I'm 34 weeks pregnant and at my last 3 OB appts I have measured small when she has done the fundal height measurements. At 32 wks I was measuring 31. At 33 wks I was still measuring 31-32. Now at my 34 wk appt I'm still measuring the same 31-32. Due to lack of change and because I'm outside of the avg. Measurements (+/- 2) my doctor has ordered a growth ultrasound. I'm still waiting for that to get scheduled. In the meantime I'm wondering if anyone has experienced same thing???
I should also add that I have been noticing myself that I don't seem to be getting any bigger. Since about 30 wks I have only gained a couple of lbs. Also the baby is head down but has not dropped so that can't explain measuring small.
I have had some other things in this pregnancy that have caused anxiety as well so please please I'm only looking to hear about some experiences where everything was ok with the baby-I can't really handle hearing anything else while I wait for my growth ultrasound.
Thank-you!
Additional info based on some questions. Yes definitely feeling baby move quite a bit!! This is my 3rd pregnancy but 2nd baby (lost the 2nd one at 20 wks). With my first I always measured slightly bigger or right on. I also gained 40lbs with him and so far with this have only gained about 27. I do feel like I popped really early and gained quickly at beginning and in past 1-2 months have really slowed down. And finally yes my main concern/worry is that something is wrong with baby. I'm very certain of date of conception. Thanks so much for responses thus far!!
I had my growth ultrasound today and the baby looks great!!! He is actually even measuring 2 days earlier than my original due date. They said he weighs about 5#11oz (at 35 weeks), give/take a lb. The sonographer said "You are just all baby!" This was a huge relief!! Thank you so much for all of your responses...they really helped me get through the weekend and reduce my anxiety!!
Sorry no experience with that.
Anxiety ridden pregnanices are sucky though. So sorry you are going through all of this.
Updated
Hi Alison,
With my first I had a little false labor at around 38 weeks. At the hosp OB ward they measured him (same method as yours) at just under 5 lbs.
Two weeks later when he was born, he weight 8lbs even. Did he gain over 3 lbs in less than two weeks? I doubt it. All measurements are approximate, you know?
Is your concern more you've got your dates wrong, or that something is wrong with the baby? Sometimes I think we have WAY too much technology available to micromanage a thing that has been going on successfully since the begining of time (without any ultrasounds).
No sense stressin' out, you'll know for sure very soon when you're holding that gorgeous new child in your arms.
Congrats!
:)
I measured small all through my pregnancy, and then in the last few of weeks gained a lot. Every baby is different, just wait for the ultrasound and try to stay positive.
Alison,
Hang in there. Are you feeling the baby move? Are you petite person yourself? Is this your first child? Are you sure of your conception date?
The miracle of birth is not an exact science. It will vary with the individual. And a lot more factors like genetics and your own build. So be positive and we all will pray for your happy and healthy baby to be in your arms soon.
Good luck.
With my son, I was 94 lbs when I got pregnant. Everyone said things were fine. Then as I was around 34 weeks or so, I had a midwife (they rotated and this was my first experience with her) tell me repeatedly that "you are awful small to be as far along as you are" and "your baby is going to be awful small. He was 7 lbs 15 1/2 oz! Very healthy. Grew very fast very early. Gained about a lb a week until he was 3 months (19 lbs) then levelled off and just maintained for a while and was just 20 lbs at 6 months and then 22 lbs at 8 months and stayed there until after he was a year old. No, he is not overweight (but would have been considered overweight during his first year or two).
With my daughter, they did a measurement ultrasound (more because of GD but they were concerned about her growth). She was 6 lb 12 oz. Perfectly healthy. She didn't grow as fast as my son but grew steady and still weighed about 22 lbs at 1 yr. Isn't overweight but did weigh about the same at 1 year as my son. Didn't look as big though.
My point is don't stress. Every body and every baby is different.
I measured small and delivered at 37 weeks and he weighed 6 lbs. And perfectly healthy. He is 3 1/2 now and is on the smaller side but he has my build and not daddys
I've measured smaller than what I should have been at times and I had large babies.
