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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask wtf happened

45 replies

Ultrasoundwoes · 14/02/2023 04:31

I recently had my third baby. Since the 20 week scan they told me she was severely growth restricted, on the 1st percentile, could have a genetic condition. I had scans every 2 weeks. My hospital is a major teaching hospital where other high risk patients get referred, and they have their own small baby clinic with highly detailed scans etc.

I was induced due to this and refused pain relief in labour and had to be continuously monitored because baby was too small to be able to cope.

Then she comes out...7lbs?? Perfectly fine?

AIBU to ask how this happened - that they consistently measured her so small when she wasn't? I have older children and this never happened before. They told me to prepare for a C section and early induction and got it totally wrong.

Who can I talk to from the hospital?

OP posts:

TooBigForMyBoots · 14/02/2023 14:26

YANBU @Ultrasoundwoes. Some maternity services are disgraceful.

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 14/02/2023 14:43

That sounds insanely stressful. V glad to hear all is ok.

No advice re the hospital. It seems to vary widely but 1st percentile. I'd be inclined to formally complain as they either need better equipment, more training or more staff. I am friendly with an obstetrician and they are woefully underfunded by comparison with other departments. Sometimes I wonder if more women made maternity services an election issue whether anything would change

Oopswediditagain2023 · 14/02/2023 15:11

This is horrendous and I know so many people who've had similar including myself! With my DD I was repeatedly sent for scans and monitoring as she was "small" - she was 8lbs! And it's been the same with this pregnancy too. So much unneeded stress on pregnant women imho

Poppy44 · 14/02/2023 15:45

Just to add some balance. I was measuring large - waist circumference and sent for a scan at 36-37 weeks.

Sonographer gave predicted weight at 40 weeks for having a 10lb 5 ounce baby.

She was spot on to the exact ounce.

I know this doesn't help you OP but it does make me wonder how comes they can get it 'so right' in cases like mine, but also get it 'so wrong' in cases like yours.

I'd want the debrief to understand how the mistakes were made.

SocialLite · 14/02/2023 15:51

Loics · 14/02/2023 14:22

I was constantly told my second baby was going to be huge - had always planned on a hospital birth anyway, but was strongly advised against home birth and was consultant led instead of in the midwife led unit. Baby was only 9lb 8oz... All the time I was being warned of shoulder dsytocia and all sorts!

Blimey... I would call that huge compared to all of mine! I feel for you...

ididntwanttodoit · 14/02/2023 16:24

I was warned my first baby was "small for dates". I was understandably very worried at the time. He was *lbs when he was born. My DIL was told her first child measure "off the scale" for fatness (wasn't the word they used but that's what it meant. She was worried. Baby was born at 7lb 8 oz. Tells you all you need to know really, doesn't it? They really don't know at all!!

SleepingStandingUp · 14/02/2023 16:48

Those saying oh yes mine was bigger or smaller than expected, it's worrying but it's fine...

They discussed ABORTING FOR MEDICAL REASONS.

God forbid OP had gone ahead.

NatM15588 · 14/02/2023 17:28

My pregnancy with my dd was the same it completely ruined the experience which due to fertility problems was going to be my only child. We were told there could be downs syndrome or cystic fibrosis which we had to be tested for then there was them thinking her bowel was growing outside her body. I had scans every 2 weeks from 19 weeks in a foetal medicine unit and then was induced early which I wasnt completely sure about and in the end she came out 6lb 6 and perfect health.

PetitPorpoise · 14/02/2023 17:44

I get that it's an inexact science, but I'm confused as to how the measurements would be like that EVERY time. One or two anomalous meeasurements is understandable but seriously NONE of them, in any of the appointments were accurate and showed her at a normal weight and size?

I'd be worried that they were seeing what they expected to see, not what was actually there.

Not a radiographer, so happy to be corrected.

PatchworkElmer · 14/02/2023 18:23

This is appalling- they were discussing TFMR for goodness sake. I’d ask for a debrief, someone needs to explain this to you.

hiredandsqueak · 14/02/2023 18:31

Dsis had a similar experience told that her baby was very small, weekly scans, at final scan it was agreed she would be induced following week as baby was looking to be less than five pounds. She went into spontaneous labour the following day, baby born in ambulance on way to hospital weighing 9lb 7oz. No explanation as to why they had got it so wrong. Dsis is very slim/thin and tbf I've no idea where baby was hiding as she barely showed at all so maybe they thought she wasn't eating enough to nourish a baby.

LadyFlumpalot · 14/02/2023 18:52

This happened to me. I had a tiny bump, consistently measured 4-5 weeks under. Growth scans every two weeks. When he was born DS was 8lbs and with an equally chunky placenta. I think he was hiding in my arse to be honest.

Uptownswirl · 14/02/2023 18:56

I had this. From around 20 weeks baby fell off the bottom chart so we were referred to fetal medicine for fortnightly then weekly scans where we were told it was IUGR so induced early. Baby arrived at 38 weeks weighing 7lbs!

Uptownswirl · 14/02/2023 18:59

Out of interest those who went through this how tall are you and how tall is the dad? The charts are calculated based on mums height and I'm wondering if a big height difference between mum and dad wasn't taken into account (it wasn't here) so the charts didn't match up. If I'd gone to term mine would have potentially been a 9lber.

NeverTooLateToSing · 14/02/2023 19:02

I was told my baby may have microcephaly, and had to go in for frequent scans in the last 10 weeks. She was fine, happily, but it was a big worry to carry, along with all the other worries of a first pregnancy.

LadyFlumpalot · 14/02/2023 19:03

Uptownswirl · 14/02/2023 18:59

I'm 5ft4 and DH is 5ft8 so not a huge difference, we are both fairly diddy.

Grizzledstrawberry · 14/02/2023 19:03

I asked this when I had my son, born 8lb oz when I was told repeatedly he was 10lb atleast, the midwifes who delivered him said they get it all the time, the scans are notoriously wrong.

ThreeLittleDots · 14/02/2023 19:11

AIBU to ask how this happened

A mixture of overstating the accuracy of ultrasonography, neglect of true woman centred-care, arse-covering, and pressure from management / insurance provider in the way risk management is calculated (CNST)

Whyisitsososohard · 14/02/2023 19:20

My sister was given a planned c section as her daughter was supposedly small a few weeks earlier than her due date. She was a little baby I suppose but 6lb something. So hardly undergrown in the way they implied. She was very worried when she went for her last few appointments and was told the baby was little. I can understand why this caused you stress and I think you deserve answers.

Congratulations on your new arrival too! X

hiredandsqueak · 14/02/2023 19:35

Uptownswirl · 14/02/2023 18:59

Dsis is 5'7 and her dh is 5'10 so not widely different.

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