32 week scan - AC on 96th percentile. Experiences?

[SKLM]

Hi everyone.

I'm not looking for medical advice or anything, I was just curious if anyone has had a similar experience before whilst pregnant and what the outcome was for you.

I had a 32 week growth scan yesterday. Femur and head are all in normal limits, but my baby's abdomen was breaching at the 96th percentile. Overall his EFW is sitting on the 66th.

I spoke to one of the maternity doctors after having my scan who was not concerned anything was wrong but wants me to repeat my GTT which was fine 3 weeks ago (I scored 4.4 pre and post fasting). I will do this next week.

If you had a baby measuring large on any of the ultrasound parameters did it settle back down by 36 weeks? This is when I am due to be scanned again.

I will accept whatever is safest for my baby labour and birth wise but was hoping to avoid early induction or caesarean in an ideal world.

Thanks in advance for anyone who replies.

Not quite what you asked but one of my dds had a AC around 95th centile at 36 weeks. I think they’re pretty inaccurate though, a bit like estimating birth weights. She definitely wasn’t large around the middle when she was born!

That said, I was booked for ELCS for other reasons so it wasn’t remeasured but they said they would have been recommending a section if it had been like that still at 38w.

@Namechangedforspooky thank you for sharing your experience with me x

I don't have experience of this but I did have a large baby despite measuring normally and therefore not having growth scans. I went for another scan to check my placenta placement at 36 weeks (concern about it covering the cervix) and they didn't report back on what I assume was an obviously huge baby. He was the largest baby my midwife had delivered vaginally and I was told I would have been advised against going to term had they known. He was 96th centile at birth. His head circumference was literally off the charts in terms of centile. I was put on the drip for suspected PROM but otherwise had an easy labour, extremely short pushing stage (14 minutes) and a second degree tear that healed quickly.

I only know one person who had an accurate "your baby is large" growth scan. Everyone else I know who was induced for a large baby has had average sized ones. Eg a friend was induced on her due date and her baby was almost 3lb lighter than mine who was born only 5 days after his.

If they advise delivering early but you want to avoid induction or c section just find out all the facts and ask questions. The advice is there for a reason, for sure. But large babies are born and no one notices too.

@PurBal thank you for your post x

@SKLM Just wanted to say I am in a similar boat so thought I would share what I've been told so far. I had a scan at 34+3 (wasn't booked to check growth, I had a low-lying placenta at 20 weeks) and was told baby's AC was 98th centile, was referred for OGTT which came back normal. I've been booked for an appointment with the consultant this Wednesday (I'll be 36+4 when that happens) and was just told it was to discuss birth options - that had me quite worried about the possibility of being leant on to be induced early. I asked my midwife at my last appointment and she said it's more likely to be the case that they want to discuss not letting me go too overdue rather than needing to get baby out early, particularly as it's the tummy rather than the head that seems to be measuring big - so it might be a conversation about what to do if I'm getting to 41 weeks and baby hasn't arrived on its own yet. I haven't been referred for a further scan but I think I'll probably ask for one so I have a point of comparison with the 34 week measurements, just so I have more information to help inform any decisions I need to make.

No idea if that's actually helpful but wanted to share as I'm having a similar experience to yours, just a little bit further along.

@CluelessInLondon thank you so much for your response. My worry too iss about being given an early induction and having a difficult labour if the baby isn't ready. I'm seeing the obstetrician next week to talk things through a bit more. I'm in the same position as you - it's just the tummy that is too big, head and legs are fine!

@SKLM I've got my appointment with the consultant tomorrow - I'll let you know what we discuss in case it helps you with preparing for your appointment and thinking about what to ask.

@SKLM Thought I'd report back from my appointment - it was a total waste of time! The doctor basically said that having looked at my notes, she didn't really think I was at any higher risk if I want to stick with having a natural birth, so I'll stay on the midwife-led pathway and there was no discussion about doing anything different to normal if I go overdue. She also made a point of saying that the measurements aren't that accurate so baby could easily be bigger or smaller than the measurements taken at the scan suggested. It was actually quite frustrating as I'd gone in with a load of sensible questions to try and make myself better informed about my options and then basically got told I didn't really need to have the appointment at all! Your hospital and doctors may take a different approach, but I definitely came away feeling like a lot of fuss and worry had been created over not very much.

@CluelessInLondon ah that's very frustrating for you! It sounds like a sensible conversation with someone at the time of doing the scan could have saved you a lot of trouble. Do you think you will ask for another scan before your due date? I did read about there being a margin for error in the ultrasounds but it was really vague how big/small. Wishing you all the best for the rest of your pregnancy and the birth, our chunky-tummied babies will be fine i'm sure :)