20 week scan panic - small cerebellum

[ladydorito]

Hi everyone, I'm a first time mum due June.
I had my 20 week scan on Monday and was assured all was well - I've had a very stressful pregnancy thus far with a large hematoma in first trimester which bled loads, plus I have OCD, so it's not been an easy ride.
Little one's measurements are all in the 50th + centile - apart from their cerebellum which is in the 10th.
The sonographer, doctor and midwife (I'm consultant led due to my OCD) both assured me it was perfectly normal and they wouldn't refer for anything above the 3rd percentile but me being me, I've entered an OCD black hole of panic and am convincing myself baby will be born with a catastrophic brain injury.
Can anyone help talk me down - has anyone else had a measurement like this and it's all gone on to be fine? I know I probably sound ridiculous but it feels like it's been such a tough pregnancy and it's like my brain is now hard wired to believe everything is doomed.
Thank you.

Try not to worry. Every baby grows at a different rate. My DDs measurements were all over the place - legs at 3% head at 10% then the following scan would be different.
You'll probably find that at the next scan you have, baby will have caught up.
Good luck

The cerebellum is within normal limits. The important thing about assessing the cerebellum is the shape, which was obviously normal, so that is as reassuring as can be. It’s looked at to rule out spina bifida, where it changes shape and becomes very small due to the shape change. It’s not a subtle thing, it’s barn door obvious.
Please don’t worry.
I know how you feel with the anxiety, I’m in the same place albeit over different things. I become obsessed and anxious over a perceived issue/problem that is affecting the pregnancy and promptly move on to another problem shortly after. I’ve been like this every week. It’s draining.

Oh bless you, it's so very, very hard. I am - I don't know if lucky is the right word - fortunate that I've known I have OCD for many years, and that I already have some coping mechanisms. I am the exact same with the different themes of worry and I'm determined to nip it in the bud before they are here... Because I don't want my child growing up with a mum who can't handle the day to day anxieties of parenthood.
Thank you - it's so difficult to separate what is natural and appropriate anxiety from what isn't - have you found some coping mechanisms that are helping?
Hearing that baby's brain is on the small side is obviously not ideal - but I need to have faith the hospital staff know better than me and DrGoogle...!

My advice is to not get hung up on the measurement. Someone else could probably measure it today on the 80th centile. It’s a fiddly measurement to get and as I said, isn’t really used to assess growth trajectory like the HC, AC and FL is.
The appearance of the cerebellum is key.

I don’t have any coping mechanisms except that I’m better when I am kept busy 🤦🏻‍♀️ but it has and will be a very long pregnancy with my weekly concerns. I’d be embarrassed to list all the things I’ve cried that I think are wrong!

Hi OP, how did this turn out? Hope you and your baby are well

Hello! My little daughter is snoozing away contentedly on me as I type. She's great! We had to have lots of growth scans for unrelated issues to this, which was nerve wracking to say the least, but she's perfectly healthy. In fact, her head is on the big side! Good luck xx