Femur Length 5th Percentile

HI All,

Just wondering if anyone has had a result like this and all was ok. I have just 2weeks 5days before bubs will be delivered by c/s, but I am just so much more worried now than I have in a while with this pgcy. I had the growth scan to check on bub, but certainly wasnt expecting this. So I am back to worrying, I have been :pray: this whole pgcy that my little girl would be ok, but something always comes up. I just dont know how I am going to get past these next few weeks.
Bubs is only measuring an approx weight of 2409gms, but I am not all that concerned about that as she still has a little while to gain weight, yet they have her overall measurements as 1week 6days behind as well.
These are the measurements they have given.
Biparietal diameter of 87mm (35weeks 3days)
Head circumference 317mm (35weeks 6days)
Abdominal circumfirence 304mm (34weeks 3days)
femoral length 64mm (33weeks 4days) This is where the 5th percentile comes in.
Her weight they said was lying above 5th percentile.

I am just so worried, was so hoping that the worry would ease up, as the nerves had really taken hold, but now I am just so scared even more now that something could be wrong with my beautiful little girl.

If someone can give some encouraging news I would love to hear it right now. Thanks....

If anyone can give me something to hang onto it would be greatly appreciated.

I don't know much about scans but I'd say that you're just having a little bubba - I'm sure if they were REALLY worried they would have said something and not let you just walk out of their office - iykwim.

My little boy was born at 37weeks and only weighed in at 2.6kgs - so not much bigger than what your little girl is at now - once she is here you can fatten her up ;) - :hugs: - hope you can have some peace in the final weeks - but I can totally relate to freaking out :doh: - keep up those prayers you have done so well :pray:

Just wanted to give you another :hug: hun - sounds like bub is little but remember she still has 3 weeks to fatten up lovely....

Got nothing to hang on to, but sending you huge :hug: This is the last thing you need... You have been through so much, and this little girl is a huge fighter. I hope everything works out OK... Thinking of you hun.
xoxo

Sweety she's most probably just going to be a beautiful petite girl and there is nothing to worry about, :hug:

hugs xoxo

I think her weight is fine. DD was 2.9kg when she was born and although she has always been on the petite side she gained weight consistently from birth and we have never had any concerns. She is happy, healthy and bright but always been between the 3rd and 15th percentiles for weight.

As for then length - DD had arms measuring 1 week ahead of the rest of her measurements - yes she does have longer arms (just like her monkey-armed daddy) but you can't tell as she looks in proportion.

Nothing to hang on to but if they were really worried I am sure they would have refferred you to your OB immediately and then discussed a plan of action asap. As they didn't I am sure that she will fatten up. You have to remember that these measurements are a guide only. They aren't exact. Only when your princess is born will you know for sure. Genetics plays a role too, how big are you and your OH? How big were you when you were born? Did your OB request the scan or did you? Sometimes I think it is better not knowing ;) Hoping the next few weeks flies by.

Hugs

Thanks for the replies everyone,

As I said I am not overly concerned about her weight, I am quite worried about her femur length with it being in the 5th percentile. I am really hoping that once she is born that everything will be fine. Yet to tell you the truth, I am now dreading the day. I was getting quite excited and also nervous about how she is before this u/s. Now I am back to just worry. All I can say is it is going to be a longgggggg 2wks 5days thats for sure.
I am really hoping that she is petite like her brother, my first born, who was 2.5kg and 48cms long at full-term, and is still so short, but with all the worry I have had with this pgcy, it is making it harder. I do know it is only an estimate and they arent all that accurate. So now I guess the wait is on once again.

Definately dont know how I have made it this far, still sane in some way or other. Thanks again.

csab, please don't stress about this too much. I know it is easier said than done.
These scans can be terribly innacurate at times.

I was told my DS (now 8 years old) had one leg longer than the other and he would probably walk with a limp. He was born totally normal with two beautiful legs the same length.
I was also told my last DS was going to be a BIG baby and that he was "above average", he was my smallest baby, born at a lovely 7 pounds 3 ounces.

You and baby will be fine, you have an enormous amount of good vibes coming your way...we are all thinking of you.

Cheryl, hun, everything will be just fine. I am sure of it.
Just a little bit on what happened with my little one. I was told she was extremely small and at one stage in my growth scan she was about 4 weeks behind in dates. Her head was their main concern, I was told that it wasn't the right shape. Each scan came up with a different date measurement for her head. By the last scan I'd had it and decided I couldn't listen to them any more because they then told me that her femur was now a concern :wall:. I honestly spent most of the last 10 weeks of the pg just feeling completely scared out of my witts.
I did end up with a very heathly, but petite little darling and she looks and is, just perfect. So what I am saying is try not to worry because I think that most of the time the scans are so not accurate.
Take care, relax and enjoy the last of your pg. xx

csab - sorry i missed you post in our due group thread.
I want to give you big hugs. I am sure everything will turn out ok.
Remember the bones keep growing and growing!

