Measuring big?

[Brooke113]

I'm 31 weeks tomorrow and when I was measured at 28 weeks I was measuring at 32 weeks, so they sent me for a scan and weren't concerned with babies growth or amount of water, so that put my mind at rest. I've been measured again today, at 31 weeks, and I'm measuring 35 weeks which has panicked me again. I know I'm huge as people keep expecting me to say babies birth is imminent when they ask how long I have to go. I can't stop stressing now. All the midwife said to do is keep an eye on movements for the next 2 weeks and we'll see what the next measurement says, which hasn't really helped with my anxiety :(

Brooke, that sounds like a good measurement though? If you were 32 at 28 you were 4cm ahead then and all looked ok on the scan, some women just carry large. At 31 weeks you are still 4cm ahead so that would suggest to me that your bump has grown perfectly as expected in the time between measurements. There's nothing to suggest anything has changed and your growth hasn't accelerated any further ahead than it was before when everything seemed fine. I wouldn't worry if I were you.

I'm measuring on the 80th centile and have been large all the way through. Because of the consistent pattern the midwife has not raised any real concerns. So in short, if large is your pattern then it is probably is fine as pp says.

Is this the tape measurement? They are notoriously inaccurate, please try not to worry too much. Have you been measured by different midwives? I find that they all seem to measure differently.
Have you spoken to your MW about what might happen, in case they become concerned about the baby's size? In my experience, the only thing they might recommend is induction, which really isn't the end of the world. And it might not even come to that!

As the poster above has said, some women just carry big. Like you, I was sent for a scan when I was pg with DS and measuring ahead of my dates. I was so worried! Turned out that he was measuring bang on average and was an 8-pounder when he was born, so not that big (I, on the other hand, had outgrown some of my maternity clothes by the time he was born ). I'm currently pg with DC2 and I am bigger at 33 weeks than some of the women in my yoga class who are 38 weeks!

If the sonographers are not worried about your measurements, then there is no reason you need to be.

Did the scan also measure the baby as on the larger size when they took the measurements? As long as you grow in proportion each week then it should be nothing to worry about though may mean it might be more of a 9lb baby then a 7lb one. But if it helps, they say larger babies are easier to give birth too

Thanks all for your messages, yes it was the tape measurement. The scan at 28 weeks that I had, worked out that the baby was approximately 3.2lbs, whereas according to the pregnancy app I've got, and Google says the baby should have been between 1.5 and 2.5, so he was measuring bigger, but they weren't worried and said the amount of water I had was within the normal range too. I've just got myself into a panic today as on the way out of the midwives room she said, just make sure you keep an eye on the movements, which she'd never said before, which has made me panic that she thinks if he's on the larger side, something could be wrong. Im in a real tizz.

Her comment probably had nothing to do with your size and was instead because you are around the point in your pg when monitoring movement becomes worthwhile and she had simply forgotten to discuss that with you until that moment. She'd have said it whatever your measurement had been.

I agree about how inaccurate the tape measurements are. I carried DS small and the midwives were convinced I was restricting food and said if I carried on that way I would have a 5lb baby. I was certainly not restricting food and growth scans had me bang on every time. When DS was born he was 7lb 8oz and I still had a small bump!

I'm like lemon in all 4 of my pregnancies I have measured large. Midwife not fussed as "that's just how you carry them" and when I was expecting dc4 she just said "well you are known for large babies" My smallest was 9lb, and sorry my heaviest, dc4 was 11.6lbs :).

I was measuring 31cm at my 28 week appointment (although was almost 29 weeks) midwife didn't care at all. I think it's really inaccurate.

This happened me too. I measured 30 at 25 weeks. Got sent for a scan which was all normal- baby a little on the big size but nothing to worry about. Had 28 week scan and measured 31. Think we all just carry differently. I think she mentioned the movements as at 28 weeks we are meant to monitor more closely would say it's nothing to do with your size...

I'm measuring big as well and also worried about it. The baby was apparently 4lbs1oz at 28+2 and it should be more like 2lbs2oz. The tummy is about 2.5 weeks ahead and has consistently been since 20 weeks.

The midwife doesn't seem concerned but I can't say that I feel reassured. I have another scan for a low lying placenta at 36 weeks so I'll see what happens at that but I am pretty anxious! Not much I can do about it though.

I know how you feel, I'm 34 weeks and measuring 2 weeks ahead (although personally I think they have their dates wrong). Midwife said it may just be alot of fluid around baby, as both my partner and I are tiny so baby will most likely be too. If your midwife isn't worried, then you shouldn't be :)

Can you go for another scan to get accurate centile readings? I'm doing growth scans at 32 and 37 wks due to fear of a repeat performance of DS1s birth - 10.5 lbs, shoulder dystocia etc. Am also measuring a few weeks bigger at 24 wks. Fetal medicine centre is fab.

The midwife said to me yesterday that the doctor will not want to see me for a big baby, they are only concerned about small babies. I did mention shoulder dystocia (which is my specific fear). but she said that was about position and the size of my pelvis more than the size of the baby... I just can't wait until the baby is safely here, pregnancy is so worrying!