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Original poster

To ask for a handhold? Worrying news about unborn baby at 31 weeks

498 replies

ladydorito · 17/04/2023 08:31

Hi everyone, I'm posting here for traffic, I'm really sorry.

Yesterday I had what I thought was a "routine" growth scan following a period of changed movements at 30+6 weeks. The "good" news is that baby has moved into breech which explains the change in movements.

The bad news is, having had their femur length measure short but not worryingly so throughout pregnancy, baby's femur is now on the first percentile. This, coupled with a large head measurement (on the 92nd percentile) has resulted in a referral to fetal medicine. The specialist can't see us until Wednesday and I just have no idea how to get through the next 48 hours.

The team at our hospital were lovely yesterday. I spoke to a registrar who went through what the various causes of this could be. I'm short (5"2) with particularly short legs (although I wouldn't say 99 percent of people have longer..
) and was born two weeks late weighing only 6lbs so there's a decent chance I'm simply carrying a short baby like me.

But we've also been told this could be a soft marker for undiagnosed Downs or one of the other trisomys. The idea of getting this far in pregnancy and having that missed makes me feel sick. We could cope with a baby with Downs, it isn't what any mum would hope for but they will be showered with love always. But the idea of the baby having one of the non life compatible trisomys has worried me to the point I've been throwing up this morning.

Skeletal dysplasia has also been mentioned - I thought this just meant what I understand as dwarfism, which DH and I would be totally fine with, it would obviously be an adjustment but not life limiting or even massively life changing from what I have read. But now I've fallen down the rabbit hole and am reading about other dysplasias that are incompatible with life and again, the idea of bringing a child to term who will not survive is just beyond unbearable.

I can feel little one kicking me as I type and I feel like I've failed them so much for even thinking about the worst case scenarios. This is our much longed for first baby and after a terrible first trimester with a hematoma that just bled and bled, we really thought we were at the point we could enjoy pregnancy.

In a twist so cruel it's almost funny, all our nursery furniture is due to arrive from Mamas and Papas this morning.

I'm so sorry about how long this is but I think I'm just asking for a handhold or even advice from anyone who has been through similar.

Thank you so much. X

OP posts:
OllyBJolly · 19/04/2023 20:38

Wonderful! You can enjoy the rest of your pregnancy now! Thanks for updating

Momtotwokids · 19/04/2023 20:43

Praise God, I'm crying so happy for you and your dh.

SkyeJ90 · 19/04/2023 20:46

So glad to hear you got some reassurance today :).
I was in a not too dissimilar situation with my daughter a few years ago and the femur measuring 1st percentile. I am also only 5”2, and my daughter was just small (never any issues found with placenta and other measurements were average) she weighed 4lbs8 when born at 37.5 weeks, she’s still petite now at almost 2.
enjoy the rest of you pregnancy!

thehistorymum · 19/04/2023 20:50

So happy for you! Lovely news! Enjoy setting up your little ones nursery ❤️

intrestedvic · 19/04/2023 20:52

My son had this exact issue instead picked up at 20 weeks and his abdominal was normal range (he also never had Bowles) he's now 3 and crazy! Good luck xxx

Purplebunnie · 19/04/2023 20:53

Wonderful news

EmilyGilmoresSass · 19/04/2023 20:54

ladydorito · 19/04/2023 19:27

Hello everyone, we are home and I just feel so overwhelmed by all these lovely messages. Mums are just the best and I feel so lucky to soon be joining the club.

We've had some really positive news. Our lovely consultant was very clear: he thinks we are having a healthy, happy baby who is just small like mum (and Grandma, and Grandad, and so on!)

One femur is now measuring as small but normal (seventh percentile), the other is still on first - but because baby is breech he said he was really unconfident of that measurement being totally accurate and much more confident that the "normal" femur measurement is the correct one. Humerus is also measuring at or just under one per cent, but the other long bones are measuring broadly normal and in proportion albeit on the smaller side.

He couldn't see a single other worrying marker for Downs or serious skeletal dysplasia, offered me an amino if I wanted one for peace of mind but stressed he didn't think it was necessary and I declined due to the early labour risk.

Only thing he couldn't rule out is achondroplasia (most common form of "dwarfism" which is not life limiting and does not indicate any intellectual disability) but he still stressed it's unlikely as I don't meet the threshold needed to run further tests which is reassuring, although, as I said to him, that wouldn't be a diagnosis either of us would find especially upsetting even if it did come to pass.

I'm being rescanned in three weeks by him but for now have been told to carry on as normal assuming that little one is happy and healthy.

We are both so relieved and went to Waterstones straight after to celebrate by adding to baby's growing book collection, and tomorrow we are putting up the nursery furniture I've not been able to look at (literally had the door closed) for three days.

