Inducing early due to small baby?

[BirthdayKake]

Has anyone else had this?

I've attached a pic of my personalised growth chart.

I wanted a home birth so it's stressing me out to be constantly told no and that I may need to be induced.

Dopplers are fine and CTG monitoring has been fine.

Waters were reduced at the last scan too. Next scan is a week today at 34+2...

I had that, my baby was born by c section at 31 weeks. She was off the chart like yours is, dopplers and ctg was also fine at first but then a scan showed her waters were dangerously low and she was born by emergency section.
I'm not saying it will become a major emergency situation for you but I would listen to the doctors and forget about the home birth for now. However baby comes and when they come doesn't really matter as long as they are safe.

@JuniperNarni thanks for the reply. That sounds scary - is your baby ok now?

I do get what you're saying but I think my baby will be fine... As you can see, the others were small too. Two of those were born at home, and I wish I'd had that last one at home - consultant insisted on hospital birth and she was absolutely perfect when born.

My first did was like this from 17 weeks until induced at 37. I had pre-eclampsia but the baby’s growth seemed to drop off first before I became symptomatic. I was also a small baby and child. She was absolutely fine is now 10, perfectly petite and is still the smallest girl in her class and now somewhere below the 9th. My head was wrecked with constant scanning and measuring. Your baby is measuring small but is following their own curve at the moment. It sounds like you are being well monitored.

Just to add I was prepped with a spinal block when I went into labour as there was a concern that the baby may become distressed during the birth in which case an emergency c-section would have been necessary. Fortunately the labour was problem free but I would have gone with whatever I had to do to ensure a safe delivery.

@Graceymac99 she has dropped off the curve x

I'm terrified of having a c section too :(

Yes she is absolutely fine now :) .

Yes I did notice the others were smaller, I'm certainly no expert but I think it all depends on how your next scan goes. They will wait as long as they feel is safe and then induce but I think the aim is 37 weeks if baby is IUGR, the scan should show whether baby is starting to find it difficult in there or if they are getting on fine but measuring small. Best of luck.

@JuniperNarni thank you :) the next 7 days feels like the longest wait ever!

Congratulations on your impending arrival

I had extra growth scans due to being on a BMI pathway and concerns that high maternal BMI can lead to abnormally high baby birthweight.

Scans found that baby was in fact small and in third trimester growth really slowed to the point it almost stopped. I was booked for induction at 38 weeks. A routine doppler scan at 36+5 showed restricted blood flow through the placenta and the decision was taken to induce me that night.

My beautiful DS arrived the following evening at 36+6 weighing in at 5lbs 12.5oz. No issues with birth and he didn't require any interventions. My placenta was fully formed but found to be very small.

BF was challenging in the beginning due to him fatiguing quickly because of size and jaundice and this resulted in a couple of static weigh in's. He is now 5 years old and you wouldn’t know he was growth restricted at birth.

It is so scary when they talk of early induction but the consultant said to me that they could care for baby better in a cot than inside me and in hindsight he was right.

I had to be induced due to a reduction in growth and when my little boy was born he was so skinny it was clearly the right decision. Despite them saying the placenta looked healthy etc. He put on lots of weight and is now average size.
The same happened to my friend and she was induced and gave birth to a small baby who is still small for her size now.
The problem is there's no way of knowing for sure which it is. The consultant said to me at least when they're out they can see if there is a problem and deal with it.
I also had a c section with my first and it's fine. Just rest for the first week and then take it easy. I found it best not to take too many meds and then you wouldn't forget and move more than you should.
Good luck - what ever way the baby comes it will be worth it in the end xx

I've nothing to add other than best wishes but I did wonder about the midwife measures versus the scans- miles off!
Fingers crossed for you OP

I think the Dundalk height is a less accurate measure from what I understand. The midwives in my case told me the baby was not small as small as the consultant was predicting according to that measurement, the scans were predicting a very small baby. She was 4lb 12oz at 37 1/2 wks so the fundal measurements were totally out.

Dundalk! Fundal height that should have said!

Following this because I was told at my very first consultant app (before knowing any sizes) the same thing! I am desperate for a home birth but they have said absolutely not! Dc1&3 were on 1st percentile & dc2 only on 12th. Never had all these check ups and growth scans etc when I was pregnant with them tho! Placenta and umbilical cords were in bad condition at birth with dc1&2 (but not dc3)
So far my scans have shown dc4 to be on 14th percentile but the ‘professionals’ think this will tail off! I have been told from the very beginning that I will need to be induced early. Every time I see mw or consultant now they have no answers for me and say it’s just a waiting game and full of uncertainties 😞 they insist I have to have her on the delivery suite and not even allowed to go to birthing suite next door 😢 my other 3 were born at 39weeks so it is unlikely they will let me wait until then as I love so far from the hospital they don’t want me to go into labour naturally at all as chances are I won’t make it to the hospital! Most anxious pregnancy I’ve ever had!
And to make matters worse, at the scans everything about this baby is measuring around 4th percentile but the femurs are on 50th so it’s bringing the average up to the 14th - not that I’m complaining too much about that because it means she is currently over the threshold!
Oh and to top it off c-section has also been mentioned because currently placenta is low lying! Last thing I want because I’m due in summer holidays and have 3 other kids needing me 😢 (obviously different if it was an emergency)
Keep us updated on your next scan. My next 1 is on Tuesday x