Estimated birth weight

[CJ14]

Hey ladies,

I know it’s not always accurate but just wondered what was the estimated birth weight given to your babies at 35 weeks (if you had extra scans) and then what was the weight at their birth? Was it accurate/less/more?

Thanks x

I had a growth scan at 36 weeks because bump was big and they estimated DC's weight at 8lb 6oz on that day and they were predicting him to be more than 10lbs at birth - which terrified the living daylights out of me!! He was born at 40w weighing 8lbs 1oz, so not always accurate!

They are notoriously inaccurate, but they got DS spot on, after a 36 or 38 week scan(sorry it was 3 years ago!). He was estimated to be 10lb at 40 weeks and was born 11 days after that at 10lb 11!

Had a growth scan and was told to expect a 9lber when I was induced before 39 weeks. He was actually nearer 10lb so bigger than expected.

DC2 was predicted 5kg - 11 lb. Decided on an elective section instead of vbac. He was 3.8kg - 8 lb 6 I think (I had him in a metric system country!)

39+3 week scan said she was 8lb she arrived at 41 weeks at 7lb 4. So absolute nonsense

They terrorised me over this big baby I was having and he was 8lb 15oz at a week overdue which is well within average. And hilariously scrawny too, because he's long like me and his dad🤦.

The bit where he was back to back and kind of sideways, nobody bothered to mention that! That was the problem!

They said my DS would be big all throughout my pregnancy, they even brought my due date forward by 10 days because of it. Estimated 6kg/13lb 3oz (DH and all his siblings were around that weight so not unreasonable). Was bullied into an induction at 10 days 'late' (my original due date). DS was 3.8kg/7lb 9oz, he was very long though.

Weight predictions during pregnancy are exceptionally inaccurate.

Ds was born at 35. 4 weeks. He weighed 5-11.
A 'rule' I was told many years ago was after 36 weeks an ounce a day except Sunday. So 6 oz gain a week.

My 1st pregnancy a scan at 36 weeks didn't pick anything up. Baby born at 40 weeks weighing over 9lb! 2nd pregnancy baby was estimated to be 11lb+ at 36 week scan but was 8lb 6oz at 39 weeks. No GD in either pregnancy.

Dc4 was supposedly already 8lb15 at 37wk growth scan. Due to me having gone over with all my others and the risk associated with him being over 11lb/5KG he was induced at 40wks. The reasons I agreed were less about size (I had 3 big babies before) and more about the meds I was on and allergic to, my age and the fact I'd likely be induced at 42wks anyway based on previous babies.

He was a mere 9lb5 and very long. So his scan was about 1lb out.

DC1-3 they didn't do routine growth scans, all were bigger than average.

DC one was 1/2lb heavier than expected but they did say that they can be 1lb either way with the estimate.

They are notoriously bollocks inaccurate and I'd be very wary of making any serious medical decisions on guessed estimated scan weight alone. My friend did, had a C section because it was supposed to be a whopper with a mahoosive head, he was totally average. I was gutted for her as she'd had no idea they had at least a 10% margin of error and thought it was a sure thing, and wouldn't have chosen a C section otherwise.

That said, I had a late scan (37 weeks?) and they estimated my DS's birthweight quite accurately at 3.5kg (I think! Was a while ago!)

Mine was pretty accurate. I wasn't told (or at least I don't think I was) an estimated birth weight at 36 weeks. The estimated weight at the time if the scan was about 6lb 15. Baby was born a week later weighing 7lb 5.

I only got weight estimates for our twins, at 32+5wk they were 5lb each. Born bang on 38wk weighing 8lb 5oz & 8lb 11oz.
Our singletons they just told me their placement on the centile charts, had one average and 2 big ones. Expect this singleton to be on the large side too.

That was an estimated fetal weight at the time of scan not what they thought they'd weigh at birth.

Mine were totally accurate , I had growth scans every 2 weeks with both from 26 weeks.
DS was 6lb2, 2nd-9th centile which they said he would be.
Dd was 5lb8, she was a planned induction as static growth, I had a scan on Thursday and she was 5lb8, a sweep ready for my induction on the following Tuesday and she came that night. So bang on for both.

DS1 hopelessly inaccurate. Had growth scan at 37 weeks predicting birth weight of 7.5lbs. Was born at 39+4 weighing just over 6lbs.
With DS2 and DS3 they were somewhat more accurate.
Its a case of estimation only. There's no real way to tell someone's weight by measuring their head circumference, abdominal circumference and femur length and then using some kind of formula to get the magic number.
Its not science only prediction= which can be either right or wrong.

Deftly there's nothing to pick up with a 9lb full term baby though - thats not an unusual weight at all. DC1 was 9lb - the delivery went very wrong but not because of her size, just because she was back to back and didn't move fully into the birth canal, so I didn't dilate despite waters going and contractions.

High birth weight is 10.5 / 11 lb + in terms of when it causes issues in and of itself.

Previous large baby on the NHS is 4.5kg+

Our son was 4.88kg (10lb 12oz), I had a natural unassisted birth with 14 mins pushing. Big babies are not always difficult to birth.