Handhold/advice on a smaller baby

[NelleB]

Today I went for a 28 week growth scan, baby been spot on weight and length wise until today. Personally, I think our dates are out due to a miscarriage and trying to convince/using ovulation sticks. I think we’re a week behind but who am I to argue with medicine.
Consultant has really got me down, outline I may need to be induced (I did want a Home birth but that’s put paid to everything) and mentioning still births at 38 weeks... not what I needed as it’s my first baby.
I’m hardly the biggest person, I was a size 6 before getting pregnant and I’ve put 16 pound on so far. I eat well, have a pretty active job (reception Teacher) and must say I do like chocolate and junk.
When I’ve looked at my notes baby weighs 974g and should be 1kg. Is 26g that big of a difference? Should I be quietly having a mental breakdown?
Baby is super active, fluid is good and so is blood flow through cord.
Does anyone else have/had similar?

Had very similar. All parameters normal, me small with low ish weight gain. Had close monitoring. My babies were born at 39+1 5lb11, 35+5 5lb3 and 37+5 5lb14. All were early due to reduced movement and static growth. All absolutely fine though middle one had RDS which is a known risk with CS.

They is no way that they can know how heavy your baby is with great accuracy until it is born. So don't worry about it!

I had a tiny bump, fundal measurements on a downward curve and a worrying growth scan at 32 weeks.
I was told to expect a very small baby and they wanted to induce me at 38 weeks because they were worried the placenta would fail. Growth scan estimated a birth weight (40 weeks) of 4lbs 8oz.
I never made it to 40 weeks - DS was born at home, at 36 weeks weighing in at 6lb 9oz.
Growth scans are notorious for being an inaccurate way to guess weight of a baby. Try not too worry too much until there’s solid evidence to suggest something is wrong

I know this is the opposite but I was told DS would be 10lbs. He was 7lbs 11oz.

Growth scans are very misleading. Please don’t worry. Have any extra scans you’re offered and remember consultants are very prudent.

Thank you everyone. It’s just so upsetting. I don’t think they realise. X

My son was 4 lb 10 Oz at birth and this was a total shock to the consultants as up to 20 weeks all measurement were normal. Everyone kept on commenting whilst I was pregnant that my bump was small, so finally I paid privately for my own scan at 37 weeks (as maternity in my area will only do additional scan after 20 weeks if they have themselves suspected any abnormalities) this predicted my son would be 5lb at birth!
The sonographer asked if I'd got my dates wrong but as I always have regular cycles I knew I hadn't.
I contacted my maternity unit with the results and was asked to come in, long story short my son was born at 37 + 6 weeks by emergency c section as they said a normal birth would be risky due to smaller babies finding the natural labour process more difficult. He's now a healthy 1 year old thank goodness! He's still a bit small for his age but otherwise totally healthy

My growth scans have all been out 1st predicted large baby 9lb+ was 6lb 9oz
2nd predicted 7lb 5oz was 8lb 10oz
3rd predicted 7lb was 9lb 11oz
4th predicted 10lb+ was 8lb 7oz
It is very difficult to be accurate with scans and I don't really think the technology is that great yet.

I had a scan because I was overdue by two weeks and in labour (and had been for week), it predicted an 8lb baby and they said the growth had tailed off which wasn't good. Baby was born about 16 hours later by emcs after an augmented labour as his head was too big to drop down onto cervix and exit. He was 8lb 12oz.
Scans are notoriously inaccurate and it depends on who is doing the scan so try hard not to worry.

I agree growth scans can be way off. I had a growth scan at 28 weeks and was told 10th percentile. Then at 32 weeks I was told 57th percentile, and talk of gestational diabetes and induction. Then had another growth scan at 36weeks and was told 11th percentile and they would take the 2nd estimate as "over estimate" baby is due on Monday so ill see then but for them to vary so wildly gives me no hope.

I was told it varies on babies position, who doing the scan, fluid levels, how old machine is. There's so many variables it is genuinely a guess. In my last pregnancy I wad told at 38weeks DS was 6lb. He was born 1 week later at 7lb7oz. With my first born i was told 7lb he was born at 9lb1oz.

I had a growth scan and it was over 2lbs off (went into labour early about 2 days after scan) so I wouldn't take it as gospel