Tell me your growth scan accuracy stories please! Baby measuring big!

[5star123]

I’m 39w+3d and growth scans are showing my baby to be on the 97th percentile and estimate its current weight to be just over 9lb. I’ve seen a couple of Doctors and they are recommending that I am induced before I reach full term next week and have even offered me an elective section because of the baby’s size.

My first baby was 6lb 14oz (although was 5 days early) and I know bump size isn’t everything but if anything I am smaller with this baby than I was with her. I’m not uncomfortable and just don’t feel like I’m carrying a 9lb baby. To confuse things even more I had a private scan at 39w which measured me to be bang on my due date and baby to be weighing 7lb 7oz - the NHS doctors are adamant that this is wrong.

Can you tell me your experiences of growth scans and how accurate/inaccurate they were? I would desperately like to avoid intervention but it’s so hard when you have Doctors advising otherwise!

What was the reason for doing the grown scan? Is your bump big or do you have other risk factors?

i had 2weekly scans as they were concerned baby was small all doctor led no hands in midwives, last scan estimated around 7lb he was 9lb5. The midwife at the doctors who did my last checkup said he was going to be big just by feeling him. So sometimes experience and low tech is most accurate

I had Covid in my third trimester and my midwife wanted to send me for a scan to check that everything was ok (she was a bit paranoid about Covid and pregnancy) My fundal height was measuring fine before that and has continued to be within range since.

I’ve also been tested for gestational diabetes twice during this pregnancy and both times I was negative.

DS2 was predicted 4444g. Birth weight 4435g. Not bad!

Wow that’s bang on!!

I was told my bump was measuring 2 weeks behind so sent for a growth scan.

When I had the scan I was then then told that the baby was going to massive.

Baby was born and was a very average weight. Basically felt like no one had a clue.

Dd1 was predicted to be big. I'm small & was pretty worried about the birth. She only weighed 7.5lb when she was born, I thought I was hearing things when they told us her weight!
So not particularly accurate in my case, was a few years ago now though.

DC1: different midwife at 28 week appointment measured me and recorded no growth in bump size since 25 week appointment. Growth scans showed nor problems and estimated 7lb 10 ish 50th percentile. Born 40+3, 8lb in the dot, 50th percentile. Scan= very accurate.

DC2: measuring small I'm bump measurements so sent for grow scans. Estimated to be around 9th percentile fortnightly scans showed steady growth along that percentile so allowed to go to due date without intervention. Estimated due date weight 6pb 10. Born 39+5, 6lb 4lb, 7th percentile. Scan= very accurate. She's still teeny tiny now.

DC3: regular scans due to low birth weight for dc2. Consistent measurements estimated c.25th percentile with due date birth weight around 7lb 6. Born 40+2, 7lb 3, 25th percentile Scan = very accurate!

Must have a very good sonography team at my hospital 😀

Sorry with DC1 that should say 7lb 10 estimated birth weight at due date, not the estimated weight at the scan

You probably won't want to hear this, but I had two weekly scans because they said my baby was measuring big. They wanted to induce me on my due date as they thought he would be about 9lb by then. I was reluctant to be induced, but went with it, and he ended up over 10lb.
But to be honest, I know plenty of people that were told they were having big babies based on scans and they've come out at an average weight. So it's certainly not foolproof.

Tbh OP even if the baby is bigger than average I would absolutely not see this as a reason for induction.

Give your body chance to prepare and get baby into the best position it can.

I was told repeatedly baby was measuring big but chose not to induce early. He was 10lb9oz and if I’d known I’d have probably gone for an earlier induction (went overdue and was induced at 42 weeks) or elective section as he was also back to back and delivery bashed us both up pretty badly.

that said I know others who’s scan-based estimates have been miles off.

I had one growth scan, at 40+10.

They estimated her to be 8lb 12oz. I had her two days later, she was 8lb 11oz.

However, a friend of mine had them through her first pregnancy due to GD and they were threatening to induce and not let her go over due to the baby being big. The baby was born at 6lb 9oz!

At about 36 weeks I was told my baby was just over 6lbs and would therefore be just over 8lbs by 40 weeks. When she arrived (albeit 2 days early) she was 6lb13oz. I'm not sure how they gauge the baby's weight in utero but I've heard so many different stories that I don't think it's hugely reliable!

This is my thinking considering that current NICE guidelines on induction of labour recommend only offering induction at 41 or 42 weeks in otherwise healthy women who have a larger than average baby. I said this to the Doctor but then they start talking about shoulder dystocia etc and I don’t know what to think!

Take the elective!!!

I had growth scans due to IVF pregnancy. My dd measured on 90th centile and estimated to be 8lbs + at birth
She did slow down in growth the last two weeks and was born 3 days early at 7lbs 7oz

She's now on the 50th centile at 4 months old :)

I’m considering it but I would be absolutely furious if I did and then had an average weight baby and six weeks of recovery afterwards 😑

I had extra scans bec DS had pyeostasis (sp?): not always benign kidney thing.
From 32 or 34 week scan, Predicted: 99th percentile
Born: 9th percentile
<shrug>

ps: and MW kept saying as she groped me "The baby just doesn't feel that big !"
I'd trust MW over scan, any day.

My son measured on the 96th centile at the scan and was born on the 97th centile so it was accurate. I wasn't offered any intervention for him as was told the scans weren't always accurate and he ended up being born by emergency section, not to do with how big he was but was told he would have needed to come out by section anyway in the end. There is no right answer really. Do what you think best.

I only have bigger babies, and always go very overdue. Babies 1-3 in 2000,2009 and 2011, growth scans weren't a thing in my area. DC3 was the largest at 9lb10.

For DC4 and 5 routine growth scans had been introduced.

DC4 was predicted at 37wks to be 9lb. So with a potential 5 more weeks he was estimated to be over 5KG/11lb. My hospital said that ordinarily they weren't worried as I had history of 9lber and NICE guidance wasn't to induce automatically based on size but over 5KG was a tipping point.
I agreed to an induction at 40wks (wasn't offered any earlier) he was born and weighed 9lb5, so about a 1lb less than they predicted he would be and would likely only have been 10lb5 at 42wks.

DC5 was estimated to be 6lb9 at 36wks, which according to the sonographer was average. She was 9lb when induced at 41wks. So again 91st centile.

I had scans every two weeks in last few months. Consultant predicted 7.12 baby was 2 days early and 7.10. I had same consultant on my previous pregnancy and he predicted the weight exactly right on delivery. I assumed that the scans must be pretty accurate!

I had a growth scan due to fundal height measuring low (34 weeks I think it was) and was told he was going to be over 9lbs. The midwife even called him a chunk!

In reality, he was 6lbs 15oz. We ended up having to go and buy newborn clothes as everything we’d bought was too big 🙄