Sent for growth scan

[grosgirl]

Hi all,

I’ve just had a midwife appointment at 29 weeks and for the second time, I’m measuring 3 weeks ahead. This has triggered a growth scan and I’m looking for people’s experiences of both measuring ahead and the reliability of the growth scans themselves.

Midwife has said to prepare for the hosp to be a bit ‘twitchy’ about me carrying a big baby to full term but what does that mean? How far are they likely to let me go? I am very much against being induced because I’ve never known anyone have a positive experience of it.

Are there likely to be other reasons for the big bump? Midwife only really saw there be one reason: big baby.

Thanks!

I've had two babies.

First (DD1) measured 2/3 weeks ahead the whole time, had several growth scans, big bump, she came out 7lb 7 on due date.

Second measured 1-2 weeks behind the whole time, my bump was much smaller, and she came out at 39 weeks at 8lb.

🤷‍♀️

DD1 was in a weird position most of my pregnancy with her bum sticking out at the top which made my bump really big and solid, which probably led to the large measurements. DD2 was totally different position wise.

My midwife sent me for a growth scan every single time I saw her with my first pregnancy. She always told me baby was big.

She was born at 41+3 weighing 8lb 8oz. Every time the hospital re-measured me and said the midwife was way off.

Too much amniotic fluid or weight gain could contribute to big bump. Second or more pregnancies as everything already stretched out before. Too much weight gain or diabetes increases the risk of having a big baby.

My bump often measures “too small”
I was 34cm 3 weeks apart then 36cm a week later! It’s a very subjective measurement. I think how much you’ve eaten/drank, or gone to the toilet that day can affect it.

My baby was estimated as big on last growth scan, 8 pounds 9 oz at 39 weeks. I’m now 41 weeks + 1 day and am due to be induced later this week (not what I wanted either but risky leaving the pregnancy to go on much longer 🥲) so I’ll try and come back to let you know!

I personally don’t think the growth scans are very accurate. I noticed on my last scan they took 3-4 of each measurement (head and belly circumference, femur length) and always used the biggest one to plug into their calculation.

I have many friends that we’re all wildly over estimated on growth scans, with the baby coming out at the size they were estimated 4 weeks prior. The mothers were all small sized themselves though.

A colleague at work did say her daughter was very big throughout her pregnancy and her baby came out big, can’t remember exact but something like 9 pounds 8 oz by c-section.

This is really reassuring. I do feel like I’m carrying big but I’m also 5ft 2 and I carried big with my first baby, just didn’t measure large.

I had been hoping for a home birth but won’t take the risk if this is going to be a huge baby.

In my unit, the growth chart they use to plot against is designed” according to your height and booking weight, so if you are particularly small (5ft 2 is small! But not sure what your booking weight was) then the growth chart would anticipate your bump and baby to be smaller compared with someone who started out taller and heavier than you….

BTW I’m not a doctor or nurse, I have just taken a keen interest in this since becoming pregnant, asked the healthcare professionals lots of questions and done lots of my own reading and critical thinking to come to these conclusions.

I think most people want to avoid induction / c-section. You will be able to talk through your options with your dr/consultant. Bigger babies can cause a lot of additional risks /complications and they will take you through these and you can decide the best cause of action.

Currently 29 weeks myself and mine is off the top of the growth charts (both previous babies were too so in my case likely to be accurate) Incidentally, I measured 2 weeks behind on fundal height (tape measure).

@Sunnydayz really interesting! My booking BMI was something like 27, so slightly overweight.

@Stag82 do you have any indication of why? I was sent for a GTT due to PCOS but that came back normal. I guess I’m just wondering if it’s something I’ve done! Maybe too much of feeding the cravings!

The dr thinks I just grow them big (I'm only 5 foot and usually size 6-8!) I have a healthy bmi, weight gain within expected range and initial bloods saying no diabetes (got GTT tomorrow to rule it out).

I asked the dr if it would make a difference if i ate differently and she said no, baby would take what he wants/ needs anyways!

Try not to worry the midwife measurements are so 'off'. I measured 3 weeks ahead at 28 weeks so had a growth scan (midwife measured baby on the 97th centile and when I got to the hospital baby measured on the 55th). Then again at 31 weeks I was sent back up because midwife said baby had dropped to 90th centile - again hospital scan said she was on the 57th centile. Baby was born at 40 weeks and on the 56th centile for weight

Sorry meant to add at my 38 week appointment midwife measured me at 41 weeks and baby was on the 98th centile! So totally inaccurate way of measuring

@Stag82 I think I’m exactly the same. With my DS, I started with a healthy BMI, didn’t put on a huge amount of weight and he was 8lb 15oz.

@wishuponastar1988 thank you: this is reassuring. I’ll see what the growth scan says but I’m not going to worry too much based on the fundal height. Really doesn’t sound as if it’s a particularly reliable measurement.

Bladder size can make a huge difference to the midwife measurements. When baby drops your bumb gets smaller too, so when people 'carry big' it can just mean that their uterus sits higher rather than an overly big baby. (Although I suppose that could imply a small pelvis which is the same issue as a big baby).

Mobile babies are much harder to measure in scans, and positioning is a big factor especially later on.

I have just been for my 35 week appt with the midwife and bump too measuring ahead at 36 weeks on the 97th centile.

Been told that if my bump continues to measure off the curve then I will have a growth scan in 2 weeks at 37 weeks. I am 5ft6 and a slim build, measured on the 50th centile with my daughter, she was 7lb8oz so naturally worried about this baby being huge!

crossing my fingers that it is his positioning with a combination of placenta and fluid that is causing me to measure bigger because I am terrified of having a c section :(

@Tinadecember I’m surprised you’re being told you’re measuring on the 97th centile when you’re only 1cm ahead! Just checked the chart in my notes and at 35 weeks, if you’re measuring 36cm fundal height, it puts you midway between the 50th and 90th centile.

I was told dc3 was measuring "off the charts" big and had growth scans every 2 weeks from 28w. I had him at 39w via c section (this was originally in place for other reasons, not due to his size) and he was 8lbs 7oz. Really not the monster I was expecting!

I was told I was measuring big with my second and third. Both came out totally average. I had umpteen growth scans and diabetes tests. With my third they kept saying they were more relaxed about it as they knew my second had measured big but then wasn’t. But they still kept checking him constantly. And towards the end they got anxious due to the fact I had just turned 40 (so instantly counted as old) and had some health issues during the pregnancy with my epilepsy. So they worried it would be too much to let this ‘giant’ baby go to far past my due date. I got talked into an induction at term, which I’m still not sure was needed. But I was lucky in that it jumpstarted a pretty straightforward labour so I almost forget that it didn’t start on it’s own. Good luck with your pregnancy.

Hi OP, I'm currently 34 weeks with DC3 and have been measuring on the 90th centile since 26 weeks.
Midwife told me to expect a big baby, 8 or 9 pounds however a growth scan, the scan was actually for ectopic beats but they measured growth while I was there, showed the baby is measuring on the 50th centile and growing perfectly.

I wouldn't worry too much I honestly don't feel like the size of your bump has any say in how big baby will be.

I don’t think you should be worried, midwife measurements aren’t that great. My tummy was measured in triage 2 weeks ago when I was 25 weeks, and I was measuring a week smaller so got sent for a growth scan. 2 days later I had my growth scan and baby was actually measuring a week larger than it’s supposed to be and I got sent for a GTT which came back positive 😩
My tummy always looks bigger during the day than it does in the morning, I don’t trust fundal height measurements

Oh yes, according to the midwife’s measurements baby was measuring on 5th centile but growth scan showed he’s actually measuring on 90th centile!