Baby scan predicts large baby - tell me your stories

[Elwynne]

I went for an in depth/long scan and the baby is healthy but apparently huge, on the 92% percentile at 24 weeks . I have to go and have a gestational diabetes test next week but I'm looking for some reassurance or your experiences of being told you are growing a gigantic baby. What happened next? Was your baby huge as predicted? Did it turn up early? Did downstairs ever recover?

I had 4 scans between 30 weeks and giving birth, each scan said DS would be a monster weight. I had GD despite having none of the normal indicators and was induced at 38 weeks as they were so worried about his size. He weighed under 7 pounds when born and even the midwife was amazed how tiny he was compared to the predictions. The scans might be correct for you, but they are absolutely not always accurate no matter how many you have.

I had predicted huge babies 97percentile
For one and off the scale for other. They were born Full term at 7.10 and 8.6 so pretty average !!

Me! Just gave birth to a 7lbs baby so completely ridiculous.

Dd's leg length was off the scale and her head was above 90th centile. They estimated she was already at least 8lbs 3 weeks before due date and would put on another 1.5lbs before being born. I was terrified. She arrived 2 days before due date and was 7lbs 12oz with the dumpiest little legs. Scans are not accurate for weight!

Scans are not accurate. My scans didn’t show a big baby. My bump measured spot on throughout. It was only when DS was born that we knew he was so big - 10lb11oz!! The labour was straight forward. No issues downstairs, a few stitches as expected, and fine for four years now.

The NHS predicted a 7KG baby, when he was born he was exactly half of that. Dot on the average line. But they had said I would be induced dot on my due date due to his size.
We were all shocked! Including the very lovely baby who said “he’s tiny” as soon as he picked him up and asked the midwife to make sure they had the correct notes.

Estimated 5 kg (I think that's 11 pound?). Born 3.5 kg, not even 8 pound. And I had Gestational Diabetes.

2nd baby not estimated large but arrived at 34 weeks weighing 2.8 kg sso was a monster size in NICU.

Midwife said big baby, was referred for a growth scan which, when I arrived for it, the consultant refused to do as they are "wildly inaccurate". I do believe this is actually true. However, I then went on to have an 11 pounder (via emergency c-section as she was too big to even engage into my pelvis after 24 hours of labour). Midwife was furious. All good now though. Was a bit traumatic at the time but all's well that ends well. Don't worry OP, baby will make it into the world one way or the other!

My 3rd was 10lb8 delivery was no different to the others and no intervention or stitches.

@grisen

The NHS predicted a 7KG baby, when he was born he was exactly half of that. Dot on the average line. But they had said I would be induced dot on my due date due to his size. We were all shocked! Including the very lovely baby who said “he’s tiny” as soon as he picked him up and asked the midwife to make sure they had the correct notes.

7kg?! Do you mean 7lbs?

Didn't have any scans after 10/11 weeks. Midwife thought he was big and was tested as borderline for gestational diabetes. He was back to back, got stuck, 36 hour labour and emergency section. He was 9lb 13oz. DS2 was 13 months later and an elective section. Also back to back and expected to be big but was only 8lb 3.

Sure it will all be fine OP. They obviously are monitoring you closely.

DC 2 was scanned as ‘a whopper’ a ‘10/11 pounder’. Hospital refused to book me for a section despite having an extremely traumatic delivery of 5 1/2lb DC1 (failed ventouse and multiple forceps tries). Eventually I switched hospitals, had a section booked and DC2 came 3 weeks early SVD and 71/2lbs.
Scans are notoriously unreliable.

Was told to expect Dd to be around 10lb and huge according to two growth scans. She’s appeared 1 week overdue at 8lb 5, which isn’t big at all and around the same mark as her siblings, she’s also a tiny little thing

I measure on the late side with bath pregnancies and was told at each 34 week scan (had health condition which warranted late scans) that both DS and DD would be ‘around 9 lbs’.

DS was 10 lbs 6 oz
DD was 7 lbs 2 oz

So...not very accurate other time!

Notoriously inaccurate. My 32 week scan estimated baby at 5.5lbs and was told she would be big. She was born at 39+0 weighing 6lbs 13.5oz

Scan at 35 weeks this time showed a baby on the 95th centile and estimated she’d be 9lbs at 40 weeks. I was referred for gestational diabetes and had a borderline result. They wanted to induce me at 40 weeks due to her size but I’d read so many stories of inaccurate scans etc I didn’t believe she’d actually big. Fundal height was 50th centile throughout and midwives feeling bump said she didn’t feel big. Anyway, I have birth at 39+5 in the end and she was 9lbs exactly, so scan was spot on!

Prediction was 50th percentile, born one day before her due date on the 9th

90 percentile is a bigger baby within normal range, not huge. Don't worry!

My NCT friend and I had growth scans on the same day and her baby was predicted at a pound larger than mine. In the end hers was 7lb and mine was 9lb - so double the difference the other way!

@Elwynne Please don’t worry too much about it. I was told at all scans that DC was measuring on 97th centile. I was talked into an induction at 39+5 because baby was looking around 10.5lbs. When I went in for the induction they tried to talk me into all kinds of pain relief before I’d even had the chance for labour to start. They kept talking to me about needing instrumental delivery etc (all before I was even 4cm dilated 🙄).
Baby was born a few weeks ago, 39 hours after the pessary was given, on only gas and air with no interventions at all. Weighed 8lbs 11oz 😊 Had a few internal stitches for a small tear but nothing major at all!!

7kg?!! That's 15 and a half pounds!

I had predictions of a giant baby with DD1 and had to have the GD test. Didn’t have it and despite several scan predicting a whopper, she was 7lb 5oz. I was later told by a consultant that depending on where your hip bones are situated and their density that can give false reading on growth scans.

Ds measured off the centile chart since 30 weeks, had a scan at 36 weeks where they said he was 8+lb already, tried to book me for an induction, c section etc. Consultant told me I didn't need it, that growth scan at were at least 20,% inaccurate.

5 weeks later I ended up with emcs and a 9lb9 baby! I hadn't processed that the growth scan could also measure 20% smaller, lol!

I tested negative for gd though.

I had 5 growth scans with DC1. All estimated at 7lb. Born on my due date at over 9lb. I'll never trust them again!

No GD indicators so I was never tested. Had an uncomplicated vaginal birth so I think I just grow big babies.

I was told DS was going to be 10-11lbs (4.5-5kg) 😬 but he was 7lb so nothing to panic a first time mother over!