I also had an experience, (unrelated to what your talking about) where an ultrasound showed my daughter's brain ventricle measuring larger than what the normal was. After many months of worry, excess ultrasounds and not knowing 100% for sure what would be until she was born, she was born a healthy baby.
Its easier said than done, but these tests they do, are not an exact science. Try to relax and wait for the ultrasound.
I'm sorry, but I don't have any past experiences with this, but I wanted to let you know that I am praying for a good outcome for you. I hope everything is fine and your little one will come in a few weeks nice and healthy! Best of luck to you!
Honestly... the date of conception and the Estimated Due Date are just that - ESTIMATES. Neither you nor any Dr can be 100% correct, unless you had sex only one day a year.
Having said that - your due date is probably wrong. Most pregnancies will last between 40-41 weeks if left alone. I'm sure your ultrasound will come back fine. Not all babies are or should be 9+ lbs at birth.
For your 3rd child... this is the THIRD time your bones have been 'relaxed' thru the pregnancy hormone relaxin. It may have changed slightly the height of your pelvic cradle and internal abdominal cavity.
Don't stress yourself, family or fetus(baby) until you have proof of something going wrong.
I also measured smaller than normal. Thankfully my experienced OB didn't get overly concerned and cause panic. He explained to me that the fundal measurement is NOT accurate and at best a basic guideline. Some visits he didn't even measure. Both of my babies were larger than I measured!!! I think it's how you carry your babies too that may affect the numbers. Don't worry too much, i'm sure everything is fine!
A good friend of mine had this issue with both of her pregnancies, and her kids are just fine! I believe they even measured smallish in the ultrasounds she had, and they were not huge babies, but both around 7 pounds & perfectly healthy. Good luck!!
Well, I'm not a medical professional, but my OB told me that after a certain point, 30 weeks I think, the measurements are not accurate and that they go by ultrasound measurements. Have the ultrasounds -- they will give you peace of mind and another peak at the cutie you will be holding very soon!
I would NOT worry about the measurements.
My friend had this EXACT same issue. They said the baby stopped growing/thriving and induced her at 38 weeks. She had a small baby for 38 weeks, something like 5.4 lbs, and she is still small but awesome, no health concerns. I get the concern, though, since it's not that you are just measuring small, the baby doesn't seem to be growing. My friend needed to work really hard for the first 4 weeks on breast feeding and also had to do supplemental feeding to try and get the baby a little bit bigger. There was nothing medically wrong with the baby, though, it just stopped thriving in-utero.
I measured small, but had bigger tan average babies.
My 'babies' are 20 and 16 years old. I had the same, highly regarded doctor through both pregnancies and he NEVER measured during either pregnancy! He said from his many years of experience he felt that everyone is build differently and women carry differently. And as others have posted, this is your 3rd and things are just more relaxed.
When he did measure he would find things like you are describing and it just caused unnecessary stress and anxiety especially when things were just fine.
But he would feel my abdomen, kinda hard since I am so ticklish, for the position and size. Both times he was within ounces!! He guessed the 20 year old at 8 pounds and he was 8.6. He guessed the 16 year old at 8 1/2 pounds and she was 8 pounds 7.6 ounces!
Try not to worry until you have a reason to worry.
Oh I'm going through the exact same thing right now! I'm 36 weeks and at my 35 week appt my laid back OB was pretty concerned that baby wasn't growing as fast as he'd like to see (his words). I hadn't seen him since week 32. I had a stress test on Monday which she passed with flying colors and an ultrasound this Monday. My OB told me that everything was probably fine and not to worry and that I wasn't allowed to look anything up on the internet (and I haven't, I swear, but I saw your question lol, and had to write in!).
Anyway, my 2 y/o daughter suddenly measured small at around the same time in my pregnancy and they pushed my due date back 5 days. She was born 10 days after my original due date at 6lbs 11.5 ounces and is a very healthy but more petite little girl.
The only thing I'm truly worried about this time is that they'll move my due dates back again, haha. I'm not a very patient person :)
Oh and as far as weight gain goes, I gained 60lbs (yikes) with my first DD, and this pregnancy I've gained 19lbs so far. So I don't think it really correlates.
