How accurate are scans in late pregnancy?

[Ghosty]

Hello everyone ... me again!
I am 38 weeks today ... and this morning I had a scan to check up on the size of my baby ...
The reason for this was ... DS was 10 lbs and half an ounce and was born by c/s after a 50+ hour labour ...
So, this time my m/w thought it a good idea to check as I am hoping for a VBAC.
Anyway ...
Baby seems to be another whopper ... the head size measures 40 wks + 3 days ... (ouch!)
All the other measurements she took she said were 'Off the scale'
The weight of the baby is estimated now at 4250grams which is 9lbs 2oz ...
Does anyone have any idea how accurate this could be?
I mean could she be totally wrong and I have a 7lber in there (clutching at straws) ... OR do I just accept that I have another monster baby and kiss my VBAC goodbye?????
Any thoughts would be most gratfully received ...
Love Ghosty xxx

Hi Ghosty I had late scans and they all registered ds as off the scale. He was a lovely 9Lb 2oz when he came at 38 weeks, not small but certainly not the enormous whopper they all predicted. They say the scans can go up to a lb either way. Probably not a 7lber though

Ghosty, sorry to tell you this but I have a friend whose baby was estimated to be about 9lb. He turned out to be 11lb! (born by elective c/s the day after due date). Our hospital reckoned such scans could be up to 20% out.

I think late scans are rubbish; 34 week scan predicted DS on the 98th percentile (already 2.8 kg at that point). I went into such panics about predicted big baby...he was born (at 39 weeks) on the 7th percentile (2.92 kg; 6lb8oz!).

I had a scan at 38 weeks for exactly the same reason. Ds2 was predicted to be 7.5-8lb. They went ahead with an induction to be on the safe side and he weighed 9lb.

I had serial growth scans throughout my pregnancy (I have diabetes). I had a scan the day before I was induced at 39 weeks, by my consultant, who swore ds wouldn't be more than 6lbs. Funny how he turned out to be 7lbs 10 (50th centile).... So I agree with zebra, they're a bit rubbish, specially one offs. Go for that VBAC Ghosty!

Sorry Ghosty but mine was spot on. Had one at 39, 40 and 40.5 weeks and dd was exactly the size predicted (8lbs 15oz)

had scan late in 2nd pregnancy, check babies posistion, they also said she wasnt very big. had her 1 week early, midwives tried to guess the weight, they said around 7lb-7.5lb. she weighed 9lb 2oz. and was a nice easy labour as well.1hr 45 minutes at hospital before she was delivered. dd1 took over 36hours including being induced, anmd weigh a bice small 6lb 15oz.

The weight prediction in late scans is notoriously inaccurate. I have seen women deliver larger babies vaginally than the ones they had a C/S for. It is not so much the weight but the position the baby adopts during labour. Do not let an estimated weight on late scan influence your delivery plans. Go for VBAC - you will never know unless you try

a health care assistant on a maternity ward and gets lots of people saying " I thought he/she would be bigger/smaller from what they said after my scan"

Thanks everyone ...
I am still hoping ... I have yet to discuss this with my midwife ... but DH is now terrified and wants me to book in for a c/s next week.
I think the thing is that all he can remember is the hellish time we had with DS even though both the m/w and I have told him a hundred times that there is no way they will let me go for 3 days again ....
Well, got some thinking to do ... I suppose the fact that I had one big baby means it is likely that I will have another biggie but what you say Mears, about position ... is really the key isn't it ...
I mean, DS was not only big but OP ... This baby is in a nice position ... it keeps switching from left to right and back again but is nowhere near OP ...
Thanks for the input girlies ...

A little update for anyone who is interested ...
Had a chat with my midwife and basically we have decided to stick with plan A ... the VBAC ...
She pointed out that if the baby is too big it won't come out and because I have had a C/S already they won't make me labour for days like last time ... in fact they won't let me go longer than 6 hours ...
So ... as the most important thing for me is to go into labour rather than have an elective c/s ... I am a happy bunny!

Good for you, Ghosty.

FWIW, DS1 was a 10lb 1oz OP baby so I had a scan at just short of 38 weeks for DS2. He was estimated at 7lb 15oz at that time and was born, naturally, 4 days later at a "petite" 8lb 4oz. On the other hand, a friend was estimated as having a 9lber and he turned out to be 1oz shy of 12lb! How they could have missed that he was the length of a 3 month old is beyond me!!

We'll have to have a "guess the weight of Ghosty's baby" competition

Ghosty - If it helps any, I was in labour for 40+ hrs with ds1 (9lb 8oz), although I didn't have a c-section. Ds2 was 9lb 1oz and was born within 6hrs. The differences between the first and second birth can be huge (no pun intended ) HTH

So who's gonna start the weight-guessing game? Or do we start another thread for that?

Great news for you Ghosty, and best of luck!

Ghosty, although I'm no expert on big babies (dd2 was projected to be about 8lb and I thought that was bad enough - but luckily I'd popped her by your stage), I can vouch for second labours usually being soooooooo different. My first was a 40 hour or so horror and nearly a C-section. My second was seven hours and a straightforward vaginal delivery.

I'm really excited for you, by the way.

Thanks everyone ...
Soupie, I have to say reading your post was very reassuring ... in the fact that your second was smaller than your first ... I have lost count of the number of people who have felt it necessary to point out to me that second babies are 'always' bigger than the first!!!

that's good news, ghosty, best of luck