Been referred for a growth scan - what to expect?

[TwinkleStars15]

Hi,

I had my 31 week midwife app yesterday and she measured bump again - apparently it hasn't grown since my 28 week app when she did it for the first time. I was measuring 27.5cm then and still am now. I think bump has grown a bit but now I'm doubting myself! Heartbeat was fine, movements are good etc. I've got the scan booked in for Monday morning so just wondered what to expect?

It will be fine, I had lots of growth scans as dd was coming up small. Doesn't take very long. With mine I had the scan then you go and sit in the waiting room again while the sonigrapher writes the report then you go to the pregnancy assessment unit for a midwife to look it over and let you know the outcome.

It will be liked any other scan. They take the usual measurements - length, abdomen, head etc. They then ask you to sit and sit while the consultant reviews and either they'll bring you in for a chat or you'll be told you can an go home.

Growth scans can be out by up to 25% so imagine how unreliable the fundal height measurement is.

Try not to worry.

I had growth scans in my last pregnancy, although I got referred because I ticked various high risk boxes, rather than because of bump measurements.

Basically, they do an ultrasound scan, measure bits of the baby, and feed that into an equation that gives an estimated weight for the baby.

They then plot that estimated weight on a chart, which will show what weight centile the baby's on.

They also checked blood flow through the placenta on my growth scans, to see if that looked okay, but my baby was measuring small. Don't know if that's routine for a baby that's not measuring small.

In my case, baby was on the 10th centile, which is a possible cause for concern - they can't always easily tell the difference between a baby that's naturally small but healthy and one that's small because there's a problem - so I had to go back for regular growth scans so they could see baby was still growing. I ended up getting induced (after 37 weeks) after baby dropped from the 10th centile to the 5th centile.

Thank you - so they will explain the results to me before I leave? I was worried as sometimes the sonographers won't tell you anything and didn't want to get sent home without something! I'm not too worried, I'm only 5"5, DH is 5"4 and all grandparents are about 5"2 so she's not destined to be a big girl! xx

The results are printed off and put in your notes (well in my trust they are anyway) so you'll be able to see how baby is measuring yourself, straight away.
I know the sonographers that do my growth scans don't discuss the results as they don't look at obstetric history, it's a case of measure/print off and they refer to whoever you regularly see ie. Midwife/consultant etc. But you've got the info in front of you in your notes so you won't be in the dark.
They are notoriously inaccurate though!

I had one yesterday, exactly as others have described above. Sonographer told us the estimated weight of baby (but not how that compares to the average) then popped the measurements in my notes and we had to go over to antenatal for them to check over it and let us know it was ok.

Yes, i got the results printed off and put in the handheld notes too.

The sonographers didn't explain anything, but at the first growth scan, they did make a point of telling me that baby was measuring on the small side and that I wasn't to go home until I'd been seen by the consultant (or a member of his team).

Thank you. I was just worried they wouldn't tell me because they phoned to book the appointment and then called straight back to tell me to keep my consultant appointment that day, but I explained that was a separate appointment and that I wasn't seeing the ante-natal consultant until 10th May, so she told me to keep that appointment (I wasn't planning to cancel it?! It's due to having a DVT in early pregnancy) so I'm worried they'll make me wait until then. Hopefully they'll put the print out in my notes and I can read it for myself. Thanks again x