Measuring small and panicking!

[Patience1990]

Just got out of my 28 week midwife appointment and have been told I'm measuring small and need to go for a growth scan. Am freaking out a bit.

I made the mistake of googling and have read about intrauterine growth issues and problems this causes. Big mistake.

I'm an incredibly anxious person normally and have been off my citalopram for this pregnancy. Had good and bad weeks. Could this be something I have inadvertently caused?

Fundal measurements ar inaccurate and are best used as a prescreening for growth scans.

I was measured on the 10th percentile throughout my pregnancy, I didn't get growth scans as you had to be below the 10th percentile for scans. My little one was born on the 60th percentile!

Try not to panic or do too much reading before your growth scan.

I'm an anxious person too and was medicated during pregnancy and had a perfectly healthy little girl. We were kept in for monitoring for 3 days after birth as my mood stabiliser can in a small number of cases cause withdrawal, the risks associated with not taking it were higher.

It’s not something you’ve done, and as PP say fundal height measures aren’t accurate really, just a screening tool! Try to stay off google, most likely the scan will show baby growing normally. Hopefully your scan is booked soon to put your mind at ease :)

this happened to me too OP. the baby is in an awkward position, hence the low measurement.

Baby was on the 50th centile when I had the scan. please dont worry! its likely to be nothing to worry about.

My bump was measuring on the 90th centile. My baby was born healthy between the 2nd and the 9th centile. The measurements are inaccurate.

@Superscientist @TenThousandSpoons0 @BumbleNova @MrssC92

Thank you all. It's reassuring to know that these things aren't concrete. I have my scan on Monday which probably doesn't seem far away but feels like I'll be waiting an age!

My DC3 was a small baby - I had a growth scan at 28 weeks, and he was between the 5th and 10th centiles at that growth scan. So growth scans every 2-3 weeks from then until he was born. They also looked at the blood flow through the placenta to the baby to check that looked normal.

One important thing the consultant said at the first growth scan, was that DC3 being small did not necessarily mean anything was wrong. Some babies are just naturally smaller than others and grow along a lower centile.
However, it did mean extra scans to make sure he continued growing along the appropriate centile line.

I measured really small - had to go for an extra growth scan and the baby was on the 50th centile! He came out 7lbs 4oz. He was in a weird position, breech and jammed up under my rib cage and in my back.