby was measuring on the 99th centile at 36 weeks, and was born 3 weeks later on around the 50th. Her head circumference (which had been a cause for concern and the reason for the growth scans) was 6.3rd centile on scan, and 75th at birth.

So growth scans are not necessarily a true reflection of reality. They can be way off. Listen to your medical team and take their advice, but if they are not panicking then try not to panic yourself.

I was told I was small for dates & baby would need to go to special care - was induced at 38 weeks & baby 8lb 3oz! They’re not always right with their measurements.

My DD was born at 36 weeks weighing 4 lb 5 oz. She is now one one the tallest in her class and is doing well at school.

Thank you everyone ❤️

I was told that my baby was measuring really big so had weekly growth scans and they planned to induce me.
I went into labour a week early (the day before they were due to induce me) and she was absolutely tiny.

My point is that they’re not always correct so do everything they tell you to but take it with a pinch of salt.
good luck and congratulations x

Hopefully you’ve been reassured by peoples experiences… to add mine, my dd1 was « small for dates », was on the 3rd centile at birth snd is now a very petite but very robust and healthy 18 year old who delights in being able to buy kids’ doc martens because they’re cheaper. We were also told she might have microcephày when a random new midwife decided my bump was too small and ordered measurements; this was devastating and made the last few weeks of pregnancy unnecessarily stressful… an older wiser midwife was very reassuring about how wildly inaccurate in-utero measurements often are which helped a bit. Can you find somebody in your midwifery team to share you worries with?

The centile chart is just a range based on the whole population, some people will be at the top, others (like dd2) will be slap bang in the middle, others like me and dd1 are at the dinkier end of the range. I wish I had realised this when I worried myself sick about why dd1 was so small compared to everyone else’s enormous hungry babies… try not to worry about measurements taken in an unreliable way.

I had small for dates babies.
Induced with both.
First was 5lb 9oz, second was 6lb 1oz.
So not the tiniest babies...small but perfectly healthy.
Both werd jaundiced but that cleared on its own in both.

At age 4 and 2 theyre big, chunky, tall boys who have thrived.

My biggest advice to you- induction can be intense. If youre open to an epidural anyway, request it is given before the hormone drip. Get ahead of the pain, because the next worry is baby in distress during labour, which we managed to avoid with the 3rd.