Baby stopped growing at 20 weeks, advice please?

[Claireece97]

At my 20 week scan it was picked up that my baby has a varicose vein/vein varix in her umbilical cord. I had another scan at 24 weeks and found due to this she hasn’t grown since 20 weeks and has lost weight. At 20 weeks she was only 358grams.

I’ve got to go back in two weeks for another scan to see if she’s grown but not sure what to expect if she hasn’t grown. Anyone been through anything similar? The consultant seemed reluctant to give me much information and although I’m trying my hardest to not stress, I’m not doing so well 😩

I think that's above average weight for 20 weeks did they say?

When is your next appointment?

I have no experience of this but I had a horrible 20 week scan and so did other people I know. I had a marker for a genetic abnormality. Friends had an extra large cranial measurement. All turned out to be nothing.

Please just hang in there. I think back to myself sobbing on the floor making deals with God (not religious) and it was all for no reason.

Everything crossed for you. Get as much info as you can. Get through each day. Have faith.

Sorry just seen next appointment in two weeks. I know that's a very long time in these circumstances.

So at 24 weeks baby was 358g also?

Did they check the blood flow from the placenta? They call them arterial dopplers? They should have, if so how did they look?

I imagine they want to scan again in 2 weeks too see if there actually is a problem as scans can be quite inaccurate.

It’s a long time to wait I know but it’s because any closer and they can’t tell if growth happened. Did they give you the number of a fetal med midwife you can chat to? Xx

Was it a sonographer who did your scan at 24 weeks or the doctor? Two weeks ago I had a junior doctor do a scan on one of those mobile scanners. I was told its head was massive , legs tiny and that it hadn't grown. A week later I had a scan with the sonographer on the proper machine and it Turns out the baby is totally fine and the previous measurements were completely wrong . I'll never again let them near me with those mobile scanners , it caused so much upset.

They didn’t say exactly how much weight she had lost they just said she weighed less than she did at my previous scan which was at 20+6 (she weighed exactly the same at exactly 20 weeks)

My 24 week scan was done by a consultant, and the 20+6 was performed by fetal specialists and the head consultant at Oxford.

Haven’t been given any numbers or support at all really feeling so lost and lonely in all of this

Also yes they checked blood flow and placenta looked okay but whatever this funny vein is, it’s causing a blockage of nutrients into baby

How scary, I don't know anything but thinking of you x

@Claireece97 I’m not sure it’s possible for a baby to lose weight In utero, it’s more likely that the previous scan was inaccurate.

Do you have copy our your doppler report that you can post. The doppler report will show if blood flow and thus nutrients aren’t getting to baby.

Are you on aspirin? Sometimes blood thinners are prescribed. But I think this tends to be before 16 weeks.

Sorry I’m confused, you’ve had 3 scans one at 20, one at 20+6 and one at 24 and she was the same weight at all 3?

I could be wrong, but there was something very similar to this recently on an incredible tv program about pre natal operations and treatment. It was either channel 4 or bbc. It was about fetal medicine and your situation sounds like something that was on there.

Sending you love

I don’t have a copy unfortunately :’(

That’s good news to me then if they can’t lose weight in utero, hopefully it was a case of an inaccurate scan, as I know that it’s likely for it to sway 10% each way. However 4 weeks seems a long time to not pick up any variations in growth.

She had not gained any weight between 20 and 20+6 (I had the second scan due to the vein varix being picked up at 20 weeks)

I was told that although this vein varax was there it was no concern whatsoever and told I needed to have scans at 28 weeks and 32 weeks, however a consultant appointment was booked for me at 24+3 and he preformed a scan and found that she had not grown at all since my 20 week scan and was weighing less than she did at the previous scans, but he didn’t say how much less. He just said the vein varax is causing a growth restriction.

I’m not on aspirin, he gave me no information on what I should be doing with myself they just said if I have reduced movements to come back, as he seemed to be rather shocked at how much she was moving, I assume he thought she would be weak and lifeless after 4 weeks of no growth

I would call up, be demanding and say you don't have any copies of reports and don't understand your situation and it's making you feel stressed. Say that you realise they need to do further investigations but you need to understand what they know now. For your own peace of mind.

I can’t help you but I’m thinking of you, hang in there. I’m really surprised though how can a consultant just leave you like that without giving you all the information you possibly ask for? He/she should go out of her/his way to give you every single details and more! I would go back there and demand an answer to anything you want to know! Fingers crossed all works out for you

Thank you all, I was worried I would just speak to a receptionist and be fobbed off and told to wait until I come back in for the next scan, but being completely in the dark is no help to me or baby so I will contact them and see what is said

Can you call your midwife?

Ds was scanned at term, induced the next day (not due to weight) and was 12lb more when born 24hr after the scan. Scans are not 100% accurate. Hopefully you will get some more info and positive news soon.

So I’m not a fetal med consultant but I was worried about that in my pregnancy (I was monitored due to her measuring small but she wasn’t iugr) and I asked could she lose weight and they said no, it would be a case of limited or stagnant growth.

From what they’ve said it sounds like they’ve picked up on that you might have early onset iugr. Don’t google iugr, you’ll freak yourself out. But there are a few support groups on Fb you could join, I’m on them and found it wonderfully reassuring. There are a lot of babies that a born at 500g that are boisterous toddlers now on there that might make you feel better.

I think largely there isn’t anything you can do to improve fetal growth. I know it’s so much easier said than done but don’t stress yourself out and try to eat well and rest.

100% the hospital should have provided you with a copy of the consultant report and plotted fetal weight on a growth chart, it’s absolutely unacceptable that they didn’t. Let me try and find one of mine so you can see what it looks like just in case they just stuffed it in your notes

I’m just not sure what happens from here on out, if she still hasn’t grown I’m assuming they’ll want her to come out ASAP.

Thank you for all your support

I’m sorry I haven’t much guidance, but could you call the fetal medical where you had first scan and ask them what usually happens in these scenarios?

And weights are known for being rather inaccurate.

I would give your fetal medicine unit a ring they usually have midwives that work there that will speak to you .

With IUGR there in not much they can do apart from monitor delivering early is also a possibility but will weigh up the risks of the baby being premature vs not growing

No experience but just wanted to wish you all the best x

@Claireece97

I’m just not sure what happens from here on out, if she still hasn’t grown I’m assuming they’ll want her to come out ASAP.

Thank you for all your support

So viability in terms of gestation is considered 24 weeks and in terms of weight 500g. The goal will be to keep baby in as long as (safely) possible. Have a look at the saving babies pathway, it talks about the recommended guidance for fgr (growth restriction), ask your hospital if they follow it, it will give you and idea of what to expect.

You will be consultant led from now on and having regular scans most likely some for growth and some for blood flow.

I’d really recommend joining the iugr support group uk on fb xx

I have no advice but hope she has had a growth spurt for our on next scan. When are you next in?

Have a look a joining parents of premmies support uk on fb, incase wee one needs to come early, hopefully someone will have been through similar on the group and will be able to advise x

So sorry to hear you've just been left feeling like this OP. You could try phoning Tommy's helpline- they have qualified midwives to offer advice around pregnancy concerns and I found them very helpful when I was in a horrible (but not similar) situation early in pregnancy and had to wait 10 days til next scan. Hope she has a big growth spurt this week x

So sorry you are going through this, I was in a similar situation to yourself a good few years ago now and I was also under the fetal medicine team in Oxford, they really are some of the best in the country. Hard to say but try not to Google things and try to stay positive