Measuring small at 25 weeks? 5th percentile

[Laurenh1995]

I had my midwife check up for whooping cough vaccine and she did the fundal height check and i was measuring 23 and im 25 weeks putting me in a 5th perctile for my weight height etc. I had growth scan booked in for 2 weeks but midwife has brought it forward and im now having it tomorrow. Im really concerned and worried. They said she was measuring normal at the 20 week scan?anyone else?

Hi, I had the same. Measuring at 5th percentile but was told still in the normal range. Have a growth scan again in two weeks and they’ve said she’s on the smaller side, but normal and keeping in with where she was at at the 20 weeks scan.

Did the midwife say it’s not normal? I wouldn’t worry right now, especially if your scan is tomorrow. I was told they only worry is the baby loses weight

Oh really, ive panicked ever since this morning. Its my first pregnancy. At first she said a had a nice little bump when went to lie down and she had a lovely heartbeat (she just doesnt like being disturbed haha) but then measured and was under and then rsng straight through to the hospital to get my growth scan changed as im high risk and was going to be getting growth scans anyway. She didnt say anything about it being normal just that if the doctors need to do anything i would be in the right place? Which a think made me worry. She was measuring fine at 20 week scan they said everything was normal and nothing to worry about. Tomorrow seems so far away. Hopefully shes fine and its nothing to worry about like yourself and your little one.

I had almost exactly the same situation a few weeks ago. Went to the scan and he was on the 50th line and not below the 10th after all. They said there’s a chance when you’ve measured small once you’ll measure small again so will need another scan even though everything seems to be fine. At my 34 week appointment I measured only slightly below the 50th line. Chances are you will be absolutely fine, I came on here frantically searching the night before mine thinking he was going to need delivered early and all of this but they said his head was just far back and low down so wasn’t making my bump stick out

No wonder why you’re worried! She didn’t help with her bedside manner! What did they say at your 20 week scan?

So this pregnancy is also high risk due to us losing our son neonatally. This pregnancy I’ve had a stitch due to baby potentially coming early and the consultant (when I spoke with him before 20 weeks) booked growth scans in at 28 weeks and 32 weeks. At our 20 week anomaly scan we were told baby is 5th percentile but nothing to be worried about as it’s still within normal range. At our 28 week growth scan we were told she had been growing in accordance with the 20
Weeks scan and still 5th percentile and normal. The only concern would be is if we get to 32 weeks and baby is not growing or is under 5th percentile. Which means baby is not getting enough nutrients and may need an induction.

I was also told that it’s a comparison or babies at that gestation period and there will be some babies at the higher percentile end and some at the lower. That helped calm my nerves!

Just keep an eye on movements. I think that’s what they advise.

Do let me know how you get on tomorrow!

My bump measured very small (under 5th centile I think) and they got me booked in for a growth scan that same day. Then at the growth scan the baby measured above the 97th centile! Not sure where she was hiding. I don't think the fundal height measurements are all that accurate, there's a lot of variation depending on where they measure from, how baby is lying etc. Always good to get checked but try not to panic.

@greenbks I'm sorry to hear about your son 😢she knows i suffer with anxiety too which thought she would of explained a bit more when asked. My 20 weeks scan they just said that everything was normal i can't remember then giving me a percentile then but said measurements were fine and normal. I don't actually think ive got much of a bump anyway to be honest it just looks like ive put on weight which is have (2stone) i was really skinny beforehand. And she asked about movements and if am honest i havent really had any movements just the odd one which i think was movement but not sure and its only now and again. When she was checking heartbeat she moved and she was like did you feel her move and i didnt even feel herm she did say to keep an eye out and watch for movements

Slightly different story, but my baby has always been small, even less than 5 percentile. And that was from very very early. He was a twin, so not that unusual. Eventually I was monitored very closely every two weeks from 20 weeks on and every week from the following month to make sure he was growing, even if as his own pace.
At 32 weeks they detected his ombilical cord's blood flow wasn't good, meaning he didn't get enough nutrients and he was delivered by c-section the following day, weighting only 2 lb.
After they did all their analysis it came out the placenta wasn't good at providing him 'food', hence the small size.
However, he's a perfectly healthy toddler now and incredibly full of energy. He's picking up on the chart, measuring close to 25th percentile now. We are small people, it might also be his genes are playing a part!

@sarah13xx oh really thank you for telling me your story. I don't actually have a bump yet havent popped more jsut fat so hoping its just that

Hi, just reading through this thread because I'm a little worried too! At my 20 week scan my baby was measuring on the 9th centile, had an antenatal appointment afterwards and the doctor arranged for me to have regular growth scans as of 32 weeks. All good, no worries.

Well now I'm nearly 28 weeks and I had my bump measured by my midwife today - my bump is only on the 3rd centile! She's booked for me to have a growth scan tomorrow morning. 😬
This will be my third baby, both my older DDs were born full term at 7lb11 and 5lb14 (so the eldest was slightly above average weight and the younger one was quite dinky).

I hope your growth scan goes well tomorrow OP, I'm certainly a bit nail-bitey for mine. 😩

@captainspirit ah no its such a awful feeling not knowing and even tomorrow seems so far away doesnt it. A hope it all goes well, and keep me updated let me know how it goes hun x

I had two growth scans in recent pregnancy due to measuring small, scans were both reassuring (baby above average size) and baby was born on 75th centile. Previous pregnancy was similar - I must just carry small (although felt huge!).

Try not to worry, though I know it’s difficult. In lots of countries there are regular growth scans, the NHS doesn’t do this (likely due to cost) but instead just scans the babies at either end of the centile scale. Fundal height is known to be unreliable, but this tries to catch any babies at risk of being particularly big/small.

My bump with my ds was 5 (yes 5!) weeks small. Had a growth scan and he was actually measuring 3 weeks big! He was born a perfectly healthy weight too Fundal height is completely useless.

@captainspirit let me know how it goes x

@Laurenh1995 It was great thanks! Little one is doing really well, she's on the 50th centile now so it looks like I'm just carrying neat. I've got more growth scans as of next month which I'm looking forward to - I loved getting an extra glimpse of her today. ❤️

How did yours go?? Hope all was well!

Brilliant so glad it went well and little one is fine bet you glad you seen her again thats always the best part after all the worrying ❤️ and i went for my scan and shes on thr 90th centile weighing 1lb 12oz growing well and measuring about a week in front also in breech position😊 im just like you must be carrying neat and yes im also having more growth scans got another one in 2 weeks ❤️

Hi. I just had a growth scan yesterday, because 2 days ago when I had the fundal height measurement, my midwife put my baby on 4th percentile! I am 28week now but my measurement was less than 26cm. I had been panicked for 2 days, non stop googling all the potential causes for a smll fundal height. Amd of course all the suggestions were quite scary.

Then yesterday the growth scan result showed my baby is actually on the 73th centile (such a HUGE difference!!). So i guess the fundal height measurement is not accurate at all. I wonder what would happen if my fundal height showed normal when my baby was actually too big?