Fundal height measuring way too small for dates, but normal-sized bump - anyone else experienced this?

[Microtufts]

Hi everyone,

I'm 28 weeks pregnant today, and at my ante-natal appointment two different midwives measured my fundal height at 20-22cm. It's meant to be 28! My bump size when standing looks normal (and around the same as it was at this stage with my first, 8lb baby), although it does look very low down - I have a few inches of flat space below my breasts and above the bump. I'm waiting for a growth scan to solve the mystery, but was wondering whether anyone else has had a similar experience. Other threads I've read about weird fundal measurements all seem to relate to being too big for dates, and I haven't found anyone claim to have been 6-8cm out!

Rebecca x

Hi rebecca, i haven't ever posted (more of an addicted reader of MN) but thought i'd drop u a quick line to say my friend measured v small for fundal height and last month gave birth to a very healthy 9lb 5ouncer. Midwifes said 'he must have been hiding' which friend said she suspected all along as he seemed to be permanently wedged up to her bladder. I also have a growth scan tmw as measured 25cm yesterday at my 28 week appt. Midwife said top of my bump v flat (maybe due to my uterus shape) so am not worrying too much at this stage. From what i've read it seems fundal height is not always very accurate and just because you're small doesn't mean your baby is and certainly doesn't mean anything to worry about. Good luck with your scan. You must be due the day after me. Let us know how you get on x

Hi agromum - your first post was in reply to my first post :)

Thanks for sharing your experience ... since I posted, I saw my usual community midwife, who also said I looked very small. I then went for a growth scan which found that the baby is perfectly normal-sized - all the measurements were bang on the 50th centile! It does make me wonder whether the midwives actually looked at me when I was standing up - I don't really have a small bump.

Good luck with your pregnancy - it will be interesting to see whether our babies make this school year or the next! I'm hoping mine will hang on and be the oldest in the year rather than the youngest.

R x

Hello - Last week at my 34 week check up, my fundal height was 30cm so I was sent up to hospital for a growth scan. I got very panicky as I hate going to the hospital and was convinced that I had starved my baby somehow. The Sonographer spent two minutes having a look and said 'everythings fine and on track'.

I think fundal heights are a bit rubbish. If your baby is curled up tight or in an odd position it doesnt seem to work. Of course, I'm glad they do check it out and that we can have scans to tell us everything is ok.

So don't worry - theres a lady posting on here who is 39 weeks pregnant and still doesn't have a bump at all! But her baby is the right size apparently :)

Gosh, it sounds like this is quite common. I can't believe the lady who is 39 weeks and has no bump - where on earth does she put it?! I'm not sure whether I'm envious or not ... it must mean she misses out on the special treatment you get when pregnant, but at least she won't get stretch marks!

baby could have been snuggled downinto your pelvis or positioned sideways or both....wouldnt worry too much. have they sent you for a scan?

At my MW appointment yesterday she said the actual measurement is a bit irrelevant and that she is purely looking for growth from check-up to check-up. She said that some people always measure 'smaller' than they should, but as long as things are getting bigger week on week it's fine. I'm glad your growth scan was fine - I would imagine that is much more accurate than the fundal height measurement anyway.

Pinkfondantfancy, at my 31 week check i was 31cms, then at my 34 week check i was 30 cms - so certainly didnt have any growth there, but scan still said it was all fine.

My partner was jealous as i got to see another scan of the baby - but theyre really not very interesting at this stage - all i got to see was the top of the babys head, and a bit of her leg.

Thanks motherpanda, that's good to know in case similar happens to me-may help stop me from freaking out while I wait for a scan! Could you see hair on your baby's head or anything like that? I'd never really thought about it but I guess it's so big at that stage they can't see the whole baby at once.

Heya - no i couldn't see any hair, but i'm not sure if the scan would pick that up? Just saw bones really! She's too big for the screen (which is reassuring at a growth scan!).

Hi there, I just had a growth scan as I measure 31cm at 38 weeks. It really freaked me out!
All was fine, baby is average sized and has healthy amounts of amniotic fluid.
They did measure me lying down though and I find my bump spreads to the side - maybe that is the reason?
I saw tons of hair on my baby's head - she pointed it out and i could see the actual tufts! Apparently that is the reason for my awful indigestion!

How tall are you OP? All through my preg I was consistently 6 to 8 (yes, 8!!!) cm "too small" (ie 6-8 weeks) according to fundal height yet everyone said my bump was big! I had 4 emergency growth scans as the midwife had to refer me each time becasue of the measurement.... all were totally fine and each time the consultant said it was becasue I am tall (5'11") and that is how tall women carry. DD was 8lb 4oz. After the second emergency scan the "emergency" bit wasn't so scary and the consultant saw me for literally 5 seconds after the later scans as he knew me!!!

It sounds like this is a really common occurrence! Legallyblond, I am 5'9" - the midwives who measured me did mention that the strange measurement could be because I am tall. I actually had a similar concern raised at 38 weeks with my first pregnancy, when I was measured by an unfamiliar midwife - I wasn't sent for a scan, but my usual midwife reassured me and told me all was well.