Gargantuan baby at 28 weeks

[Harbot]

I'm wondering if anyone has had a similar experience as I'm worrying (again!).

I went for a scan at 28 weeks yesterday (I'm getting scanned every month due to bleeding for 3 weeks at 20 weeks - it's stopped now though) and my baby boy is weighing about 3.1lb which is above the 90th percentile and too big. I know that the dates are right and I'm going to be tested for gestational diabetes in a week or so but I have a very healthy diet (loads of veg and wholegrains etc) and, up until 20 weeks, was doing a lot of exercise so I'm thinking that I don't have it. I'm also quite small, 5"2 and started pregnancy at 8 stone - the reason I think for my bump looking absolutely massive and everything thinking I'm about to drop! I also have SPD so am getting a bit scared about labour. I just wanted to know whether anyone else:

• has had their baby measured above average at this stage?
• leads a healthy lifestyle and still been diagnosed with GD?
• has a big baby and SPD?

And could this mean that he is going through a growth spurt and might slow down? If so, would he always need to plot above average but at the same place on my growth chart or would it be ok for him to come into the average zone? Sorry if I haven't explained that very well!

Or anything else! I'd love to hear any related experiences. I've been having a bit of a rotten pregnancy starting with awful sickness, then bleeding, then SPD so am probably/hoping that I'm overly worrying.

Thanks in advance x

My baby was measuring on 95th percentile at 20 weeks. Am gong for the glucose tolerance test at 24 weeks, really hope it's not gestational diabetes. I'm fairly healthy and keep active and was a healthy BMI before getting pregnant (though not quite as slim as you) but there is a history of diabetes in my family so am a bit worried. Apparently it can just be a growth spurt and may even out later so maybe it will go down to a lower percentile. I think my bump is big for how far along I am but I also wonder if it's partly due to being short as I'm similar height to you.

Hiya,

sorry you're so worried. I can understand and have also had a difficult pregnancy, so massive sympathy.

I am 24 weeks now but at my '13 week' scan, I was told they couldn't do the nuchal fold measurement as the baby was measuring 14 weeks 3 days.

I am almost certain that my own dates were correct, as I can't have conceived 9 days earlier - it was the middle of my period, I was charting and so on - so I'm also worried that the baby is really big.

I haven't been offered any testing though - they are just going by their own dates, which I'm not sure is the right thing to do as I've no idea if I might have GD or not, or why it is so big.

I'm glad you're being tested and I hope it is nothing to worry about. Sometimes babies are just enormous.

Oh and btw the dates wre about the same at my 20-week, ie in keeping with the first scan, not my own dates! Which is odd. But at least it isn't growing exponentially over dates

Good luck x

GD isn't related to lifestyle -if you are going to get it- you are going to get it. Good diet etc will help control it but not stop it.

I had a massive first DC (c. 11lbs) and am being carefully over monitored this time for size, GD etc. I know the panic factor of a large baby. I'm trying not to pay attention to scan sizes this time. They are notoriously wrong and quite honestly I'm better off not thinking about it ! I've pushed out a big one already so unless this one is bigger again, I hope it will be ok!

At 32 weeks I had a scan and was told he was measuring over 5 pounds, I didn't have GD they just told me I would be having a big baby guessing 10-11 pounds and not to buy any nb clothes.
He was born on due date and weighed just under 7 pound.

Actually that's true, the later the scan, the less reliable it's meant to be. Every single late pregnancy size scan I've seen mentioned on here in 5 years has been wrong!

Don't panic just yet.

Hi

I had a growth scan at 27+6 last week and weight was estimated at 2.8lbs which is well above average for that stage. Like you I am small, 5'3 and 8.5 stone pre-preg, and people keep saying I am huge .

I'm not worried as:

• I know I don't have gestational diabetes as I was tested the week before(for other reasons) and it was normal
• the baby's measurements were all pretty average
• my bump measurement is average for dates

Remember that the weight is not measured - it's just an estimate based on the baby's measurements. They are often wrong!

The baby's measurements are far more important than estimated weight. Were they normal?

Sorry to hear about your sickness, bleeding and SPD - it does sound like a fairly tough pregnancy. Last thing you need is something else to worry about

I have GD - diagnosed at 28 weeks and do not fit any of the 'usual' criteria. I was BMI of 18.5 when I fell pregnant, ate extremely healthily etc. But as another poster said, if you're going to get it, you're going to get it.

