Baby too small! :(

[Strawberryfair]

My daughter has just come back from a visit to her midwife, in tears. She has been told that the baby is too small - her bump measures 29cms instead of 32cms (She is 32+ weeks pregnant). When she had her last scan, she was told that the femur measurement was too short, and at her previous visit to see the midwife, her bump was 2 cms too small. My daughter now has to go to hospital for a scan, next Thursday.

My daughter is lactose intolerant, but has been eating cheese and yoghurt thorougout her pregnancy. She has recently been able to drink milk in the evenings - which is helping her heartburn.

The baby is active and the heartrate is fine.

Can anyone offer any advice please?

Hiya

Wow she sounds like me in 2 of my three pregnancies 9tooe arly to see if it will happen with this one).

I am salso alctose intolerant, wellc asein to be exact but dairy anyway.

Firstly- you will be relieved to know I ahve 3 loud boys behind me right now!

First abby it eventually turned out was pre-eclampstic, and induction at 38 weeks led to a 5lb 5oz baby. no SCBU or anything needed. DS3 however caught right up again- and weighed 7lb 4oz at birth, the key I think was lots of rest, I gave up work early.

A lactose free diet shouldnt lead to this, is she taking adeqaute calcium supplements with vitamin d? She should be, Holland and barratt sell them. Also if she cn drink milk she should be fine- I can't have any dairy at all.

I would do anything you can to pull the scan forwards, she could consider private if thats possible for her financially. rest lots, and remember that fundal measurements and even scan weight rpedictions aren't that reliable- femur measyre,ment is more relaible, but as long as heartrate remains good there's no need to panic yet.

Good luck

don't worry my sister delivered a 4lb 12 oz baby at term and the midwife had suggested it would be a big baby!

I'm sorry to hear this and it's a shame that they can't say anything more useful than "come back for a scan next week".
I don't have any advice, I just wanted to wish you both well.

I can't help on lots of other points but fundal measurement (size of the bump) is highly inaccurate and leads to a lot of stress. I went from measuring 6 weeks ahead to 1 week behind in a month. Baby was absolutely fine.

When pregnant with me my Mum was told to expect an enormous baby due to the fundal measurements. I was 5lb. How full the bladder is, how the baby is lying, body shape etc can affect the external measurements. I would not let this measurement add to the angst.

Measurements of fundal height not brilliant at showing the size of the baby. Always measured about 3 weeks too small with dd, who was born on her due date weighing 6 pounds 10 oz. Think she was just made that way, though she then shot up.

I echo what the others have said but if it was me I'd push for a scan before next Thursday. I hate it when they make you wait!!! Surely it's much better for mother and baby if mother isn't stressing about this!

My daughter has had problems throughout her pregnancy and has been fairly closely monitored. Her blood pressure is fine, but she has been warned that she may develope pre-eclampsia. First her haemoglobin levels were too high, then the artery to the baby was constricted, now the baby is too small.

My daughter was advised not to take calcium supplement for some reason. She has only very recently been able to tolerate milk - only if she has it in the evening. She still has adverse reaction to cheese and cream, but has been risking having them for the baby's sake.

Thank you all for support and thoughtful comments.

I am very slim 31 nearly 32 weeks with an apparently big looking bump that measured this morning 28 cms. I was told that this was perfect.

Bump size, and the relevant measurements, are all very subjective.

I hope she is reassured at scan.

Good luck.

i was told my dc2 was small and had to have ( doppler scan?) to measure blood flow to placenta
In the end they estimated 6 lbs
she was 8 lbs 8
My bump was 3 weeks behind - a lot of it is bobbins try not to worry

If she is 32 weeks pg and they are leaving the scan for a week, they are not that worried.

I was told that the fundal height thing was only useful if the same midwife did it every time, and even then its affected by many things as Crow said. I've been on an antenatal ward for the last 3 weeks and no one has measured my bump at all (they check umpteen other things).

Scan guesstimates of weight are notoriously inaccurate - they're good for about a lb either side of what they say!

All my kids have had short femur measurements compared to the rest of them. And surprise, they have short legs and long bodies. So do I. I have to take up a lot of hems!

Thank you all so much for your comments. You are all of the same opinion, that we should not worry - that is a great relief.
I have just spoken to my daughter and she is feeling so much happier now.

My daughter received a letter in the post today - caught up in the postal strike - inviting her to anti natal classes and a tour of the hospital (tomorrow). She will be able to ask some of the questions that have been worrying her since this morning. I have suggested she bring up the subject of calcium tablets - as recommended by PeachFlesh.....

Many thanks once again everyone.

Is your daughter tall? I am and was always told that the baby was too small. Have heard many similar experiences from other taller women - there is just more 'space' for the baby to grow into and so you don't stick out as much.

No, my daughter is about average height, she is 5'4/5", and average build. We think think the baby may be curled up in her abdomen.

Many family members are very tall - over 6', but others are short, so the baby could just take after the shorter family members.

Thank you for your comments.

Strawberry, suggest she asks the GP for an emergency referral to a dietician. A lot of the advice I was given I wouldn't pass on as A) it was a few years ago; and B) some of it has a slight risk associated but a dietician should be able to review her diet and get her on the right track.