Fundal Height

[EdithGrantham]

I've had a look at my notes today for the first time in a while and realised that my fundal height is measuring nearly 95th percentile whereas I thought for some reason it was 50th.

I had to have a growth scan at 36 weeks which was showing 50th percentile so that's maybe where I got confused.

Anyway, I'm now slightly panicking that I'm going to have a huge baby, nothing I can do about it obviously and I'm 40+2 so there's really no point worrying but it's just freaked me out slightly.

How likely is it that the growth scan is more accurate and I can assume that the measurements from that will have continued rather than the predicted baby size from fundal height measurements?

Fundal height is very inaccurate. With my first, my baby was apparently tracking along the 98th/99th centile and due to have a huge baby. Until was 38 weeks. Then suddenly it apparently hadn't got any higher so I was referred for growth scan. I never had the scan as I have birth on the morning of the appt. My DD weighed just under 7lbs, and was around the 50th centile for length too.

Scans are more accurate than fundal height.

They haven't bothered measuring my fundal height as I've been having growth scans. Our baby was on 97th centile at 31+6 and had jumped above that line at 35+6, our 2nd was similar and came out 10lb 12oz @ 40+5 (they're bringing this one at 39wk).

Thanks both, I guess I will find out how accurate the measurements have been soon enough!

If it's a big baby then get an epidural the voice of extremely painful experience. DC1 was going to be biggish they and we was huge, DC2 monitored more and not so big, but is a very tall chunk now.

@lloceypu thanks, I think given the scan was a while ago and my fundal height measurements have been tracking along the line there isn't any way of knowing for sure. Hoping to avoid an epidural if I can but very much going in with an open mind.

Don't worry about having a big baby, as it doesn't necessarily mean a hard labour. Mine were all large (one was 10lb) and I had straightforward and fairly quick labours, one shot of pethidine with the first and needed nothing but G&A otherwise.

Ahh that's reassuring @GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman! I've just been reading some birth stories and noticed on there even some people with tiny babies mention needing episiotomies/instrumental help and having tears which made me think the two aren't necessarily correlated

With my second one I was referred for a growth scan as my fundal height had gone from 50th to 95th centile so I was really worried I was really worried I was going to have a giant baby. When I had the scan the sonographer assumed I was there because the midwife was worried about how small my baby was. He was just below 25th centile for the scan. He was born at exactly 40w on 25th centile

@EdithGrantham

Ahh that's reassuring *@GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman*! I've just been reading some birth stories and noticed on there even some people with tiny babies mention needing episiotomies/instrumental help and having tears which made me think the two aren't necessarily correlated

The biggest predictor of an instrumental delivery is if it's your first baby or not. Im not sure if there is any correlation with size but definitely loads of first time mothers have instrumental deliveries with babies that aren't big - mine was one of them. Pushed for 2hrs and it just wasn't happening for me unfortunately!

@stormelf wow that is a big difference!!

@MeadowHay, yep I'm a FTM so already feeling a little anxious but luckily not as much as I was when I first found out I was pregnant, now trying to keep the mindset of whatever happens happens and I'll just have to deal with it!