Update: more worried today about measurements after ultrasound

Re: Update: more worried today about measurements after ultrasound

• Unknown

  March 2015

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• pixieprincss member

  March 2015

  I'm surprised that your provider even suggested a follow-up. Fundal height is a fine estimate, but it is just an estimate. Even if you get the ultrasound, there is a pretty large margin of error on size estimates.

  

  
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• expatmrs member

  March 2015

  I started measuring small around 34 weeks. My doctor (also pretty laid back) got me in for another ultrasound. While I continue to measure smaller now at 39 weeks, the baby is continuing to grow so there's nothing to be concerned about. Don't stress yourself unless the doctors believe there is a problem. We all carry differently. And like PP said, the size estimates are rarely accurate.

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• finchfeeder80 member

  March 2015

  I was on the "small side of normal" at my last ultrasound. I go in tomorrow (three weeks later) for another growth check. But the doc wasn't actually concerned. The hubs was a small baby, and I was fairly average, and baby was proportional to itself, so everything seems fine. The MFM certainly didn't tell me to do anything differently than I am. 

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• NurseEdge member

  March 2015

  My little guy is measuring small and has fallen off the growth curve. Aside from that, I can tell you from my nursing experience that in healthcare we pay more attention to trends than to singular measurements. That's why they order growth checks. If your baby is still growing, even if they are estimating that they are small, then they will just continue to monitor you. There are a ton of factors that come into play when getting accurate measurements, like baby's position, so looking at a trend is much more likely to give you a better picture of how big baby is and if they are getting the nutrients they need.
  I feel for you, I am in the same boat and have had serial growth checks for the past two months.... Just hang in there and take care of yourself!

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• nilvero member

  March 2015

  Did they give you an overall percentile? Babies parts grow at different rates at this point so that's why ultrasound techs and docs tend to give you an overall percentile. If they were concerned, trust me, they would have told you. My little man dropped in his measurements and I was ordered to come back for weekly nsts until I gave birth.

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• ladyteach0505 member

  March 2015

  nilvero Well, my husband and I debated this after the fact.  I assume, but don't know because I didn't ask, that percentile is based on weight.  When the weight came up on the computer she was 5lbs 13 ounces and the tech told me that the computer stated that was 35th percentile. When the doctor came in, however, she told me that the baby is 56th percentile. I asked why and she said the computer uses a different algorithm but that 35th percentile would be okay too.  (For me this isn't okay, but that's another point.)  Do you know if the percentile accounts for limb lengths, etc?

  
  

  I just wish I understood more about this.  You mentioned you did NSTs, which I am now going to be doing every week until delivery per my request, but did you ever need another ultrasound?

  
  

  (How did your kiddo turn out by the way in terms of weight, percentile, etc?)

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• emaddock member

  March 2015

  I measured 2 weeks behind with my daughter for most of the third trimester and she was born perfectly healthy at 8lbs 2oz but was late. No health issues then or today. Just my experience but hope yours is similar!

  

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• CatsAreShady member

  April 2015

  I was measuring behind up until I gave birth. They swore up and down that my baby would be at most 5 to 5.5 pounds.
  
  My daughter was 6 lbs 13 oz. It's just an estimate and it can definitely be off. Don't stress.

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• Frogger5 member

  April 2015

  I really don't think they should give out percentiles or age equivalents to patients without explaining what they mean. The 35th percentile IS totally average. There are also confidence intervals and other things that we (as pregnant women) just don't know that absolutely affect how these stats are interpreted. The difference between one body part measuring less than a week behind and one measuring less than two weeks ahead is probably not significant. There are so many factors and so many unknowns that we have to trust that the doctor is going to worry when it's indicated, and is not in the business of hiding things from his or her patients. So really try not to worry, and I hope it all works out just fine!

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• pixieprincss member

  April 2015

  I'm sorry to hear that you are so stressed out still. Did they explain to you the (large) margin of error with ultrasound and that this all still fits within normal? FWIW, DS1 had a high 90th% head and was more like 30% for the rest of him. Big heads just run in my DH's family. So, it we'd put much stock in a growth scan (I didn't because of the variance), we might have also seen results like yours. He's a delightful 4 year old now. I was also told that he was going to be 8+ lbs and too big for me to birth. He came out under 7lbs vaginally. THAT is how off these scans can be.

  

  
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• tyke29 member

  April 2015

  Don't worry about the head measurement.  My DS head from 30 weeks on was always 90%+  Once he was born, his head has been 97%+ He just has a big head, no medical issues at all.  We are still hoping it mean a lot of brain power.  LOL. 

  My DD (this baby) head is alittle larger than average but nothing like her big brother. 

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• djdestany98 member

  April 2015

  At around 28 weeks i started measuring small, then at 32 weeks i still was measuring small so they ordered my ultrasound to check the babys measurements. I went in at 33 weeks 2 days and my baby was measuring 2 weeks behind. The scheduled another one at 36 weeks to check her growth and she is growing like normal, just a little on the small side which isnt bad. If they dont seem concerned then im sure its totally fine, doctors know what they are talking about. I was super paranoid too. Now im 37 and a half weeks and everything is still fine

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• BAYOUWIFE member

  April 2015

  I am sorry this is stressing you out. But as pp have stated, these are just estimates. My example is from the other side of the coin. With my DD, at 35 weeks, I started getting weekly u/s and nst because of my blood pressure and AMA. Each week the tech said she was going to be around 9 pounds if we made it to 40 weeks. Well at exactly 39 weeks I had a emergency c-section and she was a whopping 6lbs 1oz! Talk about being offf. I hope everyone's responses help you relax a bit.

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• SweetnessG member

  April 2015

  I'm 32+5 and I had an growth check today. I'm measuring 33wks, baby is measuring 30wks. At my last appointment my doctor said she thinks baby will be small, so I'm anxious to hear what she has to say about today's measurements.

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• ryemo member

  April 2015

  That sounds like normal measurements to me. There's a huge margin of error on ultrasound.

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• fenwick52 member

  May 2015

  pixieprincss said:

  I'm surprised that your provider even suggested a follow-up. Fundal height is a fine estimate, but it is just an estimate. Even if you get the ultrasound, there is a pretty large margin of error on size estimates.

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