Help.......my bump is huge!

[Melly]

Bit of a silly post this, but here goes anyway,
I'm 29 weeks pregnant with 2nd baby. I'm getting a bit concerned about how big my bump is getting! Ever since about 20 weeks it seems to have been getting so big, to the extent that when people I know at work etc said to me when I was about 26 weeks, "not long now eh" and when I said I had another 3 months to go they were amazed. I made an extra appt to see m/w at about 26 weeks and was seen again last week. All is well, blood pressure ok, actually quite low, heartbeat fine, movements.....vigorous to say the least, but in my notes she writes the fundal height measurement as being at least 3-4 weeks bigger than No. of weeks I am. Is this significant? M/w has said that I should start levelling off but with another 11 weeks to go I'm wondering how much bigger I'm going to get! I haven't put on weight anywhere else really, just this enormous bump. Had a GTT at 20 weeks which was normal and another last week (28 weeks) which was also normal. My back aches after the slightest exertion and my bump also aches at the end of the day.
Am I being silly? Is there anyone else who has experienced this and was your baby born early? Another thing that got my mind racing (as it does) was that for the past few days I have been in mega "nesting" mode, dh thinks this is particularly amusing!
Any thoughts or advice would be very welcome.

Are you sure your dates are right? There are lots of reasons for your bump to be big - with second pregnancy your muscles are already shot to pieces by your first pregnancy and do not hold in the bump as well. You could be carrying alot of fluid, or the placenta could be large - on the other hand though - baby could be enormous or it could be twins or triplets . Joking apart - if you are concerned, have a chat with your midwife, I am sure she will be able to put your mind at rest.

If you are measuring 3-4 weeks bigger then I would have thought it would be worthwhile asking for a growth scan. I know they aren't 100% accurate re. size but it will also look at the development of the baby to confirm dates etc.

I had one last week as my first was on the large side and it really is pretty good for peace of mind as well as a fascinating look at a more developed baby (other than just the 12 week scan).

I've got to agree with TigerFeet. The bump measurement as far as I know is quite accurate. I think you should get your dates checked or the wee one might arrive WAY before schedule!

hi melly

really funny that you posted this as i was going to write a post on the same sort of thing - i am 28 weeks i think - and i too have been moaning on to any one that will listen that i just feel so very huge - i am also getting comments like 'not long now'. i cannot believe i've still got another 3 months to go - i cannot imagine stretching any more. i also feel like i'm ready to pop at the end of the day - like there is a water balloon inside me ready to burst.

i've also been a bit 'nesty' and also beginning to get very tired easily now. feels so much like the homestretch in some ways - but a whopping 12 weeks minimum to go - ds1 was 2 weeks late.

however - i haven't seen the midwife, and if mine thought my bump was 3/4 weeks advanced i would probably ask for a growth scan - not least to get some idea of size - as if it is a whopper then i think i may start charting the mantra 'elective c... elective c.... elective c'.

anyway, thought i'd post to know you are not alone
lol

Growth scan seems the most sensible advice if only to put your mind at rest. There could be lots or reasons but you are bound to worry until you are sure all is well.

If you are 3 to 4 weeks ahead then 1) you need to prepare yourself and your family for the arrival and make plans re you other little on regarding delivery etc. but 2) if you are more than 5 weeks early then they will label baby as premature and this could result in all sorts of unpleasant experiences all round. If your dates are wrong then you will be given a bigger window of opportunity if you see what I mean.

Thanks for all the replies. I'm certain of my dates and altogether have had three scans, one very early which actually put me back about a week, then I was scanned at about 16 weeks when I had my amnio and again at 19 weeks (anomaly scan), the one at 19 weeks was in agreement with my dates. Having said this I suppose there's no reason why I can't ask for a growth scan if only to put my mind at rest.
Percy, yes I know exactly what you mean about feeling like you are about to pop at the end of the day, it's actually really quite uncomfortable isn't it.
I'm now seeing my m/w every 2 weeks and am due to see her next Thurs so I will have another chat to her then about things.
In the meantime I suppose I should start thinking about packing a hospital bag and ordering a few bits & pieces for baby No 2, as you say Katherine, when you've got another child to consider it pays to be prepared well in advance.

