Small Baby - Stories/ Reassurance

[Tigerlily08]

Hello ladies,

A little background, I'm T1 Diabetic 29 weeks pregnant with my 2nd baby. My first was born at 38 weeks weighing 8lb 10 and it was a very 'typical' Diabetic Pregnancy - she tracked large on every growth scan.

I had my first growth scan and follow up today and they're concerned my 2nd is very small, I think the consultant said she was on the 3rd centile (DD1 was tracking on 98th centile at this stage). I've had a lot of issues with my blood sugars being low this pregnancy, but the endocrinologist didn't think that would explain a small baby. I've just been started on an insulin pump so hoping that the hypos will be reduced massively.

All the other readings were normal, including the placenta and cord blood flow. I've got to go back for another growth scan in 2 weeks to see if she is growing, just on a lower centile curve.

Anyone had similar and would be willing to share stories? Did your baby's grow or did you have to deliver early? If so, how early?

TIA x

Thanks!

@numberthirtytwowindsorgardens that's really reassuring, thank you.

@Clomid1 I'm so happy for you! That's great news. I'm feeling surprisingly calm, kind of in the mind set of whatever will be will be. We ended up in triage Saturday night for reduced movements and she didn't meet the criteria of the first trace but the second was fine. She's been moving well since. I will of course update you tomorrow! X

@Tigerlily08 oh gosh when she failed the first trace that must have really shaken you. Glad to hear she passed the second trace and is doing well now.

Wishing you the very best of luck for today. She’ll have grown amazingly, keep positive.

HI OP no diabetes but I have had a previous baby who was induced at 38 weeks born 38+5 weighing 5.3lbs, only picked up as fundal height dropped at 38 weeks, no growth scans throughout.
Now 34+2 and had regular growth scans due to previous small baby, referred to FMU, baby has been hovering around 10th centile throughout but has now dropped to 2nd (previous baby born on 2nd) I have a consultant scanning me on Monday at 35 weeks with a view to inducing at 37-38 weeks. Although I'm not looking forward to another long and unpleasant induction I'm not worried about baby's weight as my previous baby was perfect just tiny when born.
I ended up in theatre last time for retained placenta which had started to breakdown so I am happy for this one to come a little earlier incase the placenta starts to break down again!

@Clomid1 she has grown, still on 3rd/4th centile but they're happy that she's growing. The placenta and umbilical cord flow is still looking fine too. They've booked me in for another scan in 2 weeks to check again and to discuss the birth plan anyway. I'm still under strict instruction to be vigilant with any reduced movements and to call triage immediately with any vaginal losses or pain - I had a lot of cervical pain the other day and the sonographer said her head is so deep in my pelvis they struggled to get the head measurements and check the brain. They're wondering if she is engaged early. Feeling relieved but also still a bit apprehensive that we're facing another 2 weeks of uncertainty and hope that she continues to grow if they makes sense? X

@Tigerlily08 I am so relieved to hear she has grown. What an absolute nightmare these 2 weeks have been. Are you 31 weeks now? I had a google of head being engaged early and loads of people say they went to full term? But definitely best to just be vigilant about it.

I reckon if she’s growing on the 3rd centile then its all good. Someone has to be on the 3rd centile is what my midwife said to me. Try to do what you’ve done this week and then in 2 weeks you get a review. The good thing is because your regularly monitored things will feel like its moving slightly quicker than if you were just waiting for 40 weeks.

Have they not offered you ctg’s twice a week? Maybe ask them to offer you that because I found it a relief to have those done?

My son measured slightly below average on all the scans and then turned out to be a tiny 6lb squirt when he was born at 39+5.

A year later he was on the 70th percentile for weight.

@Clomid1 yes I'm 31 weeks and no they haven't offered me the CTGs. The hospital is a 40 minute drive away from me on a good run - I'd request the traces if they were concerned or if we have another episode of reduced movements I think.

@babyjellyfish thank you for your positive story. I'm feeling much calmer after the follow-up scan. Think it was the initial shock of a 'Diabetic baby' being so small - I expected her to be huge! My first was on 98th centile consistently until birth - 8lb 10oz at 38 weeks x

@Tigerlily08 just had my consultant appointment. They said that after the FMU scan on 31st if the baby has dropped off on growth again then they’ll look to induce at that point.

if she’s still growing they’ll induce at 39/40 weeks. I’m quite worried about induction but also like the idea of having baby sooner rather than later.

how are you, i know you still have another week for the next scan. When is it again? How has movement been?

@Clomid1 At least you have a plan of action now! Fingers crossed for 31st and for consistent growth.

My scan is on Tuesday next week. They said we'd discuss my birth plan then anyway so I guess we'll wait and see what her growth has been like. Her movements have been okay, she feels so low I'm still convinced she's going to just burst out. I did have one night where I had a lower back ache and she was thrashing around more than usual but she settled thankfully! I thought that was it and I was going to go into labour 😂

How many weeks are you now? X

Hi, hope all continues well. My first child was over 8lb, but my and the same for my second. However, my third child ( same gender as first) was 5lb 7oz at 38 weeks. Tracked 2nd centile for weight for first year - now at 14th! No concerns, healthy. On insulin throughout.

