28 Week Midwife Appointment Today- Really fed up!

[Leilababyno1]

I have been measuring large now for the past month and was consequently booked in for a consultants appointment and growth scan at 26 weeks- results came back normal, couple of measurements were in the 97th percentile but not off the graph. So apparantly nothing to worry about.

Was also booked in for a gestational diabetes test, which has also come back normal.

Have just had my 28 week antenatal appointment today and the midwife measured me at 36cm!? She seemed shocked and said, 'wow, you do look very big for 28 weeks!'...

So, she is now booking me in for another appointment with a consultant in 2 weeks time- who will assess the situation and probably book me in for yet another growth scan!

I am sooooo fed up- is all this investigation really necessary? Can I refuse another ultrasound or would this be irresponsible? Please advise?

i had pretty much the same experience yesterday at my 28 week apt! I sympathise wholeheartedly. Ive got a gtt tomorrow and im measuring 3 weeks ahead. Im quite fed up at the moment. And to top it off she stuck an antiD injection in my thigh which which was absolutely bloody agony! Im sure midwives are sadists! I think Ive convinced myself Im diabetic at this point. Im sure the symptoms are psychological I think they'll be sending me for a growth scan so I would be interested to see what happens with yours. sorry if all Ive done is moan but its nice to know Im not alone with a gigantic baby

Heymrsnich84

I know how you feel. I had also convinced myself that I had gestational diabetes, I think it just would have been some sort of answer to why I am measuring so large!
But I don't have GD, so I suppose that is good news.

My first growth scan came back normal, even though the sonographer (I think she was a radiographer though) only took the pictures and filled the baby measurements onto a graph- she didn't explain any of the results to me. So came out of that appointment no more enlightened as to why my bump is so big for dates?! It's very frustrating!!

I hope you have better luck with your consultant. Keep me posted!

I'm in pretty much the same position as you. First growth and LV scan at 28 weeks (which followed a MW appointment at 25 weeks where I measured 30 weeks) showed large - 95th centile-ish - baby (unsurprisingly, as have already had one very large baby!) and lots of fluid (but not polyhydramnios, still (just) below that level). Saw consultant who said that big babies just make more fluid to compound the whole thing and that it all looked fine. However despite this, the consultant booked me in for another growth and LV scan at 32 weeks, not really sure why - possibly as the baby's size may inform my birth choice (had EMCS last time and so am deciding between ELCS and VBAC this time), and I think they need to check that fluid levels don't get excessive.

I have the community midwife tomorrow (29 weeks) and honestly don't want her going anywhere near me with her tape measure! Just can't see the point in all of these tests, but I think that the line of least resistance is just to go to the appointments and let the medical professionals do what they want, and try to let it all wash over you.

It's stressful though, isn't it. To be honest I don't actually think I'm any bigger than I was with DS and that thought is keeping me sane, I just had a much more relaxed community midwife last time so managed to avoid all of these extra tests and scans.

Hey GrumpyFish,

Did your 1st babies larger size have anything to do with you needing a EMCS?

I am just curious as to why the midwifes/doctors need to preempt the birth of a larger baby? I have heard that even if they establish that you are likely to have a 9lbs+ size baby, they still don't offer any alternative birth options.

So what's the point?!

I had suspected pelvic disproportion with DS, so his size (especially his huge head) was a contributing factor in needing an EMCS. They tried and failed to deliver him with forceps - he just didn't fit. I am really quite small. Genuine pelvic disproportion is very very rare though so please don't worry about it - even with my history, they are not (at present) ruling out the possibility of trying for a VBAC (although I think they will rule it out if baby continues to grow along the 95th centile).

I am really not sure though why they would worry about a large baby first time round (as pelvic disproportion is so unusual). They tend to get a bit more excited about amniotic fluid levels, are they also checking that?

Yes my fluid levels were checked at the growth scan, they were quite high but not off the graph. My deepest pool (whatever that means?! As nothing was explained to me) was in the 97th percentile.

But apparantly they don't tend to worry until your measuring off the graph.