Worried about ultrasound measurements at 29 week

[LilysMom2016]

Hi all

*also posted on pregnancy chat-before I saw this thread, sorry!

Am currently 29 weeks pregnant and have been through the wringer in the past 8 weeks. Coupled with lockdown and ongoing possible complications (NIPT for DS, pre-eclampsia causing assymetrical IUGRs), this pregnancy has just been a complete balls-up. I'm sure I'm not alone, and that there are those worse off than me but being pregnant this time has just been about anxiety, stress, guilt and feelings of failure. Having to go to every scan/appt by myself due to COVID-19 and hearing bad news alone has been pretty traumatic. Apologies for a long post- guess I'm just looking to see if anyone else has had similar experiences with ultrasound measurements.

Background:
In terms of big ultrasounds only I went for the 20w scan around 21 weeks, and the Fetal Medicine Dr was concerned that the femurs were measuring behind (can't remember how far- panicked preggie brain) so he suggested doing the Panorama NIPT test to rule out DS, which later came back fine. Everything at 12w scan was fine in any case, but he wanted to be sure and he wanted to see me again around 27/28 weeks to look at growth again.
I went back to my usual OBGYN in the meantime at 24 weeks and weekly since to check growth and she has checked me for IUGR, placental insufficiency and early-onset pre-eclampsia- and all bloods and Dopplers have been fine. I have been on Aldomet since 24 weeks, and Ecotrin since 12 weeks too.
She also sent me for other bloods, including the TORCH screen, full blood counts, kidney and liver function- all fine/ negative for anything. She has been seeing me weekly for scans, and sending me to a colleague for second opinions and the measurements have differed a bit so I went back to the Fetal Medicine Dr on Monday. He checked the femur and humerus measurements and they are both super small, but he couldn't commit to achondroplasia, or baby just being small. I am losing my mind with worry and a host of other feelings.

I don't have a breakdown of his latest measurements, but the ones from a scan I did at 28 weeks are:
BPD- 66mm (GA26w5d +-15d)
HC-242mm (GA26w3d +-14d)
AC-194mm (GA24w1d +-15d)
FL-40mm (I know his measurement for this one was 42mm) (GA23wd +-13d)
HUM-37mm (GA23w0d +-20d)
TIB-34mm (GA23w1d +-21d)

If I look at the adjusted gestational age next to each measurement, they all seem small or am I just clutching at straws? I'm clinging to the hope that kiddo is just small, especially if IUGR looks less likely, and the odds of baby having achondroplasia are quite low really. One of the scanners suggested that my placenta had a bit of calcification, but usual OBGYN hasn't said anything.Nobody has been concerned about make-up of organs or facial bones etc. No doctors can confirm anything at this stage. Any thoughts or similar stories? Thank you for reading, hope you all stay safe.

xx

Oh OP I've been there. DD2 was measuring on the 3rd percentile for femur length and also had short humerus bones. Fetal Medicine said she was probably "just small" and by this stage of my pregnancy (think I was around 32w) I wouldn't be allowed to terminate for dwarfism.

DD2 continued to measure below the 5th percentile for femur length throughout the rest of my pregnancy but head shape/size was fine, all organs in the right place, no cleft palate detected or any other alarm bells ringing so it was just a case of wait and see.

The last month or so of my pregnancy was horrific. I just wanted to know if my baby was going to be ok.

When she was born I was told she has suspected DS and we needed to wait for a neonatologist to check her over. The wait was excruciating.

Turns out she was just small. Even now at 15 months, she's still really petite, but otherwise totally healthy.

@maybemaybeII Thank you for your reply and I'm so glad your little one turned out healthy xxx I guess we just have to wait and see as well. Its excruciating though. The NIPT came back as low risk for DS and also no cleft palate or any other soft/hard markers for that Trisomy so I think we're okay there. 12 weeks scan, apart from shorter femurs, was alright too. Termination is not an option legal-wise here for non-lethal dwarfism. I just feel like these last weeks are going to be really hard (as if COVID 19 isnt exciting enough )

@maybemaybeII that's great to read! me and my gf are going through something similar, and we're terrified. It's so hard to think straight, and I'm not even the one with the baby inside me..! I feel awful for my gf and wish I could do more..
(21 weeks, everything is in the 2nd percentile, going for more checks at the hospital on Monday).

Hi OP, me again. Here is a link to the thread I started when I was pregnant with DD2 (under a different username) and absolutely losing my shit and panicking. Lots of similar stories on there and I kept the thread updated as I went along.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/3472544-please-help-femur-measuring-3-weeks-behind-at-34-weeks

@maybemaybeII Thank you, you've been lovely x Very reassuring, phew. Will keep adding updates to this thread- it may help someone else.

Hi @LilysMom2016

So glad I seen this thread! Sorry to hear of all the stress you're going through. I've been the same, I'm 28 weeks and been having growth scans since 20 weeks as my little boys long bones are all measuring short and fell off the chart around the 3rd/5th percentile. All other measurement are average so just the femur and humerus they are concerned with. Had no others markers or anything like that. Declined screening in the past at 12 weeks as I know nothing is certain without the amniocentesis which they've now offered me yesterday but personal choice to decline due to the risk involved. They haven't seemed overly concerned but have made me aware there could be chromosome issues but said that this is less likely and more often than not baby's who have this just tend to be small babies and I've read lots of stories on here from women in similar positions who tuned out fine. Been worrying myself sick an not nice having to go and hear this news alone but back again on the 8th for another growth scan they said they will keep checking him and if they need to they will deliver him earlier than planned x