Slow Growth at 34+5

[Babyenroutee]

I have been having monthly growth scans and the baby has previously been on track and growing along the same line so they have been happy. At my scan today (34+5) the growth scan showed the baby has dropped and is now just on the 10th centile (13 specifically). My consultant has booked me in for another scan 2 weeks today where I will be 36+5 and said if the growth doesn't pick up, or drops any lower they will deliver the baby early at that point as it's probably a sign that my placenta is failing.

Has anyone experienced this?
Will the baby likely pick up over the next two weeks or is it more common for them to stay/drop again?

Any info would be appreciated, thanks

Not experienced this but my baby was born at 36 weeks and was absolutely fine - didn't need any intervention etc.

If you do need to deliver at this stage it will likely be ok. Sometimes scans aren't completely accurate but sounds like you're in safe hands and the consultant knows what they're doing. Hope all goes smoothly for you 😊

At around 30 weeks my baby's growth had seemed to slow. Was always showing somewhere between 35-40th% and that particular scan showed 12th%. Hadn't gained much at all in the previous 2 weeks. I panicked.
Then at my 34 week scan it was back on track on the 37th%. I can't explain it, maybe an inaccurate measurement or slow week for baby for some reason. Born 41 weeks a very healthy 3.4kg. Hope everything works out well and baby catches up!

I am currently 40w+ 1. Baby was measuring on 73rd centile at 20 weeks and 32 weeks scan. Then at 36 weeks scan dropped down to 35th centile. They said the same thing to me re placenta. Had another scan at 39 weeks and baby back upto 72nd centile. They said 36 weeks scan was likely wrong as baby was very curled up and was difficult to get accurate measurements. Try not to worry by this stage even if baby's growth has slowed they will be just finem. 37weeks is counted as full term.

Thats really good to know, thank you very much. Fingers crossed then!

Had this with DD1. Got induced at 37weeks as a result. She was small but perfectly formed; didn’t need any extra medical assistance or anything.
Best of luck OP.

Oh brilliant thats really good to know, fingers crossed then. Thank you

Ah really, how early did they pick this up for you please? Did she not show any more growth up until 37 weeks? I'm back in again in 2 weeks for another scan so wondering then if it'll be likely my baby will grow in the interim or likely to remain the same. Thanks for your reply, glad to hear your DD1 was well and healthy :)

Thanks very much! Fingers crossed

Oh thats interesting and really good to know. My baby will hopefully do the same, thank you

Had similar with my last pregnancy, baby was measuring small but then growth dropped off and slowed. They upped the level of scans (growth scan every two weeks and Doppler scans to measure uterine blood flow etc the other week in between growth scans)
Had a scan at 36+4 and was booked to be induced at 37 weeks.
DD arrived just after midnight so 37+1 and was on the 2nd centile so very small but healthy and needed no intervention. Each hospital have a different policy but mine was if baby was under 2.5kg they’d need to have blood glucose and temperature checks before going home. My little one was under 2.5kg but passed her checks and we were home the same day. The reason for induction was that my placenta was failing so the literature suggests that smaller babies do better out of the womb - my DD is now 3 weeks old and back over birth weight and is thriving.
The doctors know what they’re doing and will manage your care well.
best of luck!

Oh that's really good to know thank you, that may well happen to me at 37 weeks. My baby is currently 2.1kg at 35 weeks so not as small as yours was, but fingers crossed it picks up over the next two weeks, otherwise I will be taken in at 37 weeks too. I haven't been given any extra appts in the meantime with my midwife, just another scan in 2 weeks os will see. Thank you and glad to hear your DD is well!

We only found out at the 37 week scan, when she was pretty much the same size as at the 34 week scan. So they wanted to induce the next day, which was a big shock for me, not least because I hadn’t finished work. Ended up doing it 3 days after.

With DD2, growth did slow after 34 weeks (as noted at 37week scan), but not enough for them to want to induce. They would have scanned again at 40 weeks, but I went into labour naturally in the interim.

This happened with DD1. She had been dropping down the centiles at all my growth scans after 28w. At my hospital they said they would recommend induction once she dropped below the 10th centile. I had a scan at 37w and she was on the 9th I think? They booked the induction for 39w so clearly weren't in an immediate hurry to get her out, but she made a spontaneous appearance at 38w. She was quite little - 2.6kg. I had blood pressure issues at the end of pregnancy and the doctor said that this was probably the cause. In any case, she's 3.5yr now and 75th centile for both weight and height so it clearly didn't hold her back!

That is really good to know, thank you. I will patiently wait until my next scan in 2 weeks and see what they say. Thank you