Foetal Measurements...whats the REAL idea?

[ladybird11]

So no doubt many of us have heard the 'you'll be having a big baby' or 'sorry the baby is measuring too big so you'll have to have a c/s' lines.

I was talking to DH tonight and it dawned on me - third pregnancy, I still have little idea (probably due to the research I've been doing to increase my chances of a VBAMC) on how much weight these foetal measurements really hold.

I totally get that it helps ensure there is a foetal growth at a certain rate thru out pregnancy; but its accuracy I can't fathom.

I'm holding this bundle all out front, so naturally I would measure on the larger size than another woman of a similar size to me / same gestation that is carrying her bub length ways IYKWIM?

So whats the go with foetal measurements, how much accuracy do they really hold in labour etc?

[Arimeh]

So whats the go with foetal measurements, how much accuracy do they really hold in labour etc?

Depends who you are asking ...

[Jakabella]

Nearly everyone I have know to be told that "your having a big baby" hasnt I I didnt either.

My Ob now wois very pro natural labour - measure with the tape then basically dismisses it - he says that he measures to make sure the bub is growing BUT you dont know how big a bub is going to be till its born! And my MW is the same.

I wish all Ob's were like my Ob now...he ROCKS!

[ladybird11]

I was afraid of that...(being up to the OB)...

In a way I think my OB is silently cheering me - but he may not be working on the day. He knows full well the difference between my dating scan vs the consistency between my 12 wk and 18 wk scans (both which show me a week earlier) and he opted to let me keep the 'extra week' EDD; and last appt he said "yes, I can see you've grown dramatically" and didn't even pick up the measuring tape.....

[Jakabella]

Yeah I measured 2 weeks ahead at my last appointment but my Ob didnt even bat an eye lid and didnt even mention it to me! I only knew as I was reading in my VMR when I got home!

[Arimeh]

I measured a week and a half ahead today. My midwife didn't mention it. Could be the baby's positioning. Could be a growth spurt. Could be a bit of extra fluid. Could be lots of things other than a sign the baby is too big.

[*Beema*]

There are sooo many factors that come into it, fundal height, not particularly accurate as an esitmating baby size, because everyone carries differently, baby's position etc.

Scan measurements, depends on the sonographer, and baby's position etc to get a "good" measurement. But there have been heaps who have been told oh you are having a big bay and in the end they pop out at a pretty average size....

I don't think there is a heap of value in getting them done, unless there is a medical need, ie issues that may be causing growth restriction, or too much growth (GD), when the babies health is an issue, even then we would generally be doing them fortnightly. I think by telling mum that you are having a bigger baby is really just putting doubt in the mothers mind, when she is most likely completely capable of delivering a bigger baby. A bit of scaremongering....

I had quite a few growth scans throughout my pregnancy with DD2 due to all the complications but we weren't concerned if bub was measuring behind was more important about mine was the variation between the different measurements, HC/BPD/FL generally you want them to be all about the same, but as I had low PAPPA DD2 was being monitored to make sure things weren't growing out of proportion, when they did it indicated that she was not receiving enough nutrients. The disproportioned mesurements did correlate when she was born, her waist/belly/bum were tiny 00000 pants wouldn't stay up, with a nappy, even a cloth nappy, yet she was 2.7 born and 2.4 at her lowest, so not that small YKWIM and her head was measuring much larger, but her length on par....

You and your body are completely capable aof delivering your baby what ever the size he/she is

[Beautitude]

I always measured average with ds2 and he was an absolute whopper at 10 pound 4. My midwife was shocked and said we had no way of knowing he was that big. To this day I have no idea where I was hiding him. I was big but not that big!

[~Stoked~]

My baby was measuring a week and a half behind (on u/s) and 2 weeks behind (fundal height) and I was told he was going to be small. He was 8lb 15oz... So definately not small!