She might just be a little short, but that's fine! Babies can be any length they want to be and still be perfectly healthy. Plus, if your first baby was only small and short, then chances are she was always going to be short too.

i was going to say exactly the same as Trillian. Given that your fist baby was short, this one probably is too. There are babies that fit in all percentiles, they can't all be spot on average, we need bigger and smaller to make up all those statistics.
Best of luck with your birth.

oh big hugs for you , im sure of it that she will be ok .. they would have mentioned something if it was not right ... unless they want their asses sued !!!

sound like you have petite babies and thats ok ..
ultrasounds are hard to get exact meaurements this far in the game.

i am so excited for you , you have been so strong throughout you pg, i can wait to hear about you lil lady xx

IT frustrates me that they worry people so much. Last pregnancy I was sent off at 36 weeks for emergency u/s because the midwife though bub had shrunk back to 30-33 weeks..........so I panicked.
Had u/s they said bub had BIG tummy (what the) short legs and small head for what it should've been. so I worry Im having a turtle.
Anyway, she was born 3.3 kilos, 51cm (above average just )_ and totally normal. I am still upset that they caused so much worry.
Good luck, try to let it go and enjoy the rest of pregnancy xxoxox

Don't stress. It just means she'll be short - 95 kids out of 100 will be taller than her - no need to worry.

I can't remember the exact percentile now as I've had so many percentiles thrown at me since then but his femur length was really low putting him in a very low percentile. Like you I started to worry. He was born short - 49cm. He's growing but still considered short for his weight and age. All his bodysuits legs are too long for him.

As for the weight I was told I'd probably have a 7 pound baby but they said it can go half a pound either way. Brock was born 7 pound 13 and needed assistance to get out due to shoulder distocia. When he grows out of clothes he grows out in the chest, not the legs like a lot of bubs do.

Try not to stress. She's just going to be a shorty. I know how hard that is. I was so surprised when they put Brock on my chest & he looked so normal. I was kinda expecting teeny tiny legs that didn't look right in relation to the rest of his body but he just looked completely normal and just like his dad - exactly what we expected from the 3D pics.

:

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Had u/s they said bub had BIG tummy (what the) short legs and small head for what it should've been. so I worry Im having a turtle.

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:rofl:

How do they take anywhere near accurate measurements once the baby is way too big to be scanned whole? Don't worry, I'm sure everything is fine and your bubba is just petite. I agree with the others, if the doctors were concerned, you'd know about it.

Out of interest, how tall are you and your hubby?

Cheryl :hug: :hug: I have no advice to give i'm sorry as my knowledge in this area is very slim.... just want to offer some hugs and some warmth and support. Thinking of you over the next 3 weeks and your little girl and I know all will be fine. She will be born healthy and just perfect :)
You've been through so much with your pregnancy and you deserve a happy ending ;)

Try and keep busy and your mind occupied on other things as hard as that is.... can't wait to hear your announcement soon!! Can't believe you are so nearly there!!

HI all and thankyou for all your wonderful support, I just dont know where I would be without it.
I wanted to give you all an update on how today went.
However firstly, I guess I am just so stressed out by this whole pgcy that when they bring something else back up it makes me wonder if everything really is ok with ym little girl, especially since the high risk result from the NT scan result. Also getting so close to having this little one, I just praying really hard that all this stress has been for nothing and that she is just petite and perfectly healthy in everyway. I was so dreading that u/s yesterday just because of what else would be thrown up to cause me to worry, which of course it did.

Anyway now for the update:

Well saw the Dr at the hospital today re: yesterdays scan. He wasnt impressed that DR's are still sending us to that particular u/s place as they tend to worry alot of us. He said that they are more interested in covering their rear. Anyway he pulled out a graph chart of his own and proceeded to mark each measurement down from the u/s yesterday and she is right in the middle of the bottom and middle lines on each graph, so he was happy about that. He said he isnt too concerned about how bubs is doing as all seems ok, but has booked me in for another u/s at the hospital Feto Maternal Unit to check how things are going. He also montiored the baby on CTG for around an hour and was very happy with her movement and HR. Yesterday the u/s place had her HR at 135bpm, which they found hard to believe as her HR today ranged between 145-170bpm today Mostly the 167bpm range. He said not to worry about bubs measurements with the femur length as she is more likely just going to be short, not tall. He also got onto the phone with bookings to change the c/s date to the 14th, so I can now expect to have bubs in another 11days time. A week from Tuesday. So I am pleased with how everything went today, he made it easier for me to get thru this long weekend. What even amazed me is that I was seen straight away today, I was lucky to have only waited 10minutes before I was seen.
Still have hospital appt on Tuesday, then Thursday U/S, then Tuesday c/s.
You know what was really nice, their is a midwife that I see every Tuesday and I spoke to her on the phone in the morning, she was the one that got me in today, the Dr had asked if she could put me on CTG, as soon as she saw me she gave me the biggest hug. How lovely was that??

I should mention also that the DR had said that if he was really worried he would have done the c/s today, in which case he wasnt too concerned.

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You women are just wonderful and I appreciate each and everyone of you with all my heart, thankyou for sharing and caring. Hugs HUgs and more hugs......

