To think the Sonographer wasn’t telling me something?

[Beani2]

Hi MN,
I’m 29 weeks pregnant and I’m having growth scans due to high blood pressure which has been controlled with daily asprin. I went for my 28 week scan last week and told baby is plotting small on the GAP chart in my notes just under the 10th percentile. Baby EFW is 12 pounds 9. Sonographer said she’ll be in touch and I received a call the next day for Fetal medicine appt next Friday. I’ve done my research and it’s saying that a EFW of 12lb 9 seems fine for this age? It’s plotting just under the 10th percentile. If I am being sent to fetal medicine, could she have seen something else wrong? Or would they have told me there and then? I’ve no other complications, my first baby was straight forward and a good size birth 8lb4.

My second DD was small on the scan and I had to have extra scans having had preeclampsia and helllp previously. She was eventually born 2 weeks overdue and small at 5lb 6 but healthy. I hope everything will be fine for you too.

I’m sure she has just referred you as your baby is small. Please try not to worry.
But I’m confused that your baby is 12 lb 9….surely that’s huge?

I think you may have done your conversions wrong as 12lb 9 is massive for a full term baby, let alone 28 weeks!

But no I wouldn’t worry. A lot of hospitals send you for a fetal medicine scan if you’re under the 10th centile routinely. Fetal medicine just means a consultant scan. They want to check there’s no underlying reason for baby being small, but by definition 10% of babies are under the 10th centile, so that is a lot of people. The vast majority of them will be completely normal. As long as baby now grows consistently on that line then I wouldn’t worry, they are probably just naturally small. They'll probably do some extra scans to monitor the growth, but that’s fine. It’s only if the growth starts tailing off or the blood flows (dopplers) are abnormal that you need to worry.

Given your history of raised BP this is more likely to be a placental cause for small baby than an issue with the baby itself, but obviously it’s important to monitor the growth etc as the placenta needs to work well to keep baby healthy.

12lb 9oz is unheard of even when overdue that would be preposterously large!

Sounds normal, she probably wants the consultant to have a look over because she suspects IUGR and with your blood pressure and everything all of that needs a doctor to monitor you.

Do you mean 2lb9?

12lb9? That's fucking massive.

Sorry, I meant 2lb 9!

Last year I was told my baby was under the first percentile and limbs and head weren't growing correctly. Had weekly scans at the dedicated fetal medicine unit with a supposedly super high-tech machine. Had to be induced when baby's EFW was under 3 lbs and was told there would be an extended NICU stay.

They were completely wrong and baby was almost 7lbs.

Just telling you this so you have some perspective about these scans. SO MANY people I know have had similar experiences. A friend had a C section because her 6lb baby was apparently 9lbs.

I was told DS was going to be very large, had to be a hospital birth etc (DH was just under 12 pounds at birth so not unexpected) but they were completely wrong DS was 7 pounds 9 which is a perfectly average birth weight. Don't panic, just wait for the follow up appointment.

I was sent for a scan with fetal medicine because baby was small but not until 38 weeks and af that point fetal medicine decided they want to induce the baby the next day - he was born on 1st centile in the end. They do definately look at babies even where just size is the concern so don't be worried about there being anything else.
I wish mine had been taken more seriously att other appointments like yours has!
Baby was born perfectly healthy just small.
PS I also had high blood pressure.

Try not to worry, OP.

I had twice weekly growth scans from around 28 weeks etc. And had a few 'second opinions'.

My daughter was born by emcs at 35 weeks due to IUGR weighing 3lb 9oz but perfectly healthy. She was under the 0.4th centile throughout her whole childhood.

She's just finished her first semester at university.

She's still dinky though

I do remember what a worrying time it was though x

When I was pregnant with my oldest, there was a concern that Iwas having a very small baby. 7lb 9 is not small. When I questioned it, I was told, well we don't know everything that goes on in the uterus. Try not to worry.

When my DC plotted below the 10th percentile I was rescanned, put on a monitor and consultant was called all within a 2 hour window. I was told the placenta was failing they had IUGR and I needed to be induced that day.

After that experience I always say if they are happy to leave you for days and have an appointment it’s not urgent and more to cover their backs.

I had a similar experience to @hazelnutvanillalatte with my second child.
Was measuring small and had weekly scans from about week 30 I think it was. Told to expect NICU stay and she was born a perfect 7lbs 4oz perfectly healthy

growth scans are affected by so much- baby’s position, different machines, different sonographer, there is typically a margin of error of 15% either way. My first was classed as SGA she was 5lb11oz at 38 weeks. I would say as long as blood flow between baby and placenta look good try not to worry about size.

Thankyou, these replies are very reassuring. Comments written were blood flow and placenta looked fine but I understand the consultant would do a more thorough scan to check all of these. It’s so hard not to worry!

Just wanted to update on here incase for the future as I hate when you search a thread and don’t have an outcome! So I had my scan at fetal medicine, it wasn’t as scary as I thought. Baby was growing perfectly and no other issues! She isn’t considered small and all blood flow was good. I do wonder if she either gained quickly over this week or they got it slightly wrong before?