Experience of growth scan at 38 weeks

[RC000]

Hi all,

I am due to have a 38 week growth scan as baby was measuring at 5lb at a 32 week growth scan. I am small framed (usually size 8/10, 5ft 7 tall) My first baby was 8lb 11oz so a decent size but not ginormous.

Does anyone have any reassurance or experience of this? I am getting increasingly anxious about labouring a huge baby and there being complications or an EMCS. The labour with my first was long (36 hours) and ended with forceps delivery in theatre (I was prepped for a c section incase the forceps didn't work).

I asked my midwife and she said even if baby looking very big they will likely do nothing?! What is the point then? Can I push for an induction?

TIA

I had a growth scan at 33 weeks measuring 4lb2oz, my little lady was born at 5lb10oz 6 weeks later so I'm not sure how accurate they are. I don't quite believe she only put on 1.5lbs in 6 weeks.

I wouldn't worry too much - my baby was smaller than 5lb at 33 weeks and they didn't bring me back in for another.

My DD was scanned at 4lb1 at 32 weeks and was born at 39+5 weighing 6lb8. If your LO is scanning 5lb at 32 weeks it doesn't seem like you'll be far off from the weight of your first child. Good luck x

I had a growth scan at 39 weeks putting dd at 10+ pounds

She was born at 39+6 at 6lb11 so they can be wildly inaccurate. I honestly wouldn’t worry, the size of baby doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll need intervention in labour.

Oh and I had a vaginal birth with no intervention and a small tear. Pretty big standard really.

Bog-standard!

Ds was predicted at 9lb from growth scan, he was 10lbs.

My growth scan was accurate but I hear far more about ones that aren't accurate so mine may just have been a fluke!

Thanks all. I am guessing from these replies that they are either inaccurate (although I understand less so if you have had precious growth scans and the growth plots correctly) and nothing is done or planned if a big baby is expected?

Mine was spot on. They knew she was big and said to come back at 40 weeks and if she was weighing 11lb they would offer c-section. I went in to labour naturally at 39 weeks. I had a good birth experience and am not scared of having another big baby at all. I was overweight then but I am usually 5ft 8 and around a size 10. I have wide hips though so maybe that helped. I was speaking to my midiwife about it the other day and she said she often finds the big ones come quite easily, it's the little ones that move around during labour she finds hard!

A one off growth scan will be less accurate than a series of scans. And macrosomia alone isn't, according to NICE guidelines, an indication for induction or section. I had an 11lb5 baby at home no issues. Buuuuuut my next was 11lb10 and was a shoulder dystocia, we knew he'd be big so I opted for induction at 41 weeks. So glad I did. Everything was fine but my gut was telling me different things this time... Good luck, are you seeing a consultant?

My growth scan at 38 weeks put him at around 8lbs.

Saw consultant Monday who wasn’t massively concerned and going in for a sweep on Monday at 39 + 4 at which point we can discuss induction, just need to decide if that’s the route I want to go down

Thanks all. Yes seeing consultant straight after scan. I will try to ask lots of questions!

I had lots of growth scans with all my (high risk pregnancies) Dd1 because she was tiny (IUGR, placental abrution) and she was predicted at 1lb 4oz at 31+5. At 32 weeks she arrived at 3lb 4. (Still a wee tote but not as bad as expected) My last pregnancy with dd2 we had growth scan every 2 weeks from 32 because she was measuring large. At 38 weeks she was predicted at 9lb 8 and I was being advised vbac may not be possible. Born on due date at 6lb 13

I had a growth scan at 32 weeks and baby estimated to be 6lbs, he came 5 weeks later at 6lbs.

I had a series of scans and they were still 1lb out.