Worries about having a small baby

[bibblebobble]

Hello

I am now 37 weeks and have a planned C section 2 weeks today. I am worried about size of baby - I have had a small bump throughout pregnancy and I have probably put on about 12kg. Lots of people keep telling me they are surprised baby is due in 2 weeks. I had a scan a couple of days ago and they said baby maybe on 30th centile (I think for weight but I didn't catch it properly).

I understand that a small baby is one weighing less than 2.5kg.

Has anyone been told they were having a small baby and gone on to have a regular size?

I have a 14 month old so I have not rested, not looked after myself as well as I would have liked, told there were 2 soft markers (maybe a third but that was highly debatable), I was in real shock when pregnant so quickly and not as thrilled as I might have been and now just feel that baby has not been given the best start and feel worried and anxious that everything will be ok.

My friend had a small bump for both her pregnancies and her first child weighed 7lbs 6oz if I remember correctly. Her second baby was a bit of a bruiser - I saw him at 6 weeks old and he was the size of my 4 month old nephew!

Have you discussed it with your midwife? Although in my friend's case they made her more nervous about it. What was your first bump and weight increase like?

I have discussed it at the hospital and they said there is nothing to worry about (caveat - as far as they can tell everything is ok - don;t like that phrase).

I have definitely put on less weight than baby no 1 but I did give up work 6 weeks before and stuffed myself so no surprise I put on more weight.

I guess all of my anxiety is bound up in how rushed this pregnancy was and how ill prepared I felt and how little time I have had to rest and look after myself.

I went into M&S to be measured for a feeding bra and the assistant looked at me and said
"I think you should come back nearer your due date, when are you due"
"2 weeks time" I said
"oh, We'll measure you now then"

I was told with all of mine that they would be small and would be under 7lbs

DS1 was 7lbs 12oz and DD2 was 7lbs 7oz

I was EXACTLY like you bar the C-section part. People looked at me like I was joking when I said when I was due. Also 14 months between babies. DD1 was 6lb11oz, DD2 was 6lb1oz. I only put on a stone with DD2. My advice is not to worry if doctor is happy and to really try to enjoy this time with your baby before he or she is a big sister or brother!
Rx

30th centile is not a small baby. My DD was 25th centile and 6lb 15oz - that's a perfectly normal, good birthweight. It doesn't sound to me like you need to worry if they are telling you baby will be 7lbs!

My friend was pregnant at the same time. She was tiny, I was huge. Her baby weighed 8 lbs, mine 7 lbs. Sometimes size is dependent on how much amniotic fluid there is, how much weight as in fat ) you've put on and a host of other factors including your build, your genes etc. Try not to fret.

With DS1 I always "measured" two weeks smaller for my size. I even had my GP threaten to sign me off work as she felt that I was far too small for my size 14 frame and therefore wasnt looking after myself enough!!

DS ended up being induced at 42+2, he was born weighing 8 pound 10, covered in vernix still and I had put on less than 2 stone, dispite using pregnancy as an excuse to endulge.

This time I am huge and measuring 2 weeks bigger than my dates so am expecting this one to be early (fingers crossed) as I have already reached the "had enough" stage that I never reached with DS1. (I am 36 weeks) and this time with DS1 to look after I too have not eat well or looked after myself as much as I should of

I dont believe its an exact science, if your instincts tell you that everything is fine then they probably are and try not to worry.