Induction for small baby?

[Mim78]

Anyone got any experience of this?

I've been asked to come in for an extra scan at 36 weeks (last one was 32) because baby measuring small. Not very small but 10th centile. They want to see if the baby drops below this level. The scan is with a doctor in fetal assessment unit, which I think it different to routine scans.

Apparently one option is that they may want to induce early if the baby continues to small or drops lower.

Any one got any experience of this?

I don't mind induction per se as was fine for dd.

Baby moving around a lot so I don't really think anything is wrong.

I had this. Midwife was concerned that my bump hadn't gained anything between the 37th and the 39th weeks so sent me for a scan.

Scan was at 40 weeks and baby measured 5Ib. As growth had been fine there were some concerns another growth potential so the decision was taken to induce at 40+5. The scan was a normal scan though so there might be differences

She was born 7Ib so the measurements were wrong.

The induction itself was fine as far as these things go.

I had this, I was measuring small but baby was still active, had a scan at 37weeks and another with the consultant at 38 + 2 they said she was measuring below the 5th centile. I was induced the next day ending in EMCS 2 days later, DD was 6lb 3 oz born had to have a bit of oxygen but was absolutely fine. She is now just over a month old and is growing fine and staying along the 9th centile. hope all goes ok for you xx

oh forgot to say they found i had very little fluid surrounding baby

when you go in for the extra scan, dont mention why; be really vague and say you dont know why; they seem ro be really biased to expectation when taking measueements!

Thanks very much to all!

Hey,

I was induced at 38 weeks for a small baby. Was almost induced at 35 weeks but she grew a teeny bit so they waited 3 more weeks for her not to grow and induced me anyway. She was fine - 5lb 6 I think (3rd baby) and really tiny, she was in prem clothes and nappies for about a month. Induction was ok. All the stretching and sweeping and prodding and poking got me to 4cm without a single contraction. In the end they put me on oxytocin at 4ml/hr and it took 1hr 24mins from 1st contraction to delivery! Her placenta was tiny and her cord was really short but I'm not sure if that's why she didn't grow. She was deemed to be on the 2nd centile at birth. At 6 months old she was on the 75th!

Hope all goes well for you

wasent induced but with my last preg my bump measured smaller most way though esp towards the end at 39+4 something like that i measured 36cm the mw never sent me for a scan though my son was born at 40+2 short cord and weighed in 6 pounds 9 ounces nat labour spon at home

My baby was small, wasn't picked up til 38 weeks and had to wait to nearly 40 for a growth scan. They said baby would be 6lb and wanted to induce, actually she was under 5lb when born.

I think it's good to remember growth scans can be a fair bit out either way (bigger or smaller). I'm glad I was induced - the induction was fine and I didn't have lots of intervention, but tests on the placenta later showed it was failing and was also showed some infection. Neither of these things were picked up on the scan/bloods/urine. Baby was definitely better out than in, but she was already full term.

It's good your being monitored so please try not to worry. My baby was tiny and scrawny but otherwise absolutely fine, and now a healthy 5 year old.

Good luck!

They told me my DD was small - she was born at 37+2 and weighed 5lb 15oz she is still little at 16 months (2nd centile) but seems fine and is very feisty. Lack of amniotic fluid would be a good reason to get baby out. Good luck and I hope it goes well.

In many ways quite want to be induced as then I will know where I am with things, iyswim. Not now necessarily but maybe at 39 weeks or so. (Actually not now definitely because am still working!). This is mainly because it is my only past experience of labour and it went so well.

However, I don't want anything to be wrong - I'm hoping they will say all seems fine but we can monitor and induce anyway if you choose. That might be too much to hope for though!

Also your baby will be fully developed at 37 weeks -after this in theory they are just 'fattening up'. If there's a chance a baby isn't fattening up (and scan measurements can tell whether baby is symmetrically small or not, which makes a difference), then my feeling is they'd be better out.

I had a few days of being monitored before they could fit in my induction. Baby was a total wriggler and all the midwives couldn't believe how active she was on the monitor. However, once born it was clear she'd been being starved, poor thing! So movements give reassurance at one level, but for me it's not a reason to keep a small baby in past 37 weeks if there's a doubt about failing placenta.

How many weeks are you now and when's your scan?