Suspected iugr - any experiences?

[sambababy]

I'm 34+4 and have been having fortnightly scans since about 28wks because fetal weight was in 10th percentile and AC below 5th. HC and femur measurements seem normal, as are fluid levels and placental function.

I did the dreaded thing of googling iugr after my OB mentioned it, and now wish I hadn't. I'm terrified that there is an underlying problem causing it, or that the baby will suffer in labour.

Please can you tell me your iugr stories? Were you induced in the end? Did the baby have any problems during labour and did they find out the cause?

not sure what ac is. dd was below 10 th line based on customised growth chart and was 6lb15 at 40+4. I was lucky though, no one noticed she was tiny until she was born. Must be worrying but remember 10 per cent of babies are less than 10th percentile.

My dd had iugr which went undiagnosed until 39 weeks. Was induced at 40 weeks and she was off the bottom of the charts for everything (below 0.4 centile). Had to stay in hospital a few days to check blood sugars and until good weight gain established. Within a few weeks she got to 2nd centile, but stuck there for a year or two. She's now 5, between 9th and 25th centiles, and perfectly healthy, just petite.

In terms of cause, they found some issues with my placenta (it was sent to the lab), but nothing really conclusive and I didn't have iugr in my next pregnancy.

They say iugr babies tend to be little fighters and I think it's true!

Sorry you're going through these worries but wanted you to know it can turn out fine.

Well you've already done better than me and dd2! She was delivered at 29 weeks due to severe iugr and growth actually stopped. She was 2lbs 2.

She is now 13mths and is still very very tiny. She is completely fine other than this and had a very uneventful nnu stay.

Ac measurements being low is normally the first sign. But it doesn't sound like you are in a situation that requires delivery. Are your two weekly scans showing growth?

Good luck. Not sure what you've read on google, but from what I've been told, being iugr doesn't usually mean anything is wrong with baby-just placenta

Is baby following the centile lines at subsequent scans? I'm having growth scans because DS2 was only 6lb6oz (9th centile) then I had a run of miscarriages and diagnosed with a condition that affects the placental function. Currently 31 weeks and baby is on the small side but growing the appropriate amount to stay on same centile lines, which seems to mean they are not worried.
DS2 measured a bit small bump-wise but nobody was too concerned, he was born naturally at 40 weeks exactly and has remained between 2nd and 9th centiles but is perfectly healthy.

Hi. I've been having weekly scans since 28 weeks as baby was below 10th centile. Was told that I would be whisked in if growth stopped but am now 38 weeks and baby is doing well though still small. My son was also small at birth and is a little smaller than his peers at 3 but perfectly healthy ! Getting induced at 39 + 2 as they don 't want me going over my date as they suspect placenta issues as I'm an older mum. Try not to worry. My doc said they monitor 200 women to catch the 1 where there are real issues.

Thank you for the reassuring comments! I know that the probability of something going horribly wrong is low, especially as I'm being monitored, but the pg mind does like to worry

The baby is still growing but apparently not at the rate my doctor would like. I'm also not sure how accurate the scans are for predicting weights/sizes so it's hard to know what to think.

Those of you that had a vbac, did they warn you about the baby possibly not coping with the stress? I feel my dream of an unmonitored water birth slipping away...

Oops I meant VB not VBAC

Loads of fuss and extra scans for DD1 for low fluid levels and suspected iugr. Born naturally on the day she was due to be induced 39 weeks and 6lb 2.5oz

DD2 was born at home 39+5 and 6lb 6.5oz

I'm certain I had no bigger bump, just much more laid back MWs.

I also should add birth weight has no bearing on final size.

DD1(16) is and has been all her teens a strapping size 12
DD2(13) is a dainty size 6

Hi samba (I'm from the Maybies thread too). I didn't realise you were going through this too. I don't really have any useful information to share but am watching with interest as I was sent for scan yesterday due to bump measuring small at 34 weeks and baby is measuring as lower than 5th percentile, having been above 50th at 20 week scan. They didn't seem hugely concerned at the hospital but I have to go back for another scan in two weeks - feels like a long wait! They didn't give any indication as to what would happen following that scan if they weren't happy with growth but it sounds like it could be early induction.

Hey loopylou, we can hold each other's hand! I'm sorry if I have alarmed you with the mention of early induction. As another pp said, as long as the baby doesn't stop growing altogether, it could still go to term. And from what I've read, 3rd trimester growth can be a bit sporadic.

