to make the hospital consultant laugh out loud...

[Babieseverywhere]

Consultant was expressing her surprise that I didn't have any growth scans in previous pregnancies and asked me why I didn't want any in this pregnancy and I replied

"Why does it make babies smaller"

She laughed a lot and I gave her my real answer, which is I prefer to avoid scans unless there was a medical need for one. Happy to stick to 12 and 20 weeks scans as standard. As my first three babies were reasonable sizes, my current baby won't be tiny, I don't need a scan needed to tell me that !

Punctuate! It took me several reads and re-reads to "get it"

(which then ruined the joke, sob)

Why are you being offered growth scans? I thought 12 and 20 week scans were standard, does your consultant have any concerns?

I still don't get it

I thought that's all you had anyway, 12 and 20 weeks?

YANBU

I had loads of growth scans with ds3 and they reckoned he'd be about 9-10lb at birth. I said rubbish. DS1 was 8lb 13oz and DS2 was 8lb 10oz and I thought DS3 would be in the middle. He was 8lb 12oz when he was born at 40+2.

I'm surprised you got offered growth scans. I thought the 12 and 20 week ones were standard and people only got more if there was a suspected problem.

YABU, though. It's nice to have an extra peek at the baby.

LOL, sorry here is a , :)

I have no idea why they want me to have growth scans, they say it is "to see if I'm having a big baby"

But with my first three babies, being 8lb 12oz, 10lb 1oz and 9lb 7oz, I ain't going to start with tiny babies now.

But that is my point, grown scans don't 'do' anything, why bother having them. I can tell them for free...DC4 will not be a small baby. Why trek to the hospital 4/5 times for them, to tell me that !

Maybe because if the baby is massive and you are tiny you will need a section?

Are you measuring big or are there any worries about the baby growth

?

Why would you want a smaller baby?

thats not true valium

I always measure big for dates, by the last few weeks of pregnancy. I carry fat.

There is no concern about baby's growth, all my babies grow well.

They have already refused my request for an ELCS.

So I have no idea, why they care how big the baby is. They just like doing scans I reckon ;)

It is true trinity I saw it on Bethanny Getting Married the other week. So there

Maybe the hospital would like to know if they are expecting you to have a particularly large baby so they can provide the best care for you & baby? I believe large babies are a higher risk for certain complications including shoulder dystocia, episiotomy & instrumental delivery. So if it were me I would want them to be as prepared as possible.

But it's not me, it's you, so fine - very witty.

YANBU at all.
Even if it is a monster baby, a scan's not going to stop that happening!

I was offered and had growth scans post the 20 week one, as my bump was massive. It's just so they could prepare for possible complications like shoulders getting stuck etc etc ....

They can't 'prepare for shoulders getting stuck', they just mark your notes that you are likely to be having a big baby and watch you in labour.

They have ALREADY marked my notes saying, I am likely to be having a big baby. A scan will give them no additional information.

Midwives are always prepared for possible complications. That is their job. They won't be any more prepared because a scan says it might be a big baby.

re your labours ok? generlaly op

Sorry I'm no consultant. Maybe you should have asked her why?

I have terrible labour attempts. My birth file is really thick.

They already intend to tie me down to a bed with continuous monitoring and I am very likely to end up with either an EMCS (had one) or forceps delivery with episiotomy and other complications (had two).

So as I said dragging me into hospital loads of time pre labour, for pointless growth scans, just increases my stress levels and gives them no new information. SO I am not doing it. Unless a real medical need raises it's head :)

She laughed a lot? Really?

I don't think I'm getting the joke then.

I get it. You meant there's no point having a (not 100%) diagnostic test when there's nothing that can be done in advance to adjust the outcome. In addition the act of testing will of itself generate anxiety and further interventions which may make a positive outcome more of a challenge?

Perfectly reasonable. Often the consultants seem surprised when patients ask why or say 'err no I don't think so'. I had the same when I refused a GTT. But said the consultant 'what about shoulder dystocia' 'Oh' I asked 'will a GTT prevent that?' (bearing in mind that size is not a predictor of dystocia) 'Errr well no but we'd be more prepared' 'Eh?' dh and I replied. Prepared in this context meant 'medicalised' I think. In the event dd3 was the smallest of my three.

Have you asked them how they will be reconciling the need for CFM with you being in a birth position which allows the pelvis to open up and gives you the best chance of a straightforward vaginal delivery.

Hmmm if they'd prefer it I'd go with what they'd recommend.

It's your baby not just you.

I schleped in for scans every other day at the end with my twins,yes it was a pain but in my experience the NHS don't offer free scans for nothing.