Growth scans

[Sausages123]

Has anyone had a growth scan and if so how accurate was the estimated weight. I am 39+3 and had scan a couple of days ago as I have stopped growing and this has put babies weight at around 5lb, placental function and amniotic fluid levels were ok so baby staying put until ECLS at end of week. Just trying to prepare myself to having a smaller baby with feeding, clothes, potential issues etc. my first Son was nearly 8lbs!

Many thanks in advance

They can be off by +/- 2 lbs I think, I'm sure that's what I was told.

DS1 I had growth scans every four weeks and he was originally estimated to be 11lb at birth! They revised that at 39+2 and said he was 8lb 8th - went into labour two days later and he was 9lb 3 oz.

DD I had a scan just before she was born (missed breech, I went from scan room to theatre as an emcs) and they said 8lb 10 oz - she was 7lb 10oz.

DS2, I was told from 20wks on that 'this is not a big baby' based on scans and palpitation. A senior obstetrician had a feel at 39wks and estimated around 7lbs at birth and a growth scan the same day said the same thing. I'd had one at 22 wks, one at 36wks and one at 39wks and they said based on growth rate he'd be 7lb by 40wks. I had an elcs and before going down to theatre they had one last feel and still said 7lbs .... He was 9lbs exactly!

Thank you!

Individual growth scans in late pregnancy aren't incredibly accurate, so the trend of growth is often more important, to see if the baby has, for example, stopped growing or is growing very large.

With my last baby, I had a growth scan that said her weight was 4.0kg at 38 weeks. She was born at 39 weeks weighing 4.2kg so that was pretty accurate that time!

I had growth scans every 4 weeks between 20 and 32 weeks last time and they estimated that she would be 7lbs at delivery (at 37 weeks). She was actually 6lbs 5oz.

This time round my last growth scan was at 36 weeks and he was estimated at 5lbs 12 oz then, so on average should have grown another 1lb in the last 2 weeks. He ought to be 7lbs at delivery (ELCS on Wed!), but as Dino says the scans aren't incredibly accurate.

I had a growth scan at 37 weeks estimated at 7lb 8 if born at term. He was born at 40+4 and weighed 6lb 11

Not accurate for me. Predicted 8lb5oz at a 39 week scan. She was born at 42 weeks but only 6lb11oz. My midwife said that from feeling her through my bump she would be very surprised if she was as much as 8lb, and turned out to be right!

She was long with a big head (which is what the sonographer could see), but was skinny rather than chubby (which she couldn't measure).

They got this weight by measuring femur, head and abdominal circumference it was the abdominal circumference that brought the weight down. Only a couple more days till I find out!

I had 8 growth scans.
Last scan said 9lb 8oz,he was born 3 days later at 10lb 6oz

My growth scans for DS2 estimated 6-6.7lb at term (I was measuring small, had scans at 28, 32 and 36 weeks). He was 8lb10 at 38+5, so not accurate at all for me.

What do your midwife and consultant say OP? I'd put more faith in that than the scan numbers, if they are experienced. The growth scan computer was a pound and a half out, but the consultant who did the scans and also palpated predicted the weight precisely, and my midwife wasn't far wrong either. Human skill and experience clearly still counts for something!

A pound and a half out in my baby's case, I meant to say! And best wishes for your elcs.

Growth scans for both of my babies predicted 6lbers. Both were nearly 8 lb... I had a senior midwife tell me the day before I had my boy at 40+10 he would be a very small baby, and that she was really concerned about his weight. I tend to smile and nod now.

I had a growth scan on the Monday that I was 38 weeks exactly and they said DD was around 6lb 2oz then, so all fine. I then had her the following Saturday so 38+5 and she was 5lb 7 and had to stay in hospital 3 nights and have formula top up feeds due to low birth weight.

A friend due around the same time also had a growth scan at around 39 weeks and they said her DS was around 4lb 11 which they found concerning and it prompted them to do a C-Section later that day. When he was born it turned out his birth weight was 5lb 7, the same as DD!

I found it amazing that based on the clearly not very a accurate scan they made such big decisions about the birth- I had a water birth with gas and air in the midwife unit and she had a section. Both babies made it here safely in the end though, which is the main thing!

I had a few growth scans and DS was predicted to be in the mid 5lbs. I was induced and he arrived at 38+4 weighing 6lb 11.5oz

I agree Junior, it's madness but I suppose they're working with the best tools they've got. Pleased that both your babies are ok!

Ive heard they can be out by loads most of the time....for me that wasnt the case lol i was induced at 38+4 and our lil boy was 8lb10oz....so if i was to go full 40wks he would have been 10lb+! He was predicted to be big baby right from 20wks, at 35wks his estimated weight was 6lb6oz x

I was having growth scans every 4 weeks from 24 weeks gestation and when baby's measurements were plotted on the graph he was consistently just below the 100th percentile so myself and professionals were expecting a huge baby.

He was born at 39 weeks and weighed 8lb 8oz so not as massive as predicted.

So if I had gone to term he may have been 9lb 8oz but I don't think that is considered overly massive anyway, certainly not in the 100th percentile I imagine. But I could be wrong.

Mine weren't very accurate.

had 4 weekly growth scans with my first 2 pregnancies.

DS was estimated to be around 7lb. He was 8lb 7oz.

DD1 was estimated to be around 9lb. She was 10lb 5oz!

I had one single growth scan with third pregnancy - DD2 estimated to be around 8lb. She was 8lb 13.

Mine have all been bigger than scans suggested, don't know if that's coincidence. This time I have declined the growth scan as they weren't especially helpful with the others!