Baby stopped growing/ slowed right down

[johull]

Has anyone else been told they're carrying a worrying small baby? I'm 31+1 and have been told she is very small. She is measuring the same as a 27 week baby. The midwife said if I wasn't already booked in for a scan at 32 weeks then she would book me in for one to check everything's ok. Is this common? I already have a low-lying placenta, could this have anything to do with it? Many thanks in advance.

I was admitted in Thursday and am still here. My dr says I might be able to go home on Monday but I'll need to be assessed daily 3x a week until the next Tuesday which is when they want to section. I have a feeling they won't let me go home though and that I'll be in for another few days x

Johull, I hope all goes well. Have you been able to speak to your consultant again? I hope they can reassure you about the choice they are making. In your shoes I would be too scared to go home in case something went wrong, mind you. I would also be desperate for the baby to be born just so the sole responsibility for her welfare didn't rest on me - I felt like this with DD2 after DD1 was stillborn, desperate to get her out, early or not, so it wouldn't just be me responsible for counting kicks. In the end she was delivered by ELCS at 37 weeks, the earliest the consultant would allow.

Johull, you poor thing. You must be so stressed. I have no experience of waters going early but I have a friend whose waters went from 32 weeks and she didn't deliver until 37 weeks so it can happen. You definitely need to get more information from your consultant on his/her thought processes. I'm guessing they want to get her closer to 4/5lb if they can.

3lb is really not that a ridiculous size for 32 weeks - DS was 3lb 14 at 34 and had no real problems at all. So try not to worry too much about her size.

The one thing I truly wish I had known about sooner is kangaroo care. It wasn't really done in the hospital where I had DS 6 years ago and I only discovered it when one kindly midwife took DS out of the incubator when he was about 2 weeks old and showed me how to hold him against my chest. He was too tiny to cry but used to purr like a baby kitten when I did that. Don't be afraid to hold your DD - I didn't feel like he was really mine until weeks after I got him home, which still makes me sad.

It is Mother's Day here and I've just been woken by aforementioned 3lber with an armful of presents and a card thanking me for "ceeping me safe" and being "a softy like a piloy". Hang in there. You have a scary few weeks ahead but your gorgeous DD will be a little fighter - sounds like she already is.

Thanks for your messages ladies. I'm really really horrified to read of a stillbirth. I wouldn't wish it upon anyone :-( I think reading it really shocked me and has made me ask about bringing c section date forward. I need to get her out. Her little heart rate baseline dropped yesterday. It was 135 (average) on the machine for days and now it's 118. I know that's still in the 'normal range' but I just know something's not quite right and need her to be out where, like you say, we can all look after her. I'm not worried about her size anymore either as I've heard of a lot smaller babies being born and being fine. I just don't want an infection. I should see my consultant at about 9:30am and will be right back on here to share with you what he said. Fingers crossed he has a section date and time for me and it's not exactly 34 weeks. Fingers crossed xxx oh and I hope you had a lovely Mother's Day and are continuing to 'ceep' your little one safe- so adorable :-)

Hi johull, no experience here but lots of positive thoughts and following this thread - hope everything goes well and trust your consultant to know what's best. Hoping you get to meet your dd very soon!!

Johall, I so understand. It's intensely worrying. It's awful lying there waiting for the dr to do their rounds. It's good to be in hospital because you get monitored so often, but I also found the waiting and the terrible sleep so hard. I remember absolutely doing my nut in several occasions. Fingers crossed you get a date for the CS a bit sooner. Please express your feelings very clearly to the consultant.

How brave you are op!

Cannot imagine how scary this must be

Good luck to you and your lo!

Good luck with your meeting with the consultant. I would always believe a mother's instinct should be trusted and if you're worried about your DD, then you need to express those fears. Hope it goes well x

Good luck OP. It's a scary time but you are in the best place. I wonder if there is a reason for the drop in baseline or if it is a cause for concern? I had so many CTGs, what they seem to like to see are lots of accellerations, they don't want to see her heartbeat just plodding along at the same rate as that would demonstrate the fact that she is being quiet in there and preserving her energy, like we would go to bed if we felt unwell. Likewise, when you feel movement her heart beat should increase too, just as ours would if we exert ourselves etc etc. You may know all this but it helped me to know what it was all about.

I hope you can have a full discussion with the consultant and be totally open about your feelings.

Easier said than done but try to stay positive, you are doing great x

I thought I had posted earlier bloody signal. I am gutted. Found out that the 'consultant' i have been seen by for my whole stay here isn't my consultant so cannot book me in for 34 week section!!! I feel as though have been talking to the cleaner about it!!! My consultant will make a Decision tomorrow about when I can have section but it might not be until 36 weeks!!! Surly that's putting me and dd at risk?? I have already broken my waters, poor baby is splashing round in a puddle and is also breech. Just want to cry. I felt so in control when there was a plan and I knew what was happening. And now... I feel lost. Yet another lovely night on the maternity ward for little old me.

Oh, how frustrating for you. Try not to panic, you are thinking worse case scenario here, they WILL want to do what's best for you both and what presents the lowest risk. Tomorrow is a new day and hopefully you wil have a plan in place v soon. Hope you are getting sleep and support.

