Fundal height measurements

[Emy84]

Been to MW today for 28 week appt. She has written in my notes that fundal height was 31cm. When she measured it she just said it 'fine'. I have now looked at this on the graph that is on the notes and it seems very big almost off the scale for 28 weeks?
Now I am panicing that I will be having a huge baby I am quite a petite 5'2!! Has anyone got any experience of this?

When this happened to me (exact same measurements) they sent me for a growth scan to check DD wasn't big. Scan said she would be 7lbs, she was 9.2lbs.

I would ask your midwife, they can generally tell if baby is on the bigger side

Fundal height is not a precise science.

Some midwives always measure tight, some measure large.

Breach babies will measure larger than those head down, non-engaged will tend to measure more than an engaged baby. For example my fundal height has gone down by two centimetres over the past 3 weeks but then baby has flipped from breech to head down and themidwife isn't that worried.

I'm also 4'10'' and found with the garklet, that my fundal height didn't seem to be affected by either my height or my weight, which did seem bizarre but it is the way it 'roughly' works.

they're totally ransom, and depend on the midwife's tape measure (and where she deems the start and end to be).

i read in my book that it's approximately the same in cms as you are in weeks.
when I was 35 weeks, it measured 36cm.

I'm sure you're fine at 31 cm.

*random not ransom!

The fundal height measurement was developed as a technique to use in third world countries which didn't have access to scanning etc., so women would have an approximate idea of when their baby would be due.

Having said that, my fundal height measurement turned out to be considerably more accurate than the sophisticated scanning equipment when it came to estimating DD's size!

Thanks for the reassurance! It was a student MW who actually measured me so maybe it was a bit inaccurate but neither she nor regular MW seemed concerned. Will ask next time I go - think I am just scaring myself that I am having a huge baby!

I was sent for a growth scan at 36 weeks after repeatedly measuring large (2cm+ more than I should have) from about 28 weeks-36 weeks. Baby is on the 95th centile and I am being induced early (38+3) as a result (partly because I pushed for it and no one argued). I wouldn't worry too much unless the measurements are consistently over or under and then push for a growth scan (it could be too much fluid, a big baby, or simple mis-measurement).