My doctor is scaring me.

[Nini2686]

Ok so I just came back from my 37 week appointment and I had a growth scan to see how big the baby is. The tech said everything looks perfect, good fluid, and the baby weighs 5lbs and 13oz. She said she is alittle on the small side but she will probably be around 7 to 7 1/2 lbs at birth. I then went in the other room to have my scheduled appointment. The doctor came in and checked me.1 cent dilated and 50% thinned out. She said she thinks i will go before my due date based on all the pressure I'm feeling below. She then scared the **** out of me because she kept talking about the baby's small weight and how she's only in the 20th percentile. She said she likes to see bigger babys and at 37 weeks she should be bigger. She wants me to do a followup scan on tuesday to make sure she isn't going down and she "doesn't want to miss a baby that is in distress".

I am so stressed out now and scared. Is this really small for a 37 week baby??? For you moms, how big were your baby's at around 37 weeks?? Thanks in advance.

[mikaleen]

I'm sorry to hear she got you all worried.  My Dr. wasn't very concerned at all, she told me sometimes the placenta just ages a little bit faster and after 37 weeks a pregnancy is considered full term, so it would be no problem to induce a little bit early.  If that is what the Dr. finds, she'll be just fine greeting the world now.  

[Nini2686]

Thanks ladies!!
Mikaleen- I think that is what she's looking for at the next scan. She wants to make sure whether it would benefit it her to be out inside of in me. Of course she wasn't very sensitive when she talked to me and scared me.

[mikaleen]

My daughter was born at 39 weeks weighing 5 lbs 15 oz.  She was induced because at a scan at 38 weeks it showed calcification of the placenta and the Dr. felt there was no reason to wait to deliver, that her size would be fine.  It was no big deal to be induced early, and with the placenta like it was it was more beneficial to my daughter to be delivered.  She may just want to make sure the baby is getting the nourishment it needs and wouldn't benefit from an early delivery.  Good luck!

[Victoria01]

10 lbs 13oz...oh my! I thought my son was big at 8lbs!

[Riot_Queen]

That's another thing too that these ladies are right about.
The U/S weight estimations can be VERY off.

When I was 8 days over due with my daughter they told me she was gunna be able 8 1/2 pounds.
She ended up REALLY being 10 pounds 13 ounces!!!!

[JoyRenee]

Your baby sounds perfectly adequate for this stage and NO ONE can predict when you'll go into labor. Being small, also, does not mean they'll be in distress.

[MaryAK]

Try not to worry.  My sister in law had a very small baby at 39 weeks.  He didn't even weigh 6 pounds when he was born; very small.  He's 13 months old now and is still small.  He's not malnourished or abused or anything like that.  He's actually very healthy.  He's just a small boy.  I'm sure your baby will be perfect.

[chantal21]

Just like the other ladies said, I wouldn't worry about it. U/S estimates are always off. My midwife througout my pregnancy told me that Jesse would be tiny and seemed very small at my 34week appt. She said he was right around 4lbs (of course this was a guess) and he was born at 36 weeks at a healthy 7lbs 2oz! I can't imgaine if I had gone to term...lol...he would have been huge. Try to relax and enjoy the last couple of weeks of pregnancy and if you go to your due date, and the baby is only 5lbs 13oz right now, just think, she will be so much bigger  by then. They gain about 1/2 lb per week at this point. Everything will be okay, but I know it's hard not to worry!!

[Nini2686]

Thanks Ladies! She really freaked me out. My mother went with me and she also thinks she is over reacting. But yes it is better to be safe then sorry. So hopefully next tuesday we will see an little increase in her weight. The tech told me she was perfect and the doctor is a fulll 180 of what the tech said. I was almost 8lb 12oz when I was born but from what my MIL says the father was only around 7llb I think. I am a small person now but the father is big. Go figure lol.

[LosingMyMindInGA]

Just becuase baby MAY be small, doesn't mean she isn't healthy.  Besides...U/S weight is just an ESTIMATE.  It can be off EITHER way...They can tell you you're having a 6 lb baby and it comes out 9 lbs...or say it's 9 lbs and it comes out 6.  

Try not to get so worked up.  I think your doc is over reacting.  My philosophy is try not to worry until you ACTUALLY have something to worry about.  There's no sense worrying about what if's.

[annaleesmom]

I was only 6.5 lbs when I was born.  My sisters were much smaller.  We are and have always been perfectly healthy.  Are you a small person?  is the father small?  The baby may just be small due to genes.  everyone is different sizes.  The doctor just may want to do double checking.  

[Riot_Queen]

just cuz your baby's small doesn't mean she's unhealthy.
You are full term and therefor the baby is fully developed.
I wouldn't worry about it!

[Victoria01]

I know doctors have to give us a worst case scenario, but don't they know what they are doing to us? Don't they realized that we obsess over everything that might go wrong? I think you, and baby, are fine. She may seem a little small, but *** SilverCheer said, you are full term and she is fully developed. It is good, though, that your doctor wants to take another look and make sure everything is okay. Better safe than sorry, right? I'm sure she will be a beautiful, healthy baby girl. :) Try and stay positive.

[SliverCheer]

Try to relax, she is not pre-mature and you are full term so even if the baby is small she is fully developed. I delivered my son around 38 wks and he was 7lb 2oz. But if you are concerened you need to talk to your doctor, especially because stress can cause you to go into labor... But try to relax I'm sure everything would be fine!!! also if they are in the 20% then that means 19% of babies were delivered smaller at the same gestational age.