Big baby??

[Cjo99]

Hope this makes sense... So at my last checkup with the midwife (30+6) they measured my bump to plot it on her growth chart and there seemed to be a big spike in her growth?(she was plotting along the 50th percentile the whole way through until now, she went up to 90th) They said they wanted to see me in a weeks time (this Wednesday) and if nothing’s changed they want to send me to the hospital for checks. They said it could be because baby is breech and that might affect the size of the bump???? I’m only 4’10 so hoping she’s not a big baby! I’ve read that gestational diabetes could be the cause but I hope not:( any thoughts???

GD suspicions would result in a GTT test not a scan straight away. They will want to check your waters.

I had this. At midwife appointment, she measured me as a week ahead but she explained that it is because of my size (4 ft 11). I had a scan for something else but they measured the baby at the same time and baby was bang on where it should be for size at this time. Being smaller in size means less room for baby to stretch out so bigger bump.

I'm the same. At my 34 week appointment, I was measuring where they would expect for 37 weeks (well above the line). I was sent for scan to check waters and cord. The sonographer said that everything was fine and they'd only be concerned if I was measuring small. I'm 5ft6 and still have a healthy BMI; they're estimating at least a 10lb baby if I reach 40 weeks. I'm basically all bump at the minute.

All the way through this pregnancy I've been measuring big, consistently on 95th centile when measuring bump. I was sent for a growth scan at 29 weeks because my previous baby was born at 9th centile so midwife was a bit worried. The growth scan showed that everything was fine and baby is estimated to be on 20th centile this time. There was no explanation for the size of my bump, gtt clear, fluids at correct level. I'm 5ft and carrying bump at front so I do look like I am all bump. I've got a routine growth scan in two weeks (36 weeks) so will be interesting to see if baby is still on same centile. Try not to worry about it. I'm sure your baby is absolutely perfect. Just think of a growth scan as another opportunity to see your baby.

I wanted to add that sometimes baby's are just big. I'm 38 weeks and baby has been measuring big the whole time. I've had several glucose tolerance tests and everything is fine. He's just really big. I had a check with a midwife yesterday who agreed with my scans and said he has a big bum.

I’d like to add that sometimes, there can be other reasons for a bump measuring large too. I’ve been diagnosed with Polyhydramnios recently and although baby is also on the large side, the reason for my fundal height being so high is because of the fluid, not necessarily the baby.

I was on the 95 centile for my bump size at 30 weeks, was measured again 2 weeks later and there was absolutely no change to the measurement which meant i then dropped to the 50 centile, the midwife said to me that baby being in a funny position can really throw the measurement out and she thought he was just lying at a funny angle. She referred me for a growth scan anyway (on the basis of either excessive growth at 30wks or static growth at 32wks) and all came up totally fine, baby was within normal parameters for all measurements. All measurements since have been around 50th centile so i presume she was right and that measurement at 30 weeks was an anomaly.

Before i was scanned i did lots of googling and it seems bump measurements are a notoriously imperfect science, like you i was a bit panicked at the thought of a big baby but midwife was very reassuring about routine nature of growth scans.

Thanks so much everyone for the replies! I feel a bit better now... will know more towards the end of the weekXx

Don't worry too much. You can test for gestational diabetes. Fundal height measurement is a very inaccurate science and even sonographs aren't great at accurately predicting size. Lots of women are told they might have very big babies by these measures only to have perfectly average sized babies - equally large babies can go entirely undiagnosed.

I had this both ways, at 28 week appointment midwife plotted my bump size and decided baby was too small (under the 10% size for the week) sent us in for an urgent scan and baby was fine, was a very averaged sized baby! Then at 34 week appointment had the total opposite and was measuring way above for size, again another urgent scan & baby was once again very average. I honestly don’t think measuring fundal height is accurate at all.

I'm 5' looked huge but measured small all the way through. She was 10lb6oz really all the measurements really indicate is that the baby is growing rather than having stopped.

Birth was fine btw, no stitches etc.

I measured big and had several additional growth scans. No diabetes etc. Im 5'1. Baby was estimated 10lbs but came in at 9'6 full term (think 96th percentile). Forceps birth but ok. Baby was a dream. No getting up to feed if baby didn't wake. Slept through at 8 weeks. Lots of fat reserves 😀. Eventually evened out and was on 50th percentile at 9 months. Now a tall but slim child.

I'm 31+5 at the moment and apparently growing a chunk. I was going to have growth scans and consultant appointments for other reasons and at 28+5 estimated weight was 3lb 9 and on the 95th percentile, had one today (31+5) and they think its more like 4lb 14. Full term would be 10.5-12 lbs... Induction has been discussed as I'm 5ft and also have SPD which is unpleasant to say the least!