Baby is apparently under 5th percentile - but weight looks fine to me ? Help!

[Sideofthelake]

So I had my second growth scan today on both scans baby has plotted just under the 5th percentile on my chart. However I’ve just looked at the weight on the scan report and baby is weighing slightly under 3lb today at 31+2. This sounds about right to me? Has anyone had a scan at a similar gestation and any experiences ? Back again next week now for another scan !

I’ve just realised how stupid the title of this thread is I am well aware I actually know nothing

Growth scans can be very inaccurate! Although, having said that, they seemed spot on for me but I've known people where they're very wrong! I can't remember the estimated weight of my baby at that gestation but I know it was more than that. I do remember that my baby was estimated 3lb at 28 weeks. Are you having more scans?

Congratulations on your pregnancy btw!

Yes ! So my scan this week was two weeks after my first but they want me back next Monday now ! What did your little one weigh when born please ? Thankyou!! I feel overwhelmed with all the scans !!

My boys were both born small - my eldest at 7th percentile and my youngest at 15th percentile.

Their growth was just under 3lbs at my 28 week scan and more like 4-4.5lbs at my 32week scan.

Yep I really didn’t have a clue what I was talking about then clearly ! How much weight do babies gain at the end ? I really can’t work out what size baby to expect but I have only bought 0-3 stuff so maybe time to stock up on a a few smaller bits !

I had growth scans with both my pregnancies and both were wildly off the mark! First time was because I was measuring big. After the scan they told me I just had a lot of fluid and baby was actually quite average. Baby was born almost 10lbs 😱 Second time they told me baby was going to be very big again but was actually born a very average weight! They aren't always accurate so please don't worry!

My twins were born at 35+1 and weighed 3.5 and 4.5lb. My last scan was at 32 weeks and the estimated weights then were 4 and 5lb. It’s a guess based on height, abdominal circumference etc as far as I can work out. Are they concerned about the size? Have they checked your cord? One of my twins was way below the lowest centile on the growth chart when he was actually born, but they didn’t pick up on it in the scans. He had IUGR. I’m not sure what the cut off is for monitoring.

I have heard a few people say they’re inaccurate - it’s come as more of a shock because I got referred for a growth scan because my fundal height measurement at 28 weeks was on the 95th percentile ! They said they need to keep an eye on her and there was talk of ‘ getting me to 37 weeks as long as she’s growing up the curve’ but I’m abit clueless as to what’s happening really. They said today that even though she is plotting under the 5th percentile she’s still had a growth since the previous scan 2 weeks ago so that was reassuring. However my next scan was booked for next Monday. They said cord and placenta seem fine !

I had a growth scan with DS2. At 35+4 they put him at 5lb 9oz. He was born at 39+3 and weighed 5lb 10oz! So unless he stopped growing it was out for me

I’m having growth scans every 2 weeks. I was told that around half a pound per week is what we’re aiming for. Does that track with your other scans? X

I had a growth scan one week prior to my daughter being born. They forecast her birth weight to be 6 pounds 11 and she was born at 8 pounds 1. In my case they are very inaccurate.

@thorsmistress god that is out ! Were they surprised when baby came out so dinky??

@stephisaur she’s gained 400g from her last scan which was two weeks ago! Guess I’ll have to see how Monday goes ! They said growth is good even if she is still on smaller line

@Sideofthelake they didn’t say too much about him being so small. I was very shocked though and expecting him to be around 7lb!

my little boy was measuring small all through my pregnancy so i had scans every 2 weeks. at 36 weeks the estimated delivery weight was 5.4lb and then 2 weeks later at 38 weeks the edw was 5.6lb. at the scan when she was measuring it kept coming up with measurements for 33 weeks. obviously i panicked and was offered an induction for that day. when he was born my son was 4.4lb! on the other hand my friend was told her baby hadn’t been growing since 32 weeks and then her baby was 7lb. a midwife told me that scans are notoriously inaccurate when estimating weight but that at the moment it’s the best they have.

Regular growth scans for small babies are done to anticipate a baby becoming at risk. If your baby grows along its line and amniotic fluid levels are normal, then the baby is likely to be petite but healthy.
If the baby's growth slows or stops, then something is interfering with that baby's healthy environment. These babies are usually delivered early to protect them from harm.

I had growth scans with dc3 all 4 scans he was predicted to be very low weight. They even had me sign a blue sheet so they could have a neonatal team ready for birth. He was actaull 9lb2 born. They got it very wrong.

That’s what they said to me, but they diagnosed the IUGR after he was born. Unfortunately he stopped moving and I needed an emcs - I was clueless because of the other twin moving a lot, it’s very lucky things went as they did. Most important thing you can do at this stage is monitor movement, if there are any big changes (less or more movement) get checked out.

How big were you and the babies father as babies? Being small isn't necessarily something to worry about but better that they monitor to be sure there's no issues as baby develops.

There really are so many different experiences of it it’s weird how so many people’s scans were inaccurate and others weren’t ! I was by no means a little baby I was 10lb 9! I have a little boy already and he was born on 75th percentile he was 7lb 9oz at nearly 38 weeks. Ive read online baby is likely to gain 0.5lb a week ah this stage which makes me think she’ll be a fine size when she comes out ?!

Re clothes, you really need first size/up to 1 month even if you end up having an average sized baby. My 8lb at birth baby is now 3mo (and on the 50th for height/length) and lots of 0-3 stuff is still on the big side for her and she's still wearing quite a lot of 'up to 1month' clothes. We have some lovely 0-3 summer clothes that have just not been worn as they were enormous on her.

Even my 12lber wore 0-3 month stuff for the first few weeks so yes do get in some smaller bits. Also I was told he would be between 9-10lbs, so wildly out when he popped out at 12lbs!! If you're not sure what's happening then do ask them, they will help you understand

hey! im 32 weeks and having regular growth scans. Im around 7th centile at the mo though 2 weeks ago i was measuring at 10th centile so growth has slowed, only 200g gained in 2 weeks and now I am on weekly scans alternating between placenta/chord blood flow and growth until they decide to get her out. With the view to induce at 37 weeks if I make it there. Isnt pregnancy a relaxing walk in the park 😂

Hi !! @solitaA do you might if I ask what weight baby is atm? I think I must be having similar treatment I had a growth scan, then following week a scan on cord, then today growth scan and next Monday been booked in for another scan! However wasn’t told if it was cord or growth. I was meant to be havinf a section at 39 weeks but looking like I am now aiming for 37 too however this hasn’t been confirmed !

I had a scan to check on my DD (for reduced movements) at 37+2 which estimated her weight to be 8lbs8oz, she was subsequently induced and born at 37+5 weight 6lbs7oz....so they got her weight very wrong!!!
Try not to worry about it too much. Good that you are having regular scans to keep an eye on things though.
Wishing you and your baby all the best.