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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Small baby first time, extra monitoring in next pregnancy?

13 replies

barbie1 · 29/08/2011 08:29

Hello, just wondering if anyone had a small baby at term then had to have extra monitoring during subsequent pregnancies?

Dd1 was induced at 40+2 as they were concerned about her size. Born by ecs perfectly healthy but weighing only 5lb 16oz.

Pregnant again now and was told at my 16 week appointment yesterday that I would need extra monitoring from 20 weeks as my first baby wasnt a healthy size and they are concerned about this baby too.

Anyone with anything similar happen to them? What is meant by extra monitoring?

Thank you

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jetgirl · 29/08/2011 08:38

DD born at 40+11 weighed 5lb 8oz and no-one except my mw thought she would be small, so when I was pg again I received extra scans to monitor growth. Funnily enough, DS measured a little big, but when he was born was a healthy 8lb 1oz rather than being a giant! It was nice having the extra scans for reassurance.

sevensevenseven · 29/08/2011 09:08

I had DS at 35+5 but he was smaller than he should have been, 4lb 9oz. This time I'm having growth scans at 28 and 36 weeks, although I had a growth scan with DS at 35 weeks and they said he was big. I don't know what they can do if the growth scans show a small baby though.

babycarmen · 29/08/2011 10:13

I had to be induced early with DD as growth stopped at scans and she 'felt' small to mw, they think my placenta stopped functioning. She was 6lb 2. Im pregnant again now and have been told il get monitored from 32 weeks, i think its just extra scans to check growth.(??)

Original poster

barbie1 · 29/08/2011 13:11

Thank you ladies, so it seems just a few extra scans to check baby is all that they will do?
I wonder what happens if like my last baby this one is small throughout? Guess we shall just have to wait and see.

Good luck in all your pregnancies

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happywheezer · 29/08/2011 13:15

Yes, My SIL had two small babies. 4 10 and 4 11. Extra monitoring means that they will do more scans.
Also, do they know why your baby was small. My SIl placenta stopped working properly. They know this from looking at the placenta after the baby was born.

ChocolateCalculator · 29/08/2011 13:21

I had DS1 at 37+2 weighing 4lbs 6oz. Never got to the bottom of why he was so small as I has gestational diabetes (in both my pregnancies) with DS2 I was scanned every 2 weeks from 28 weeks as he was also measuring small and I had a very small bump. There was talk of induction if there was any suggestion of his growth slowing down, and talk of steroids then induction if he hadn't grown between 32 and 34 weeks. Every scan showed him small but growing though so it never came to anything. I get the impression they were extra vigilant as nobody had picked up the problem with DS1 at all. I was eventually induced at 38+3 mainly as I was fed up with the whole thing and begged them I suspect. DS2 weighed a very respectable 6lbs 2oz.

Good luck!

Original poster

barbie1 · 29/08/2011 13:31

They have no idea why she was small, although the placenta did look about ready to give up after the birth.
The main problem I think was the fact I had to change doctors at 34 weeks (private health care here in Dubai) I wasn't allowed to take any of my notes with me nor do they do fundal measuring here. At 38 weeks I got to meet my new doctor who was horrified how small I was looking and demanded a growth scan. Baby was size of about 32 week gestation. Monitored every other day until my doctor decided baby was better off out then in!

chocolatecalcalulator sounds like a right nightmare having to be seen so often, glad it all worked out in the end for you.

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ChocolateCalculator · 29/08/2011 14:12

Sounds like a really similar situation. Although it was a pain, I was really glad of the extra monitoring second time round. DS1 is fine, but I often think things could quite easily have been very different as there was clearly something not right. It was spontaneous labour with little monitoring and the cord looked incredibly thin, gives me the shudders thinking about it! Was good to have the additional reassurance second time round even if it was inconvenient.

sprinkles77 · 29/08/2011 14:38

Same sort of thing as you. DS 5lb 11 at 39+1 weeks. Had been having regular growth scans from about 32 weeks as was measuring small. Was eventually induced as he stopped moving. placenta not examined as DS was over 5lb 5 which apparently was the cut off point for placenta to be examined by pathologist. I was told that I would need extra monitoring if I have another baby. I had a very small bump ( I don't really look pregnant in the photos of me waiting to be induced on the labour ward!). it was only noticed by an out of hours emergency doctor who I saw when I pulled a muscle in my back and couldn't breathe properly. The MWs had completely failed to notice how small I was as all the antenatal checks! .

I believe that they do extra scans of the baby to check it is growing, and they can measure the function of the uterine artery (the blood supply from mother to placenta) and the blood flow from placenta to baby, as a problem with either of these can affect the baby's growth.

tashanfamily · 29/08/2011 19:08

I may sound a little stupid here but would it matter if you were bigger in weight 2nd time round. In my first pregnancy my girl was 5lb 10oz and i was around 9/10 stone ive put on around 1-1 1/2 stone since then.
My mw told me i would probably have more checks done as first was so small but so far not heard anything and im now 18weeks. My cousin on the other hand i smaller in build than me but her first child was 5oz heavier than my girl and now shes pregnant again and already seen her consultant and shes around 3 weeks behind me.
Sorry to be abit rude intruding but i saw this and thought i may be cheeky enough to ask if anyone knows.

Original poster

barbie1 · 31/08/2011 05:37

Tash, It doesnt matter about your weight. They will just check via fundal measurement and scans on the babies growth. From what I can gather you will be referred after the 20 week scan and have a possible scan at 28 weeks and another around 34 weeks. They will check to see if the baby is growing between these scan dates.

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nunnie · 31/08/2011 07:37

Hi my 1st was born at 39+1 at 5lb 13oz. My 2nd wasn't monitored at all and was born 6lb 3oz at 36+3 which I thought was healthy considering he was born early.
Anyway I am pregnant again 36+5 now and I was told I would be monitored due to SGA of my 1st all it has entailed for me is the normal measuring but at hospital rather than CMW and it being plotted on the graph which is staying consistent but measuring 2 weeks behind each measurement but it remains consistent and nothing has been picked up on scans (for other issues) so they don't seem to concerned.

I also have gained slightly in weight well not fully lost my weight with DS due to falling pregnant again so quickly, I will let you know what this one weighs in a few weeks but not sure I will be able to confirm if it was weight related on my part.

My checks didn't start till 28 weeks which is the earliest they measure here if that helps.

nunnie · 31/08/2011 07:43

Should say my hospital told me they no longer carry out routine growth checks unless there is a problem with the fundal height measurements. The 1st one at 28 weeks is to get a starting point for future measurements.

When I said I am measuring 2 weeks behind, as long as there is growth on a consistant level which with me there is, they just keep measuring me, I think if there was a sudden change in growth or if growth stayed static for 2 visits then they would send me for a scan if that makes sense.

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