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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Can you help my friend? measuring 43 wks at 39 and worried about options

18 replies

BellaBearisWideAwake · 01/03/2011 10:50

Hello, my friend is 39 weeks with her first and her mw is referring her to a consultant for measuring large. What could happen? She is having a scan tomorrow.

She is booked in for a home birth but is now worrying about intervention, CS, etc etc.

Can anyone offer advice, options, etc.

very gratefully received!

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LadyBiscuit · 01/03/2011 10:53

It depends why she is measuring large. If she has polyhydramnios (too much amniotic fluid) which is what I had then she may not be able to have a home birth. The risk is that your waters break with such force that the cord prolapses which is very dangerous obviously. I had to have a planned CS in the end because it was deemed too dangerous for me to go into labour.

But that may not be the cause and until she has the scan, there's not much point in worrying about worst-case scenarios. It may just be that she has a big baby

Original poster

BellaBearisWideAwake · 01/03/2011 10:59

thanks. she's naturally worried but has heard sizing estimates can be very wrong. she's most concerned that if she has to have a CS she might as well not have to go through the whole labour first.

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LadyBiscuit · 01/03/2011 11:02

They gave me the choice of a CS right then and there or staying in hospital and waiting to go into labour naturally but with a strong likelihood that I would have to have a CS in the end anyway. Funnily enough, I chose option one :o

And sizing estimates can indeed be very wrong - they weren't wrong about all the fluid but they thought my baby was very large and he was under 7lbs!

Original poster

BellaBearisWideAwake · 01/03/2011 11:09

thank you

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coppertop · 01/03/2011 11:11

I measured several weeks ahead in each of my pregnancies. For two of those pregnancies it was because the baby was large-ish (9lbs+). Once was due to the baby's position and I 'lost' 4cm when she moved round. There wasn't a particular reason for the other one as she was fairly average in size, even though the growth scan showed that she would be enormous.

First time around they tend to adopt a wait-and-see approach, so unless there are other factors involved they wouldn't usually suggest a c/s.

Original poster

BellaBearisWideAwake · 01/03/2011 11:16

thanks, v useful to hear

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NorkyButNice · 01/03/2011 11:17

I measures ahead and was referred for extra scans - they just showed a large baby with no other problems so I didn't have to have any interventions. The only thing they said was that I wouldn't be allowed to go too far overdue (so would be induced).

As it turned out, DS came on his due date weighing 11lb 3oz. Very easy birth and better recovery than after my first pregnancy.

missmehalia · 01/03/2011 11:24

I think it's sad that in this day and age (modern technologies, etc) so much store is set by a bloody tape measure. (And, yes, I know, a scan as well.)

I had exactly the same pressure put on me in both pregnancies. I see why the consultant said what he did, but I was unfairly pressurised, and as it turned out, DD2 was 7lb 13oz. Even at the end of my labour the consultant was saying it would be a huge baby, and he was wrong. My MW was the only one with the guts to say how wrong all the hospital staff were.

The thing is, nobody actually knows. They err on the side of caution to protect themselves. I recommend your friend listen to all info, but ultimately relies on her own instincts. I did, and what happened in the end was that I stayed at home as long as possible and transferred in to hosp at the v last minute. It helped me feel safe during labour. If you labour in hospital (depending on staffing levels) you can be v neglected. If you transfer in, you are treated as highest priority, and there's no waiting around to be attended to. It's a bit of a lottery at the moment, imho.

It's great you're giving her support - it's very hard to contend with the pressure hospital staff can create. To them it's no issue to be labour in hospital. To some mothers to be, it's extremely frightening. I recommend she opts for the place she feels safest.

Original poster

BellaBearisWideAwake · 01/03/2011 11:27

thank you both! Good to hear about all sorts of experiences. It must be hard to be confident enough when you are 9m pg to question a professional.

(missmehalia: I am just typing for her, she's a bit nervous of MN!)

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going · 01/03/2011 11:33

I was the same as your friend at 38 weeks. A scan showed polyhydramnios. I then saw a dr who told me all the worse case scenarios and sent me home! He did arrange for me to be admitted 2 days later for a glucose tolerance rest. The dr scared me so much I didn't want to leave, hte test was negative and the midwives didn't know what to do with me and there were no dr's from my team to ask (the midwives could see no reason for me to have a gtt so late in pregnancy). I stayed that night and thankfully went into labour naturally. I had none of the problems the dr told me I would and ds was healthy and my labour was very straight forward and only 3 1/2.

Original poster

BellaBearisWideAwake · 01/03/2011 13:05

thanks

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ZeroMinusZero · 01/03/2011 21:04

Well, I am currently 39 weeks and two days and I have measured over for my entire pregnancy but haven't had any extra scans or been to referred to anyone about it.

When I was in hospital the other day being checked up on because of lack of movement (it was all fine in the end) the mw was very surprised that my regular mw hadn't sent me to a growth scan because of my size. She tried to send me to one but they were fully booked so now I'm not having one at all

But this mw said that unless I had excess fluid then they wouldn't change their treatment of me just for a big baby. They also said that they wouldn't induce early just for a big baby

But I've lost my mucus plug now so am hoping things will start moving soon...

Original poster

BellaBearisWideAwake · 03/03/2011 11:11

Good news: after a scan the baby is estimated to be 7lb 7!!!

Zerominuszero- good luck!!

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LadyBiscuit · 03/03/2011 11:51

That's good news :) Hope she gets her homebirth

ZeroMinusZero · 03/03/2011 21:01

Further news on me which may be of interest: I finally had a scan today (despite it previously being cancelled, but that's another story) and I have much too much fluid and the baby estimated at 8lb 11.

I am going in on Monday to be induced now.

Original poster

BellaBearisWideAwake · 03/03/2011 21:18

Good luck!

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going · 03/03/2011 22:05

Good luck Zero!

ZeroMinusZero · 04/03/2011 13:48

Thanks for your messages - my waters broke in the middle of the night! I'm now in hospital, waiting for labour to kick in properly...

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