39 weeks pregnant and measuring big

[BeBluntOliveBee]

I had my 39 week midwife appointment and when I was measured, baby is measuring over the 90th centile.
At 28 weeks, I was measuring small so went for a growth scan and everything was fine. Since then, all the fundal measurements have been on or just under the 50th centile.

I feel like my bump has really grown in the last week!

Has anyone else’s bump at 39 weeks pregnant suddenly grown and a huge jump on the graph when measured? I will be having a growth scan (unless baby makes an appearance before!).

Thank you!

How were you measured?
When I was pg (10+ yrs ago), medicos claimed that there was no way to measure accurately. Certainly, the tape measure method has been discredited but they claimed that, even using ultrasound, they could not accurately measure the baby. Perhaps this was a dodge on their part to avoid demands for C-section due to baby's size?
I do remember that in the last few weeks, I did seem to expand a bit but in the end the baby was 7lbs1oz - completely reasonable - and the second time baby was about 8lbs (weighed with hat! so ...).

This happened to me with my second pregnancy, I was sent for a growth scan which estimated that dd would be around 9lb 12 at term. She was born at 40+3, weighing 8lb 8. I don’t think it’s ever entirely accurate, there are too many variables

Yeah.... It's not accurate. Both times I was advised I was having a big baby. Both were just over 6 1/2 lbs, and small to boot. I actually had a small bump, but long, so it was all baby and no me!

It not accurate - id actually advise against a growth scan at this late stage if you and baby feel well. Growth scans get less and less accurate later in term and if you measure 'big' you're likely to be scaremongered into unnecessary intervention. There was recently a study about inducing for 'big' babies. Part of that study found that 60% of women who were estimated to have a big baby didn't actually have one. The measurement was wrong.

Do you mean baby was measuring 90th centile or your bump was?

For me I was measuring bump wise 2/3 weeks bigger and my son was 86th centile born 8lbs 11oz at 39 weeks. So big but not huge.

They offered my friend an induction because her baby was nearly 8lbs at 39 weeks. She obviously turned it down, but it’s crazy because 8lbs is a normal weight for a baby.

He was born 39+2 at 7lbs 2oz

Exactly! And also even if the baby is 'big' in the vast majority of cases (yes of course there will be exceptions) but in the vast majority of cases when there isn't another issue present like GD or pelvic structure problems, you just don't grow a baby that's too big to birth. The study was stopped early because there was no significant difference in rates of shoulder dystocia, which is the problem they band around for big babies.

In my case, I did have a big baby. I declined the growth scan at 36 weeks due to bump measuring big. My baby was born at home in the pool, 9lb10, no issues. I can't imagine the pressure id have had for intervention had I had that growth scan.

Thank you for your responses - really appreciate it.
I had a growth scan today and baby is estimated at 8lbs 11oz. They aren’t too worried about the size, it’s more because I was always under the 50th centile and in the last two weeks has shot up to 87th! So not sure on the reason for rapid weight gain in two weeks.
Thank you again for your replies.