I've had my 'Large for Gestational Age' baby - was the scan accurate?

[Mimiwish]

Hi all,

I wanted to update on the prediction that our baby girl was due to be over the 97th percentile in weight, and 'Large for gestational age'. I know that myself and others have recently posted on 'large' babies and certain recommendations based on late growth scans.

Well - far from the whopper we were expecting (and yes, I got an elective c-section because I was told of the high risk of shoulder dystocia), our baby girl (born w39) was a healthy 7.8lbs - which is LESS than she was predicted to weigh three weeks earlier when they told be I was going to have a large baby.

She lost a fair bit of weight following birth and is now quite a small baby, in the bottom end of the centiles for her age.

Of course, they can only advise based on what the late scans are showing, and I don't regret getting a c-section (it was fine and she's here safely!) but I do hope they find a more accurate way of predicting the size of babies, because it was very stressful in the final weeks with us worrying that our diabetes test was perhaps wrong, or I'd eaten too many calories during pregnancy, and various other imaginings to explain my giant baby who seemed to have ballooned in the final weeks based on the data!

I'm not complaining at all - but I do think it's worth bearing in mind that these scans clearly don't tell the whole story for all babies.

Good luck for anyone making decisions based on LGA predictions. I wouldn't have done anything differently - - as I wouldn't have gone against the doctors' advice.

xx

Congratulations! Interesting to hear this!
I had scan last week at 34 weeks and was told baby girl is already 6lbs 9oz......was gearing myself up for a ten pounder!!! 😳

I had the same, but opposite - was measuring small both times and was constantly told the baby would be small, maybe too small etc. Worried me to death. In the end they were both 7 pounders. Glad it all worked out well for you.

Interesting! I had a scan that said my baby was LGA and I didn’t believe it as they were wrong for literally everyone I knew. But then she was born and was exactly the weight the scan had estimated she would be 9lbs at 40 weeks. It’s so hard to know! She was born naturally and I had a waterbirth. I think if I’d believed the scan I might have been more worried than I was so it all worked out in the end.

My growth scans with my eldest predicted she’d be at least 9lbs. Born at 39+3 weighing 7lbs 2oz.

DC1 - I always measured 2 weeks ahead for dates with tape but MW was never concerned. DC1 arrived on his due date, planned home birth, 7lb 7oz, 50th centile.

DC2 - I measured spot on for dates with tape but MW was concerned I was having a "big" baby and due to home birth plans and the increased risks associated with bigger babies I was sent to consultant at 39w for scan. Scan and measuring tape predicted 7lb 7oz baby again and consultant gave mw a telling off for wasting everyone's time. DC2 arrived on her due date (I have punctual babies).... 8lb 15oz, just shy of 98th centile I think. MW was right (everything was fine though). I would not have changed my decision about HB though if the consultant had agreed it was a bg baby. Consultant was in agreement that my risk of complications was no higher than my first HB.

Based on scans one friends twins were predicted to be big, they were average size. Another friends baby was predicted to be average, she had a VERY large baby. My two pence worth is, trust your community mw, her tape measure and her experience. I

Within weeks, both my babies settled on 75th centile

I had this with DD. I had gestational diabetes and was told at 34 weeks that was looking at a 9-10lb baby at full term. They recommended a Caesarian at around 36-37 weeks. In the end, she was born at 40 weeks weighing just 7lbs!

I had to have growth scans during pregnancy and baby was measuring small-ish throughout (25th) then at my last scan we watched the consultants pen travel up the y-axis of the graph in horror as she plotted a 90th centile baby

Baby was born at 41 weeks and 7lb11

Congratulations.

I've had 3 pregnancies with babys measuring big on scans, they weren't wrong with mine. 10lb 12oz @ 40+5wk, shoulders got stuck but he was out with 15mins pushing. 9lb 10oz @ 40+2wk, just 3 pushes to get her out. Twins 8lb 5oz & 8lb 11oz @ 38wk, cesarean as breech. Our eldest was a very average 7lb 7oz.

I was told at 37 weeks that DD already weighed 6.5 lb, and that she'd probably weigh 7.5 lb when delivered at 39 weeks (planned c-section for medical reasons not linked to her size). You guessed it, she weighed 6.5lb. However she was thin with a large head, so if they were using head size and/or limb length to predict weight, it would have predicted high.

For balance (!) another friend had difficulties the other way - at 38 weeks her baby was allegedly 5lb, and they suggested induction as she'd stopped growing. Friend's dh pointed out that her head had apparently shrunk since the previous scan (very unlikely) and that they seemed to be struggling to measure the baby as she was so well engaged. She was born (without induction) 24 hours later weighing 6lb - not large, but I doubt she put on a pound overnight.

So I'd treat predicted weights with a good deal of caution....

I was told 18 years ago that DS was going to be a small baby, and had extra scans and monitoring because of the concern at how small he was measuring. I went into labour and to hospital with a bag full of clothes sized for premature babies.

