how can I check my baby's growth at 16 weeks

[Cookiemg]

How can I get a scan to check that my baby is growing properly. I am over 16 weeks and feel small and this weekend lots of people have told me I am small. I have a foetal Doppler and I know the heartbeat is okay but my next midwives appointment is at 22 weeks which is insane to me ( I live in Edinburgh and they're nhs antenatal care is minimal). I am really, really concerned .

Please, please don't worry. At 16 weeks my tummy was as flat as it had always been - at 20 weeks I just looked like I'd had a big dinner!! People's bumps grow differently and you should never listen to people's comments about the size/shape of your bump as it just makes you worry. If the heartbeat is ok then I'm sure everything is fine. Just to put your mind at rest, even though my bump was tiny and I was told at my 22 week scan that my baby was small, I gave birth to a 9lb 10oz baby in May - what the hell were the midwives talking about?!!

Chill out and love every minute of your pregnancy.

At 16 weeks I didn't really have a bump at all. I remember my normal trousers were just starting to get tight and I had to open the top button by the end of each day . Nobody said I looked small because no-one could tell I was pregnant. Are you having a 20 week scan? That should tell you if the baby is growing properly.

At 39+6 weeks now people keep telling me I look small and it makes me a bit paranoid, but the midwives seem happy enough with things.

Ignore people who tell you you look small. How can they possibly judge?
Did you have a scan at 12 weeks? Can you feel your uterus if you feel your belly?

I'm 16 weeks and don't have any bump. Check out April ante natal thread - we've been talking about bumps or in many cases lack of them.

There is a woman in my office who is as skinny as dental floss and she is 22 weeks...everyone diffrent I think!! I have a lovely GP who lets me hear the hb via the doppler when I need reassurance - maybe try that? Then you are asking someone who knows. Be careful of listening to 'people'...

Good luck!

Ignore them. How big your bumo is depends on all sorts of stuff: how the baby is lying, how strong your stomach muscles are, what your build is and so on.

Do you have a 20 week (anomaly) scan in your area? You won't see your mw much until the third trimester, but you can ring them for advice if you're worried.