32 week growth scan

[Mammabee20]

Hi evening all! I know it’s Christmas Eve so everyone will be pretty busy so I don’t expect to get a lot of traffic but I’ve had a growth scan today and now I just feel like the Christmas spirit has been sucked out of me 😢

I am 32 weeks and apparently the baby is smaller than needs be for the gestational age, he is 3.5 lbs.. there are some holes in the placenta too, they have said they may be Placental lakes and they are apparently nothing to be concerned with normally but as I had a previous c section they wanted to double check, apparently as my placenta is clear of my scar and so are the lakes they aren’t too concerned with that but they are with the baby’s growth.

They are going to measure the blood flow with a Doppler scan next week then do a growth scan the week after so I should now expect tests every week until my due date. This pregnancy has been plagued with stuff & I feel like every time I leave an appointment I’m being monitored for something else and I have another hurdle to come overcome.

The 12 week scan showed the placenta hormone was low and DS’s risk of having DS was 1 in 41, this was cleared up with further testing. I have had to take aspirin every day since then to increase the blood flow to the placenta though.

I am just concerned that I will have a tiny baby who doesn’t make it or he has health problems or the placenta ruptures and he dies or I die.. my anxiety is going through the roof. They even gave me the option to choose which labour method I wanted and I was starting to really enjoy the though of trying a VBAC but now I might just got ELCS.

Sorry if this a rambling post but I just feel so crap about how it is going and I worry he might be delivered early and we’ve still not got everything sorted for him 😭 x

I had my ds at 32 weeks and he was 3lb9oz. He was in SCBU and out within 3 weeks. He was 7lbs by his estimated due date and is now 6ft 4 and 18. It'll all be good,I know it's really easy to say try not to worry but by 32 weeks he's done all his important developing and from now on it's just laying down fat. You're obviously being taken care of well so trust they know what they're doing and if he comes a bit early it'll be fine. You don't need anything except somewhere for him to sleep,nappies and some clothes , everything else can be bought as and when.

Lots of deep breaths and try and enjoy tomorrow and take each day as it comes. I remember that anxiety ,it's awful

I also think if they gave the the choice of a section or vaginal birth that's a really good sign that he's all well and able to cope with birth. I had no choice.

Thank you so much for your response! I am glad your baby was healthy and has grown into a strapping young man by the sounds of it!

I am trying to be optimist but I just can’t help but worry about something going wrong. They gave me the option of either and even when I left the hospital today that is actually still the case.

I’ve got a Doppler scan next Thursday & a growth scan the week after that so that will be when they make a decision on what MOD I use. I am quite happy with either as from day 1 I was resigned to the fact that I would be having another C section but then they told me at 20 weeks I could choose.

I think with the amount of anxiety I am feeling about something happening to me or him another c section would be best but the recovery time is apparently horrendously difficult when you have a toddler 😕

I think either method of delivery is harder with a toddler and you'll need some help but there are millions of women who do it every day and go on to have further babies so try not to get too hung up on that just try and have some help in place so either way you'll have support.

If they had any serious concerns they would have you in hospital so fast and on the operating table so fast your feet wouldn't touch the ground,they don't mess around if they think something is wrong. It sounds like they are monitoring you well and keeping a close eye on things.

In all seriousness though what are the chances of the placenta not functioning properly being the cause of him being small and it ending up not working at all very quickly and he ends up dying from a lack of oxygen or food

I’m really worrying myself now.. like a week at a time is a big gap so what if the placenta slowly stops functioning and he stops getting nutrients and things from it 😭 I don’t think I can cope with this stress.. I just want him out and born healthy and safely now

If the hospital thought that was a possibility they would have you in hospital where they could monitor you 24/7. Go in if you feel lack of movement but seriously you need to try and relax,perhaps have a bath and an early night, anxiety is always worse at night.