2 weeks of deep breaths and positive thinking for us!

Don't worry at all about alarming me - I've done my own dreaded googling too! I'm reassured by the fact that by the time we go back to hospital I'll be nearly 37 weeks anyway so at least early induction wouldn't be too early. Just want to know baby is ok!

Obviously not happy that you're having to go through all this too, but nice to have someone to share the journey with!

Hi loopy, I hope this will be helpfull and not make you more worried. My DS who is now six was IUGR from 25 weeks or so and the head sparing type (the baby has a proportional bigger head than body because nature prioritises brain growth). He had reduced cord blood flow and very low fluid (when IUGR is bad they drink their own fluid and the levels don't get replenished). He was born at 29 weeks and was less than 2 lb. But he was a tough little baby and is now a chatty , petite six year old who goes to a mainstream school.

The fact that the cord blood, fluid levels and I am assuming babies heart rate are all normal is very reassuring. You have done really well to get to almost 35 weeks and if the baby is happy inside for another two weeks and growth tails off a bit more that is still positive really, because it means you will probably have a healthy full term baby who is petite but hopefully very stable, still a happy outcome.

I am not trying to minimise how worrying these things can be, just reassure you that your baby should be ok based on what you have said so far (I know there are no guarantees sadly but I don't think you need to be too frightened).

I hope everything goes well for you.

Congratulations on your impending arrival

I had extra growth scans due to being on a BMI pathway and concerns that high maternal BMI can lead to abnormally high baby birthweight.

Scans found that baby was in fact small and in third trimester growth really slowed to the point it almost stopped. I was booked for induction at 38 weeks. A routine doppler scan at 36+5 showed restricted blood flow through the placenta and the decision was taken to induce me that night.

My beautiful DS arrived the following evening at 36+6 weighing in at 5lbs 12.5oz. No issues with birth and he didn't require any interventions. My placenta was fully formed but found to be very small.

He is 18 weeks old today and doing everything he should. BF was challenging in the beginning due to him fatiguing quickly because of size and jaundice and this resulted in a couple of static weigh in's but he is now following the ninth centile and growing steadily in size and massively in personality!!

It is so scary when they talk of early induction but the consultant said to me that they could care for baby better in a cot than inside me and in hindsight he was right.

Thanks for the reassuring stories ladies (and sorry samba, didn't mean to hijack your thread!)

OP, in terms of small babies and labour, I did have one horrible midwife in labour who told me that small babies don't always deal well with labour. She told me this each time she strapped me up to the CTG, and when I got to second stage I was continuously monitored.

However, as I was being induced for iugr and there was no OB or paed anywhere near me during labour and delivery, I really don't think anyone thought it was that risky. My CTGs were always fine too.

OP, in terms of small babies and labour, I did have one horrible midwife in labour who told me that small babies don't always deal well with labour. She told me this each time she strapped me up to the CTG, and when I got to second stage I was continuously monitored.

However, as I was being induced for iugr and there was no OB or paed anywhere near me during labour and delivery, I really don't think anyone thought it was that risky. My CTGs were always fine too.

My ds1 was an undx iugr baby so when I Went into labour at 37.5 weeks ds weighed in at 4lbs 15oz :(
He is now nearly 11 and almost as tall and me (5 feet 5 inches) and the same size feet! (4)
His first few months were hard, but that wasn't just the iugr, it was the appalling "care" he had.
His apgar score was 9 at birth and 10 at 5 mins.

I had my undx IUGR DS1 at 39+1. Early induction then emcs for reduced movements and fluid. He was 5lb12, 2nd percentile. Was sleepy but well, and we were discharged as normal on day 3. He was 50th percentile for weight, 95th for height by 3 months and had stayed there. He's now 4.

Thank you so much everyone who has posted their experiences here, I really appreciate it.

loopylou you didn't hijack at all, share and share alike

I've had two late onset iugr babies. I had weekly placental function scans and growth scans every other week from 32 weeks. It was a stressful end to two very easy pregnancies but they both made it to 39/38 weeks and were around the 2.3/2.4kg mark at birth so little but not teeny. They are now 1 and 3 and are normal size and weight!

In terms of birth I'm afraid I was recommended not to try for a vbac with my second - but that was at least partially due to the rather dramatic emcs with number 1. I think if she hadn't reacted so badly to labour they may have been happier with me giving it a shot - one of my friends did have a successful vbac with a known small baby. Good luck!