Fundal height measurement and low lying placenta

[Ifitistobesaid]

I’m 31 weeks and have had a pretty small bump throughout the pregnancy. Everyone keeps telling me I’m tiny and very neat but I’ve been reassured that my fundal height measurements have always been spot on (28cm at 28 weeks etc). However today at my 31 week midwife appointment it was measuring 30cm. I know it’s still within the normal range but it’s concerning me that the steadiness of the growth seems to have dropped off.

I am due to have a scan next week anyway to check the position of my placenta as it was low lying at my 20 week scan. I’m worried now that my small bump is a sign my uterus hasn’t been stretched out enough to move the placenta upwards.

Has anyone been through similar? Either fundal height measurement dropping at this stage or small bump and low lying placenta? How did it work out for you?

I have had three miscarriages and several rounds of IVF to get here so very anxious.

I had 3 growth scans for the fundal height dropping off. It's a really inaccurate way of measuring baby and can be subjective based on who's measuring, how you're lying and if baby has moved position. The growth scans themselves are also pretty inaccurate, they predicted baby as being 7lb7 and she was 9lb4 which was a shock! Like you I had a really neat bump, are you tall by any chance? I am and my bump must have gone up not out. The week before I had DD I was chatting to someone and they had no idea I was even pregnant when I told them 😂

I also had a small bump and was measured by 3 people during pregnancy one who said I was on track, one who said I was large (bizarre) and one who said baby had stopped growing and literally frightened me half to death.

None of them were correct and although baby was on the small side at 6lbs 1oz at 40 weeks she was still within the normal range for a newborn. I didn't find the tape measurements very accurate at all x

I know the plots are based individually on you, however my 28week and 31weeks were the same measurements as you. Also I had an anterior placenta and it was partly over the cervix at 20weeks.
I’m now 34+4, It turns out the placenta has moved up enough. It went from no gap to she said about 4cm by 31weeks.

I’ve had a few growth scans at 31 and 34weeks due to reduced movements and high bp. In the scan I had two days ago the baby is measuring fine.

I think my bump is slightly on the small side vs my friend who is 5 weeks behind me. However I do now feel big and doing normal tasks is starting to become harder now the bump is in the way. There’s alsorts of reasons, such that they might have more fluid, they might be carrying differently. I find my bump is more spread across and I think the baby lies across too but I’ve never figured that out. The movements tend to be predominantly rhs.

Thanks for responding everyone.

@Blue2020 glad you seem to have a similar story and it’s working out well. Though I’m not sure my growth chart is personalised? It seems to be a standard graph of cm against weeks, there’s no personal info like my height or weight.

I had a low lying placenta with my 2nd. It moved up by about 33 weeks. Didn't have any problems at the birth.

Like others I’m tall and had both a small bump and low lying placenta. It did move in the end at the final scan but due to my anxiety around birth in general I’d already requested a c-section so went ahead with it. It was great (what a strange way to describe being cut open) 😆 but it was! Just in case it doesn’t move in time. I think 80% of cases do from memory. I’m now due #2 and waiting to see if this placenta is low next week. I’m having another section so I don’t feel like it matters a huge amount either way this time but obviously would rather it wasn’t

I was sent for lots of extra scans because my bump wasn’t growing fast enough according to my chart. The scans all showed that the baby was big despite my small bump and he was 8lb when he was born.

Fundal height differs a bit depending on the person measuring it, and how the baby is lying changes it too. They would have sent you for an urgent scan if the growth had slowed too much.

It’s good that you’ve got another scan booked anyway, hope all goes well.