Let us know what happens tomorrow x

I'm sorry I mentioned stillbirth - it was tactless of me. Fwiw it was a very different situation, nothing to do with waters breaking early/small baby or anything like that. I was 41 weeks when it happened and in early labour, and there were no indications at all that anything was about to go wrong - I was waiting in a room in Triage, hadn't been formally admitted and was still not dilated enough to be monitored. You are in a very different situation - they know something unusual is going on, and you're being monitored and they will be very careful with you.

It's so frustrating that you haven't been seeing the right consultant - when will you see yours? Hope s/he puts together a plan that feels right to you. Good luck!

How stressful it must be.

My bestie's waters went at 31 weeks with her twin pregnancy. She was admitted for a while and then sent home on bed rest but had to attend the hospital (across London, so not terribly restful) for very regular monitoring. She had her twins by ELCS at 35 weeks and they are doing great. They do have to balance the risk of infection with the risk of getting them out too early.

I am pleased to finally announce that my poor child will be born in the 21st May at 34+1. MY consultant didn't want to take any chances so has agreed to do it ASAP. My waters did break a week ago so it's not actually ASAP! They have looked at my temp and HR as well as the babies and decided that I need to come in 3 times before now and then, one of those visits being a pre operation visit. I'm so relieved that it's all happening now and that I can finally rest knowing she will be with me next week. Thank you so so much for all your support. You've all been great. I will continue to post updates on here and let people know how baby is doing :-) good luck mummy's with all your pregnancies. I will of course be watching for your updates also xx

I am pleased to finally announce that my poor child will be born in the 21st May at 34+1. MY consultant didn't want to take any chances so has agreed to do it ASAP. My waters did break a week ago so it's not actually ASAP! They have looked at my temp and HR as well as the babies and decided that I need to come in 3 times before now and then, one of those visits being a pre operation visit. I'm so relieved that it's all happening now and that I can finally rest knowing she will be with me next week. Thank you so so much for all your support. You've all been great. I will continue to post updates on here and let people know how baby is doing :-) good luck mummy's with all your pregnancies. I will of course be watching for your updates also xx

I am pleased to finally announce that my poor child will be born in the 21st May at 34+1. MY consultant didn't want to take any chances so has agreed to do it ASAP. My waters did break a week ago so it's not actually ASAP! They have looked at my temp and HR as well as the babies and decided that I need to come in 3 times before now and then, one of those visits being a pre operation visit. I'm so relieved that it's all happening now and that I can finally rest knowing she will be with me next week. Thank you so so much for all your support. You've all been great. I will continue to post updates on here and let people know how baby is doing :-) good luck mummy's with all your pregnancies. I will of course be watching for your updates also xx

I am pleased to finally announce that my poor child will be born in the 21st May at 34+1. MY consultant didn't want to take any chances so has agreed to do it ASAP. My waters did break a week ago so it's not actually ASAP! They have looked at my temp and HR as well as the babies and decided that I need to come in 3 times before now and then, one of those visits being a pre operation visit. I'm so relieved that it's all happening now and that I can finally rest knowing she will be with me next week. Thank you so so much for all your support. You've all been great. I will continue to post updates on here and let people know how baby is doing :-) good luck mummy's with all your pregnancies. I will of course be watching for your updates also xx

I am pleased to finally announce that my poor child will be born in the 21st May at 34+1. MY consultant didn't want to take any chances so has agreed to do it ASAP. My waters did break a week ago so it's not actually ASAP! They have looked at my temp and HR as well as the babies and decided that I need to come in 3 times before now and then, one of those visits being a pre operation visit. I'm so relieved that it's all happening now and that I can finally rest knowing she will be with me next week. Thank you so so much for all your support. You've all been great. I will continue to post updates on here and let people know how baby is doing :-) good luck mummy's with all your pregnancies. I will of course be watching for your updates also xx

Good news! Remember though to take yourself straight back in if you have any concerns. Like reduced movements, bleeding, heavier leakage, contractions, smelly / green or brown discharge.

I am pleased to finally announce that my poor child will be born in the 21st May at 34+1. MY consultant didn't want to take any chances so has agreed to do it ASAP. My waters did break a week ago so it's not actually ASAP! They have looked at my temp and HR as well as the babies and decided that I need to come in 3 times before now and then, one of those visits being a pre operation visit. I'm so relieved that it's all happening now and that I can finally rest knowing she will be with me next week. Thank you so so much for all your support. You've all been great. I will continue to post updates on here and let people know how baby is doing :-) good luck mummy's with all your pregnancies. I will of course be watching for your updates also xx

I am pleased to finally announce that my poor child will be born in the 21st May at 34+1. MY consultant didn't want to take any chances so has agreed to do it ASAP. My waters did break a week ago so it's not actually ASAP! They have looked at my temp and HR as well as the babies and decided that I need to come in 3 times before now and then, one of those visits being a pre operation visit. I'm so relieved that it's all happening now and that I can finally rest knowing she will be with me next week. Thank you so so much for all your support. You've all been great. I will continue to post updates on here and let people know how baby is doing :-) good luck mummy's with all your pregnancies. I will of course be watching for your updates also xx

Bloody signal in the hospital meant that it posted same message several times. Sorry all

Glad to hear you've had some answers at last. Keep resting and keep us posted xx

Great news, Johull. Rest up and look forward to meeting her now. And remember...kangaroo care!

Extra, so sorry to hear about your baby. How completely devastating.

My 34 week baby has just emptied all the lego out after stuffing his lunch down himself. He has no long term effects from being prem!

Good luck.