97th Percentile Baby

[MrsJ6921]

I had my 27 week midwife appointment back on 10th October with not my usual midwife, had all the usual checks including bump measurements in which she commented ‘perfect’ but nothing else.

However, due to an issue with my badger notes I was unable to see my GROW chart but turns out I was measuring 29 weeks unbeknown to me (2 weeks ahead). On Sunday I subsequently had my 31 week appointment at 30+2 which I was measuring 30.5cm however my midwife flagged this and sent me for a growth scan yesterday but not to worry as the growth hadn’t made a big jump at all and was measuring normal for the weeks I am. But because of the measurements at 27 weeks I would need a scan.

I had the scan and long behold the baby is now tracking on 95th percentile rather than 97th and weights an estimated 4lbs. The Sonographer did say she thinks that baby’s growth will slow and I’ll probably be sent back for another scan for slower growth as these things tend to even out and said both head and femur are 50th percentile and baby’s tummy is slightly bigger so I’ll need to be tested for gestational diabetes and baby is NOT considered large.

I can’t help but feel panicked and not very reassured that baby will be rather big and the potential issues that this brings. I’ve had such a textbook pregnancy until Sunday and now I’m just worrying.

Please don’t worry. The scan measurements aren’t very reliable at all.

There are loads of threads on here about women who were told they were having a big baby and then didn’t.

Also big babies aren’t necessarily harder to birth - it’s much more about positioning (and luck of the draw).

I found this website very useful: https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-for-induction-or-c-section-for-big-baby/

Don’t worry - the scan measurements are very inaccurate and you’re being monitored now. I was measured at 97th at 30 weeks, then at 34 as just above the 10th. There was a lot of panic, she was born last week at 41 weeks and 7lb 3oz

My DS was on the 97th and he was completely healthy at birth (and still is). The birth had no complications.

I know from DD that scam measurements are not very accurate: we had a scan the day before she was born estimating her weight at 8lb 6. She was 6lb 5.

@MrsJ6921 I could have written this exact thing myself. My bump was 97% on my 24 week appointment, and on my 28 week exactly the same which triggered a scan... (i've actually had two due to another dodgy bump measurement where they measured me on the 10th centile! but i won't bore you all day!) anyway I had the scan yesterday and they've estimated he's 90% centile by the scan measurements, just enough to not trigger any more action currently.

They mentioned gestational diabetes which i've had 2 random blood tests for already because my sister has Type 1, and I currently don't have it. The midwife did say sometimes the growth evens out and 99% of those i've asked said they had been told they had a big baby only to find out at birth they were totally average!

All my scan measurements for head/tummy and femur are around 85-90%! Currently estimated 3lbs 10 at 29+3

I'm 100% there with the panic that this may cause them to want to induce (which is my one thing i don't want) and associated complications and i'm just hoping it all evens out toward the end!

I had growth scans at 30 weeks and 36 weeks. Both times I was told big baby. 30 weeks they said 95th centile they didn't say centile at 36 weeks but said it was weighing 6lb 12 ounces so was expecting baby to be round 9lb when born. She was born 40+3 at 7lb 5. No where near what they thought.

Try not to worry.. it’s easier said than done but im one of the people who had a growth scan way out!

I had GD so had regular growth scans, baby was measuring weeks ahead from around 26 weeks!
I had a scan at 37 weeks and baby was estimated around 8 and half pounds at that time. I made sure to have baby clothes for her estimated size and expected her to be a lot bigger when she was born!

Our girl was born at 38+4 weighing 5lbs1!
Miles away from what she was estimated to be, and we were very under prepared 😂 x

Sometimes these scan measurements are not accurate. Don't worry or you'll send your BP up.

@essynemo interested to know if they recommended early induction for the GD and baby size estimate? Or did you go naturally at 38+4? Congrats on your teeny baby girl! 😍

@suz2285 thank you!
we got induced because of reduced movements, they were happy to let me go as long as possible because my GD was diet controlled but i really struggled to feel her move throughout pregnancy :) x

@essynemo good to know! and glad all is ok with your little one 😁

I had gestational diabetes for both, but baby was always coming at 37 weeks due to also having APS.

Baby 1 measured above 95th throughout pregnancy. He was on the 92nd when born.

Baby 2 was measuring off the scale. I was measuring 6 weeks ahead. She was born on the 98th. She’s still on the 98th. I never got my diabetes under control and there was nothing I could have done differently. At one point we were upping my insulin every day, and I was on 40+ units by 30 weeks.

Both are still above 90th centile at 3 years, and 4 months respectively. We have tall genes in the family (not me though!!) so looks like they’ve inherited those.

One scan isn’t necessarily an accurate result.

If you have 15 scans though, like I did, and baby measures big on several machines with several different technicians, this is more likely to be reliable.

Most importantly get diabetes checked. Good luck x

My baby jumped from 50th to 97th centile in the space of 2 weeks. I still have absolutely no idea why this happened, though I was then diagnosed with gestational diabetes. She was born at 39 weeks weighing 8lb 6oz and she's now 14 months and has been bang on 50th centile for weight since 🙂

Scans showed my DD as a big baby throughout. She was average size but she was born at 38 weeks so probably a bit on the big size. All her measurements were big, so big head, femur and tummy. She generally tracked on 97th-99th percentile but one scan put her off the charts so I had to go see a consultant after that scan and have some bloods and BP taken. The measurements are taken from a scan and depend on baby’s position, how awkward they are being but only a few millimetres “out” has an impact on size. DD is still on the upper centiles though now for height but her dad is tall though.

I had an induction at 38 weeks because I had GD. I was insulin controlled towards the end but they were happy for me to go to 39 weeks but we had some reduced movements and I brought it forward. Induction was absolutely fine and I had no interventions and only needed the pessary.

Big tummy is an indicator for GD and if it’s that, following a GD diet will reduce the stomach measurement. If you have GD, it’s better to find out now and try to control it through diet. They’ll probably scan you at 30 weeks and maybe 36 weeks. If you’re still measuring big then look for newborn clothes that are bigger - so next, matalan, M&S, George all do newborn up to 9-10lb.

I've had growth scans every 2 weeks because my measurements have been all over the place. At one point my fundal height measurement apparently went down 🤔. The margin of error is really high, like 20%. I've known several be told they have huge babies that come out at 7lb, or tiny babies that come out at 9lb. I wouldn't be overly concerned at this point.

OP I had this, baby jumped from 50th centile to 95th between 20 and 28 weeks, both on bump measurements and scans. In particular his head and tummy were apparently off the scale. As I wasn’t within a risk group they refused to test me for Gd, but I followed the diet anyway. I was induced at 40+1 as they predicted baby being so big (and I’m quite small).

The scans ended up being quite inaccurate and he was born on the 75th, so big but not huge, and 8lb 3oz. No intervention needed, the weight of his head made him come out fairly easily for it being my first baby! So try not to worry, the scans are notoriously inaccurate

Thanks everyone for your replies, they’re really helpful. I’m a first time mum so this is all very new to me!

Agree about scan measurements being inaccurate. I was told my DC1 would be "about 6lb" and was possibly a bit below the 50th centile. He was 10lb 4oz and was off the centile charts, and we needed major intervention (he didn't help matters by turning round the day I went into labour, having been in the perfect position until that day). I'm 5 foot and very petite so I suppose they might have thought I'd have a small baby.

I completely ignored the predictions for my other DC (all a similar size to DC1, despite being early ELCS).