Midwife told my friend baby hasn't grown...

[mountainboo]

She is 29 weeks and at her most recent appt the midwife said the baby hasn't grown, she is booked in for a scan on Monday and had a 4d scan today (because last one you couldn't really see baby) and she said all well. So I'm curious, baby must be growing!! How can the midwife say that? Also, why couldn't the 4d scan people tell if baby has grown?
By the way, if anyone is interested, particularly redcrx as she always comes to the rescue, I'm 23 weeks now and very happy, I just hope the remainder of pregnancy goes well. Im a real worrier about the slightest thing.

[isymcd]

Is it the midwife she always sees? Did she measure her bump with the tape and maybe that wasn't measuring the right number of weeks?
Are the people doing the 4d scans medical professionals or runnning a business? Sorry mountainboo, thats a lot of questions instead of helping with an answer!

[excelsior]

i have no knowledge or experience so i dare not comment. i'll just say - congratulations on the pregnancy and hope all goes well.

good luck

[mountainboo]

Thanks excelsior.
Hi isymcd, as far as I know it was her usual midwife. I don't know if she checked with the tape, unfortunately I recieved the information second hand, but she was told that the baby hadn't grown and so they booked her in for a scan. The 4d scan was done at portsmouth hospital I think. I don't know what scan package she went for so I'm not sure how medically proffesional the people were. I guess she'll know on Monday whats going on.

[natalie_1982]

I can't help re your friend mountain boo, but I thought I would say that I am nearly 23 weeks to (23 on Weds). And I'm very happy too, I'm beginning to show now and am able to stay awake past 8pm!

[mountainboo]

Excellent natalie, congrats. Tell me, how has the pregnancy been so far? is it your first? I am very big. My appetite is huge and I never seem satisfied with my food portions even though they are bigger than before the pregnancy. Do you know if its a boy or girl? I'm having a boy.

[natalie_1982]

I am not very big - too big for normal clothes but not quite big enough for maternity which is annoying. I go through stages when I eat loads and loads and loads, and then just eatnormal. I do want to drink loads of water though!

It's my first and we wanted to find out what it was but the litle ****** had it's legs closed and wouldn't show! LOL

I'm enjoying sleeping lots and eating well, and feeling it kicking around now and then makes me feel special :-)

[mountainboo]

That's good to hear. I must be bigger than normal then because I started wearing maternity clothes very early on I haven't been able to see below my belly button for the last 2 weeks. I'm finding lying in bed a bit uncomfortable now and if I lye on my back to long I get pins and needles in my lower limbs. Also my ribs have started feeling sore occasionally. With all that said, I'm loving it. When he moves around It's a fantastic feeling. Has your belly button began the journey outwards yet?

[Psychick]

Can I just say its not fair! I started wearing maternity clothes at 10 weeks! lol I will be 28 weeks on Monday so you can guess how big I am now lol

As for the scans, 4d scans are done by qualified sonographers but are intended for bonding purposes and should not replace your usual ante natal scans. My guess would be, as has been mentioned, she simply wasnt measuring the right size for the amount of weeks she is so having a scan as a precaution. If there was any real worry, she would have been sent straight up to the hospital. Measuring the tummy at ante natal appointments is only a guideline and not everyone grows at the same rate so hopefully your friend isnt worrying too much (easier said than done I know as Im a natural worrier too!)

Congrats on expecting a little boy mountainboo, Im having another girl!

[excelsior]

hello natalie .. congratulations to you aswell. i hope all will be well for you and the littl'un when he/she arrives

[Ice.Maiden]

Congrats mountainboo & natalie - and LOL, psychick, because I was trhe same as you. It was awful in a way. At 3 months, I was flopping around in maternity gear. I gained 4 stone during both pregnancies (thought I'd pop!), and was told to expect huge babies. This didn't happen. The first one was under 7lbs, and the second was just over 8.

[mountainboo]

Thanks psychick. I'm glad I'm not the only one that seems to be huge. Before I was pregnant I weighed 10 stone, now I weigh 11.5 stone already. I'm sure my friend will be fine, I think she just has a small baby. She's only just started showing as she's very tall and skinny.

[mountainboo]

Oh and thanks Ice. Looks like I'm on the way to putting on same weight as you did.

[redcrx]

test post to see if im still suspended

[4getmenot]

hi MB, glad to hear you are happy, its the nice part of pregnancy generally before the last hard slog to the end from about 33 weeks!

Midwives can only get an ideal of a babys size from the fundal height, which is length in cms from top of pubic bone to top of uterus. Its usually 1cm per week gestation as a rough guide though youll find that towards the end there can be a great variation.

Because of how its measured then it can seem that baby hasnt grown if baby is just sitting differently. In this case its always best just to go for a quick check up to make sure alls well as if baby was to stop growing then the mother and baby would need checking thoroughly.

Im sorry i can post this myself but Im still suspended for no reason and emails to Ed and techies arent getting me anywhere at the moment :( i do hope to be back soon though

red xx"

[Psychick]

lol and there was me getting impressed with 4gets knowledge of pregnancy!

mountainboo, it may make you feel even better when I say I was a pre pregnancy size of 8 1/2 stone and wearing size 8 clothes (Im 5' 8" as well so I too was tall and skinny but that didnt stop me showing early lol)... Im now in maternity size 12 jeans/trousers, wearing size 14-16 normal tops and havent dared weigh myself since I found out about a month ago I had already gained 2 stone! lol

[mountainboo]

Thanks red and psy. Now I really feel fat, I am 5'7" and was a size12 borderline 14 prior to pregnancy. I am just about fitting into size 12/medium maternity trousers but my pyjamas are a size 18-22 (still have a little bit of room left in them.
Anyway, that makes me feel better for my friend to know that they can only use a guide to measure the baby.

[redcrx]

you feel fat???

i am wearing a nightshirt that I wore when i was full term and i have about an inch of room in it now!

at 20 weeks last time i was in size 10 maternity. Now at 20 weeks Im in size 14 maternity

did your friends scan go ok yesterday?

[mountainboo]

I called her yesturday and she said its thursday. I was sure she said monday. Well that shows it cant have had that much of an urgency so we can go back down to defcon 1. he he.
So red, what was your previous delivery like? I know every woman is different as is every delivery but I'm just curious to know. My sis in-law said it's a pain that you forget with time?

[redcrx]

if youd like to read my birth story i could send you a link.
It was as good as i couldve hoped for being 17 days late.
It is true that you forget the pain, 2 days later i had already forgotten and said i could do it all again lol.
Apparently though, once labour starts with the next one it all comes flooding back.

[mountainboo]

That woud be great red. do i add you to friends on the new answerbank set up and then you can send it to me that way?