I felt every ounce of his 9lb 2oz pushing out of me.

It’s a shame to see nothing has improved in 18 years.

Both my DDs measured big - 95th and 99th centiles. They came in at 8lb 8oz and 8lb 6oz respectively which I think is around the 90th centile. This measuring large contributed (along with many other factors) to the decision to have an elective C-section for my second DD. Given they can't be any more accurate in their measurements, we all have to make the decisions with the facts we have.

@Mimiwish
Congratulations on your new LO.

The EXACT same thing happened to my DD...she was told by looking at the late scan that her DC would be well over 9 lbs...when he was born he had a very loud lusty cry and it sounded like he was a giant baby..
Turns out he was a little over 6 lbs.! All in the room we're shocked at his size when he was weighed since the scan had said he'd be an extra large baby and because of his loud deep first cry...Both DD and Dsil were like "What?! Where's the other three pounds of him?!😂
DD had a c-section also as DC decided that he was coming into the world with his fist and arm raised up over his head like a sign of victory. His weight dropped to less than 6lbs so he was a teeny one, too.
I'm not an expert by any means in scans , but I agree with your advice on the inaccuracies of a sonogram to predict birthweight...my Dniece was told her baby would be in the 7 lb range and he popped out weighing a whopping 9lbs13 oz.

Mine was spot on. Measured at 7lb 4 at 37+5 and came out at 7lb 7 at exactly 38 weeks.

Congratulations , I agree scans are not always accurate although my youngest is 21 so would have thought that things had improved . Our first was 10lb 4 , lots of issues with the birth so I opted for a section with the second , was told at scans she was going to be the same sort of size and as it was she was 7lb 10oz . As it was the section suited me perfectly anyway .

I was in the same situation, however my Das was 10lb 1oz a week early and the consultant was reluctant to allow a C-Section, however I got one because of various reasons. He was very stuck at this point and they needed forceps during the section

@HungryHippo20

Congratulations! Interesting to hear this! I had scan last week at 34 weeks and was told baby girl is already 6lbs 9oz......was gearing myself up for a ten pounder!!! 😳

I've had a 10lb baby, labour and delivery was absolutely fine, not really any different to birthing a smaller baby

Mine measured average all through pregnancy, and ended up as a pretty chunky 9lb 7oz.

I think the estimation is a very loose science!

I looked like a whale but the tape was measuring 4 weeks behind. I kept asking if my baby was big and told absolutely not (was me 2nd). Had strangers asking if I was having twins on many occasions.

10lb6oz, plus copious amounts of fluid and humongous placenta. I have twin skin 😢😢😢

I really think scans are very unreliable it's all such and unknown.

My DD was born on the 100th centile at 8lb 10.5oz at 38 weeks, she was only 3oz smaller than they predicted.
Currently 33 weeks and this baby is measuring big too, maybe I just produce big babies haha

After a 9lbs+ baby I was told that my next was even bigger according to the growth scan.

In the end she turned out be more than 2lbs lighter.

Don’t think the scans are much good - I was told I’d be lucky if my baby was 6lb maximum at full term - she was 8lb 5 and has always been on the 99th centile for height?! 🤷‍♀️

With my third I was borderline with my bloods regarding GD, and felt like he was going to be a big baby. Towards the end, maybe 36 or 38 weeks, I forget, my midwife felt my bump and became worried because she could feel a lump up under my ribs, and no other such lumps anywhere else, making her think he was breach. I had to go for a scan that very day because of this, turns out he was head down and fully engaged.....and was just long and that was a butt up under my ribs. If I recall correctly, at that scan they weren't concerned about his size, yet he popped out 9lb 12 LOL the midwives wanted to know "where I was hiding him" yet I'd felt huge and heavy for weeks!

These babies sure do like to mess with those of us outside the womb lol

I had a home birth with him, very active, pushing stage while standing etc, and it was fine. I think with the big bubs gravity can really give you a great assist in labour.

26 weeks with baby number 4, and the 3 20 week scan measurements that get converted to percentiles were in the high 80's and low 90's.....looks like another big 'un!

With my third and again with this one I take low dose aspirin, and I think that's why they grow big in my case.

I was denied a growth scan (midwife was concerned so referred me) on the basis that they're notoriously inaccurate and that they'd make me try for a natural labour for 24 hours irrespective of the result in any case.

Laboured for 24 hours as instructed. Dd wouldn't even engage into the pelvis, got distressed, emergency c-section. 11lbs. I was a bit cross. Dd is now perfectly normal height/weight 8 year old.

This is so interesting. I've been predicted to have a 9lb + baby and told at 36 week scan if still large I'll be offered C-section. Nervous that DH won't be able to come to consultation and I'll have to make a decision. DS1 and DH have big heads, maybe that's confusing the measurements! DS1 was 8lb 4, however...
Do they suggest just C-section or do they ever offer induction?