30 week scan - baby has a fat tummy

[WeGoAgain123]

Hi there

Just popping on to see if anyone else has had the same feedback.

My 30 week growth scan today and was told by the midwife that my baby body has a fat tummy, still just within the parameters of expected growth (but only just)

She said seeing as I had a glucose test 4 weeks ago and that came back ok there's nothing to worry about.

I'm not worried exactly but I do wonder if the increased stomach size means I may have developed diabetes within the last 4 weeks, I am at an increased risk due to weight/age.

My two previous pregnancies were girls and were both born just under the 20% percentile when being overdue by 2 weeks and 10 days respectively. This baby is measuring just within the solid upper line in my notes.

Can anyone explain if these lines are graphed based on my previous 2 pregnancies or is being towards the upper line based on national averages (hope that makes sense)

Hey sorry unable to explain but going through a similar experience. This is my first baby, I’m 29 weeks pregnant, at 28 weeks my midwife said my baby was tiny and I was sent for a scan. The scan showed the baby as being over the 90th percentile so had all the gestational diabetes tests.
After they came back clear I was just told that my baby could just be a very big baby and that they can go through sudden growth spurts that can even itself out by the end of pregnancy. I was told not to worry and not to change anything so I’m just going to carry on as normal for now.

Ask for another GTT. GD is worst between 28 and 32 weeks I think so you may have only just developed it. If you have it it’s really important that you find out now.

I don't know re the GTT however can offer my experience. I had a growth scan at a similar gestation and baby was over 97th centile for abdo circumference, and about 90th for weight.
They weren't hugely concerned but it threw my home birth plans into disarray because of the concern about shoulder distocia.
However, ended up with an accidental home birth and all was well- just a chubby baby with admittedly a rather rounded tummy!
Hopefully yours will be nothing to worry about either.

Hi, not sure what size your babies tummy is exactly but I had a couple of extra scans due to unexplained bleeding in third trimester and at 32 weeks consultant commented that he had a fat tummy (which just made me laugh!) I think it measured 36 weeks at the time. Baby was estimated 80 odd percentile and there was no concern over size, gestational diabetes, etc. and I am average height, slim build myself. He's here now, he is a very tall boy, 98th percentile and always a good weight around 80th percentile. He does have a wee pot belly but I feel like most babies do! I would try not to worry about it OP

National averages.

You've just got a bigger baby. Maybe your diet has changed? I got a negative result for diabetes but I ate sweets, chocolate, cake etc daily in addition to healthy food and baby was almost 10lbs. So whilst not diabetic I must have had high blood glucose levels frequently enough to have helped baby gain weight.

@ScottishSleepyMum glad it all worked out for you but unfortunately it’s not something to just laugh about and it’s not something the OP should take as advice.
If GD is undetected babies can be getting too much sugar which can lead to increased abdominal circumference. This can cause a fair few issues and needs to be managed.
That’s not to scare you @WeGoAgain123 - I had GD found out at 28ish weeks but it was managed and baby was born perfect although they did tell me he had a large abdominal circumference and was estimated to be 10lbs - he was born 8 lbs 4 and slim.
Ask for another GTT or a monitor to test sugars at home for a few days, if you have it, it’s best to know about it anf then it can be managed xx

@BabyC21 At no point did I give that as advice, I was talking about my own personal experience. To be honest it is a concern on mine that NHS consultants, midwives, etc. don't always seem on top of this sort of thing. The experience never feels seamless with each person saying something different however in the moment you obviously go along with what the consultant says and if they have no concern about it, then as someone who is not an expert in that field, and a FTM, you take that as face value.

Your growth chart should be personalised and based on your last two babies, so will probably seem bigger compared to them. Defo ask for another GTT though. I had one the other week and they just did my fasting bloods, not the drink etc so I don’t trust it as much 😂

@CMcA21 I’ve never know any of my growth charts to be based on my previous babies. I don’t think the hospital even have that info on a live database? Surely it’s based on National average??

With my second baby I had a negative GTT, but in hindsight I obviously developed gestational diabetes sometime after that, they were predicting mega weights from his measurements, he ended up 9lb 9 at 39 weeks. I went on to develop gd with his brother, he was 8lb 5 at birth, I was insulin for the last trimester.

If you are in doubt, or they won't offer another test, eat as if You did have gd, low carb, 0 sugary things etc.

I even had mega polyhydramnios with my second, which really should have been picked up as a sign. When I went for the elcs the surgeon said it was like a paddling pool in there lol.

Well you could just have a big chubby baby, as I did.

My first was something like 95 percentile for his head and belly but only 70 for femur.

I honestly thought he’d come out like a gnome with a massive belly.

He didn’t, he was big but he was proportionate.

I had a GTT and a couple of additional scans - the scans were because he jumped lines on the growth chart and I was a bit older so they were precautionary.

It’s probably fine OP but good idea to request another GTT just to put your mind at rest.

[quote Honey2]@CMcA21 I’ve never know any of my growth charts to be based on my previous babies. I don’t think the hospital even have that info on a live database? Surely it’s based on National average??[/quote]
It’s not based on previous pregnancies, not in England / NHS anyway.
It says it in the details somewhere, it’s based on stats and averages.
Midwives barely look at personal data, you could easily tell them you’ve never had a baby before and they wouldn’t know unless they specifically asked for your medical history.

The idea that our medical info is held on one data base between all the different services is laughable really. It’s one of the biggest problems and one of the key contributors to failures in patients care.

It would be good though!

[quote Honey2]@CMcA21 I’ve never know any of my growth charts to be based on my previous babies. I don’t think the hospital even have that info on a live database? Surely it’s based on National average??[/quote]
If the hospital is using the Saving Babies Live bundle then growth charts are customised to your BMI, ethnicity and previous babies' gestation and weights. When the chart is generated it's all inputted manually by the sonographer/midwife

@Honey2 two of my friends are currently expecting and their growth scans both reflect that they had big babies last time. One of them is having growth scans and even though baby is an average weight for that gestation they’ve said to her that it’s because her growth scan is personalised and because they know her body is capable of growing big babies so it flags as a potential issue! I can’t comment as I’m pregnant with my first but apparently the growth scans do take precious births in to account!

Sorry should read that their growth charts reflect

And previous not precious 😂 too late for me

@PinkPrawns2 @CMcA21 thanks for that - I didn’t know they could do that. Having said that I’ve never had big babies so I guess I wouldn’t have experienced it. Interesting to know though 😊

@Honey2 it may vary from trust to trust, I know that they use this on Merseyside but not 100% sure about elsewhere!

I'd agree with PP suggesting you speak with your midwife for Blood glucose monitoring.

Gestational diabetes can cause babies to put on weight around their tummy and shoulders making delivery potentially more difficult.

Equally, if you did have GDM baby would need their Blood glucose monitoring post delivery.