Baby growing just under 10th % percentile at 29 weeks - worried and confused

[teaandchocolate1]

Hello everyone,

I had a growth scan done today. I'm currently 29 weeks and 2 days.

I was referred to the scan by my midwife.

The scan confirmed that my baby is just growing below the 10th percentile.

I'm extremely worried and anxious. The Sonographer said that everything looks normal. The blood flow between the cord and placenta looks normal and there is enough fluid around baby and baby is moving a lot.

I have to go back to a Doppler scan next Monday and for another growth scan in two weeks time.

I'm extremely worried and scared now that something is wrong.

Can someone explain these scan results to me, please?

Estimated weight is: 1,222 g (14 %) => I'm confused by this. According to Google, that's a normal fetal weight for 29 weeks??

Other results were:

FETAL BIOMETRY

HC: 262.7 mm (14 %)
BPD/OFD: 74.20
AC: 233.6 mm
HC/AC: 1.12 (72 %)
Femur: 55.8 mm (54 %)
FL/HC: 0.21
FL/AC: 0.24

Did anyone have similar results and everything turned out alright?

My son was 3.62 kg when he was born, so I'm so worried now something is wrong :((

Is there a private scan I can take to double check?

Baby is moving a lot, but I'm scared that over the next two weeks it will get thinner and thinner :(

Would be so grateful for any advice xx

I was told the same at (I think) about 32 weeks. Cue lots of anxiety, googling (never a wise move) - but then, at the next growth scan (two weeks later), baby was apparently at 29%. I've got another growth scan tomorrow, so will let you know which seems more accurate! - but I think growth scans are notoriously inaccurate and they're probably just being super cautious. It's a good thing that they know: now they will monitor you really closely and, if there are any problems, be in a good position to get baby out safely.

for you - I know how scary it is, but try not to overinterpret. It's probably absolutely fine, and you're in the best place for them to keep an eye on you 😊

Hi, I'm pregnant with non identical twins so a bit different, but the dr said we treat it as two separate pregnancies as they have their own placentas etc so I may be of some help.

My smallest twin has also been small, At my 29 weeks scan he weighed 1102g which we were SO relieved about as that kept him on approx 3rd centile (he had dipped under it for a few weeks). We had been told they may deliver them at 28 weeks if he's not grown at that scan.

It is very worrying so I sympathise, but also remember these few things:

• the 10th centile is still comfortably in the realms of normal which is fab
• you're 29 weeks along too which is a great milestone
• you're being closely monitored now. If dopplers come back fine, and you feel baby move lots, then those are both really reassuring signs.

I would say try to take some breaks during the day, try to eat 3 good meals a day and healthy snacks between meals.

Did they do your bloods at 28 weeks? Just make sure you're not anaemic, I was (badly) which got missed and only noticed when I said my resting heart rate was really high (110+!) and since being on iron their growth has been a bit better - that may be coincidence.

Did they give you a Doppler centile (it will be PI on your notes).

The nature of Percentiles is that someone has to be at the top and bottom. Plenty of small babies are fine.

Ds1 was born on the 9th centile, ds2 was between the 9th and whatever the one below that is. Ds3 was born on the 50th but was 2.5weeks later than ds1, 3.5weeks later than ds2. All were and are fine.

Try not to worry

@tilly2019

Hi, I'm pregnant with non identical twins so a bit different, but the dr said we treat it as two separate pregnancies as they have their own placentas etc so I may be of some help.

My smallest twin has also been small, At my 29 weeks scan he weighed 1102g which we were SO relieved about as that kept him on approx 3rd centile (he had dipped under it for a few weeks). We had been told they may deliver them at 28 weeks if he's not grown at that scan.

It is very worrying so I sympathise, but also remember these few things:

• the 10th centile is still comfortably in the realms of normal which is fab
• you're 29 weeks along too which is a great milestone
• you're being closely monitored now. If dopplers come back fine, and you feel baby move lots, then those are both really reassuring signs.

I would say try to take some breaks during the day, try to eat 3 good meals a day and healthy snacks between meals.

Did they do your bloods at 28 weeks? Just make sure you're not anaemic, I was (badly) which got missed and only noticed when I said my resting heart rate was really high (110+!) and since being on iron their growth has been a bit better - that may be coincidence.

Did they give you a Doppler centile (it will be PI on your notes).

Hello, my PI is 1.1.

The diagnosis of the report is :

"EFW plots between 3rd and 10th centile. Normal LV and umbilical artery Doppler"

I am confused because according to the report the EFW is 1222 g/2lb and 11 oz.

When I put that into Google it comes back as a normal weight for 29 weeks?

Or is that in relation to the other measurements?

@tilly2019

Hi, I'm pregnant with non identical twins so a bit different, but the dr said we treat it as two separate pregnancies as they have their own placentas etc so I may be of some help.

My smallest twin has also been small, At my 29 weeks scan he weighed 1102g which we were SO relieved about as that kept him on approx 3rd centile (he had dipped under it for a few weeks). We had been told they may deliver them at 28 weeks if he's not grown at that scan.

It is very worrying so I sympathise, but also remember these few things:

• the 10th centile is still comfortably in the realms of normal which is fab
• you're 29 weeks along too which is a great milestone
• you're being closely monitored now. If dopplers come back fine, and you feel baby move lots, then those are both really reassuring signs.

I would say try to take some breaks during the day, try to eat 3 good meals a day and healthy snacks between meals.

Did they do your bloods at 28 weeks? Just make sure you're not anaemic, I was (badly) which got missed and only noticed when I said my resting heart rate was really high (110+!) and since being on iron their growth has been a bit better - that may be coincidence.

Did they give you a Doppler centile (it will be PI on your notes).

Hello, my PI is 1.1.

The diagnosis of the report is :

"EFW plots between 3rd and 10th centile. Normal LV and umbilical artery Doppler"

I am confused because according to the report the EFW is 1222 g/2lb and 11 oz.

When I put that into Google it comes back as a normal weight for 29 weeks?

Or is that in relation to the other measurements?

Yes that seems to be a fairly decent weight! And great that dopplers etc are all normal, that's honestly super reassuring.

Not entirely sure how they calculate it all. Baby may simply be a little bit smaller, there's always going to be people on the upper and lower centiles.

Some hospitals plot your centiles based on the weight of your previous baby to know what's normal for you individually (if your grow chart has the details of your first baby at the top then yours probably do too?)
My first was born on the 34th centile, so when they plot these twins against my personalised grow chart they actually plot bigger than on an 'average' grow chart as they expect mine to be smaller. This could work the other way though - I.e if your first baby was bigger (50th centile or above) then they may be overestimating what this baby should be and hence a smaller centile reading. This may be why when you look online it's different.

It only becomes a worry if they start dropping down centiles each week/fortnight, ie not gaining weight at the expected rate, and as you're being more closely monitored now they'd soon pick up on that.

Don't forget too, EFW can be so inaccurate. Our bigger twin was plotting as 40ish centile for about 5 scans (10 weeks) in a row, then suddenly one week dropped to 22nd and the fetal medicine dr said it was likely just because she had moved position!

It all sounds OK to me, try not to panic too much and ask them any questions at your next appt x

I had the opposite in that my first two babies were always measuring really big. When I expressed my concern, my doctor rightly pointed out that for percentiles to make sense, someone somewhere always has to be towards the top and equally someone always has to be towards the bottom!

You’re being monitored regularly which is the main thing so if there is an issue, they will quickly find out. Try not to worry, easier said than done I know!