IUGR & Reduced Movement

[mousekat]

Hi there, I am new here and just seeking some advice/reassurance or maybe just somebody who has been through a similar situation!

I am currently 32+5 with my first baby and was told at my routine 32 week growth scan that my baby is measuring quite small, apparantly his weight seems ok at 3lb 8oz, but in relation to AC, overall growth is at the 5th percentile.

Dopplers and fluid were fine but with tendency for redistribution- and for some odd reason I cannot get my head around what that means.

My baby has NEVER been very active, so much so that I have mentioned it at every single midwife appointment and have visited the maternity assessment unit a few times just so they can check if his heartbeat is still there (this was all before the IUGR talk), The lack of movement never felt normal to me although I am aware this is a first pregnancy.

Movement is getting less and less as the days go by and I am now in for daily CTG monitoring along with a follow up ultrasound on tuesday, I guess to see if baby has grown anymore?

There has been talk of steroids for babys lungs and getting induced early, and obviously I want him to be in there for as long as possible but I am out of my mind with worry because he barely moves!, To the point I believe I would no longer know if my baby is alive or not.
I've tried every trick in the book and I feel very fobbed off with the midwives and even the doctors so far.

Has anybody been through similar and perhaps been induced early due to IUGR & reduced movement? Or do you think they will leave me as long as possible and it will just mean a daily trip for a CTG.

Babys heartbeat is always fine and he does tend to wriggle a tiny bit when they put the monitor on, so they are making me feel like I am over exaggerating!

Really sorry for long post and many thanks for reading

Hope your ok mousekat, sorry I cant help but just bumping incase someone else can.

Hi mousekat, sorry you're having a tough pregnancy. I'm afraid I can't help either, but here's a bump for you.

Have you tried the Bliss website? There's quite a few parents with experience of IUGR on there. It is a bit on the quiet side at the moment but you might be more likely to hear from those in the know.

Hi Mousekat I really feel for you, I went through a very similar experience with DS2 who was so small he wasn't even on the growth chart at 20 week scan and never did make it on there! I felt very little movement either, I put it down to the fact that he was putting all his energy into growing rather than exercising . Also of course you won't feel as much when baby is very small.

DS2 was scanned every fortnight and induced at 37 weeks because fluid became reduced, he weighed 4lbs (0.4th centile) but was absolutely fine, no need for scbu, just a bit of light therapy for jaundice and a stay in until his blood sugars came up - 3 nights.

I know it's impossible not to worry but it sounds like you are driving yourself crazy. They are keeping a very close eye on you and will know exactly when your baby would be better off being delivered rather than staying in , believe me they will keep him/her in as long as possible, even if that does mean daily ctg's. Try and keep in mind that at 32+ weeks there is every chance of an excellent outcome for him/her if delivered, the earliest they would say there is a good chance of a healthy outcome is 28weeks so you are way past that. Patience and faith in your baby and doctors are what you need...

Good luck, let us know how you go. Will be thinking of you.

Hey everybody and many many thanks for your replies and bumps to this thread, I was at my wits end when posting as I have never known anybody in this situation before! your replies have given me alot of hope and faith and I appreciate it greatly xx

Basically yesterday i started bleeding heavily in the afternoon, it wouldnt stop coming and i thought that was it, i have never felt so scared in my life, this was half an hour before the follow up scan.

Got seen and was given the go ahead for the scan as bleeding subsided, they failed to write this in my notes so had to tell everybody i saw that i had been bleeding and that i am resus negative, had to ask several different midwives for anti d. this was all after being forgotten about in labour ward for 2 hours.

The consultant scanned me and they admitted me there and then for C Section tomorrow morning, been having steroids from last night, four in total last one being before the section.

They have also just told me i have strep b, which they failed to notice when i had a vaginal swab done in early april, I am so upset and scared but they have assured me that he is much better outside and i know this, i will be 33+2 and he weighs just under 4lbs.

In shock and will update this thread when he is here, thankyou all once again.

Mousekat, you poor thing, your last 24hrs sound terrifying. Steroids do amazing things for babies' lungs though and you know the doctors are right, your DS will do much better out now...and 4lbs is good news wrt to early delivery. Please keep us updated, I am sure it won't just be me thinking of you tomorrow, wishing you and your ds all the best....

Lots of un-mn hugs xxxx

Mousekat, what a terrible day. I hope you are in good hands now and your son is delivered safely.

33 weeks is a very good term, I know it won't feel like it at first and just as Sleepwhenidie has written, 4lbs is a brilliant weight. It was the weight Gen had to reach in order to be discharged,so one box ticked already.

NICU/SCBU can be a bewildering experience, but the staff who work on those units are on the whole excellent.

I wish you all the best for today x

Hello Mousekat,

been browsing your thread since you first posted, what a shock for you all...

Hope evrything goes well, my little girl was delivered at 37 weeks at 4lb 11oz and was out of hospital in 4 days, so you've already reached a good weight, she's 8 weeks now and over 8 lbs.

You are in the right place, remember the Drs have seen it all before and as BadNails said, 33 weeks is a good start.

There are other threads on here with some good advice on coping with Intensive care/ tiny babies, sorry, don't know how to link, will find the thread titles for you...

My first baby was born at 28 weeks with severe IUGR weighing 1lb 11oz and is now 2 and a half, still small, but doing great.

will be thinking of you x

Hello again,

I know you will be in shock for a while but reading the thread with this title might help:

Hand holding from anyone who has been through similar experiences...

I started to write a diary and took photos in hospital, though regret not taking more when my little boy was still very little, and the hospital lost the first one taken of him when he was born, which makes me so sad...

Make sure you've got plenty of family/friend support around you,

dont forget to eat/drink

ask the drs and nurses as many questions as like, and dont worry about repeating yourself or asking the same question again,

make notes about equipment/monitors so you can fully understand what is going on

hope some of this helps and try to stay positive x

@Sleepwhenidie
Hi there, I see your post above regarding small baby and reduced movement. I had my 22 week scan yesterday and she said the baby was very small, >5th centile. This is my 3rd pregnancy. My first was 8lb 7 and I had told her I hadn’t felt the baby kick yet and she said the baby’s hands are clenched and it’s legs straight out and not moving. She said it could be a syndrome so I need to have more tests next week. When I said what type of syndrome, she said like Edwards Syndrome. I know I won’t know for definite until I have the tests, but when I saw your post above I wondered whether they had ever mentioned Edwards Syndrome to you?
TIA
Kathleen

Hi, Edwards wasn’t mentioned iirc. Concerns over DS2 were centred around dysplasias- of which there are many many kinds, most of which they can’t test for and effects range from barely noticeable to life limiting or some requiring multiple surgeries, the message seemed to be ‘could be any one of them’.

I don’t know where you are but if you can get to the Fetal Medicine Centre on HarleySt the care there from Prof Nicolaides is best in the world (and is a charity - reasonable prices).

Good luck xx