Referred to fetal medicine at 34wks after growth scan

[user1472117941]

I am currently 34+1 pregnant with my second baby and have had a pretty straightforward pregnancy until now. I was having lots of reduced movements so I was referred for a growth scan on Monday 33+5 from which they have detected baby isn't growing and has called below the 10th centile and they have referred me to see a specialist under the fetal medicine team.

I am obviously extremely worried that something is wrong with they baby ie birth defect or chromosomal problem as the scan shown placenta was fine also the liquor volume was ok so they are unsure why baby is on the small side. He has been well within average growth up until now.

History- 12wk scan ok (no nt test as couldn't get measurements), 16wk gender scan ok, 20wk scan ok, 29wk 4d scan normal and within range on growth chart.
I had a little girl 2011 who was born at 38wks 6lbs oz, I am 5ft4 and oh is 6ft 3 so wasn't expecting him to be small.

Has anyone had any experience with this please xx

No experience but here for the hand hold!

When are you seeing the specialist?

Thank you ❤️ I'm there on 30th so Tuesday at 5pm, it feels like a life time away! X

I bet, perhaps try and take some relief in the fact they didn't rush you there straight away? Did they explain any possibilities? Did they estimate a current weight?

We waited from Friday to Monday to see a fetal medical consultant and that felt like a lifetime so I feel your pain. Try and keep busy and keep your head if you can. We found we felt better out of the house than in. Might that help?

Estimated weight was 1793g so around 3.9lbs, abdominal circumference is one of the lower measurements so they discussed possible placental problems but flow was perfect so other options could be maternal illness ie gestanial diabetes or BP problems but I haven't got either of them and last things which is why I think they could have referred me is undetected birth defects. My little girl wasn't huge when she was born she was so skinny with big long legs so I'm just hoping and praying that it's just because I don't have chubby babies but at 29wk 4d scan he had a really chubby face. My minds constantly ticking with questions and what ifs xx

3.9 isn't massively small for 34 weeks is it? If she gained half lb a week for next six weeks she would be 6.9 which isn't too bad is it

Although to be fair I don't really know much about low birth weight, hopefully they are being over cautious

I didn't think it was really small either but they said going off my previous baby and my height and weight the baby should be around 5lbs mark so when they plotted the weight on my personalised growth chart it is below 10th centile. I don't know much either it was all a bit of a blur in the appointment Monday. I just heard referral as small baby and my heart dropped!

I've been advised bed rest and health diet until next scan. I could really do with getting out to take my mind off things but they want me to really keep my eye on movements x

But your previous baby was 6lb? So fairly small anyway

Oh I don't know. Maybe someone will come along who knows more than us lol

What is your due date? Are you on the October thread?

I had the same thing. Ds even saw paediatricians from about 18m + and they found he wasn't making growth hormones. Then around age 3 (?) he started to produce them. He's a little small but there is no medical problems or reasons - just one of those things. At the end of the day, someone has to be the bottom end of the growth charts.... Try not to worry x

Just wanted to say that these growth scans aren't very accurate, obviously you are right to get the reduced movements checked though. I had a growth scan at 30 weeks and baby was estimated 93rd centile - he is actually 75th centile so bigger than normal but not as big as expected.

I've heard about growth scans not being very accurate and I'm hoping they are just being cautious and when I get there Tuesday the more detailed scan shows he's not as small as they think xx

I don't know if I can help but my son was born full term weighing 5lb 5oz. I am Asian and quite small. For an Asian baby he is fairly average but he was small. I then had a late m/C but was again being monitored for fetal growth for that pregnancy. I am pregnant again and I was told that I would be closely monitored for fetal growth because DS was born under the 10% centile. The thing is that given my ethnicity and family history I think he was a normal weight but who is listening. I was born full term at 4lb 10oz, my sister was 5lb and her daughter was 5lb 9oz. I think we are genetically small Asian women giving birth to small babies. But I understand and appreciate why I am placed under scrutiny.

Hi, my daughter was IUGR and born at 38 weeks (induced) weighing 4lb 15 (predicted weight 4lbs) this was detected at same stage of pregnancy as you. She was jaundiced and low blood sugar but apart from that absolutely fine and stayed with me the entire time (no special care). I am currently 29 weeks with my 2nd and under consultant care due to my previous pregnancy, my consultant has diagnosed me with a bicornunate uterus (heart shape) which means that the baby can stop growing in 3rd trimester as they literally run out of room! I am happy that I now know why my daughter was so small as the 'small mummy small baby' crap mentioned at the time was ridiculous. But maybe mention this condition as I think it can be undetected especially with women with less extreme cases. Anyway rest assured my IUGR baby is now a 50th centile crazy 3 year old! Best of luck X

It is strange that u have mentioned your shape of uterus as my scans throughout my lg in 2011 my uterus looked like a strange love heart and I mentioned this to my mum and she agreed. She ended up being breech which I think can be common with biocornate uterus.
I had an early pregnancy scan with this baby and again I could see a heart shape but nothing was noted apart from a retroverted uterus. I will definitely mention it as like I said I have wondered this.

