36 Week Growth Scan

[MariaFidelis]

Hi, just looking for some advice and support please.

I had my appointment with the Homebirth Team today. This is my first pregnancy and has thus far been thankfully low risk and uneventful (currently at 36 + 1). The midwife measured my fundal height and observed it had not increased since my last appointment a fortnight ago (currently measuring 33.5cm, which is surprising considering my husband is 6 ft 7 and I’m 5 ft 10, so we’re expecting a larger baby), so I’ve been booked for a growth scan this Friday. She was also unable to ascertain whether my baby was positioned upside down or in breech, but speculated he might have dropped towards my pelvic cavity, hence the apparent lack of progression in growth.

Has anyone else experienced this reduction in FH growth, and found the scan showed differently? Apologies for the panic, I’m just very worried after what has been a very smooth pregnancy!

Try not to worry, I know a few people sent for growth scans towards the end as a precaution. All were fine, some of the babies were smaller than average (like half of all babies are!) but perfectly healthy. Lots of tall people have smaller babies that ‘catch up’ outside of the womb.

Fundal height is very outdated.
Very rarely is there an actual issue once you've had the growth scan.
I know many people who have had them and not a single person has there been an issue.

I would not worry too much, I had fundal height measured yesterday and the midwife said that it can be very misleading because when the baby is is certain positions the measurement will seem small when actually all is fine. I have even had midwives measuring quite differently twice on the same day when recently an inpatient. It’s good they are doing a scan but I think all is likely fine.

My husband is 6’2 and I’m 5’7 so we aren’t as tall as you but not tiny ourselves. Our baby was 7lb 11oz when born at 41 weeks (so pretty average) and now at 18 months is a right pudgy short arse
I measured small throughout and had to have growth scans and I think she tended to be around the 25th centipede overall.
Basically, none of it means much and I wouldn’t worry!

It's likely to be fine OP. If you are 36 weeks and both tall then baby is of full term size by now anyway and you will know baby is okay if you have been feeling movement 🤞

Hi OP, I had this in both pregnancies. DD (now 7 weeks old) came out at 41+6 weighing 7lbs10. My bump measured 33 weeks! I was hiding her well haha! The sonographers at the growth scans were always shocked at how small my bump was relative to the well growing baby. With DD1 I measured 31 weeks at 39 weeks. The consultant I was seeing about blood pressure was so shocked she ordered an emergency growth scan, then couldn't believe baby was growing fine! DD1 arrived at 39+6 weighing 6lbs8. I just don't have big bumps! Good luck for your scan.

Thank you so much everyone for sharing your experiences and kind support, it’s made me feel so much better and more prepared for Friday. The midwife speculated that he might have dropped slightly, hence the lack of apparent growth, so hoping all goes well!

Hello, same sort of boat had growth scan 2 ish weeks ago and sobographer though if anything I was ahead of schedule just small but like all measurements where great (weird to explain) then measured yesterday for fundal also measured 33 and they where like doesn't seem to be growing, I don't have a growth scan till 28th as couldn't fit me in any earlier! I think at this point honestly I'm a gonna go with scan and say baby won't grow much more (they say 37 weeks baby fully grown,) and he is just small. Good luck at scan and let us know what they say, but don't worry too much xx

Thank you so much for sharing your experience @LuckygoLucy, I really hope your scan goes well too. I’ll update the thread on Friday with how mine goes :)