Help... Baby too big? - Is scan/induction necessary?

[GregMonarche]

Hello (mostly) ladies...

First some background:

I am 39 and my wife is 41 years old, pregnant with our third child, due 3rd July (supposedly). There were no problems with the previous two births (1996 & 1999), apart from Branxton Hicks contractions (which medical staff made a super-fuss over at the time, but we now know were completely normal).

Our first baby arrived 7 hours after waters broke. Second was just 45 minutes after waters broke. (And it took me 15-20 minutes to drive her to the hospital!)

Fast forward to today, when my wife and I went to a midwife visit.

The midwife measured my wife's uterus (multiple times) with a tape measure, which showed 41cm. She is due July 3rd, so has a bit over 6 weeks to go. With previous two pregnancies my wife bloated up with fluid, especially her legs and feet. So midwife tested her urine for protein. Test showed none, so there is no pre-eclampsia. (My wife also had no post-partum pre-eclampsia with the previous two pregnancies.) She also took a swab for "strep B" (I think it was), explaining if we didn't rule it out, doctors may press my wife to remain in hospital longer.

My wife has had Branxton Hicks contractions with this third pregnancy as well. (So everything seems the same as the two previous pregnancies.)

After measuring the 41cm with a tape measure the midwife said she would like us to have another scan, saying baby is bigger than it should be - and have a blood test for gestational diabetes (explaining this can apparently make the baby grow larger than normal).

We said to her we have read there is some concern and evidence ultrasounds can alter the baby at a cellular level. (We only found this out after having all "required" scans of course.) So we asked was it really necessary to have a scan now; since there's only 6 weeks to go; my wife has had no problems in the past; this pregnancy has been no different to the previous two; my wife was "quite tight" in the uterus (like a drum in fact) with both previous pregnancies just like this one; that a few cm isn't that big a difference is it...; can the tape measure really be considered accurate; and couldn't variations from body fat etc. from person to person, account for a few centimeters difference?

She replied that with some overweight women it can be hard to measure through the body fat. But with my wife (who is also overweight), "I can feel the uterus right there... I can feel it quite clearly and it's definitely 41cm." Then she measured several more times to be sure and came up with a couple more at 41cm and one 40cm.

So I asked wouldn't the measurement change if the baby changes position? She said not really, that she was measuring the fluid and uterus that the baby moves within - not the baby - so the measurement doesn't really change if baby moves.

We then asked about ultrasounds possibly not being all that accurate - and couldn't the due date be out anyway, meaning baby was possibly not big at all, but normal if conception/due date were incorrect? She replied that at the 6 week scan, all babies are the exact same size and it only varies *after* that - and that's how they know the conception/due date (by looking through the scans until they find that particular size point).

We asked what would then happen if the scan showed the baby was big. She said we maybe we should consider inducing at 38 weeks. That it could possibly prevent a difficult birth from an oversized baby, which could result in a C-section; on the rare occasion a possible ruptured uterus if the baby grows too big; or another rare occurrence could be the baby possibly getting shoulder distocia.

We have grown very cautious with medical intervention over the last decade, after learning of the numerous possible dangers (and often ineffectiveness) of vaccination. So we now carefully research and question where we can. We believe that with most normal, healthy, women - labor will happen once the body has prepared itself in the correct order and time - and interfering in that process invites trouble. The large amount of info I have read on this site today confirms this as likely.

BUT... We are not being left with much time to decide. The midwife will be probably be phoning tomorrow (Wednesday 27th May) with an appointment for a scan. We have told her we are not comfortable with ultrasounds after reading the concerns some medical folks have about them affecting a baby's cells - that we are definitely not comfortable with talk of early induction - especially when both previous pregnancies were fine and we see a few extra cm as a healthy baby - and that we don't mind the diabetes blood test, but if it were positive, we would probably only consider a diet adjustment rather than injections.

HOWEVER... We don't wish to make a foolish decision either - such as saying an outright NO to induction, *** IF *** that 41cm really *IS* "TOO big".

So with that in mind:

* Is 41cm using a tape measure accurate?
* Will an ultrasound be more accurate?
* Is 41cm at 34 weeks too big?
* Is 41cm enough to be concerned about?
* Is it true that baby moving would not change the measurement?
* Is the size difference worth the risk of harming the baby with an ultrasound?
* Any other thoughts?

Apologies for the length... But I wanted to explain clearly enough so people got the entire story from one message and could reply, considering how little time we have. (But please still reply even if you read this a few days later.)

Oh - and we are in the Newcastle area, NSW if anyone is interested.

Thank you for reading...