Being induced at 37 weeks due to baby under 10th percentile!!

[jammydodgies]

Hi all,
Would like to hear some positive stories if possible as I was not expecting this..

This is baby no 2 for me, first baby was born at nearly 41 weeks and was 8lb2.

I had my 36 week appointment the other day with the midwife and she said my bump hadn't grown by much so wanted me to go for a growth scan.
Went for the growth scan today. Turns out the baby (now nearly 37 weeks) is under the 10th percentile and they're recommending I have an induction next week because of concerns about growth.

I was really not expecting this and I'm very nervous, not really for me, although I'm nervous of being induced, but for the baby more so and I'd love to hear if anything else has had this..
Xx

Growth scans are never accurate I find. I had one with my first at 36 weeks and they said he was measuring 6lb 3oz. He was born at 40+6 and was 6lb 4oz. He was perfectly healthy and was on the 9th percentile. This was never raised as an issue until I was pregnant with my second. When they noticed his low birth weight they put me under a consultant and I had additional scans - my second son was born at 40+3 weighing 7lb 11oz.

How do you feel? You can refuse induction and they'll probably book you in for more scans to monitor

Do you know if it’s a personalised GROW chart that they’re using? Did they mention any other concerns regarding the fluid volume or dopplers?

I would do some research. You do not have to accept an induction.

I did have this with my youngest DC, although in my case, I’d been prepared for the possibility of needing an induction for weeks, so it wasn’t a massive shock when we got to the point where the doctors booked me in for the induction.

With my DC, the low weight was first picked up at a growth scan somewhere around 27-28 weeks. DC was measuring between the 5th and 10th centiles then. That was on a personalised growth chart. I then had regular growth scans for the rest of the pregnancy.

The subsequent induction at around 37 weeks was because the final growth scan showed DC had stopped growing - if DC had continued along the centile line he’d been on since the first growth scan, the doctors would have been happy to let the pregnancy continue for longer unless any other issues had appeared. But as I understand it, a baby’s growth stopping altogether is a big red flag that something’s starting to go wrong.

Is this the first growth scan you’ve had? Have your doctors mentioned any concerns other than the baby’s size to you?

Thanks all for replying.

Bump showed baby was measuring around the 50th percentile only 2 weeks ago, but measured only 1cm bigger at 36 week appointment so was referred for growth scan. This is my first growth scan.
I've had no other issues at all during this pregnancy and my last.
Reading my notes it's showing baby is under 5th percentile. They mentioned short leg measurement as well.

I'm not too worried about myself and the added pain etc of an induction but I just hope baby is okay.

If you're happy with the induction then I would go for it. The drop in growth rate could suggest the placenta is struggling to continue to support the pregnancy. There are conditions which can cause this, or it could just be the way this pregnancy is going.

There comes a point that some babies are better off out than in, 37 weeks gestation is a healthy pregnancy timeframe so with that decline in growth I would get baby out.

Hey!

My first was 8lb8oz at 42 weeks. My second had restricted growth under 10th, had a csection at 37 weeks for this reason amongst others including u stable lie. Growth scan was accurate and he cane out at 6lbs exactly. Tiny but perfectly formed didnt need any help at birth at all just had some light therapy for jaundice a few days down the line. He is 14 weeks now and doing well. Hope this reassures you x

Hello!

Growth scans aren’t too reliable from my experience, i had regular scans due to GD and baby was estimated to be on the 60th percentile.
towards the end the scans showed her growth was slowing and she had dropped just under the 50th!

I was induced at 38 weeks due to growth and baby was estimated to be between 7lbs and 8lbs.
My beautiful girl was born at 38+4 weighing 5 pounds!! Turns out she is on the 2nd percentile which is way way below what was predicted!

She is in perfect health, has a cows milk allergy and needed light therapy two days after birth due jaundice but other than that she is perfect 🥹

She is my first but i had a positive induction too, i was 2cm and waters were bulging so the midwives decided to break my waters and put me on the drip, because i was given the drip they offered epidural at the same time which i accepted but unfortunately it didn’t work for me haha. I went from 2cm-10cm in 5 hours, i did have to have forceps as towards the end baby was showing signs of tiredness but it was a really really positive experience 😅

hi OP all my babies have been low birth weight and the two I was having growth scans for showed slowed growth towards the end. The second came naturally at 38 after I put off having an induction at 37. This one they wanted to induce again at 37 but I said I wanted to wait and had monitoring and kept eye on movement. Baby wasn’t budging so I had the induction at 39 as that was my personal cut off. I do wonder if I should have gone for longer but 39 to me was better than 37 and also was worried about failed inductions as can happen if too early. Everyone is different but this is my experience. Hope it all goes well. I was already dilated so went for breaking waters and the drip. Was straight forward, obv I would pick a spontaneous labour but I think I was lucky to have a good induction with no interventions. Baby was slightly bigger than scan showed but my second was smaller than scan showed so it’s quite random.

Not a chance would I be accepting the IOL.

Each to their own though.

Was in this exact scenario. My beautiful boy is almost two, happy, healthy and perfect size. He was 2nd percentile when born, now 55th. Eats like a demon and has since birth!

A natural birth is so much better, so unless there is a high risk I'd avoid an induction. There are plenty of natural remedies to try. Acupuncture, eating dates, curb walking etc

Just to say I had a very small baby (42+3, I really didn’t want to be induced but finally agreed because I was so far past date), she was 5lbs 12oz. Growth scan was predicting 8lbs. She’s 4.5 & very tall for her age and a good size! No issues really post birth, because she was small we stayed in for a few days but only because that was protocol, she shot up to the 60th percentile within 6 weeks.

I had similar. My babies were all on the very bottom percentile. All strapping bright healthy teens.

Hi all, I wanted to update you!

Baby came 4 days ago. Induction was slow after the balloon caused my waters to break so after 9 hours they put me on the drip, I asked for epidural because it was 4am and I was terrified.
When the drip kicked in i dilated from 3cm to 10cm in 1 hours then pushed baby out in 6 goes!

She was a diddy 5lb14 so just under 10th percentile but she's perfect and as PP's have said small doesn't mean there's anything wrong 😊

Congratulations! Have a long and happy life with your children xx

Yay congratulations 🥳

Congratulations OP glad it all went well and baby is here safe and sound x

Mine was 2nd percentile, was induced at 37 weeks too (really didn't want to be induced but didn't have much choice as baby had stopped growing), all went well. BF like a fiend and put on all body weight back and then some within a week. Now a happy, healthy toddler. Still small for weight, but average height.