Very anxious after 20 week scan

[ShinySloth]

Today I had my 20 week scan (actually at 21 weeks). During the actual scan they said everything looked good and normal and no concerns were raised. They gave me a report and it also states this.

However I'm freaking out due to one of the measurements on the report, for bpd/biparietal diamater. It's very low - 46.5mm which seems to be just under the 5th centile on the graph on the report. Head circumference is below average but in the normal range at 173mm and so is the OFD measurement. Abdominal circumference is also normal and femur length is right up at the top so much longer than average?!

I'm just worried about the proportion of the head in relation to the body and googling all kinds of stuff. Anyone else experienced this? Please be kind even if you think I'm being ridiculous, I genuinely feel so worried about this.

I promise promise you that the sonographers
Would refer anything outside of the normal range to the consultant. Even 0.5 mm out of the normal range. That is their job and would never chill over this.

If it was a concern you would be referred.

I know this because I was seeing my consultant (about a separate issue) I am now 26 weeks pregnant and one of the kidneys on the measure was slightly out of the range and she came back to double and triple remeasure and it was on the lowest range of 'normal' I discussed this with my consultant as a concern and he PROMISED me (explained it over 10 minutes) that within the normal range is absolutely fine. Not even a mm out gets referred to him- which he finds rather annoying as 99% of these referrals are ok too! But he explained the sonographer will never gamble even an iota of a millimetre as they simply pass it to the consultant and it's just not their call. They would get sacked for deciding whether they felt it was an issue or not as that is not their job.

I hope I've put you at ease. He literally told me never to think of the kidney again - it's in the normal range and fine.

I'm no expert but I really think if the sonographer had any concerns they would have referred you to a consultant ASAP, IME they are very thorough. Definitely worth speaking to your midwife though, and you could perhaps book a private growth scan for a few weeks time if you feel that would help put your mind at rest.

I completely understand the worry, DD's femurs measured small at my anomaly scan and I spent weeks obsessing over it (she was totally fine though, and doesn't have short legs!). My midwife said sometimes all these measurements, as useful as they are, can cause so much unnecessary worry.

Thanks both for your reassuring comments ! I feel a bit more calm today. I'm thinking a private growth scan in a few weeks might be a good option but need to persuade DH first as he thinks I'm being completely irrational!

It’s normal to have worries but not when they get a bit out of proportion. A referral would have been done if there was a problem, hang on to that thought.

If you look at people around you you’ll see all sorts of normal sizes, which are very different.

Congratulations on your pregnancy 💐

I had my scan last week. Abdominal circ was 88th centile, head 30th centile and femur length 8th. I’m not too worried - measurements aren’t always easy to get due to baby’s position, and I’m sure things will sort themselves out. You don’t often get babies so far out of proportion that they visibility look it!

I've had dozens of scans and the measurements are often all out of whack with each other, in fact I'm currently 18 weeks pregnant and this baby has a head low on the centiles and legs at the very top - this sort of thing has never been raised as a problem in itself, only when the measurements are outside of the normal range.

Given that this technology has existed for many years, I would feel very confident that if the relative measurements were an issue, they would be recorded and acted upon.

In actual fact they even made a (kind and friendly) joke about my baby's super long legs and printed me out a picture where she had them stretched out beautifully!