Another fundal height thread ☹️

[Nope2024]

Had 34-week midwife appointment today and stressing out about fundal height. My usual midwife was off so had a new midwife.

She said baby was measuring small, so is referring me for a scan. But then she said she may just measure differently to my usual midwife (who has actually been spot on - I've ended up having growth scans because of reduced movements, around same week as my midwife appointments).

How likely is it they'll induce me if baby is a couple of cm behind at 34 weeks? Why do they bother measuring at all if there's so much discrepancy...

Baby's been a bit more lively over the past few days so starting to worry now in case it's all connected. Whole thing has really got me down. Anyone been here and it's all gone okay?

I'm in Germany and fundal height is not a thing here at all. Never once had it measured!
Here they just go off regular growth scans.

So I wouldn't be too worried!

You’ve had growth scans? And your baby is fine? If the baby was small they would have mentioned this at the scan. I’m high risk and have the extra 28, 32 and 36 weeks growth scans and my stomach has never once been measured with a tape. I saw my consultant today and she explained to a medical student there’s no need to measure as I’ve had a growth scan 2 weeks ago we already know the size of my baby. I doubt they will induce if your baby’s growth scans look normal. In my case my baby is off the charts big but my consultant said she cant say whether il be induced at 37 or 39 weeks as the baby could keep growing further off the charts or come back down to within normal range and level out so to speak so until I’ve had my 36 week scan nothing is certain yet. Plus they would have checked blood flow at your scan too which if normal is a positive

Fundal measurements are a blunt tool to determine who would benefit from growth scans. The results of the growth scans trumps fundal measurements.

My daughter always measured on the small size by fundal height, bang on 10th percentile so I didn't qualify for scans. She was 60th percentile on my chart at birth. She's 4 now and 2nd percentile for height and 25th percentile for weight so it's possible she's always been on the short side for her weight!

If you've already had a growth scan recently and it was fine, I wouldn't read into the fundal height measurement at all. At 28 weeks I was told my bump put me in the 10th percentile. A growth scan a week later suggested baby was actually in the 65th percentile. Then at my most recent appointment (34 weeks) I've apparently ballooned to 90th percentile, so I'll be having yet another growth scan. I'm not worried as I just don't think the bump size is accurate at all. My most recent appointment was at a different time of day, I'd not long eaten and had drunk a fizzy drink, it was hot etc. All manner of things which could have caused me to be a bit swollen that day. So long as you feel well and you're happy with baby's movements, I wouldn't over focus on this.

My first born dropped fundal height dramatically around that time - about 6cm-8cm.
Was sent for immediate growth scan (previous routine scan wasn't that long before) they were worried because she had only grown a little, they refused to do another scan for 2 weeks, estimated baby would weigh 4lbs or under.
They wanted c sec booked for the following week. I refused. (Also because breech) had to sign all sorts of papers for an ecv, agreed to steroid injections to appease them for emergency csec option, and had 3x weekly monitoring stress tests
Baby was born spontaneously and naturally at 39+4 weighing 6lbs 2oz (normal for my tiny babies) and is now a perfectly sized grumpy pre teen.

Thanks, everyone. 😊 Just feel a bit low/stressed/annoyed and want to scream into a pillow about it. Life's a bit stressful at the minute and could really do without this, especially if it really is just that midwives measure differently!

I've been told all along that I'm low risk - I did have a high BMI at starting, but still been told I'm low risk.

I've only been referred for growth scans recently because baby has a habit of going a bit quiet, so I've been in frequently for reduced movements and triggered extra scans.

I know this is just one of those things but I am done with this now!

I don’t think they’ll induce you. If baby is measuring small they will ask you back for a repeat scan. They’ll only be worried if growth is dropping off and I doubt they will induce you unless baby gets very small. They can also use Dopplers to check your placenta is functioning ok.

I had growth scans from 34 weeks due to small bump, babies growth went slowly from 50th centile to 5th by 38 weeks. Was induced at 39 weeks, on 2nd centile but healthy.