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November 2022 Moms
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24 week growth scan

novtigernovtiger member
in November 2022 Moms
Hi I just had my 24 week growth scan.  I don’t know the gender of the baby by choice but the weight came out to one pound and 14 ounces so that places baby in the 74th%.  I have gained 15 pounds.  I was told the baby is big and now very fearful of having a large baby.  I want a vaginal birth.  I eat as healthy as I can, so now I am going to try to eat less of what I am doing.  Please share your experience, am I worrying for nothing?  Thank you
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Re: 24 week growth scan

  • mflowers929mflowers929 member
    Ultrasound weight guesses can be wildly inaccurate - I know multiple women who were told they were having a big baby, some even induced early because of it, only to wind up with a normal sized infant. Unless your uterus is also measuring large (more than 3 cm above your current week) I wouldn't worry too much 
    Momma to 3 angels and two amazing children
    F born June 2018
    W born September 2020
    #3 due November 2022
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  • baby-h2022baby-h2022 member
    For my first baby (17 years ago) the day I had him they said the ultrasound showed him weighting almost 9 lbs. he was born later that night and he was 5lbs 3oz so it can be way off. 
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  • Gingermom15Gingermom15 member
    Continue to eat healthy and do what you’re doing. Unless there are extrinsic factors (GD for example), baby’s size is genetically driven. Don’t deprive yourself of nutrients for the sake of a smaller newborn. 

    Fwiw, both of my kids’ sizes were on almost to the ounce of their ultrasounds. My second was always over 70% and was 8.5 lbs at birth. But they can vary by a pound or two either way. A bigger baby is not a good reason not to trial labor unless you desire to have a c section imo, unless you have contraindications as to why you can’t deliver vaginally. I’ve heard plenty of stories of 10+ lbs babies surprising everyone after birth and the parent not even tearing 🤷🏼‍♀️ 
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  • ashnicellashnicell member
    If you feel like you're eating healthy already, don't cut back. Your body needs nutrition. The placenta is going to take what the baby needs, so cutting back will just deprive you. I have struggled eating this pregnancy and keeping food down and have only gained 2lbs, but at my appt Tuesday, my OB said I'm measuring ahead (fundal height). I'll be getting a growth scan in 2 weeks. But it just goes to show that even if you're eating less, the baby will still grow. 
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  • ponyoisfunponyoisfun member
     Don't worry at all!  As everyone has said the ultrasound weights are usually off by a lot. Also, our friend had 2 10lb babies without any medication.  It is totally possible. If you are concerned about ease of labor etc. I would focus more energy on exercises that can help with baby's position and on coping measures during the birth.  

    As far as the weight issue don't cut back in any way.  Those "growth charts are totally outdated and as long as you are not having sudden weight gain or loss (which would indicate an actual medical problem) your body  is going to do what it needs to do.  I am someone on the smaller side and I gain about 45 -50 lbs. each pregnancy. I get a lot of comments, which I hate, but I know that it is just what I need to do to have a healthy pregnancy.  I honestly don't eat more or less than when I am pregnant and I love working out, but I just gain the same amount.   It also had nothing to do with the size of my babies which happened to be low average weights. BFing also went very smoothly because I had plenty of extra fat stores to share with my baby. 
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  • coldlife2coldlife2 member
    Yes, everyone else is correct about how inaccurate these are. You can look up studies if you want. It’s shocking to me how much providers rely on this considering how inaccurate it is. Personally, I think relying on this and scaring mothers with it should be considered malpractice. 

    Even if you do ultimately have a “big baby,” that’s not automatically a bad thing. The vast majority of women will not grow a baby that their body is unable to deliver. “Another study shows that 65 percent of women who received a diagnosis of cephalopelvic disproportion in an earlier pregnancy went on to deliver vaginally in subsequent pregnancies. In fact, many of these women had larger babies on subsequent pregnancies than with the CPD baby.” That’s from the American Pregnancy Association. They stop short of saying that most diagnoses of CPD are wrong, but I think it’s implied. They do note that you can very rarely diagnosis it beforehand, and typically only by measuring the pelvis - aka, you can’t diagnosis it by looking at a baby ultrasound and saying “your baby’s big.” 
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  • novtigernovtiger member
    Thanks, everyone! Your words are really encouraging for a first time mom!
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  • ravenhairedgirl83ravenhairedgirl83 member
    edited August 2022
    I've been very curious about growth scans, as I keep hearing about them in several groups. I am 26 weeks, and they've never mentioned to me so I contacted my fetal medicine doc. Sharing her response, in case another perspective is helpful: 

    "Everyone who has a history of hypertension has a risk for a baby who is growing too slowly. While ultrasound is not perfect it is a good screen for fetal growth restriction and is really our only tool for that. We do not order them on everyone just women with a reason. It is very uncommon for an indication for one as early as 24 weeks. 28 weeks is commonly the first one when it is indicated."

    *Note: This is not medical advice
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