Terrified there is something wrong - 3rd trimester

[Sammie1990]

Hi all,

FTM here! Would love to hear from people who have had similar experiences as I am driving myself mad with google!

at my 20 week scan my baby was measuring 30 percentile for head and abdomen and 7th for femur length. I was told that below 5% would be a referral to foetal medicine and that I would get an extra scan at 28 weeks. Had my 28 week scan and it showed head on in the 60th, abdomen 70th and femur 9. For me this is even more alarming as it seems he is now growing even more out of proportion. On top of this I also have high fluid, I’ve had the diabetes and other tests and there is no obvious cause. I have another scan at 32 weeks.

my worry is it seems that everything is just about ‘okay’ for it to not require much further investigation. I am really worried that there is something not right such as an abnormality, of course at this stage if there were an abnormality it would just mean that I could be as prepared as possible and do all I can to ensure my little one is as okay as they can be.

i had a private sex scan and wondering If this is the right option forward to get a second opinion?

any advice or similar experiences appreciated!

thank you

Honestly I feel this so much, I've just had my second scan because he's measuring "big" at 28 weeks! I was asking the midwife today if they grow in a standard manner but she said they all grow at their own rates and unless they fall off the chart one way or another it's all fine. She seemed to suggest they grow in "spurts" mine has doubled within a month weight wise! This is the time of super growth the last trimester!

The scan's seem to be really inaccurate and "estimates". I wouldn't bother with a private scan, they'll just measure the same things and I doubt it would reassure you.

If they thought there was something really wrong they'd be sending you for further tests. It sounds like just your baby growing at the rate that's right for your baby 😀

If you want to pay private for second opinion then pay a proper fetal medicine specialist to scan and advise you. A consultant obgyn with specialist in fetal health.
A private view your baby "scan for sex" scan will not help , you need a specialist to interpret results.

Or ask your consultant or midwife to refer you to fetal medicine unit on nhs to see a consultant specialist

We’re all different and we all worry differently too. Try to sit back and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy, it will be over before you know it. And you’ll be looking after that little one and fretting all over again. It honestly doesn’t stop.If they were really worried, they’d be checking.

I'm 39 weeks pregnant and my baby's femur is also 9th centile, compared to much bigger abdomen and head measurements. I happen to be under consultant care for other reasons and he has assured me this is nothing to worry about.

Apparently babies don't come in proportion, the scans aren't particularly accurate and babies grow different body parts at different rates.

I'm having the baby very soon so if they turn out to have issues relating to leg length I'll try to remember to come back and update this thread! I'm not concerned about it though based on the feedback I've had from the medics.

Hi,

yes what I mean is I already had the sex scan. The consultant I use is a foetal medicine doctor. They won’t refer you to foetal medicine under the NHS unless they feel something is wrong, you can’t just request it which makes perfect sense. There are limited resources reserved for those who really need it, hence I’m willing to pay for it as I’m fortunate to be in the position to be abele to do so.

Thanks for the reply! Yea I know I’m overly concerned, it’s made worse because I’m having a boy and my partner is 6’4! Hence I would expect a long baby 😂

Hope everything goes well, how exciting! X

Don’t panic. I’ve had three and they always say something is measuring short or long 😊. Human beings come in different sizes

I know it's hard but try not to worry. I was high risk so had lots of scans and my baby always measured as having a shorter femur and bigger abdomen (I'm short and on the larger side so thought he was taking after me). When he came out he was long (97th centile for height) and skinny. No idea what was going on with the measurements but he was completely the opposite to what we were expecting!

My first baby always had short femurs, below 3rd percentile from 20 weeks and her other measurements were always around 40th percentile. I had multiple growth scans and it was always the same, despite other measurements not being low my outcome was a small baby (4lbs8) no other issues.
I have just had my 20 week scan for my second and again AC and HC both around 40/50th femur 15th so I imagine he’ll also be on the smaller side.
It’s hard not to worry but I’ve read so many positive stories of babies femurs measuring a little small and everything being absolutely fine.

Thank you! Baby was born yesterday, perfectly in proportion and has a clean bill of health :) Try not to worry if you can, best of luck with the rest of your pregnancy.

Congratulations!🎉🎊