38 week scan - 37th percentile

[BingBunnyIsABadInfluence]

Hey ladies,

I’m 38+6 and had a scan last night due to an episode of reduced fetal movements plus the fact I’ve had two sections.

All was fine, heartbeat strong, movements seen, measurements following the same curve they always have - the lady doing my ultrasound had no concerns so section is still fine to go ahead on Tuesday.

However, when I got home and looked through my notes, I noticed this baby is on the 37th percentile with a current estimated weight of 6lbs 15oz. My two previous DC’s both had much higher percentiles than this, and were 7lbs 7oz and 8lbs 10oz at birth (all three DC's will have been born at the exact same gestation - 39+4)

I know estimated weights etc are exactly that, just an estimate and can go an lb either way, but I think I’m just a bit worried about the 37th percentile thing. I’m aware it still technically falls in to the ‘normal’ range, but because both of my other children were much higher than this, it’s made me wonder whether this baby will be small?

Has anyone been told they’re a fair bit below the 50th percentile so late in the third trimester, but then went on to have a ‘healthy’ and ‘normal’ weight baby?

My baby was born on the 6th centile and healthy. 37th isn't much of a drop from 50 the way centiles work is that there are babies on each one. I understand your other babies were bigger but I don't think you need to worry, the scan showed no concerns. Estimates can be out so they may end up bigger or they may not.

It sounds bad, but I'm mostly hoping baby will be a similar weight to previous DC's as this baby will have all of the hand me downs, so don't want to be rushing out post-section to buy a tonne of smaller clothes!

Mine was ninth.

I don't get the issue.

Why isn't she normal.

I'm not saying babies born below the 50th percentile aren't normal, just that DC1 was in the 80th percentile IIRC throughout scans, then weighed 7lbs 7oz at birth which I was told at the time was bang on the 'healthy and normal' range. So I guess with this baby's percentile being almost half of previous DC's, it's just making me wonder whether this baby will actually be a lot smaller, and as such, outside of the 'normal' weight range.

The range in 'normal' in birth weights is huge. If your baby is born on the 37th then in a group of 100 babies you would statistically expect 36 to be smaller and 63 to be bigger so there weight would not stand out at all.

Mine was born on the 2nd centile. No issues.