That is such wonderful news! I am so glad you have a caring doctor and middy. It annoys me how some people in the medical profession stress us out for no reason!

Wow 11 days to go, can't wait to hear your announcement! Not long til you hold your precious and perfect little girl :dance:.

That's great news. Not long to go now.

You know, I think it's your history that is causing all the worry. I was exactly the same. Every little thing that is out of the ordinary causes stress. It's because things have gone wrong before (and not just once) you just expect something to go wrong again, all the while hoping that it wont.

If you are like me you will probably worry right up to the very second you hear bubs cry and you get to see her. At least being a c/s you wont have the worry of a long labour like I had, I kept thinking bubs was dead each time they took ages to find his heartbeat with the doppler, yet he was alive and kicking & 100% normal.

Try to relax a little if you can between now and then. I hope the days go nice and quick for you so you can have her in your arms and say goodby to all those worries.

I'm glad you're feeling a lot better about it all since your Ob visit today. And with the scans, they aren't an exact science either and are prone to user error, so if the sonographer was just a little bit out in where he took the measurement from, then it would have affected the actual measurement itself kwim? Plus her *guesstimated* weight was good, so she's going to be a short little dumpling to love :)

Great News and Great Doctor by the sounds of it and even better that you get to meet your gorgeous little girl in 11days which will just fly given we have a long weekend this weekend :dance:

Cheryl, I just wanted to send you some HUGE :hug: :hug: You have been through sooo damn much with this pregnancy, I can understand your worry. However, I do think your little princess will be just perfect. I am glad your dr could put your mind at ease.

Hi Cheryl,
I had an u/s at 39 weeks as they were worried about DS's growth, they thought he hadn't grown in the 3 weeks prior. Anyway, they measured his abdominal circ and it was below the 1st percentile (so off the chart) and I was induced due to this a few days later.
I was in high risk and they had a humi crib ready for him as they though he'd be in SC for a few days.
To put a long story short, he was born perfect, although his abdominal circ was small but not as small as they said. He was 2.88kg (6lb 5oz) and didn't need the humi crib at all and had apgar scores of 9 and 9.
He is now still only always between the 3rd and 10th percentile for his weight but on the 95th for height, so a light weight tall bubba, we call him our lean mean machine :)
So don't let it worry you, chances are bubba is just fine and will be perfect!

Thanks everyone, I am having my next u/s tomorrow so will let you all know what they say this time. However this one is with the hospital. Fingers crossed I will get better results. Thanks for being here for me ladies, and thankyou for sharing your stories it really does bring hope. At least I know I only have until Tuesday and then I get to know for sure how my little girl is, really nervous about that, I just wish I could feel some excitement about that day fast approaching instead.
Anyway again thanks heaps and I will let you all know what happens tomorrow. :hug:

Good Luck for tomorrow Cheryl :hug: I will keep an eye out on the thread.

Thanks Nadine, need all the luck I can get. ;)

Best of luck with the scan. I'm sure all will be fine.

Thanks Satya for being here always. I just adore your little man, he is just gorgeous. I am so happy all went well for you hun. :hug:

Hi All,

Have had my u/s and everything was so much better.

The summary of their findings: Normal fetal Biometry and assessment. Normal liquor and unbilical artery.

Diagnosis - Normal growth.

BPD : 89mm
H/C: 329.2mm
Ab/c : 327.5mm
Femur Length: 70.3mm
est fetal weight 2959g - 6lb 8oz.

They were quite happy, which was such a relief. So now it is just a wait and see how it goes come Tuesday. Yet feeling alot better with their findings today. Thanks again everyone hopefully come Tuesday I can give even better news. HUgs

I'm so pleased for you. I had a feeling all would be well with this scan. Having been through scans that gave me worrying info I know how hard it is to go into the next scan hoping for the best but somehow expecting the worst. It's just such a relief when it comes out well.

Only a few more days now til you have your little one in your arms. Try to relax between now and then and enjoy what's left of your pregnancy.

Oh good news!! Cant wait to finally see this little girl!!!

Satya - Thanks Satya, I am trying to relax and enjoy the rest of the pgcy, the Dr today told me to do the same. Having the scan results come back the way they did, really was such a relief but until my little girl is safe & sound in my arms I dont really think that I will be able to completely relax. Thanks again hun. hugs

Ruf - Hey there hun, thankyou too. I keep trying to imagine who she is going to look like, yet i have a feeling she is going to look like my oldest DD, with maybe a simlar tan as my youngest DD. My youngest wants her to have her hair colour. hehehe So now only time will tell. hugs

Yay Cheryl!! Just saw your scan results. Fab news!! Bet you can't wait to meet your little girl.

Hi SJ hun, thanks. I soooo cant wait to meet her yet really nervous/worried about it too. I didnt think we would get to this stage, so thankful that we have. I hope all is going well with you hun. :hug:

good luck , i cant wait to hear you annoucement !!

Thanks Lea, Congratulations on little Gabriella, she is just sooooo cute, and already 6weeks. :hug: Hope all is well with you.