Can i request a growth scan **warning post may upset**
This pregnancy has been quite hard on me to say the least. I have had a few ups and downs in life, and one of them being the inability to quit smoking.
Before you judge me and think how horrid i am i have really tried to quit. NRT, books, therapy etc. you name it i have done it so please dont think i dont love my baby or that i take this lightly at all. I have cut down to about 10-15 a day from 25-30
But i have been riddled with paranoia (and so i should be i guess) with this pregnancy that he is extremely undersized. I am alot smaller i think then i was with my first son, he was born 8 pounds 11.
My question is, i have about 6 weeks until my due date. If i let them section me (still debating this one) then maybe only 5 weeks. I really need to enjoy the rest of this pregnancy as i have just been depressed and devastated with myself. Can i go to my GP and request a growth scan? just to put my mind at ease a little bit??
Please no judgement, i am already fragile as it is. Just constructive advice.
huni,
i dont think your a bad person (i smoke myself). i myself have got no children but my sister who smoked all through her pregnancy's does (15-20) a day, she tried her best to quit but like you couldnt and she gave birth to 2 healthy children my nephew was born 6lb 5oz and my neice was born and my neice was 5lb 14oz (she was 3 days early and by c-sect and had a lot of fluid round her (she is now a chubby happy 1 yr old). sorry to babble what i was meaning to say is she smoked through both and where both healthy weights.
try and not worry huni
sorry that i cant answer about the scan but im sure some the wonderful ladies here will be able to help.
take care and enjoy your bubba.
rach xxxxxx
you are going to a fantastic mummy
dont stress - when i was preg with DD i was so stressed about quitting that my doctor told me the stress i was putting myself through was actually worse for the baby than what the smoking would do!
so he told me to have 3-5 a day. and i did.
My dd was 8pound 1 and perfectly healthy.
Ask for a growth scan - stressing about it will do more harm than good, i cant see your doc refusing you!
Just ask you GP for a referral for an ultrasound. I doubt they will refuse. Please be aware that ultrasounds are not perfect when it comes to calculating size but it should be able to confirm bubs is healthy. That should ease your mind.
BTW, I don't smoke and my DS was 4.3kg born. From every appointment from 18 weeks, the standard comment was "geez, your having a big one". This was not what a first time mum wanted or needed to hear. With this one (due in 2 weeks), I am a lot smaller and some comments have been "geez, this will be a small baby". Smoking may affect the growth of bubs but if you have done everything else to ensure a healthy bubs, then you have done your very best. Please try to enjoy the rest of your pregnancy.
It is obvious you love this baby and will be a great mum. Good luck.
Hi hun,
It is so hard, I know where you're coming from. With my second I too smoked throughout my pregnancy and gave birth at 38wks to my DS who wighed 7lb4oz. My DD weighed 5lb9oz and by then I had quit smoking. My other DD was 6lb13oz and I didn't smoke with her either.
I know the guilt you are feeling but remember you tried your best and at least you have cut down.
Of course you can request one. The doctor of course can refuse it, but they might just agree to it. Be aware though that a scan could bring more worries (as my growth scan at 32 weeks did, for no reason at all as it turns out).
If it's the size of your bump that's concerning you (and I'm guessing that it is) try not to stress about it. I never got that big with my pregnancy - late in the 2nd tri some work colleagues didn't even know I was pregnant and in the third tri I had a number of people comment on how small my bump was. My baby was 7lb 13 ounces at birth so was not small.
It could be that you just aren't putting on any fat weight and be like me and within 1 week of the birth only have 2.5 kgs to lose to get back to your pre pregnancy weight.
I am jsut scared of having him. And hearing the weight and thinking F**K I DID THIS scuse the language but thats how i feel. At least if i have a growth scan even if its wrong, my maternal mental health will/might be a bit better..
Yep my weight gain with this one is minimal compared to DS, with b i put on 30 kilos, 12 being in the first tri.
With this one i am sitting on 15ish in total.
Thank you all for being so kind and gentle with your words... i feared posting because the last thing i want is to be thought of as a druggie that doesnt care about her kids
I would go ask for a scan, as others have said the stress is possibly worse for your bubba at the moment.
30 years ago women were allowed to smoke in the delivery room.
yes there are associated risks, but there is probably something that we are all doing now that in 10 years time will be discovered to be sooooo bad.
Smoking is one of the hardest addictions to crack.
One thing thou, what are you going to do if you have the scan and it shows a smaller sized bubba? will it make the next few week worse for you?
If your bubba is healthy thats all that matters. As others have said, babies are often born underweight and do fine... as long as there are 10 fingers and toes and everything works as it should you should be happy
Thats the thing, i have good faith that the health of bub is fine i am not too stressed about that.
you really just raised a very good point there! why am i focused on the weight? shouldnt the overall outcome be the most important. I think that i am focusing on that because thats a pretty direct sign that i have done this to my little child....
Yep, i understand - but you cant take it back or change it can you, so you will just beat yourself up and do more harm than good iykwim.
If you feel guilty, try to quit at a time that is right for you, not because you have too. Thats why you have probably failed. use your children as encourangement not the reason you have to quit as it probably isnt the right one for you.
try not to stress - I know it's hard not too. I smoked and tried like you to give up. The more I tried, the worse and harder it was! I felt sooo guilty and would cry and beat myself up so bad. My first was 7lb and second was 5lb 12. Both of them were healthy which was the main thing. I have since given up though. I hope that it all goes well for you.
Sweetie please don't think the worst of yourself.. I have no doubt in my mind that you are a loving/caring mother to your children (especially the one still growing inside you)
I have been paranoid about the growth of my bubby too... This is my first child/pregnancy (thats lasted more than 10 weeks anyway) and I have had high blood pressure since 14 weeks, 3 bleeds at different stages and now have Pre-Eclampsia... So I by no means have had an "easy" pregnancy.
I have requested many ultrasounds to check his growth, Have never been refused and even if they did refuse I would have pushed until I got the referal.
The amount of ease I got from seeing his size and for them telling me that he was "on target" or now... "Bigger than average" is overwhelming!
Please do PUSH for an ultrasound! It will make you feel a little better at least. But please do remember that their measurements/ weight estimates are just that... ESTIMATES
Keep your chin up.. Good luck for the rest of your pregnancy
I cant understand why on earth they would refuse you anyway hun.
Like others have said, dotn focus on the weight, 10 fingers and 10 toes. You will never know if not smoking would have made an ounce of difference so there is no point bashing youself up over it
Can i request a growth scan **warning post may upset**
Reply With Quote
huni,
Bookmarks