FH measurement behind, convinced my uterus should be higher up at this gestation (pic attached)

[birthofawoman]

Very anxious FTM. Everything about this pregnancy results in some kind of anxiety or other. 34 weeks tomorrow and visually been on the 'carrying small' side this whole pregnancy. Fundal height measurement was 27cm at 27 weeks, 28cm at 30 weeks, and is around 29/30/31cm at 34 weeks (tried to take the most recent measurement myself - been getting inconsistent results). I'm convinced that my uterus should be higher up my belly by now, too (please see attached picture) - it ends where my hand is indicating. Definitely going to bring this up at my antenatal appointment tomorrow. So nervous about my growth scan on the 20th - really hope baby is ok! :( I am gaining weight on the scale, which I hope indicates that he is growing well!

Forgot to attach picture:

When I lay on my back, baby/bump disappears, but when I'm upright, belly is much bigger (see attached)... just in case anyone was about to be shocked at how small I look for 34 weeks. This picture was taken some weeks ago (30, I believe), too.

@redhalia haven't seen midwife since 30 weeks, but the majority of what I'm concerned about has occurred/developed since then - so widwife is yet to form an opinion/verdict. I'm dying to know what position DS is in - I genuinely can't tell. I feel movement in most directions, so it's hard to know. Is there anything in particular that indicates baby is transverse, movement-wise? I can see how it might make for a less lengthy (but wider) uterus.

@redhalia ah, thank you! When I look at videos of 34 week baby movements on YouTube, women seem to be getting movements higher up than I am, so my deepest fear is that baby has stopped growing (so uterus just hasn't gotten any higher). That's a terrifying thought. For me, I don't get movement any higher up than where I've indicated the top of my uterus ends.

Even in that diagram, there's so much less space between boobs and uterus at around 34 weeks than I seem to have - I still have quite a bit of space!

Really terrified of what the MW will say at that next appointment!

@redhalia I just made an online booking for a private growth scan. Hopefully they'll book me in for today (on their website it says they often book you in same day). Don't think I can live with this anxiety until the 20th!

Glad to see you’re getting a scan. Stop trying to measure yourself, it’s no wonder you’re getting inconsistent results and it’s only going to add to your anxiety. I didn’t look too dissimilar to your picture at 38 weeks right before I delivered but my FH only ever measured just below where it should (I consistently measured a week behind). The baby had turned and was right in my back and I’m also quite tall so had more space along my torso. DD was 7lb13 when she was born at 38+6 so definitely wasn’t small! Any more concerns please ring your midwife and put down the take measure.

Do you know where your placenta is located? If it's fundal, then you won't feel movements higher up

My ds2 was also transverse/unstable lie for the last trimester and was by far my smallest bump. He was still a good size (8lb 5) good that you are getting a growth scan, hopefully will put your mind at rest

@TroubledLichen good advice, as that damn tape measurer is becoming the bane of my existence! 😭 I do hear that FH measurements are quite notorious for being inaccurate, though, just because it so often depends on baby's position/woman's height/fluid levels etc. I'm around 5"5/5"6 with an average torso, I guess. You gave birth to a good sized baby, then! It's amazing at how well a baby can hide.

This is woman named Sarah Stage at 39 weeks - 2 days before giving birth to her second boy (see attached). First pregnancy, she was just as small!

@velouria 20 week scan notes read 'placenta: anterior high' - might that make sense? I really hope I hear good news at this private scan - wish me luck! X

Hi OP, I'm in a similar position. My bump looks small, and I've had a lot of comments to that effect from others. FH was 27cm at 28 weeks, 29cm at 31 weeks and then yesterday 32 cm at 34 weeks. The midwife has never been worried because 2cm out is still normal but I'm a bit concerned, especially as my recent weight gain has been slow. Hope your scan goes well - come back and let us know!

I hope the growth scans and your midwife can put your mind at rest. I'm sure everything is ok! But stop trying to diagnose yourself or second guess things compared to videos on YouTube - too much of that just increases anxiety.
Sometimes people just don't look big during pregnancy. I've always carried huge babies and yet now at 36 weeks I can still (at a Squeeze!!) do up my pre pregnancy jeans.

It's not that easy to measure yourself. I had a trainee midwife get it wrong, because there's a band of muscle that feels very similar to the springy top part of the uterus.

Stop measuring yourself and let your midwife do it at your next appointment. If they had concerns, they would tell you.

I was measuring small at 34 weeks with ds, he was transverse. Once he decided to flip head down, I looked much bigger.

In this pregnancy, I'm 31 weeks and baby is head down already and I look bigger than I did with ds (based on photos), despite this baby looking like he or she is going to be a similar weight at birth (getting extra growth scans this time).

I also have a high anterior placenta and basically only feel movements around it, so at the sides or below.

at Sarah Stage! She looks amazing. I take it baby was healthy and a good size too?! Point is we all carry differently.

I also had an anterior high placenta. It means the placenta is at the front and high up (which is very good because low can cause complications) so absolutely explains why you can’t feel higher up movements. Basically imagine a giant cushion at the top of you uterus absorbing the baby’s kicks. As the baby gets bigger and stronger over the next few weeks you may start to feel more up there.

Also, hope the scan goes well

Hi, everyone. Thanks for all your helpful responses.

Update: couldn't get booked in for private growth scan yesterday (fully booked), but given an appointment for tomorrow - will let you know how it goes (@ShinySloth I know you were keen to know). At 34-week antenatal appointment today, I actually measured 34cm for FH - so seems I was doing it wrong. I felt that midwife was measuring from the farther end of my pubic bone, whereas I was measuring from the nearer end (if that makes sense?). No more self-measurements for me! She was also able to tell me that baby is in a head down position, which is quite good news!

Thanks, again, for all your responses. Will check back in tomorrow, letting you know how the scan went.

Excellent re the midwife appointment! Hopefully that’s put your mind at rest, let us know how the scan goes too

Just had the scan! Everything's fine and baby's estimated to be weighing 5 pounds, which I was told is within normal range for this gestation (as were all the measurements). Everything was reassuring. Anxiety relieved!

Thanks again, everyone!

Had that actual antenatal (NHS - not private) 35 week growth scan today and baby is weighing an estimated 5lbs 14ozs... so that's 14ozs up from what he was estimated to be weighing at the private scan, a week and a day ago! He's completely within normal range, weight-wise. Is growing totally fine. I'm so happy! 😊