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3rd Trimester
very worried
what could possibly cause your unborn baby to grow 2 weeks behind even though your due date is still correct and hasn't changed? i don't go for another ultrasound to double check his weight and length until monday. has anyone else had this problem and what was the cause
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Re: very worried
There could be a lot of answers to this question but first of all, DON'T WORRY! Here are a few possibilities:
- Your due date really may not be correct. The term "due date" is a misnomer in some ways, in that most babies are born within a 2 week range before and after this date. The vast majority still fall into what's considered "normal" for weight and length. So, measuring 2 weeks smaller is not at all far-fetched.
- At this point in your pregnancy, babies develop at different paces and there's a much wider range of what is considered "normal." A 2 week difference from what is considered normal is NOT huge. Example: I had GD with DS so I was expecting a big baby. DS was born on his exact "due date" at just 6 lbs 11 oz (not even "average" let alone "big," but still within the normal range). DH and I are both small people though and this size was a perfect fit for MY body.
- Ultrasounds are VERY often off by a pound or more in either direction. They should only be used as a loose guideline when it comes to baby's growth and by no means constitute an exact science.
- Yes, your baby *could* be growth restricted but I really don't think measuring 2 weeks behind should be cause of alarm in and of itself. If you were measuring 4 or more weeks off, then that would probably be more cause for concern. I wouldn't even worry about it at this point.
The bottom line is that while you won't know anything for sure until you see your doctor again, there are a ton of reasonable explanations why a perfectly healthy baby could appear to be a little smaller. Try to relax until Monday and don't stress out too much. Be sure you're eating well and taking your vitamins but just hang in there until you can (hopefully) get some positive affirmation from your doctor that everything is more than likely fine.
I have had the same problem. Around 8 weeks ago or so I was measuring 2 weeks behind. So 2 more appointments later I still was, so they scheduled an ultrasound. My doctor wasn't too concerned, but she still wanted to do an ultrasound. When they did the u/s the baby was only in the 38th percentile - small, but not that big of a deal and she also noticed that my placenta was maturing too quickly. So she made me stop all exercise and work (I am a personal trainer) and told me to take it easy. She also had me do stress tests 2 times a week to monitor the baby's heartbeat. Then I had another u/s 2 weeks later. The placenta looked better, but the baby at that time was now in the 28th percentile, so I got put on strict bed rest and got 2 steroid shots and my doctor told me that I could expect to go to L&D any time I saw her. The next week we had another u/s - then the baby was in the 32nd percentile for week 35. Still had to stay on bed rest. The next u/s the baby was in the 22nd percentile!! So after that my doctor decided that we needed to induce by week 37, so I am being induced tomorrow.
It's not too much to worry about, but she feels like baby will be better on the outside and grow more out here. So don't stress out. If you have a good doctor, she/he should be monitoring you closely if your u/s doesn't look good. As posted, u/s could be wrong on the weight by 1lb either way. That's a lot. So I am hoping tomorrow I will have my little girl and everything will be okay.
Good luck and hang it there!!
good luck tomorrow. the reason why my dr is now concerned is b/c 6 weeks ago at my last u/s he was 8 days behind in growth and now hes 2 weeks behind in his growth. so they're doing another u/s monday morning to get a more accurate reading on his growth