My baby's tummy is looking a little on the large side and I have my c-section booked for a week today so I will report back on weight!

I wouldn't worry too much.

I am currently growing 2 gargantuan babies. At my 28 week scan one baby had an estimated weight of 3.2 and 3.5, which is roughly what twins should weigh at 31 weeks. At 32 week scan they had an estimated weight of 4.7 and 5.3! Consultant isn't worried and says they are big healthy babies.

I don't have GD. But am worried about giving birth to 2 enormous babies!

I am growing a giant! It has been measuring on the 90th centile frim my early 6 week scan. At my 25 week appointment i was measuring 29cm. I have been tested for GD and don't have it. I'm prepared for a big baby! I was big, as was my brother, my mum and her 3 brothers!

My theory is a bit of extra weight will mean gravity is working better on that baby's head and help get it out quicker!

DS measured +3cm at 28w.

Then at every appointment after.

Was big on a growth scan, expected to be 9lb7 -10lb7. GTT showed no GD. No SPD fortunately.

I laughed, scans are inaccurate, said I, they can add 2lb! I could have a 7lb 7oz baby based on that guess!

DS was born 11lb 7oz.

I had a 10lb whopper and had SPD but no GD. My niece was 11lb5! We grow giants

If you're having regular scans, then don't worry. My last growth scan showed ds's head was over the 100th percentile...I ended up having a c section cos his head was stuck. The rest of him was bigger than average but not huge, it was the big fat head that was the problem! So if your baby is just big all over, hopefully you'll have no problems.

Also, after SPD I found recovering from the c section a complete doddle, so even if you need one, don't panic.

Hope all goes well

When I had DD2 I was told to expect at least a 10pm baby and all the midwives who saw me got hysterical about how huge I was and how giant the baby was going to be. When I got induced (because of her giant proportions) one doctor exclaimed 'this baby's head is massive' while giving me an internal. That didn't freak me out at all.

She weighed 8lb 10. One day before EDD.

Try not to worry too much!

Clearly that should say 10lb, not 10pm!

Thank you all so much for your replies and support!

EdMcDunnough, I heard that it's routine to get tested for GD at 28 weeks (can anyone confirm this) so maybe you'll be tested then. Sorry to hear you'te having a difficult one too. It's so horrid not to be able to enjoy any of it!

Overreactionoftheweek I'm inclined to agree (although I haven't experienced csection recovery yet). SPD is soooo awful, I kind of feel that nothing can be as bad as this. Glad that your recovery was trouble free.

I will try to stop worrying. My husband also has very long legs so maybe that's a reason too...

I've been told it's not routine to check for GD at 28 wks- only if you're classed as high risk. I wasn't, but baby measured just about 90th centile since first measurement and then got sent for growth scan at 35wks and just had GD test today (36 wks). Have been told that they'll induce me at 38 wks if it is GD- have to call back for results at 3pm. I asked if this should have been picked up in wee tests at midwife but again- only check for it if high risk apparently.

Hello, I had a scan 2days before my LO arrived (due to reduced movemens) and they predicted he would be around 101/2 - 11lb, he was 10lb11oz so they were right (for once!) I also had SPD and had planned to deliver on all fours/in water (as recommended for big babies and SPD) but once it all kicked off there wasn't enough time to even think about getting into a better position, the labour was fine and it only took about 15 mins of pushing, the only thing that made the SPD worse afterwards was he 2hours in stirrups in theatre following delivery due to a 3rd degree tear. X

Girl at work and I were pg at the same time. She had a huge bump, SPD, had repeated scans where she was assured baby was huge and was tested for GD because of the hugeness of her baby. Born at 40 + 2 weighing 7lb 5oz.

Me, people didn't actually start asking if I was pregnant until 30 weeks gone, bump measured under a couple of times and I had a tiny bit of sacral pain, nothing more. Baby born at 40 + 2 weighing 9lb 2oz.

You never can tell...

Try not to worry about it (easier said than done I know!). I have had 3 babies in last 5 years - all came out btwn a perfectly acceptable 8lb3oz - 8lb8oz at full term births.

I wish I hadnt worried so much during my pregnancies about size / growth etc. Whilst its great that they are scanning & monitoring you regularly to give you peace of mind about your previous bleeding, it throws up new worries about size - you can't win!! I have experienced similar - had scans with one baby to check placenta was in right place, threw up issues with size of baby / amount of amniotic fluid. All turned out absolutely fine in the end!