Drop in growth 34 weeks from 97th percentile to 50th percentile

[Whiteoleander2]

Midwife appointment today and she's measured that the baby has dropped from the 97th percentile to the 50th percentile since my last appointment 2 weeks ago. I've been referred for a growth scan which she said has to happen within 72 hours but with it being Christmas I've been told by the hospital no one will contact me till Friday at the earliest as they don't scan Christmas day or boxing day. The maternity unit did have me in to monitor HR this afternoon which they said looked absolutely fine and I've got to go in again Friday morning for monitoring and basically up until I get a scan. Anyone have any similar experiences with such a decline in growth and what it meant please? I think I'm just stressing more not knowing when the scan will be as I know they also don't scan at weekends so if I don't get a call Friday morning to scan Friday afternoon then it probably won't be till Monday/Tuesday next week.

DD1 dropped from 75th centile at 20w scan to 9th centile at 36w scan (stopping off at 50th and 20th along the way at 28w and 32w). Noone really cared until she was below 10th, at which they wanted me to agree to induction or section at 39w. She came spontaneously at 38w anyway and was quite little (5lb 12oz). Was it a fundal height measurement? I was told they are notoriously unreliable so hopefully with the monitoring and the scan, all will be well, but maybe think about what your preferences would be if you have to start making decisions about the type of birth. Obviously, any worries / reduced movements, get in touch with your triage line / midwife.

Yes, I had similar some years ago. Fundal measurement is notoriously hit and miss. My decline in measurement was because the baby was lying very low in my pelvis. I hardly had any heartburn that pregnancy, in comparison to my previous, and I guess that was why.

It's very stressful waiting for an appointment this time of year, but that doesn't mean that anything is going wrong with your pregnancy.

Take care.

Please don't worry- the chances are that the baby has just shifted to lay in a different place, or the midwife measured to a slightly different spot. I used to get sent for a scan after just about every fundal height measurement, nothing came of it.

Had the same at my 35 week scan from 50th to 10th with the measuring tape which is just not accurate I knew I’d grown. Went for the scan and they put her in the 70th centile I really wouldn’t worry