Post # 1
Member
3879 posts
Honey bee
I had my 32 week appointment today and my doctor said my fundal height hasn’t increased since my 30 week appointment. I think I’m at 29 cm. She gave me a script for a growth scan ultrasound but the soonest anyone can get me in is in 2 weeks. 🙁 ugh!
Baby girl’s heart rate was great and she is moving around like crazy! I feel her constantly. Now I’m really worried though and frustrated that I won’t get any answers for 2 weeks. My cousin suggested I go to labor and delivery at the local hospital to see if they will give me a scan but I don’t want to blow things out of proportion since I don’t have any other symptoms of anything.
Anyone go through this?
Post # 2
Member
2020 posts
Buzzing bee
THey usually don’t worry unless it’s a consistent measurement of +|- 2cm. So if this is the first time it’s been off it’s probably not concerning. Maybe babe is sitting low down in your pelvis?
Post # 3
Member
701 posts
Busy bee
Haven’t experienced the same thing, but my baby was measuring small at our 20 week ultrasound (before they started doing fundal height). My ultrasound tech basically said not to worry about it because it’s perfectly likely that he’d hit a growth spurt and then might measure big for a while, and might fall behind again at some point and that babies just grow at different rates (kind of like how we all gain weight inconsistently from week to week rather than the perfect “1 lb a week” standard). They’ve only been measuring my fundal height at my last 4 appointments, and growth has been pretty inconsistent…I was right on the dot the first time…2 cm small the (so no growth from one appointment to the next) next time…2 cm big the next…and then right on when I went in yesterday.
I know they send you for anything outside of that 2cm window just out of precaution, but I wouldn’t worry too much since everything else is normal including the heart beat and fetal movements.
Post # 4
Member
3003 posts
Sugar bee
hollyberry4 : My fundal height was behind most weeks for both of my pregnancies, and consistently 2 behind after 28 weeks, but never a cause for concern since it wasn’t ever more than 2 weeks/cm. A lot depends on the baby’s position. Both my sons were relatively small (6 pounds 5 oz at 39+1 and 6 pounds 10 oz at 39+3). I never had any additional ultrasounds, just the 20 week. Both babies were and continue to be completely healthy. I wouldn’t worry (easier said than done I know)!
Post # 5
Member
15 posts
Newbee
Hi! I am 39 weeks with my first and I have gone through the same thing. I was consisently measuring many (9-12 weeks) behind on my fundal height. I had a scan at 34 weeks and one last week. Baby was measuring in the 50th percentile and is right on target weight. I know this can be stressful, but try not to worry too much. Women all carry differently and more than likely everything is okay.
Post # 6
Member
2427 posts
Buzzing bee
Fundal height has so much to do with baby’s positioning, i honestly can’t believe it is still used as a way to track “growth.” The good news is, if it were an extreme emergency you would have had a growth scan immediately.
I have a friend who’s fundal height stopped growing from week 34 on. She went in for weekly NST and a growth scan or two, and they decided to induce at 38 weeks. Baby girl was perfectly healthy and 6lbs+ so her fundal height was in no way correlated to a growth restriction.
Personally, I’ve been measuring a CM behind some weeks and then have a big growth spurt and end up back on track. My OB said she would prefer me to measure behind by a CM or two because it genearlly means a perfect sized baby and easy birth. Keep in mind that we are talking centimeters here, and that consistency also plays a part in the measuring. I’m sure you will be just fine!!
Post # 7
Member
3879 posts
Honey bee
BeverlyGeese : GoodbyeMaidenName : GoodbyeMaidenName : MrsAKSkier : lula0508 : knpswp : thank you for sharing 🙂 I know it’s probably nothing but it’s so hard not to worry! I also lost a pound between last appointment and today so who knows! I swear this little girl is laying diagonal or kind of sideways though. I can’t believe they track this stuff using a tape measure. And I have had a different doctor measure me at every appointment! It doesn’t seem very reliable…
Post # 8
Member
378 posts
Helper bee
hollyberry4 : I was 29cm at 28 weeks and 29cm at 30 week. This week at 32weeks I was 32cm. There is so much room for error depending on baby’s position and where they mark you pubic bone at. I wouldn’t worry. Last pregnancy I was consistantly 2 weeks under this one seems to be more growth spurt then level off then growth spurt.
Post # 9
Member
620 posts
Busy bee
There’s so much room for error with this! I know it’s so hard not to worry, but I’d try my best not to be too worried before a growth scan just because it’s so easy for this to be off, and fundal height is really hard in later stages of pregnancy because so much is determined by their positioning, how they measure, etc.
Hopefully baby is measuring right on track, but just wanted to reassure you that even if baby ISN’T, chances are things will be totally fine! I started measuring behind at 30 weeks and had a growth scan, where we found baby girl wasn’t growing as she should. I had a few more growth scans and had to start biweekly NSTs, but she always did fantastic on them despite some growth restriction. They let me go to 39 weeks since she was doing well, and she was born scrappy and skinny but totally healthy. She’s still a little shrimp at 15 months but a very feisty kid and it doesn’t slow her down any! Even when there’s some growth restriction going on, they’ll monitor you well and maybe induce between 37 and 39 weeks, but these babies do awesome and usually put it on after birth.
Oh, and PS, having a small baby can be great for labor, LOL! Hope you can relax a little and that the growth scan will get here quick and put your mind at ease!
Post # 10
Member
3879 posts
Honey bee
jetsetbee : thank you for that! It’s definitely reassuring to know that even if she is measuring behind it’ she likely not a dire situation.
Post # 11
Member
9561 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
i was measuring ahead almost my whole pregnancy due to a fibroid. all of a sudden at the ob appointment right before i would be starting NSTs, she told me the baby was IUGR. i wasn’t worried since i was born 5lb7oz on time.
i ended up never leaving the hospital when i had my 1st NST. but baby was not IUGR according to MFM. i am small and baby was small (and 3 weeks early). born 5lb3oz, so there were no issues.
Post # 12
Member
9795 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
I wouldn’t worry..at all. Those are just estimates so can vary wildly. Even +/- 2 week is perfectly fine and not even worth doing an ultrasound if everything else is good. My last pregnancy I measured about 4/5 weeks behind at one point lol. But we had done an ultrasound 2 weeks prior (where he measured at 50% and 75% for head) so she wasn’t concerned. I’m also tall and have lots of room in that area. And the next appointment it was back to just 1 week behind. Maybe just positioning plus I tended to measure small the rest of the way (1 to 2 weeks behind). He was born 40+5 at 7lbs 9oz. No, it’s not super reliable which is why they give a +/- 2 weeks as being perfectly within range.
Post # 13
Member
832 posts
Busy bee
I had monthly growth scans with my twins and they ended up being sooo off on one twin and exactly on point for the other. My daughter was TINY when she came out and everyone was shocked because I had had so many ultrasounds. Just saying that sometimes growth scans arent even accurate so dont worry about it.
Post # 14
Member
3879 posts
Honey bee
Just wanted to update for future readers: Finally had my growth scan today and baby girl was totally fine! She measured exactly perfect for her expected due date at 5lbs 1oz at 33w 6 days. The ultrasound tech rolled her eyes when I told her I was there because of a low fundal height measurement and said “they really need to stop using that. It really doesn’t mean anything! Let’s prove them wrong.” So there’s that!
Post # 15
Member
469 posts
Helper bee
hollyberry4 : Great news! Glad your baby girl is doing just fine! 🙂