For anyone who has followed the ups and downs of NatalieJane's pregnancy these last few weeks, an update if I may...

[NatalieJaneIsPregnantAgain]

I've had a few different threads for loads of goings on over the last couple of months, so many unanswerable questions and different outcomes were possible but it seems at last we have some full and final answers.

I've had another scan today, good news is everything seems to be working properly, the placental/cord flow is very good, the babies heart looks healthy, he seems happy and is back to being head down. Bad news is my waters are low again and he has only put on 4oz in the last month, he was estimated to be 5lb 1oz a month ago, now they say 5lb 5oz, which although they are concerned, because everything else seems fine, they aren't talking of whipping him out just yet.

I have to go in on Friday morning and Tuesday morning next week for monitoring, and then the following Friday (Boxing day) evening they are going to induce me, I will be 38+6 then.

They have warned us that he may need some extra care, not anything major just extra feeding and warmth monitoring so we might have to stay in the hospital for a while longer than normal but fingers crossed he will be OK, and hospital or home, that is the main thing.

So through everything that has happened we seem to finally be on the last stretch, thanks for everyone's advice and support over the last couple of months, it is all very much appreciated

Now all we need is a NAME!!

a friend of mine gave birth a week early to her second and she weighed 5lb 15oz, when her first was 2 weeks late at 7lb 15oz.

He could just be weeny, because he's weeny, who knows? In the last few weeks of pregs they gain weight at an alarming rate - so if he stays in for a while longer he may surprise you all......

(I am secretly hoping for a weeny one, having only ever experienced 2 x 2lbers, me thinks a 7lber might finish me off!)

I think I read somewhere a while ago that they average a lb a week in the last few weeks, he's got another 9 days to pick up any weight he can.

DH was teeny tiny when he was born, only 4lb at term, and he was fine (well that's debatable I suppose... ) but my worry with it isn't so much that he is small, more that he was doing really well (if you take the estimates as gospel) and has now not put the weight on. Then I get back to thinking but everything else is absolutely spot on, except the waters, I am fairly sure if there was anything wrong with his major organs they'd have spotted it at one of the scans surely? And then I think it could all just be down to me being poorly, but then think they say you have stores in your body that goes to the baby before you so maybe it isn't because I've been ill.... these circles we're going round in just keep getting bigger and bigger!

He will be fine even if he is 5lb something Don't worry.

Rest lots as this does make a difference to their size and coo over the tiny things.

How can you jog? I am lucky to be able to lift one leg up, let alone two and not pee myself!

We are off out to get the things now, am strangly almost looking forward to having a small one, as long as he's well obviously, DS2 seemed so big he almost skipped the 'newborn' stage in a couple of hours!

I can't jog but wish i could to keep the girls momentous size down

I want a wee one too, not likely though. I fully expect a 10lb +

You do sound much more cheery

Best of luck!

Enjoy your teeny tiny shopping Nat

My sisters ds was born at 35 weeks weighing 5:11, it was surprising how long he was, but very skinny. The clothes were minute, sooooo cute though. She only had newborn nappies in her hospital bag and when we visited the nappy was fastened under his armpits and across his chest....loosely

The nappies are heartbreakingly small I can't even imagine a baby being that small enough to fit them.

Didn't get very far with the clothes, Next had hardly anything in for tiny babies and MC was shutting as we pulled up to it, so depending on when DH finishes tonight we will be off to Preston.

I keep dreaming horrible dreams, stuff I don't let myself think about in the day, between the dreams, the contractions, and my snoring keeping me awake ( have been terrible this pregnancy for snoring, DH has spent many nights on the sofa downstairs and he can still hear me! LOL) I am shattered, oh well, good job DS2 still has a day time nap

Nat Boots do tiny clothes, i bought lots of their stuff when i had the twins (2 lbers) and their prem nappies. They were a HUGE 4 and half lb and 5 lb when they came home. I remember thinking how big they looked and when everyone else looked in the pram they were gobsmaked at how teeny they really were.

You get used to it very quickly

The big supermarkets all seem to do tiny baby clothes in the 24 hour stores.

I've been into town, got a few more things in M&S, our Boots is only a little one, it doesn't do clothes, but will have a look in Preston.

(Have put this on other thread so sorry if I'm making you read it all twice!)

Is there anyway of knowing if he isn't growing because the waters are too low, or if the waters are low because he isn't growing and so not reproducing them? AFAIK I've not lost any water for a good couple of weeks, so if it isn't coming out, then he mustn't be making them, is that right? And if that's the case, does that mean that it's more likely to be a problem with him, rather than me being ill?

I am trying to prepare without scaring myself stupid. I am trying to prepare DS1 without scaring him stupid. I keep telling myself babies have been born a lot smaller and they are fine, and I keep telling myself that the chances are he is bigger than they say anyway just because of how far wrong these bloody growth scans can be, but none of that stops me worrying about why he has stopped growing, it isn't so much the size, but why is he so small, especially compared to DS1 and 2, some people just produce small babies, I don't. Or didn't.

