Baby small for dates and not growing up curve - I'm 32+3 - any experience?

[electra]

My baby has crossed two centile lines on my customised growth chart. I am concerned but don't know how concerned I should be. Apparently there is also an issue with blood flow from the placenta. It's unnerving for me because I had no such problem with my other two pregnancies.

I am very worried about being induced because I was damaged physically and mentally after my first baby was born with a high level of intervention and no way do I want to go there again. Obviously, the baby's well-being is my primary concern but just wondering if anyone knows how worrying things have to get before they decide to induce.

Does anyone have any experience.

My ds2 did this. He stopped growing up the curve. the mw's thought I was just carrying small but at 37 weeks went to hospital and the scan showed a blood flow problem. I was induced 3 days later I'm afraid but I had a healthy baby boy weighing 5'8". The only problems were he struggld to reach temp and blood sugars needed checking. hope all goe well

Thanks jrsqueak, good to hear he was well - did he have to stay in hospital afterwards? I am wondering whether feeding would be affected?

Electra - I replied on the April thread, but don't know whether you saw? A friend of mine had a cs at 32 weeks due to placenta not supporting the baby. Obviously I don't know the real details as it isn't me personally but he is now a very healthy, robust one year old. They did keep him in, but not for too long. I'm not sure what happened in terms of bfing.

Thanks brettgirl - that is reassuring I guess I will have to wait and see what happens over the next week or two.

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How many scans have you had? I've had something similar happen at a 34 week scan and having a scan tomorrow two weeks after the first to see if the baby is failing to grow properly. One doctor said that one of the scans may not been accurate so they rescan after 2 weeks to see if its a trend or a blip. They have to weigh up the risks of being born early vs risk of staying in. At my hospital they prefer you to get to 36 weeks if pos and would have you in for frequent monitoring to check that the baby before that date.

34 weeks for the lungs to be developed properly and 36 weeks for the suck reflex is what they told me - I've also lost some waters at 32 weeks so I was afraid I was about to deliver too.

This happened with my DS1. He was on the 50th centile then dropped to the 30th and then 3rd by 28 weeks. I was monitored fairly regularly and then twice weekly from about 33 weeks until 36 weeks. He was diagnosed as IUGR and delived at 36 weeks weighing about 4lb 8oz. My DS went on to have something called Silver Russell syndrome which is an exceptionally rare syndrome linked to IUGR babies. (IUGR doesn't cause SR syndrome, rather SR babies have a tendancy to be IUGR as well IYSWIM)

I can't remember there being an identified problem with blood flow to the placenta, though that was monitored twice weekly by doppler, however when the placenta came out it didn't look like a placenta it looked like a grey, window cleaners rag!!!

I went on to have a further two children and neither were affected by either IUGR or SR Syndrome.

I had one initially after the midwife referred me because my fundal height measurement went down quite a bit. I had one scan, then another 2 weeks later and now I'm going to have another one this week. The baby is now on the lowest 'acceptable' line and there is no indication of it growing up a curve so I will have to see if it crosses the last line this week and I guess then they'll have a clearer idea of whether they need to do anything.

But I would prefer them to section me if they really think the baby needs to come out. I can't stand artificial labour - I don't want to do it. Ideally I would like to be able to go to term (had wanted a home birth!), of course but want what's best for the baby...

electra - my LO was small for dates all the way through, so always behind the curve. she was an IVF baby, which can create Small for dates babies. The placenta was fine on delivery. She arrived in at 5.9 and was the size of a 34 wk old baby. She had issues with blood sugar and temps and they stuck her on formula (GRRRR), to try and boost this, although I pulled her back onto the breast as soon as I could. She didnt feed especially well, but within two weeks was doing ok, although I had to mix feed her to make everyone happy!

She is now a healthy, thriving 21month old. She was never a real chubber of a baby and still now is on the skinny side, clearly taking after DH's side of the family!

Good luck. i think you are within your rights to insist on a c-section, a friend of mine recently did it when she insisted that an induction would further scar her mentally, she, like you, had a horrific time.

Hi, hopefully reassuring....
I measured small for dates through most of my pregnancy, and started being sent for weekly scans from 32 weeks - they could never see anything particularly wrong and figured that i was just having a "constitutionally small" baby. They induced me at 41 weeks, i fought to last that long as was really freaked out at being induced. Baby was fine - 5lb 9 and despite being told that my induction was likely to be a nightmare because she was nowhere near ready to be dislodged, she fair flew out and was fine - tiny and perfectly formed. They monitored her blood sugar and kept her wrapped in a blankets and a big hat for the first night but then went home and never looked back. Pregnant now and looks like another tiddler, but hoping that i can stay more relaxed about it this time as it really stressed me out last time. Good luck x

Hi, i was induced with dd. My waters went at 29+ something weeks (can't remember all the specifics as was 9 yrs ago and i was very poorly ).
I was admitted and stayed on the ward for another 6 wks but dd had restricted growth, ie she only grew a tiny bit and towards the end the doppler readings were showing that the placenta wasn't doing too well.

I had had the steroids twice over the 6 wks when labour started spontaneously, i vaguely remmber being on a drip the first time and having something but i don't know if this was to stop the labour or for something else. (like i said i was not very well and not with it. No partner either)

I was finally induced, consultant (huge bloke) did an internal first, i was already almost 2 cm's dilated, had the fist pessarie and was then given pethadine when the contractions started. I had another pessarie in the morning and then went onto the labour ward a short time after when things got going properly.
Had gas and air but then labour slowed so i was given cyntosinol?? (sp) to get it going again. It made the contractions very strong very quickly so i opted for a epidural. Fell asleep and then woke up about 2 hrs later and gave birth 45mins after that.

I didn't find the process stressful but it was very intense and far too painful not to have pain relief.

my friend was told this at a similar stage of pregancy.... got herself all worried

and went on to have a normal size 7Ib baby 2 weeks early so it wasnt actually small at all!

Thanks for replies. I have another scan on Wednesday so will have to see how that goes.

Do you think stress could have anything to do with it? In this pregnancy I have been much more stressed than my other two. A friend of mine remarked that her dd had been 6 pounds, while her ds born not 2 years later weighed 9 pounds. She felt it was because when she was pregnant with her dd, she had a very stressful ordeal to go through.