Growth scan - what does it involve exactly?

[NoobyNoob]

I know obviously to look at how the baby is growing! But what else do they check for? Do they look at the blood flow to the baby and the placenta?

What would happen if there's something the matter? Would she have to come out?

I'm so shit at asking questions and totally forgot when I was at the antenatal unit earlier. It's booked for Monday, I only got told this morning so I'm just wondering really.

Could it just happen that she's a very small baby? I'm 31+3 and she's measuring 27cm if that means anything to anyone. It doesn't look good on my growth chart I know much

They measure the radius and diameter of the head, circumference of abdomen, length of leg (hip to knee I think) and volume of fluid. They also look at the blood flow through the heart and listen to heartbeat. I'm not aware of them especially looking at the placenta although they did make a note of where it was so I guess they do.

TBH though, if she wasn't telling me as she was going along she could have been measuring anything for all the sense the screen made to me!

Friends of mine are being monitored for a small baby but the baby has been consistently small all the way through so after a period of worry it's all been pronounced fine. I'm not too sure other than that, I'm being monitored because DD2 is a heifer!

They measure the things Gwen says above, then plot them on a centile chart to give an idea of how big or small your baby is.

In my case, all the measurements came up really small, below the 2nd centile. 5 weeks later, out comes 10lb 5oz DD! So I don't think they are particularly accurate!!

I have had/will be having a few growth scans because I have pre existing diabetes.

iirc they measured crown to rump length, abdominal circumference, femur length and head circumfrence to calculate an estimated feral weight. They also looked at blood flow through the heart, fluid levels and blood flow in curd and placenta.

The estimated fetal weight is apparently often very inaccurate but was spot on for me.

Thanks for that, she stopped growing at 28 weeks and before that she'd been fine. I'm worried, but not overly so as she's had some really good CTG's over the last few days so I know she's OK.

I just read somewhere that if the placenta isn't working properly that they get the baby out and it freaked me out a little! Hope that's not the case, DS was hefty when he was born at 9lbs with a huuuuge head!

Sorry for typos

I assume the 27cm is the fundal height the midwife has taken? I understand it is roughly the same as you should be in weeks so would suggest the baby is small for dates but frankly it is a really rough estimate.

If she has stopped growing they may be concerned about In Uterine Growth Restriction in which case it is possible they will consider an early delivery, balancing out what she can get internally versus risks to her remaining in. I would expect they would look at the cord blood flow at a mininum too with the dopppler.