Nat you must remember scans can be wrong, alot of the time in fact.

Some babies do not have lots of water round them and some come out surfing on torrents of it.

He is moving round, the doppler scans show the cord is working well and he is growing. If they were that concerened believe me they would be inducing you NOW.

Please try not to worry, i know that is not easy. Calm thoughts and concentrate on Xmas with the boys.

Oh I know all of that, and in an hour or so I'll have put this little worry fit to bed until the next time. Can you tell I am even getting cross at myself for letting it worry me?!

It is just the going around and around in circles, and like now, DS2 is in bed, I'm thinking about it all... I need a distraction!

Go to sleep, you need to rest. Read some Ina May Gaskin (have you got her childbirth book?) if not get thee to Amazon and order it.

Plenty to read and keep you focused.

No I don't want to sleep, keep having really bad dreams, worse outcomes than I am even thinking about when awake and allowing myself my 10 minutes of panic!

And no, I have never read any of her books, TBH, feel like it's a bit late in the day for all of that now. Besides, xmas post, the baby will be here before the book!

My DS was small (5lb 11oz at 39 weeks) due to the placenta being too small to meet his needs towards the end. It happens, apparently, and it's not normally diagnosable by scan, they told me after he was born. I had an induction in the end as he had stopped growing.

But he was absolutely FINE. He needed no special care, no drugs, nothing other than an awful lot of feeds

In fact DD2, who was 4lb 13oz at birth at 38 weeks, needed no special care either apart from glucose for the first 48 hours and a bit of light therapy for mild jaundice.

Try not to worry too much.

Asda do tiny clothes.

Thanks Castille

Have had the trace this morning, the babies heartbeat is too fast again, they were going to repeat the trace this afternoon but then decided it'd be OK for me to do it at home with the doppler - they've ignored my doppler all the way through up until it saves them a job! They did a quick scan because he had turned transverse again last night, but he is back to being head down, fingers crossed he stays there now!

I asked about if it was the low waters causing him to stop growing, or if it was him stopping growing that has caused the low waters, she said some babies growth does just tail off towards the end, and although he'll still be drinking the waters, the goodness in them will be going to other parts of his body to keep him healthy, so his kidneys won't function correctly and re-produce the waters. She said it is unlikely that he has a kidney problem because it would have been picked up on the scan. So I've still no deffo answers because it is all still guess work up to a point, but it certainly doesn't seem like there is anything seriously wrong.

Tesco prem nappies are like little clouds, i think they go up to 6lb

Having a little one is nice but you will probably find you get followed around everywhere by hoards of cooing grannies !

Oh NJ, when you do pregnancy, you really do pregnancy.

I was born weighing 5lb (just) A Long Time Ago and was taken home 6hrs after I was born, no problems whatsoever. Just a bit smaller than average.

Things are sounding more positive. I'm sorry it has been so worrying for you.

LOL I'd have DS2's pregnancy over this one any day! As much as I moaned about the contractions with him, that is nothing compared to everything that's gone on with this one, in fact if anything the contractions have been worse this time round because they started so much earlier, but they have barely even registered with me this time!

I was looking at the xmas telly guide last night, realised I was looking at what's on on Boxing Day and thinking, OMG, while that's on, I am likely to be in labour, than turned the page to the next day and thinking please please please please please let us be home by then! I can hope can't I?!

Me dh aidan and lauren are sending you soppy kisses x

Ah, suppose it's better than doggy kisses!

I think something might be happening, I just shifted the furniture round in the babies room (it wasn't right before, now it is!) and lost some show, getting period type pain tightenings and my back is killing me. Lots of pressure in my bum (ahem) but, he has deffo engaged this morning so it could just be that.

It isn't like me to go into labour naturally, especially not at 38 weeks!

Seems it was just him engaging after all, he is 3/5ths now.

Had the trace this morning, babies HB was fine. I am poorly again. They've offered us a few different choices:

1. induction tonight - we've decided against, aside from the fact that I really don't have the energy to get upstairs let alone give birth, it is too risky with xmas being so close, if the induction took longer than we hope or if the baby does need to go into special care then we're risking the boy's xmas.

2. scan tomorrow, if baby is looking fine then they will leave the 'when to induce' up to us, if I'm better by Friday then it can go ahead as planned, if we want to delay if I'm not better then they'll be happy with that.

3. scan tomorrow, if baby not looking OK, then depending on how bad it would either be induction tomorrow (in emergency) or Friday, but with some further medical management for me, fluids and meds to give me enough energy to get him out and hopefully avoid an EMCS.

So choice 1 is out of the question (plus DH is cooking steak, chips, and onion rings, I couldn't swan off to hospital and miss that ) obviously choice 2 is the best we can hope for.

how about, as a compromise (if they will!) is they induce you Xmas day night? (ie after your DS is in bed and xmas day is all done)