Fundal Height size/gestational age

[BTS1022]

So I went in for my appointment today. Conner is doing well and was very active while the doc was trying to listen to his heart rate. It was 163. But im a bit concearned about my fundal height compaired to my gestational age.

Im supposed to be 22 weeks because doc changed my due date cuz Conner was measuring small. BUT Im going by my original due date which makes me 24 weeks.

I was measured at 26 weeks, and if im 22 weeks that puts me 4 weeks ahead, but if I go by my old due date at 24 weeks, it only puts me 2 weeks ahead.

my question is- Once my body reaches 40 weeks in fundal height reguardless of my gestational age, will it cause me to go in labor? Im worried I will end up going into preterm labor if im measuring ahead. I hope this makes sense, after all it is almost 1am lol.

[mrwjd]

I know this pregnancy is scary for you, more than a little.  I wish you could be reassured so you don't have to go through the rest of the time this way.  But I suppose the only way to be completely reassured is to hold Conner while he yells his head off, so you know he's strong.  

I've wondered if there is anything, however silly it seems, that makes you uncomfortable about this pregnancy.  Just a feeling, maybe?  Sometimes I get an idea that something bad is happening, and when I really look at the situation, I find out that it's something not even related--like, maybe, your mil not being too welcoming and it makes you feel he's threatened in some way.  Not rational, of course, but we don't actually get our feelings from rational places.  For me, it usually helps some just to get thoughts or feelings on the table and sort them out.  

Did you feel this way with the other boys, at all?  If not, maybe something that is different, not about you or Conner maybe but somewhere around the house or in your head, is at the root of it.  Not necessarily anything that has to do with him, even--that's what makes it hard to track these things down.  But sometimes when you realize what was eating at you, it really relieves your mind.  

[BTS1022]

Well im measuring according to my doc, a month ahead of my EDD. BUT baby is measuring small. I dont know im so confused lol. I will just have to wait and see what happens. I dont have another u/s for a while yet, so we will see. Thank you everyone for all your info and input, it has eased my mind a bit, but I dont think I will have complete reasurrance until baby is here.

[sameerab]

ive been measuring 2 weeks ahead for the past 6-8 weeks that doesnt mean your baby will come early it could mean you have extra fluids or a big baby...i think in my case i have a big baby but if you measure more then 3 to 4 weeks ahead they will usually give you another ultrasound to see whats going on

[diva_lorri]

Hi there - Im in the same boat as you. Im not exactly sure when we conceived and have always thought I was a little further ahead than they were telling me I am. At my 18 and 25weeks u/s I was told baby was bigger than average but doesnt necessarily mean he'l come early. I had an u/s and check up today at 34weeks and my fundal height measured at 40cms!! I was under the impression it should be equivalent in cms as it is in weeks (ie: 34wks,34cm fundal height). The doctors didnt seem concerned except theyl just keep a closer check on babys growth. I think at the end of the day as long as you and baby are healthy they will let you go to your edd no matter how big baby is as long as its healthy. Also baby will come when he/ she is ready so I dont think it makes much of a difference in fundal height as they always take your first dating scan as most accurate which for me does make me 34weeks. Its scary though having these maybe's and what ifs lying over your head but I think if we get as much info and explanation as we can then at least we are well equipped as much as we can be. I m very sorry to hear of your loss also and wish you all of the best for your upcoming birth.

lorri

[mrwjd]

I'm not sure if this is your first or second baby with your husband.  The size of the fetus before birth is most influenced by the mother (you really see this when large and small dogs breed!) but not entirely.  If this is the first for the two of you, he may have a different kind of growth pattern.

A week isn't much, particularly as you don't know exactly when you ovulated and it could have been any time during the three weeks after your previous period--or any other time, really. :-)   Gestation often seems pretty random.

See what happens at your next check-up.  If his growth is normal as to the new date the doctor came up with, then he is growing normally and probably the date was wrong.  If he is smaller relative to the dates than he was last time, you will want to get a sonogram and consult a specialist.  

You said he's quite active, and that's a lot more indicative of a healthy fetus than size.  Also, as happened with Ethan, they can be TOTALLY off on the baby's size--and fundal height isn't notably accurate, anyway.

I know you are worried.  I can't recall if you said, but was fetal growth an issue with your daughter who was born sick?  If not, then Conner's growth it probably not at all related to that, at least.  If so, then get more diagnostics and reassure yourself that it isn't  the same; I'll bet they can tell, and you DESERVE to have peace of ,mind!

[luv2bmommy]

just voice your concerns to him and squeeze out anything he knows. if they dont know for sure then they most likely wont tell you anything because they dont want to be held accountable for false information. with the baby still being in the womb there is only so much they can tell you so they are careful. that is why when i was sent to a specialist i still didnt find out anything new with my first daughter. i am sorry for your previous loss, i didnt know that. and i know you are concerned, but i really believe everything will be fine. every pregnancy is different. i only know from my experience about the size issue, but it seems like many other women here have gone through this or had someone they know go through it. and especially if they dont know when you conceived, they wouldnt know exactly how many weeks you were. make sure to keep us posted! you are in my family's prayers

[BTS1022]

Everyone- Thank you for all your information. It has calmed me a bit, but im still nervous that something may be wrong, but it's like my DH said it could just be my nerves because I have lost a baby 30 min after birth because of an undiagnosed genetic disorder. So I may be overreacting a bit.

Linzola1- My doc didn't seem to be too concearned, his main concearn is trying to figure out how far along I am as I got pregnant on Depo and hubby had a vesectomy, so I have no idea when I concieved as I never had a period due to the depo. Im a bit worried because I have never had small babies, both my sons were over 9 pounds, and I have always measured big with them, but the babies in utero were always measuring where they needed to be. This baby however was measuring a week behind my original due date, which is why the doc changed it. I don't know, maybe im just paranoid because of what happened with my daughter, and the fact that this is absolutley my last baby. Either way baby comes out, and no matter how he turns out I will always love him, Im just worried the doc isn't looking at details the way he should because we dont know when I concieved.

[Linzola1]

I dont know if this helps but I was only measuring 36-37 weeks at my final appointment before my induction. ( I was 39.5 weeks at induction) It really varies per baby. Did your doctor mention if he was concerned about it?

[Grandmatobe]

You could measure greater than 40 cm and not go into labor.  I have heard of women measuring big (like 42-43 cm), but until the cervix is ready, you won't go into labor, regardless of your measurements.  

My daughter kept measuring small, so they induced the day before her due date.  The baby ended up being 6 lb 13 oz, so she was fine.  She was measuring on time until about 32 weeks, and then her growth at each visit almost stopped.  By 39 weeks, she was only measuring 34-35 cm, therefore, the concerns and need for induction.   As long as you are consistently measuring either large or small, they usually don't worry about it.

.

[luv2bmommy]

haha i had to re-read. i think i get it now. so Connor is measuring small for your gestational age? well i know with my first she was measuring about 2 weeks behind my gestation, so they just kept the due date and decided that if she didnt start growing at the rate they wanted her to, then they would induce labor and try to get her the nutrition that they feared she wasnt getting in the womb. now im not sure if i made any sense either lol. it turned out i had to see an ultrasound specialist, who told me nada, but said that it was best that they induced so they could run more tests and see what they needed to do. i was induced two weeks early from my original due date and she came out fine, 5 lbs 4 oz no tests done. she was just tiny. im sorry i wasnt more help thats just what happened with me and how they sorted it. they will most likely wait until your next appointment and see how you are measuring then and then tell you a little more about it.