What 'should' a baby weigh at 36 weeks?

[cat811]

Just had 36 week scan, and seen on my notes that the estimated foetal weight is 7lb7oz - does this seem big bearing in mind I have 4 weeks to go?!

I was told DD weighed 6lb 7 oz at 37 weeks, which is within an ounce of what she weighed at birth two weeks later - I'd also been told 1/2 lb/week weight gain towards the end of pregnancy, so was 'expecting' her to weigh 7lb7oz. That probably tells you much about what you need to know about the estimation algorithm!

DT1 was 6lb 6, DT2 was 7lb 3 born at 36+5.

From memory, I was told grown scans can be about 15% out on weights.

Is the estimate of 6lb 7oz at 36 weeks average or will my baby likely be a 9lb+

Sounds on the biggish size to me, but my babies were smallish. Ds was 41 weeks and 7lb 9oz, dd was 39+4 and 6lb 3oz. Most of my friends have had heavier babies than me.

It does sound on a slightly bigger side but like everyone else said, scans aren't that accurate in estimating baby's weight.

I am 36+1, at my scan earlier this week my baby boy was 6 lb 11 oz. However, it all depends on your individual growth chart, for me that's 90th centile, for you it might be average. Have you looked at it?

DD was estimated at about 6lb 15 at a scan done at 35+6. She was born 9 days later weighing 7lb 5. Assuming a consistent weight gain of half a pound a week, she'd have been about 9lb if we'd gotten to 40 weeks.

I had my 36 week scan this week and our baby was showing as weighing 7lb 4oz and I was referred for a gestational diabetes test and booked in for a growth scan 2 weeks later to see if I need to be induced as they said she was measuring really big! :/

I was surprised as my bump isn't that big at all (may be as my fluid is showing as normal) and nothing had been picked up before at scans or by midwife measurements. I'm 5 foot 6 and was a size 12/14 before getting pregnant so I'm not small. I've not actually gained any weight during this pregnancy as I lost 12lbs early on so really didn't expect to be told she was apparently >95th centile.

Could I have been referred due to there being a difference between 20 weeks and 36 weeks maybe? I don't know the centile for 20 weeks as was just told they aren't reliable but baby was measuring 'perfectly'.

Luckily my diabetes tests all came back as normal so we'll see what happens at the next growth scan.

@MrsKT123 Yes, you would have been referred because of the different pace of growth based on your growth chart. I had growth scans for a different reason and GTT at 28/29 weeks which was completely fine, and yet at 33/34 weeks my son has grown from 50th to 95th centile. I had OGTT then and unfortunately gestational diabetes has developed then. Like I said he's now at 90th centile, we are managing this, but he's still looking on a larger side for my frame. That's why monitoring individual growth charts is important, it shows unexpected growth spurts that may be, for example, a result of GD. This may in turn impact on birth choices. Weight and measurements without a chart don't mean much, because for taller/curvier ladies they would be interpreted differently than for short/petite ladies.

Bump measurements are far less accurate than scans, btw. Bump size doesn't necessarily correlate with baby size or more accurately, with its pace of growth. Scans are imperfect, but they're as good as it gets atm.

The baby was born in 2008. I bet it is weight in stones now rather than pounds.

@BA15 my baby was estimated 6lb13 at 36+5 and then estimated 7lb12 at 39 weeks. She was born 40+1 and weighed 7lb9. I was terrified of having a massive baby and I’m the end she was perfectly average! Don’t worry yourself too much about it, growth scans are notoriously inaccurate at times.