How accurate are growth scans? Shitting myself . . .

[Honeybee79]

Hi
I posted earlier in the week due to my concerns about midwife feeling bump and estimating a large baby which I concluded might have been a fairly inaccurate way of calculating baby's size. Anyway, have had a growth scan today at 38 +1 and estimated weight today is 8lb 5oz and about 9lb 5oz at 40 weeks - I'm a bit shocked as FH measurements have been a couple of weeks behind throughout the pregnancy and am really worried about having a huge baby, going overdue and then having an even bigger baby.

How accurate or inaccurate were your growth scans??

Could really do with some reassurance . . .

Thanks

Many thanks for your responses! Am trying not to worry about the whole thing - one way or another this baby is coming out soon enough and as long as he's healthy then that's fine.

I was told at my growth scan they couldn't even give me a prediction of size as it was 'off the scale'. turned out to be 8lb 4oz but i'm sure them putting the fear of god into me made for a much more difficult labour unfortunately.

I was scanned during labour and told baby weighed 7lb 8oz something. Baby arrived several hours later weighing 6lb 1oz....

I think as long as you don't have a particularly narrow pelvis or something the size of the baby makes little difference. Don't know about other people (and assuming they had no specific birthing difficulties) I found actually pushing when it came to it was such a relief that it was the 'easy' bit of giving birth. Dd was 8'9'' so not considered a big baby but larger than average

I was told from a scan at 36 weeks that ds1 would probably be 9lb+ at term. He weighed 8lb 2oz.

Concerns over ds2's growth meant I had a scan at 38 weeks which estimated him to be 6.5lbs then so they thought he would be 7lb 7oz at term. I went 9 days over with him and he weighed 7lb spot on.

Sorry, just read OP.

Please dont take any notice at all. I have no faith whatsoever in growth scans.

For instance, when I was pregnant with DD, I was told on 4 occasions by my Consultant that this was going to be (his words) "a massive child". Told to expect at least 10 -11 pounder No mention of section for this and was shitting myself as was only 19.

She was 8lb 10ounces

Friend last year was told her baby was 8lbs 3 ounces at 36 + 5 and was terrified. baby was 9 days overdue and she weighed a whopping..... 7lbs 13 ounces

Hope your ok and have a lovely last few weeks of pregnancy

Told at 36 weeks was having a whopper, wouldn't give me a weight but said was showing at the top of what is perceived as normal. Was worried how big baby would be. Out popped a little 6lb 10oz, was still a bugger to deliver though.

I was told about 7lbs. DD was 8lbs 7oz!!

My dd was 9lb 13.5oz and we were told she'd be at least 11lb!

They are not always inaccurate. My ds was quite literally "off the scale". The computer couldn't work out his weight as the measurements were so big and the sonographer had to do it by hand. He was born at 36 + 6 and weighed 8lb 10oz. Incidentally, he was a very easy delivery (didn't really hurt!).

While I was in labour my MW said to me "Uh Oh this is going to be a big baby", oooh thanks for that at this especially terrifying moment! Predicting a well over 9 pounder, he was exactly 8 pounds, so not massive.

consultant told me as a wild guess 9ilb1oz

baby was 9ilb1 and a half oz at 39+2

at 32+2 I was told 7ILB 2oz at scan

Growth scans can be totally inaccurate.
I was scanned at 38w and was told baby was 7lb 5oz and plotted that at 75th percentile. At 40w+5 I had DD2 who weighed 11lb 1oz and was off the chart.
I also get really wound up by people telling me that your body won't make a baby you can't deliver. I didn't have GD but have failed to deliver 2 girls naturally. The surgeon told me DD2 was 3/5th engaged and her head wouldn't have fitted any further down my pelvis. After my growth scan at 38w I was told I was an excellent candidate for VBAC. I wasn't.
Sorry OP to hijack. I'm sure you will be fine.

Had 4 growth scans late pregnancy with DD (and 2 GTTs - extra blood tests) all because they were sure I was carrying a whopper.

The scan I had at 38 weeks was subject to much discussion as sonographer had called 2 midwives and a consultant to tell them "that this lady cannot have a natural delivery".

They then called the Superintendent of Sonography (what a title) to carry out the scan again. He was very serious and considered and told me that I would have a 12lbs+ baby.

Well.... DD was born 40+4 at 9lbs 4oz and 58cm (23inches). So nowhere near the enormous 12lbs. I hasten to add that DH is 6ft3 and I am 5ft11 so we're sizable.

The only thing the were correct about was the natural delivery.... Em CS after 52hrs of active labour.

Do not worry! Chances are that you LO isn't a whopper and will "fit" neatly thru....

Try and enjoy the last little while of your pregnancy and don't focus on the birth. Instead enjoy spending time with your feet up reading, watching tv (and do try to have a lie in - they will be the last you'll have for a very long time )

Growth scans are rubbish.

But midwife put her hands on my tummy and said "this will be a 7lb baby" and it was.....a 7lb baby.

MrsDepp- I've always been able to predict the weight of my babies to within a couple of ounces (apart from the first one, who I knew would be big but had no real idea how big (he was 8lbs 12oz)). I've even managed it with a few other people's.

I don't see why obstetricians can't manage it on the whole- I remember arguing about my DD3's birthweight with my otherwise wonderful obstetrician a week before she was born. Obs said 5lbs max, I said over 7&1/2 lbs, she laughed, baby came weighing 7lbs9oz. Experienced midwives seem very good at it.

Have a look at www.bigbaby.org.uk lots of research, evidence and stories about predicted big babies.

Ooh, good link childrenchildreneverywhere, thanks.

(have just been told that baby number 4 may be my 'biggest yet' )