Fundal height measurement - confused!!!

[PumpkinPie2013]

Hi everyone

Just wondered if anyone else had experienced anything similar to me?

This is my first pregnancy.

Saw my midwife last week at 28+2 and fundal height was 27cm and plotted bang on the 50th centile line on my growth chart so all good

Today I went to hospital antenatal for anti-D injection but felt unwell when I arrived (dizzy/sick - I have low blood pressure) so they got a mw to see me first (different to my usual community mw).

She measured the fundal height to be 29cm (I'm 29+3 today) which plots on the 90th centile on my chart

Also means it's grown 2cm in a week?

Now I'm only small in build and 5ft 3 so not that tall. I eat a balanced diet and my bump is far from huge so I'm puzzled!

I see my own mw in 2 weeks time at 31 weeks so she will measure again and the one today wasn't concerned as she said my bump/fundal height didn't look/feel to big.

Very strange!

It's a slightly inaccurate measure but gives an indication of growth. I don't think they worry if it is up to 3 cm either way on any One occasion as it does depend on how baby is lying and the person doing the measuring.However if it keeps trending either one way or the other they might send you for a growth scan

It could be as simple as one or other of the midwives didn't measure the right part of the bump, or the baby had shifted position pushing outwards more rather than straight up and down. I certainly wouldn't worry!

yep it all depends on how baby is lying and stuff. in fact, it isn;t really very accurate at all.

My green pregnancy notes book specifically says the fundal height will ideally be measured by the same person every time. When my midwife does it, it is the least scientific thing I have ever seen (vaguely wave tape measure in direction of bump) and I really wouldn't worry if someone else got a different measurement. I actually had two different measurements in the same appointment when the student midwife had a go. Also there is a plus or minus 2cm error margin, so 27cm is basically the same as 29 cm as far as they are concerned .

Thanks for all of your reassurances

I'll not worry and just wait until I see my usual mw in 2 weeks time.

The mw today did seem to have some problems measuring correctly (finding top of pubic bone, slackness in tape measure etc.) so probably wasn't massively accurate.

Plus baby does seem to have decided to poke up/out more to the left so that probably affected it as well.