Large for date......any ideas/advice?

[Vikkimtb]

Hi, hope someone can help me, am currently 37 +4 =wks, with second child (first came induced on dd, after 3 day labour with forceps 3 and half years ago)
Have been measuring around 3-5cm lfgd since around 28 wks. have not had scan since 20 wks, and everyone tells me (mw/doc) that i do not need anymore as larger babies are not a concern where if i was small for dates would be a worry. was on Delivery sunday with what we thought was the start but no avail.

was told then i am measuring 41cm!!! however after a VE nothing is happening there, and just been told i still have 2 and half weeks to go which i understand but my bump in enormous and lots have asked if twins!?!?!? why have i not been offered a growth scan?! am so confused and don't seem to get any answers from medicals as its my second baby so they think i should know it all, can anyone help me in any way? still having irregular contractions (not b-hicks, too strong for that) and loosing mucus.

pls can someone offer any advice. thanks.......

Hello. I can't offer any advice but my bump was massive and every time I saw the midwife I was sent for a growth scan as it is protocol if you measure 3cm either side of your weeks.
I had 8 scans in total and a GD test (negative).
2nd baby btw,1st baby was 9lb 5oz. He was 10lb 6oz born at 40+3 BUT he was skinny and his head was small. He was just very very long (62cm).
My first baby was 11 days overdue.
I had 2 emcs not related to their size as far as I know. I did a bit of research about big babies and the advice was that bigger babies are not necessarily harder to deliver or cause more damage.
Have a look at bigbabies.org for some reassurance.

Was also large for dates, but only from 38 wks. Had scan and was diagnosed with poyhydramnios. I was exhausted and often breathless. I had tests for blood sugars which were fine so they were les worried, but baby measured large ( ds2, DS1 was also large so some history of it).

I had off on contractions for a week or so prior, epecially when stressed, and was induced on my due date.

Baby's head wasn't engaged, which was risky, but all was well in the end.

It's a tough call as it's impossible to tell what's going on in there. If you feel exhausted an breathless ( more than just heavily preg with a toddler which is challenging enough!) then go back and insist on a fluid scan. If you don't and the head I engaged, then it's less of an issue and you may have to wait it out.

Good luck!

thanks guys, i keep getting told that cos i have slightly higher BMI that will contribute to size of bump, but i am not a massive girl (Was UK18 when fell pregnant and only gained 6kg since booking apt. GTT came back normal and i have an underactive thyroid, which they keep saying will have no affect at all. am massivlely tired and just walking from kitchen to lounge can leave me breathless (i don't live in a mansion!!) just really frustrated that no one seems to be bothered by the fact that i am now measuring overdue!!! and have been measuring big for so long!!
thanks, and appreciate the time u took to reply

I think if you always measure ahead throughout it's less of a concern than suddenly measuring ahead. It's normal to measure 4cm larger than average and as long as your growth remains the same and you're not suddenly massively bigger or smaller then it's just within the framework of normal.

I measured 3cm ahead with dd and 4cm ahead with ds, all the way through. DD was 7lbs 12oz, ds was 7lbs 1oz. Midwife was never concerned. Examined me well, said the baby felt an ok size, measurements were consistent etc. And she was right.

And there's nowt wrong with a big baby. They're often easier to deliver oddly. It's head circumference and position which makes the biggest difference. I had two emcs with my 7 pounders due to their positions.

But you're worried and unhappy so of course there's every reason to ask more questions and outline your concerns.

My experience is that they don't really take the baby's potential size into consideration unless you have previously had a larger baby.

Growth scans are also notoriously unreliable. Scans for my 3rd baby showed that she would be far bigger than her two older siblings had been (both 9lbs+). In the end she turned out to be a pretty average weight.

Fundal height measurements are also not very accurate. With my 4th child I had several appointments where I measured 6cm bigger than expected. The baby switched positions and suddenly I was only 3cm bigger.

Vikki. Very similar here. (big lass, very little preg weight gain, neg for GD and exhausted). Please go back an insist on them measuring your amniotic fluid. Sounds identical to me.

Once diagnosed, everything went well, but I was induced in the end.

have seen mw this week and she measured me at 42cm!! so called anu and arranged scan and clinic apt for fri 13th !!!! but it means that we will know what is happening. i understand that consistent growth is normal etc etc but the fundal height system must have been created for a reason, and surely a larger baby is as much a concern as a smaller baby is it not?? especially with antibodies in my blood meaning baby is potentially gonna be delivered severely anaemic. i understand that measuring bigger is not a massive concern but when you put it into perspective, i am currently 38 weeks measuring 42 (term + two weeks) if they let me go to term i will in theory be measuring 44weeks (term + 4weeks!!!!) and if they let me go overdue i could be measuring anything up to 46weeks, which is just insane.....not to mention surely a risk for emergency c sec which is the one thing i am trying to avoid.

will c how the scan goes and c what the outcome is, once again thanks for your input!!

Let us know how you get on at your appointment. And try not to worry

Good luck. I had a really positive outcome after similar so keep positive!

REmember that the fundal height measurement is a 'rule of thumb' not science. And the bump won't be all baby. Maybe when she has a feel there is a lot of fluid in there...? But if you're worried then definitely the thing to do is press for a scan - maternal stress isn't good for a baby either...

Good luck... My 10lb 6oz first baby was born in 7hrs if that is any comfort....