I'm 34 weeks pregnant with my third and my baby is approximately 3lbs,10 oz (according to my last ultrasound). That puts my baby in the 9th percentile...which has my Dr. a little concerned. I'm stressed about it and curious if anyone else has been in a similar situation with their baby. Should I be worried or is it more common then I thought? I don't know if I should be eating more or what?? Any input?
K.
Avery was born May 1st. She was 6 lbs, 2.8 oz....healthy and happy! Thanks for all the advice. I was worried for nothing!!
Both of my boys were small babies but they were healthy anyway.
If the doc is concerned ask him what to do. You still have a few weeks to let the baby grow. I won't tell you not to worry, you will anyway. Good Luck!!!!
I say you try to think positive and try to be less stressed, stress is not good for you or the baby. She is still a very active baby and she just may surprise you! I say EAT MORE! ;) Take frequent trips to McDonald's for that McFlurry you CRAVE! Having a positive attitude will help you more than you think. We always hear of stories of how a child survived being born ity bity...like 1lb, so if she is small we have the best doctors and technology available to ensure she comes home healthy! Having the u/s and non stress tests will help monitor the baby's progress and if anything comes up they will catch it early on. So smile, your lil' baby is going to be fine!
I am a x-ray tech and while I do not do ultrasounds, only CT, mammo and regular x-ray, I do know a little more about ultrasound than the average person. I also had 2 very difficult pregnancies filled with weekley ultrasounds and non-stress tests. First I would like to say that ultrasound is no where near 100 percent acurate at predicting fetal weight, especially late in pregnancy. A lot depends on the tech getting acurate measurements, hard to do when the baby is cramped for space. My friend who is an ultrasound tech measured her baby's weight at about 7 # and a few days later he was born weighing 10# 2 oz. I would only be concerned if the weight continues to be low, or the baby doesn't seem to be making much progress from week to week. I would definately continue with the weekly US and bi-weekly non stress tests so that if there is problem they can monitor it. I have NEVER heard of US causing low birth weight, as far as I know it's perfectly safe when it's warranted. Like I said I had weekly ultrasounds with both pregnancies from 30 weeks on (Plus lots more unofficial ones since that's where I work) and both of my children were good size, 6# 11 0z and 7# 6 oz. Both were also 4 weeks early( for medical reasons) so I wouldn't say US was harmful to either of them.
K.,
My first daughter's ultrasounds found her umbilical cord attached incorrectly to the placenta, they measured her limbs short, and put her in the 3rd percentile. We did weekly US and NST and during one her heart rate droped significantly and my doctor rushed me to the hospital and did an emergency c-section! She was born at 36 wks and weighed 5lbs 1oz. She was in the NCIU for two days just for observation and recovered with no problems. She is now a VERY healthy "little" 2 yr old! :) Anyway, ultrasounds can be wrong but I am so thankful to them for saving my little girl's life. Just listen to your doctor and try not to stress because it will stress your baby too! Hope you have a healthy baby (no matter when she comes)!
S.
Just keep following Doctor's advice, and I am sure everything will be ok. Do remember that the ultrasound weights are never 100% correct and the most of the weight gain for a baby happens in the last 4 weeks of gestation. You have a 6 lb baby before, so this one could be that small too. My niece just gave birth to a 5lb baby who is doing great and needed no time in the NICU. She, though, smokes and I assume you do not. Sorry to hear of your troubls, mine with my last one were the opposite and she was getting too big too fast, though thankfully she only ended up 8lbs 13 oz, they thought, at 34 weeks, she would end up over 10lbs. Eating more will not help your baby. Just try to relax (easy to say, hard to do with raging hormones) and enjoy what little time you have left until your baby comes. Good Luck!
As a mom of a low birth weight child, not to to growing problems but prematurity, the best advice anyone can give you is listen to your doctor. Know the signs of preterm labor, count baby movements every night while laying down if they ever slow down or stop go to the hospital right away-not the ER but your birthplace of choice-the staff at the birth places are trained for your situation going to the ER will just slow things down or get you sent home and trust yourself. A poorly performing plancenta is not a good thing, if at anytime they think your baby has stopped growing or is losing weight talk about delivery, be and advocate for yourself and your child-sometimes waiting is not the best option. I personally know a premature baby sucks but healthy premature infant is a lot better than a really sick older one. While 36 to 40 weeks is best 34 is not bad, sure she will spend time in the NICU but the staff at both hospitals are GREAT!! Without them and their knowledge my youngest would not be here today.
Late in pregnancy ultrasound can be off by up to 1# either way. I would also recommend that you do not keep having ultrasounds, as they have been shown to slow the growth of a baby, as well as have many other undesirable effects.
What to eat? Eat protein rich foods & carbs as well. This will add weight to baby. It sounds like your other babies were on the smaller side too, so don't worry too much.
with my first they kept telling me my son measured 8lbs.. i kept telling them an 8lb baby wasn't coming out of this 4'11" body..lo my son came(11 days early) at 6lbs 1/2 oz.. lol
I got lots of ultrasounds because of past miscarriages(6) and fertility. they have come out and said there is no harm with getting ultra sounds. that's one last stresser YOU need right now, is to worry about something that will protect your baby in the long run, is harming him. weighing the bad with the good.. i'd keep getting them.
hang in there.. has your dr given you any indication of why baby may be on the small side? or does he feel the need to do other tests?
T.
My daughter was 5 lbs 15 oz when she was born and 5 lbs 9 oz when we brought her home. She had no problems, she was just tiny. She is now a very intelligent almost 3 year old who is in 24 month clothes :) She is beautiful and smart and on ever single devolopmental milestone. I wouldn't worry, some babies are just smaller :)
I have just given birth to my 6th child on March 15th. The ultrasound a week before said the baby was 6lbs 9 ozs. When Shania was born she was 5lbs 3.6 ozs at 38.5 weeks. I had high blood pressure for the 4 weeks of pregnancy which was why she was early. Not all children are going to grow around the same. I would not worry too much about the size of your new baby. Labor might be easier for you. Now that I look back, this labor was too easy.
I hope I calmed your fears a little bit.
A. W.
