anyone been monitored for intra uterine growth restriction?

[clanger]

I'm 32 weeks pregnant and have just been told that the baby is three weeks too small for dates and there isn't enough amniotic fluid. As a result I have to be monitored every day for the rest of this pregnancy and be scanned every week. This is all a bit worrying (understatement).

Has anyone been through this?

Hi clanger, I had this with my first baby, though they didn't spot it until about 35 weeks. They didn't make me go in for every day monitoring until about 37 weeks. It was all very stressful, I really feel for you. It must be good that they are keeping such a close eye on you, so that if necessary they can bring you in to hospital and induce or do c-section. Perhaps mears has more info?

My dd was born at 38 weeks - I went in for an induction then, but had an emergency c-section due to fetal distress. She was 4lbs 5oz, but had good Apgar score, and was in special care for 10 days. She is absolutely fine now and is average weight and height - be prepared for your baby to be absolutely ravenous when born!

HTH and thinking of you. (PS I know another Mum who had very similar situation and her little boy is also absolutely fine now).

clanger - I myself have not had this problem but as a midwife have seen a number of women who have. As long as your baby is growing, which serial scans will show, then your pregnancy will continue on. If it comes to the point that your baby is not growing then a decision might be made to either induce you or deliver by C/S. Depends on how the baby is. Sometimes babies that are not growing well are better to be delivered by C/S because labour can be stressful.
After saying all that I have a friend who is a midwife as well, whose baby was small. At each scan he had grown and at the end of her pregnancy he was growing quite well. She had a labour in the pool and delivered in the water. He weighed 6lb 12oz at birth but he was expected to be much smaller.
Have you to go to the hospital every day to be monitored?

Caroline5 and Mears many thanks for some positive outcomes. They've told me that I have to be positive but it's really hard when the info on the internet etc tends to focus on everything that can go wrong. Also I don't know anyone else who's had anything similar so it's quite isolating. I've also got a 2 1/2 yr old who by chance we have just started potty training. Luckily this has proved totally unstressful as he has really taken to it.

Mears I do have to go to the hospital everyday which is exhausting. I know that it means that they will pick up on anything very quickly but it does make me worry what they will find today and whether I'll be coming home...

Ooh, clanger, having read this I recognise that this happened to me - 21 years ago though so lost in the mists a bit.

Anyway, FWIW - and it may not be worth much now, but this was at a very high-tech teaching hospital in New York so as good as it got at the time - my DD1 was diagnosed as small for dates, can't remember how many weeks too small she was. I am 6' tall and gained quite a lot of weight over the pregnancy and this may have been a factor in their judgment?

Anyway I had to go in for "stress" testing (I think they call it challenge testing here - where they hook you up to a monitor and put you on an oxytocin drip and look at the heartrate behaviour during contractions) weekly from about 32 weeks, more frequently from 36 weeks, and they also sometimes did "non-stress" testing where they just monitored heartrate during kicks. The nurse who used to do the testing was a really lovely person and made the whole process much less of an anxiety than it might have been otherwise.

I had actually got to just over 40 weeks when nice nurse decided the baby was beginning to show distress - an examination showed a tightly closed cervix so they did a section and she was with us about 2 hours after the test.

She was a tiny baby, only 5-11, very small for anybody at 40+ weeks, let alone someone my size, BUT DH's weight at birth was only 6lb and I have heard that that can be a significant indicator. Anyway her APGAR score was 9. She remained a tiny child, smallest in her year, right through primary school and well into secondary school but is now around 5'7 and very fit and healthy.

Lots of luck to you, clanger, hope it all turns out well for you and the baby, just remember they always have to err on the side of caution (as they did with me).

Hi Clanger

I had a small for date prgnancy in 1996, mine was due to my waters breaking at 20-21 weeks and having placenta insufficiancy so by 28 weeks my baby was the size of a 22 weeker. I was kept in hospital from 28weeks till 36 weeks when I had my c-section. I had a healthy girly who was 2.2kg (4lb14oz).She was also on the ward with me after 2 hours SCBU She is now very tall for her age and extemly healthy ( has been very healthy since day one).

My advice is not to worry and just think with in the next 8 weeks you will have a beautiful baby.

Good luck.

Hi Clanger
My Dd was small for dates in 1998 . She was induced at 36+6days when they discovered it. I think it's good that you're being monitored earlier . My Dd was 4lb 11oz and is fine, didn't need any time in special care . I know I irrationaly felt guilty and that in some way it was my fault , but having just has Ds (2 weeks ago) and having a healthy pregnancy this time I am a lot more logical about it .
Good Luck , keep asking questions when you're being monitored if you think it would help.

I was 4lb when I was born at term! I'm still small (5'2", but perfectly healthy

How did that winky get there?

I was one of these babies and Mum worried and worried but they did a c/s after scans and I was fine, grew up ok too I think!! Well, mostly. My DD was also small for dates at 41+3 wks she was 5lb, after being told she would be 8 lbs!! bit of a difference! she was a little distressed in labour but she great now. Must run in my family.

Have just remembered that they called it Intra Uterine Growth Retardation over there, which is why I didn't realise what the thread was about...durr!

Wonder if you have any follow up advice. I'm now 37.5 weeks and they have decided that I haven't got IUGR after all! In fact at latest scan the baby is 6lb 10oz which sounds fine to me. There is no problem with placenta and baby is moving well. The hospital is now fixated on the fluid level (well they have to be worried about something!). It keeps fluctuating at around the 4 mark although it did briefly go up to 8. They are now muttering about induction which I would like to avoid if possible. I know from my first child that induction isn't all bad but I just don't think that this one wants to come out yet. Does anyone know why a low fluid level is so bad? The consultant suggested that I drink more which I have been doing and although it seemed to work at first it isn't any longer.

Hi again, clanger. I think mears is your best bet here!

Have just googled low level of amniotic fluid, and it can be an indication of IUGR, so a bit circular and not very helpful. Something to do with the baby's kidneys maybe? At least the baby is growing well - 6-10 at 37 weeks sounds good to me too - lots of luck!