I am not too sure if growth scans do put your mind at rest. They certainly are not as accurate as you might think. A one off scan is not partivcularly helpful - seriel scans chart a baby's growth better. It is not unusual to be bigger than expected at this stage - as mentioned before it may all settle out at the end of pregnency. A bigger bump does not always mean a bigger baby - abdominal muscles are more flexible second, third time aroung, IYKWIM

Oh dear Mears you are right I think about the abdo muscles... I am 30wks pg with no 3 Melly and absolutely with you on this. Really was not that big with 1 or 2 (and in fact lost a lot of weight with 1 so I went from siz 16 non-pg to size 10-12 pg, ie not much change!) so this time I'm getting lots of "how much longer now" from colleagues which is very depressing. No clothes seem to fit and the bump just gets bigger as the day goes on...but still 10 weeks to go! Sorry, no suggestions (in my case everything is fine, mw just says (as does Mears) that my muscles are just shot to pieces by now!) but lots of sympathy!

melly, no one has even bothered to measure the fundus height this pregnancy..seems a bit heath-robinson I believe. I have had a couple of growth scans (following dodgy barts test, amnio etc) and everything tickety boo - indeed right on/just above 50th centile for abdomen, femur length, head circumference etc - and I feel bigger this time too. having said that saw a friend the other day who's 5 wks behind me and she looked huge next to me! I think lots of rest is to be prescribed for those of us getting bigger

Couldn't believe it when I saw this message as it could be me talking!
I am 30 wks measuring 3 wks too big. Similar situation to Melly in that I have had 3 scans, one viability scan at 7wks that dated the baby then a nuchal fold that dated the baby as slightly younger than the first scan, then the 20wks anomaly. All seems normal (I had a GTT test at 28 wks to rule out diabetes) but I am just ENORMOUS and people are shocked when I tell them another 10 wks.
First time round I was very small (only 5ft 2in in height anyway) and was very smug when everyone commented on how neat and compact I was. This time I am ready to strangle the next person who says I'm enormous and am I sure it's not twins, ha ha.
Anyway, I really hope it doesn't come early as we are having a new bathroom fitted and other work on our house at the beginning of March so if it appears 3 wks early will be in the middle of absolute squalour!
I too am knackered by the end of the day and have terrible backache and sciatica. Absolutely knackered looking after no. 1 too, and definitely a bit short on patience, which makes me feel terribly guilty. Thinking of doing some ante-natal yoga to see if it helps...

anto, you just reminded me about yoga, I'm sure I was already well into it by this stage, last time round. glad my sciatica's not back (yet!) - does anything help to relieve yours?

Oh yes, I forgot to mention the bad news which is that I am probably huge because my husband is a strapping 6ft 3in and according to his mum weighed in at 9lb 10oz - eek!

Bundle, nothing much helps apart from sitting on a hot-water bottle or keeping one pressed to my hip.

Last pregnancy I did yoga from 15 wks and my sciatica only really came on in the last 4 wks, but this time round, being much bigger, i have been suffering since 28 wks. I will definitely try yoga as a friend of mine got sciatica so badly she had to have a c-section at 37 wks as she couldn't walk any more.

Good luck!

Hi

I had the same thing my bump was huge (2nd pregnancy) and I had from early on "when's it due, gasp - is it twins????" and "it must be a boy it's all out front" I just pointed out through gritted teeth that I'm on 5'2" and petite so it was bound to look big.

When I was 42 weeks pregnant I was still stuck on 39cm fundus although I had been a couple over earlier on.

Still we were all in shock when I delivered a 10lb6oz baby without problems (only 1 tiny stitch which was the same as my first birth)..........

but my colleague measured huge and only had a 7lb 5oz baby so you really don't know and she had all the growth scans and they thought she was having a whopper!

Basically it's not a science just a guide.

Good luck!

Just to cheer you up Anto although I'm not sure it might be an old wives' tale, but I have been led to believe that the weight of the baby is more likely to be in relation to your own birthweight than your husbands. This didn't cheer me up as DH weighed in at 6lb 10 whereas I was 9lb 5. Anyway sure enough DS was 9lb 10.

anto, yes you're right it's definitely worth bothering with, if only for the peace! (we had chocolate biscuits and a little what's my news session at our pregnancy yoga). I think my sciatica came on in the last couple of weeks (so - poor you!)...but then returned during labour. the epidural I had didn't do anything, so I kept leaping off the bed and sticking my leg out in some vaguely balletic pose (but with far less grace, I'm afraid!) until the anaesthetist suggested lying me on that side the next time it was topped up, and that zapped it.

Don't forget the hospital physio can help sciatica. I had terrible pain because my hip was slightly 'out' which the physio manipulated. He/she can advise on positioning etc.

Anto, I'm also 5 ft 2 with a tall husband and our symptoms and stories are so similar aren't they.

Thanks for everyone's replies, makes me feel a bit more "normal" but sorry to hear that others are feeling uncomfortable too.

thanks mears, I'll remember that if it strikes!

Melly, 32 wks with baby #2 and feel that I will not be surprised if I give birth to an elephant.. Feel have to support bump with hands at end of the day. I don't know if we just forget how big we were, or if its just because there are no tummy muscles left! I take my ds swimming every week,and the mums in the class are starting to look at me, as if I am going to give birth in the pool. Also some days very very tired. ds was only 5lb 13oz when born despite being told at the time he would be a big baby. This time I have taken to placing babygros over bump to gauge size. Sad I know