Stupid fundal height measurements!

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

Aaaaagh! Stupid antenatal appointment today!

The midwife told me I was "too small" (I HATE THAT!) because I should be measuring more than 24cm. So she called the hospital to get me an Obstetric appointment and then maybe a scan. Biggest shock was hearing her say I was 29... took me a moment to realise she meant weeks, which I'm not yet anyway. (My age is 25 years, btw.) Anyway, I felt Liebling run away from the tape measure and said that the baby was lying transverse (you can feel it), but that doesn't matter. I'm only "allowed" to be 2cm out before they get concerned about baby growth.

I'm not concerned! Liebling can kick me awake; that's big and strong enough, thank you. I'm getting loads of movements and, guess what... she'd referred quite a few others that afternoon. I'm sure everyone else started measuring lower down! I'm also sure that Liebling wants to have more pictures taken so the centre of attention switches back from me. Anyway, I must have fretted a bit because my BP was a little higher than usual, but telling me that my baby may not be growing has to affect me somehow, right? I just don't get how I was 26cm 3 weeks ago and now I'm 24... sounds very much like bad measuring and an attention-seeking child.

Aaaah, Liebling takes after Mummy!

[mum5boys]

Ryn,don't sress too much I am sure everything is fine.They do make mistakes when measuring lots of times.
When I was pg with DS4 the same thing happened to me,4 weeks earlier my measurement was higher than the measurement 4 weeks later and they were all concerned that the baby wasn't growing properly and wanted to check it out.They asked me to come back a week later which I did and I was measuring more than fine and I asked the midwife how it is that I was well under 1 week earlier and now it looks like a big baby and she said it depends on who is doing the measuring as they sometimes get it wrong.
So that was a big relief and he was born 8lb and very healthy and not small at all.
Sounds like this woman can't measure all that well if she referred quite a few others as well.

Take care
Michelle

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

I'm not too worried, especially as I was 26cm 3 weeks ago... just a bit peeved that the midwife has told loads of people today that their babies are too small and has referred them on to the obstetrician! (You should have heard the maternity office on the phone... clearly she'd made several calls that day.) I know I'm fine, it just annoys me that other people tell me I'm not - does that make sense? I'm just hoping for another scan TBH - so I've told Liebling to pretend to be small again on Monday and see if we can fool my Obs!

How much would I have stressed without BB and all the lovely girls and knowledge on here?

[Lilly-Pilly]

For my entire pregnancy Ashlea was a cm or two behind what she 'should be'
Turns out she was just a little baby, 6lb 5oz and she was overdue, not prem at all.
Like you said, there is obviously an inconsistancy in the measuring if you were 26cm a few weeks ago!!

[Ozziehoffy]

sounds very much like bad measuring and an attention-seeking child.

Aaaah, Liebling takes after Mummy!

PMSL Ryn. Could be a future model or famous or something too?? You know, "loves being in front of the camera"....lol

[Liz]

I was never measured or weighed. All they ever did was test the urine for proteins, and take my blood pressure!

The OB checked heartbeat and stuff very briefly with a scan each visit (and I mean quickly! no time to figure out what I was looking at on the screen!). And that was it.

This measuring thing sounds very innacurate, and I don't see what belly size has to do with baby size?? I'm glad my OB didn't do it.

[Fi]

We just get BP, doppler and fundal height done now. No weighing, no urine samples. Its a much easier appt that it used to be!
Fundal height is a tricky one - sounds like she was an "inaccurate" measurer though.

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

We get BP, Fundus, urine and Dopplers with each appointment. Not scans, unless someone thinks there's an abnormality. Even when there blatently isn't! (I get maybe FIVE scans! Check out the showing-off Liebling gets to do!)

Can't wait to see how Liebling turns out: this baby is such a show-off already and loves attention - I get a "people love me/are talking about me" dance quite a bit - so will be fun in a few years' time when the kicks stop and the talking starts! Oh, must admit I'd rather have a child who dragged me to stage productions than to car racing - I did am dram as a girl and DH is a car person, so we'll have to wait and see. So exciting!

We no longer do weighing as that worries people because there's no "normal" weight gain: so long as you're healthy, that's OK. Should be the same with the fundus, then! Unnessecary stress for most people IMHO.

[BellyBelly]

The fundal height can change / differ due to baby's position, fluid levels etc so dont worry too much

[Krisvee]

Hi!

Don't stress!! I measured smaller with Louis pretty much the whole way through. It's so scary when they say that and at 37 1/2 weeks (only measured like 32 weeks) she sent me for a scan to see if he was growing properly - I remember leaving and bawling my eyes out thinking something was wrong. So cross about it when I think about it now. Anyway, turns out everything was fine and yes he was small (born 5lb14 at 38 weeks) but was perfectly healthy. I never got a big belly but I'm also only a little person who had a little baby so...anyway, try not to worry too much!

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

Kris, I'm a big person with a little belly - but there's so much more space inside me than there is a little person! I am due another "pop" soon as I can feel the baby is a bit restricted, but it is so stupid how they try to worry people.

I'm more annoyed than worried: whilst I am looking forward to another scan, I'm not happy with the way I've been treated over this. OK, I like scans, but I don't see the need for this one. I don't see the need that means I'm supposed to be stressed about not being "normal" - take one look at me and I'm not "normal" myself! I've always been "too tall", "too thin" and "too weird"; so as long as Liebs is healthy (and with the strong heartbeat and strong kicks, Liebs is healthy, even the midwife said that) that's all that matters, not some chart's idea of "normal"! I really hate it that there's something seriously wrong with you if you don't agree with a chart - what does that say about society?

[~Saram~]

naughty bub! Maybe she wasn't holding the tape measure right. When DS was born he shrunk 2cm if you look at his birth record. He was 54cm born and 52 cm at discharge :-)

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

Just spoken to someone else who's seen my Obs for being "small" - he's said that if he sees one more skinny woman who's measuring "small" he's going to scream! Well, at least I'm prepared now. But it does mean I may not be getting my scan after all... ah well, it's a half-hour or so off work, so can't complain too much!