Thank you again so so much everyone. This really is a special place amid all the madness sometimes! I'll be sure to update with a picture when my little monkey makes their grand arrival... ❤️

I am absolutely thrilled for you. I know its probably of little reassurance, but I hope it's taken in the right way in which I mean it. I was told after several growth scans that my daughters head was overly large, as was the rest of her, but particularly her head. Now to be fair, big babies run in the family (and big heads if I'm honest), but I was induced and she was 8lb 2oz at birth, far cry from the 11lb+ they estimated. So as much as technology can be wonderful, it isn't always accurate. It could well be the positioning. I hope you enjoyed your shopping trip and thrilled you're getting the nursery sorted. I found it made it all so much more real when nursery was sorted, hospital bag etc. Wishing you the absolute best for your little family x

thelionthewitchtheaudacityofTHISbitch · 19/04/2023 20:57

Pleased your consultant was so positive. Hope the rest of the pregnancy goes well!

Diversion · 19/04/2023 21:05

Absolutely wonderful news! I had similar worries with one of mine, many, many scans, many, many tests. She is now 25, was and still is absolutely perfect and simply amazing. Wishing you and your family lots and lots of happiness and a very easy and happy birth ❤

pollymere · 19/04/2023 21:09

My over six foot DH has a huge head but takes the same length jeans as me (5'3") and our son (5'4"). Hopefully things will turn out okay x

JellyBeanFactory · 19/04/2023 21:16

So glad to read your update today, was thinking about you this afternoon! Sounds like you have a really good team monitoring you which should help with the stress. Wishing you a healthy and uneventful time from now on!

Nottogetapenny · 19/04/2023 21:16

Such good news! I’m so glad you had some positive news today. Hope you can relax and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy! Take care of yourself as it won’t be long before you have your precious baby in your arms. 😘🌸

SirVixofVixHall · 19/04/2023 21:17

Such a relief to read your latest post OP. I had a similar scary scan with my first baby, her abdomen was measuring off the scale for largeness, and her head the other end, the concern was a genetic problem that can cause organ enlargement. The few days wait was horrible but my lovely consultant managed to book me a scan with the European expert in the field and after a very lengthy scan appointment he was happy that nothing was wrong. She looked totally normal when she was born . Amusingly at 18 she has an impossibly tiny 22” waist.

Grrrpredictivetex · 19/04/2023 21:28

Wonderful news. 🥰

Cherrysherbet · 19/04/2023 21:34

Lovely update op!

Trysbutfails · 19/04/2023 21:42

Great news OP!

I do wonder sometimes if there’s too much scanning or over interpretation of scans, as so many women have been through similar experiences of being worried sick over scenarios which were probably never very likely and probably wouldn’t influence any decision making prior to birth anyway, even in the event there were abnormalities.

MolkosTeenageAngst · 19/04/2023 21:43

That’s great news! Really pleased for you, enjoy the last few weeks of your pregnancy and look forward to the photo of little one when he arrives!

Newmum0322 · 19/04/2023 21:45

I'm really pleased you had reassuring news today OP. Reading your initial post had so many similarities to my own 30 week scan.

Im 5'2, baby was breach and measured really short (born on the 2nd percentile) but had a head on the 99th percentile. We were terrified!! Turned out the breach position had misshapen her head slightly like a rugby ball, so measured long (resolved after birth) and she is just a bit short like me hah!

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy x

Soapyspuds · 19/04/2023 21:49

Really pleased to see this latest update

:)

GinUnicorn · 19/04/2023 21:51

So happy for you OP! What a positive update. Wishing you and your baby all the best x

Gilmorehill · 19/04/2023 21:51

Reast easy and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy xx

SunshineandDaisies · 19/04/2023 21:53

I’m sad I’ve only come across this today as I would have tried to help with some reassurance earlier! Firstly I’m so happy for you that everything is well! We had exact same thing when I was pregnant with my DS (now 18months), every scan he measured very small femur and large head and I worried myself sick till the day he was born at 39+5 weighing 6lbs 3oz and he was perfectly in proportion! Although he is a little bit shorter for his age and I always say he has shorter legs and a longer body but I think that’s a family trait! Me and my husband are both quite short so now I look back and think it would be strange if he had long legs 😂 I still have kept my growth scans from pregnancy just incase I have another one, I can remind myself of what’s ‘normal’. Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy!

ohh ps I remember after giving birth and I kept saying he hasn’t got a big head 😂 my mum said ‘you really did believe you were having a big headed, no chin, extremely small legged baby didn’t you’ yes mum I absolutely did for about 6months of my pregnancy

Gamechanger2019 · 19/04/2023 21:59

Amazing news!

Panda8383 · 19/04/2023 22:01

That’s amazing news 🥰 enjoy getting the nursery ready...your little bundle will be here in no time, thanks so much for keeping us updated x

Angrymum22 · 19/04/2023 22:07

Pleased that the news today was reassuring.
My DS was breech, they tend to be very scrunched up as a result and are a bit like butterfly pupae when born. It takes them a couple of days to unfurl. DS was born at 36 weeks and was skinny but surprisingly was 7lb 1oz, a good weight for a 36 weeker. He was 3 days old when he finally unfurled and we realised why he was so heavy, he had super long legs. He’s now 18 and 6’3” most of which is legs.
On my last growth scan everything measured normal. A week later when they measured him properly he was 3inches longer than predicted.
Scans and X-rays can distort quite a lot when babies are in odd positions. Also the size and shape of mum can make measuring limbs very approximate.