Can growth scans be majorly off?

[highheavenn]

40 weeks tomorrow and had my last growth scan today. Baby is estimated 8lbs2.

Both my children were 6lb3 !!!

First was born 39+6 weeks
Second was born 37+5 weeks

This seems crazzzy that baby is estimated this big!

Can it be majorly off? What did they say about your scans?

My baby was estimated to be 9lb 4or bigger at due date based on growth scans, born at 40+2 at 8lb 3oz. So in my case definitely off!

I had growth scans my babies were prem. I was told that they can be 2lLb off either way. Mine were 2ish lLb lighter than the estimate

If your 2nd was 6lbs3 at less than 38 weeks I don’t think it would be out of the realm of possibility for this one to be 8lbs with an additional 2 weeks gestation on your last. That said, growth scans can certainly be very off.

They can be off yes. But 8lbs is hardly giant! It’s unusual for all your children to be exactly the same weight.

Not to scare you, but my growth scan was estimating 6lbs 13oz and our baby boy was 8lbs 4oz

My sister had an ultrasound while in labour as she was 3 weeks early and told baby was 5lb something. A few hours later when delivered he was 8lb 6. Take with a pinch of salt

DD1 was estimated at 8lb 12oz.... she was born at 38weeks 8lb 10oz 😬

Bigger babies are easier to birth. 8 isn’t huge so I’d be thinking this is good news.

Baby isn't huge but that's big for me when my others have been 6lbs3!

My midwife said the same about bigger babies being easier too

Baby is big for me because my previous babies I would've expected around the same! Not complaining though just curious what others scans were like

Yes, DD was 8lb14 and est much smaller. We took in tiny baby clothes, which we ended up donating to SCBU!

I can't imagine what baby would've been full term wow ha xx

so However much pushing you had to do last time it’s likely to be easier this time.

It can be off, a lot of factors can affect it. Baby's position, how active baby is, your weight/build, how much water you drank, the equipment used, the person doing the scan.

DC1 estimate was way off, DC2 was almost exact. I've been told bigger ones are easier to get out 🤷‍♀️

First baby came out in one push and flipped on the bed 🫣 didn't even crown just straight out!!

Second baby was with foreceps but quite quick with pushing I just didn't feel any of it cause the epidural!

Your second child was born before 38 weeks so I reckon they would've been close to 8lbs had you carried them to 40 weeks. I'm 38 weeks pregnant and I've had 3 growth scans that show my baby at 50th centile. I'm also wondering if growth scans are accurate.

Also, why do so many people say that big babies are easier to push out? Surely bigger heads and shoulders will be tricky?

My son was 10lb on a scan at 37 weeks so I had to have him the following week, or he'd be too big and I had low waters.

He was 8lb10 born at 38+5

With DD I was encouraged to be induced as she was measuring too small - she was 9lb7

DS estimated a nice little 7lb at growth scan - 9lb3

Yes I got told to expect a big baby... he was a 6 pounder
Friend got induced early expecting a 5 pounder, he was almost a 10 pounder!!!

Both way off. Try not to worry

Yes baby was predicted 7lb7. She was 9lb4!

My DS was supposedly well over 10lb on a scan at 37 weeks. He was born just short of 39 weeks and weighed 8lb 5oz.
He did look massive though and they rushed him to the scales. The nurses were so disappointed when his true weight came in 😄.

My DD was the opposite. She was expected to be around 5lb but ended up being 7lb (full term). She looked so so tiny and not like her actual weight. She didn't get into 0-3mth clothes until she was about 6 months old.

Definitely aren't an exact science. I had a scan at 36+6. They said baby was already at 8lbs something. He was born 2 days later and only weighed 7lbs.

Was warned at 37weeks that I was looking at a 10lb baby if I went to 40weeks. Daughter born at 39+4 and was 7lb 4oz. Conversely second daughter was estimated to be very small and likely to be less than 5lb 5oz at 40weeks. She was born at 39+4 and was.... 7lb 2oz 🤷🏼‍♀️

I was later told during an MRI scan that I had thick hip bones that were unusually close together at the top and splayed unusually outwards and which made growth scans during pregnancy largely useless.

Scans are about 15% off either way, they are better at predicting small babies rather than big. And at term growth is less accurate due to difficulty in measuring.

Yes, I was told the later they are the less accurate they are. I was told after 22 week scan that my second baby was going to be huge, probably wasn't possible to have a natural birth due to size. (first had been 9lb 11oz and c-section.). Sent for growth scan, hospital lost paperwork, so had very late growth scan at about 36 weeks, told he was going to be small to average, like 7lb on due date. I queried the maths as that would have meant he had barely grown in months, response was that I had obviously been eating too much chocolate?!? Anyway, he was a week or so early and 9lb. Neither a giant nor tiny. Estimates are rubbish.