Thank u for all your replies, I have my fingers crossed he is just a small baby & shall update u all after my scan on tues xx

I could have literally wrote your post myself from scan dates and everything to heights of you and dp, apart from my last scan (due to rfm) was at nearly 33 weeks when I was told baby hadn't grown since 2 weeks previously, have had to wait another 2 weeks (Tuesday aswell) will be nearly 35 weeks for another scan as they won't do growth scan any timeless than 2 weeks. I have been told to expect to be induced next week if hasn't grown again. Also detected baby has irregular hb which again, can't know anything more until Tuesday when my next scan is. Tbf, I'm thinking he's better off out than in at the moment.
Good luck

Hi everyone had my scan today but as it was only my first growth scan last week I have to wait another week to check growth comparison. Today's scan was mainly to check fluid level and flow through my placenta. I feel like we are no further forward and have to wait another agonising week worrying.
Doctor mention chromosomal problems again today and said because I didn't have any screening they can't rule it out. They did say they wanted to check brain, heart & liver today but couldn't get a good enough view. We were told the baby will be delivered between 36-37wks which will be the next 2 weeks as I'm 35wks tomorrow. Xx

Not quite the same as you but I had lots of episodes of reduced movement with dd3. I had to go in for monitoring regularly and a couple of extra growth scans. She was put at 9th percentile on the scans which wasn't small enough to worry about.

I was induced in the end and she was born tightly wrapped with the cord around her neck. Doctor said that might explain the regular reduced movement. She was 25th percentile when she was born and is now 8 weeks old and doing really well.

There is a lot they can't tell from the scans so the extra monitoring in itself isn't a bad thing. We had had the harmony blood test though so I knew with some certainty that she didn't have a chromosomal issue.

So sorry you are going through this. Hope it's just doctors being cautious and baby is bigger than they estimate

I had this with my dd2. I have just commented on another thread as i had severe preeclampsia with dd1. With dd2 i had a relatively easy pregnancy the same as you. I was under the consultant due to my complications with dd1 and at my 34 week scan (i was being scanned every 2 weeks) they said that she had stopped growing. I was referred to the fatal medicine team the same as yourself but it was all done on the same day, i had to wait in the hospital. They said that she had stopped growing and my scheduled c section would be brought forward, wasn't sure when. Within 10 minutes of leaving i had a phonecall to say i had been booked in for 6am the next day. my dd was born at 35 weeks weighing 3lb 13oz and she was perfectly healthy. They had prepared me for the fact she would need some sort of special care but she didn't! she stayed with me on the ward for around a week to help her feed and to monitor her and then we were allowed home. So please try and relax, i was so upset and worried, esp as my dd1 is disabled. My dd2 is perfectly healthy and fine and actually very advanced for her age!

Just to give you my experience and hopefully some reassurance.

I was referred at 30 weeks for measuring small, was told baby was under 10th centile and to go back in two weeks for further scan.

When I went back for my further scan at 32 weeks she wasn't following the growth curve and hadn't gained weight, I was told she'd probably be delivered at 34 weeks and got given steroid injections for her lungs. The consultant decided on weekly dopplers and two weekly growth scans.

Obviously we freaked out with worry. When I went in for my scan at 34 weeks she'd gained some weight so they decided to continue with the scans and book for induction at 37 weeks.

We kept having scans right up until I got induced at 37 weeks.

My little girl came perfectly healthy but petite at 5lb 3oz.

I know it's awful and frightening but hopefully you'll have a result similar to mine.

Just wanted to say that I'm in a similar position. Went last Fri for a check due to reduced movement and ended up having a scan. Baby is 5th percentile which hadn't been picked up before. I'm 36 + 3 today. As it was the bank hol we've had to wait for appointment. We have a growth scan on Fri and consultant appointment on Mon. Feel so stressed as been told they will probs induce asap. Just hate the waiting and hoping all is ok. Hope your scans go well for you too x

I know this a long shot as it's an old post but this is exactly the situation I am in now and would love to know what happened with the original poster.
I really hope you had a healthy baby boy!

Thanks AnUtterIdiot (feels rude calling you that! ). I think I will post on there too.

Hi all,
I'm new to this site but after some advice/reassurance/sharing of experiences.....
I had a routine growth scan at 36+1 on Monday and have been referred to fetal medicine unit as the baby is on the 6th centile and one of the readings if the blood flow between the placenta and baby is over the 95th centile.
I was contacted today and given an appointment for next Wednesday but now I am speculating over everything and am getting very worried wondering what this means. I am not too concerned about the size if baby as its following its growth curve and my first wasn't big but my lack of understanding about the umbilical doppler readings are making me panic even though I'm trying not to. Does anyone else have any experience of this or is able to shed any light on this for me?
Any info greatly appreciated. X