any midwives around???

[thisisyesterday]

I saw my midwife today, am 37 weeks pg.

when she measured me, she couldn't get it to measure more than 35cm. Now, this doesn't worry me personally for 2 reasons: 1) i know it's not that accurate and 2.) I have measured bang on up til now.

she has referred me for a growth scan because she said she couldn't feel baby very well, except the head which is down, but not engaged. and she is concerned it is small for dates. not necessarily an issue, but it becomes one apparently because I am planning a homebirth

I know that growth scans are notoriously inaccurate. I have posted at length on here about the pointlessness of them. and yet I agreed to it, mostly cos I couldn't be bothered to argue.

anyway, to get on with it my questions are thus:

I think baby is lying back to back. would this explain her not being able to feel much?
would it also explain the discrepancy in measurement?

if the scan does show (rightly or wrongly) that baby is too small, or, given my past performance in baby weights, too big then what implication does that have on my desire for a homebirth?

back to back would affect measurement as you are supposed to measure along the curve of the baby's back. Also was it a different midwife doing the measuring? was it measured in exactly the same way as before (from same point at top to same point on pubic bone)?
Don't know about the policy in your area re: home birth.

same midwife measuring, seemed like the same as she always does it

2 cm either way is thought to be within 'normal'.
go along with scan (unless you feel strongly against it - you don't have to have it done)
hope it measures about right and prepare to be somewhat forceful?

yeah I think that's what i'll do.

if they do say it's small what would they likely suggest? that I be induced early or anything like that?
what might it mean?

Whatever happens you still have the right to choose a homebirth.

oh i know, and I will. i just don't want to have a fight on my hands if I can avoid it, and I want to be fully prepared for any eventuality.

if a scan did show the baby to be small, why might that be? and what would the implications be? would they want to induce me?

How tall/what build are you? A friend of mine who is rather petite has been referred for growth scans for both her dds. No problems, gorgeous healthy girls, she's just not going to produce whoppers !

i don;t think your baby would be classed as small for dates

2cm within either side is within normal.

if the head is well down and baby has engaged then your fundus would be measuring a bit lower down? ?

you have the ultimate say over a homebirth, if there are any placental issues or indicators of pre eclampsia/ IUGR then i would personaly not have a homebirth, but if your baby is just a bit smaller than average, i would. IFYSWIM

some babies have to be smaller, some have to be bigger, or there is no average

Small babies don't mean anything from one scan... plus at this stage they are rather inaccurate. I had two growth scans a week apart due to concerns over blood pressure (they also did flow checks and all that). Soo.... at 36 weeks baby was too small, would struggle to survive to full term and would be highly traumatised by birth. At 37 weeks she was too big and would get stuck in the birth canal.

At 38 weeks when I was induced, she was quite normal at 6lb 4oz. I didn't mind the induction, it was fast and I had SPD so was glad to get it over with. I DID mind the two weeks of stress it put me through, and wish I could have taken it with a pinch of salt.

i think the midwife was just being her usual negative self tbh lol
my previous babies were 9lb 1 and 9lb 5 so we were expecting this one to be biggish too. as I say though, I am pretty sure it's lying back to back at the moment which could have affected the measurement.

well, I have my scan on weds morning so will just have to wait and see what they say I guess!

Hello ! as you may recall DD1 was a small for dates baby.

Given how far on you are, unless its really small I don't think they'd do much tbh. If it was really small then I guess they would induce you.

That said, as you know, fundal height is notoriously inaccurate - I measured bang on dates with DD1 all the way through and she was born on the

yes, i remember wheely.

the more I think about this the more pointless it seems. I'll be nearly 38 weeks by the time i'm scanned anyway.
oh well. at least I get another scan picture lol

oh and if they really thought there was a serious problem they would not make you wait until wednesday for a scan. As you say, you'll be almost 38 weeks by then - seems a bit silly. You might have had him/her by then .

ahh i can only dream of that!
actually no wait, I am so NOT ready to have it next week, it must wait a little longer.

now how to stop myself finding out the sex... eep

We always thought the sex would be obvious on later scans but it isn't - that said, as we've only had dds I don't know if a ds might be more obvious later on. I was told by a sonographer though that its actually harder to tell the sex later on. Not sure why though.

oh good. i'll be scared to look though in case I see something inadvertantly lol

Nothing about pregnancy is an exact science - i measured 2 weeks small for dates with DS, who ended up being born 2 weeks late - still covered in vernix! So was he really 2 weeks late???

At one point my GP wanted to sign me off work as she didnt think I was big enough for my tall size 14 frame although I was never offered a growth scan!

DS was a healthy 8 pound 10 and I just feel that he needed that bit longer cooking time!

This time I am 2 weeks big for dates and DESPERATE to have this one NOW (i am 38 weeks) (LOL)

how did the scan go thisisyesterday ?