Hi, I don't have diabetes, that must be difficult for you. But I was told my daughter, who is now 7 years old (where does the time go), was going to be around 7.5lbs no idea where they got that from as when she was born at 39+2 she weighed 5.2lbs. She was so tiny nothing fitted her, my mum had to go and buy lots of tiny baby clothes. Thankfully she was perfectly healthy. She also lost a bit of weight and went down to 4.11.
I am now 19 weeks with baby girl number 2 who never stops moving. I have been told that I have to have growth scans at 28, 32 and 36 weeks because of my daughter being so tiny.
I can't see this one be as small as I have a big bump already who knows.
One thing about having a small baby she was super easy to push out 😂x

@Tigerlily08 ok great so you’ll be 33 weeks at the growth scan which is good. You’re getting to a good gestation now.

I’m 36 weeks on saturday.

I’m glad she’s moving around a lot though because at least it gives you peace of mind. Due to my placenta I still need to concentrate to feel things. But they say my belly is measuring between 35 and 36 so hoping she’s growing at the right rate. although I am scared of being induced if they told me they wanted to induce at 37 weeks I think I’d take that, the longer she’s inside the fear increases.

Definitely will be thinking of you on tuesday, fingers crossed for you.

@Tigerlily08 good luck for today! Hope it all works out well and they give you a clear plan of action on what will be happening.

@Clomid1 thank you, I will update you later this afternoon x

@Clomid1 she's still growing steadily/ consistently on the 3rd/4th centile and they're happy with that and how the placenta and umbilical cord are holding up. I was surprised they've provisionally booked me in for the section at 39 weeks. I have another 2 scans between now and then so it could change if need be and I'm still to be vigilant on movements. Really positive though! X

@Tigerlily08 amazing news! So happy for you! A clear plan and with the two scans in the middle it will really help time go a bit quicker.

I have my scan next tuesday where they’ll give me a date for induction. I’m a bit stressed out by this whole journey so have got to the point of induce me asap 😂

@Tigerlily08 baby born on 31/05/2022 after I went into labour on the Saturday before. She had a birth weight of 2.225kg which puts her at 0.2 centile for her gestation 37+2.

1. she struggled to maintain temperature but that sorted itself out
2. she contracted jaundice within 24 hrs of birth and was put in the billie box for 3 days
3. they said her infection marker was on the high side so put her on antibiotics

we’re now home after a 6 day stay in hospital. We seem to be doing okay. They still haven’t found a reason for her low birth weight.

Hoping that your journey is going well. 🙂

@Clomid1 ahh a huge congratulations for the safe arrival of your baby girl! So glad you're home and are doing well.

I had a scan this week and she has jumped from 4th centile to 25th (thank you diabetes!) So I'm feeling much calmer at the moment. Her movements have been better too. X

@Tigerlily08 Is your due date now approaching?

My waters broke at 33 weeks, with baby being on the 9th centile.
I'm 34+4 now and had a scan the other day showing baby had lost weight and now isn't even on the chart anymore. I've been booked in for a foetal medicine scan to check in depth blood flow.
I'm praying it's all ok and the last sonographer got his measurements wrong because I know he was struggling to get babies head being so low down.
My blood pressure is being medicated now because it was starting to get high.
Im having daily ctgs at the moment and sometimes he passes the criteria and sometimes he doesn't.
I have to have twice weekly bloods to check for infection.
I just want him out now tbh, my mental health has taken such a dive

With my second, I was told he was “worryingly small”.
The words “intrauterine growth restriction” were bandied about. I had growth scans and cord blood flow and placenta checked and there was absolutely no sinister medical reason as to why he was small.
My care providers were seemingly oblivious to the fact that I’d had a smaller than average baby previously, I’m a pretty tiny person, and my exH (DCs dad) is of southeast Asian heritage - generally speaking, quite tiny people.
DC2 ended up arriving perfectly healthy, 6lb 9oz.

@Clomid1 I ended up having her by EMCS on Wednesday - my blood sugars suddenly started dropping and they were concerned that the placenta was failing.

Because of my diabetes, her growth went a bit crazy - she was jumping up 25 centiles every 2 weeks!

She was born at a very healthy 7lb 11oz at 38+1 ❤️

How is your little one? I'm do glad/ relieved it all worked out well for both of us xx

@fja that sounds so stressful for you. Have you asked them to deliver your baby? Keeping everything crossed for you x

They've booked me in to see my consultant on the 13th which i think is ridiculous.
I'm on medication for high blood pressure, after being checked today they've told me to up my dosage. Surely all these risk factors just aren't worth it.
Don't get me wrong, I want him to be healthy but I feel like him being inside me for much longer is going to cause more problems than it's worth 🥲