Baby Growing Smaller Than Expected

[Pushpalatha]

Hi,

Here's my situation and I wanted your advice on this. Please help as I am feeling very scared.

My LMP was 6th of March and I was flying to India at that time. I had spent two days prior to that in travelling from New York to India. Generally my periods are for 28 days but for the last 4-5 months they were irregular and varying from 30 to 34 days. I came back on 22nd of March from India and then I tested positive on 15th of April.

I went for a blood test on 18th of April and the lab report placed the baby around 1-2 weeks. I have been taking folic acid and fluoride tablets quite regularly since my conception.

Last monday I started having severe cramps in my abdomen and I was not able to sleep the whole night. On tuesday I immediately went for a checkup but the doctor could not find anything wrong. She ordered for an ultrasound which was done today. In the ultrasound, they calculated the baby to be 4.8 cms only and estimated it to be around 6 weeks. The doctor said nothing can be said until a 2nd ultrasound is done next week.

I am confused since it has already been 7 weeks since my pregnancy test on 15th of April. This is my first pregnancy and I am 31 years of age. I am feeling very scared for the baby and I dont know what going on inside me. Please advise if there is anything that I should do.

Thanks,
A Very Concerned Mom-To-Be

[spade22]

I agree with your doctor. As much as it is awful to play the waiting game, thats all you can really do right now.  Ultrasounds can be off on measurements (which are used to calculate fetal age) which is why your doctor wants to redo the ultrasound next week (to check for relative growth, heart beat etc.).  Make sure you take your prenatal vitamins, avoid the no-no's (such as alcohol), and take it easy until your next appointment.

[wonderme]

Are you sure of your LMP?  Dating a pregnancy is usually done based on the first day of your LMP even though typically ovulation (and thereby conception) wouldn't occur until approx. 2 weeks later.

If your LMP was March 6, that is some 85 days ago and more like 12 weeks pregnant.  Testing positive on April 15th only shows that you were pregnant at that time, but doesn't tell you how far along you were. Are you sure that you didn't have a period in April?  And, are you sure of the date you tested positive?

It could be that your memory of your LMP and when you got your positive is off.  There is also the possibility that the baby has not continued to develop.  No one, not even your doctor, can tell you without a follow up U/S in a week or so.  You should see growth and most likely a heartbeat at a follow up U/S in the next week or so.  

Go back and check your dates.  Try to stay positive and go back for the follow up U/S.

Let us know how you are.  I wish you the best.

[Pushpalatha]

I was sure of my LMP because that was the day I reached India - 6th March. And April 15th was the date when I did my pregnancy test. I remember it clearly because I told my husband and we have the date marked out on the calendar. I have been also tracking my LMP date so I am certain about that too.

[wonderme]

Again, dating a pregnancy is done by the LMP which would make you more like 12 weeks pregnant if indeed March 6th was the first day of your LMP.

Your doctor should have told you this when you provided your LMP...what did they say about this?  How do they explain the HCG reflecting 1-2 weeks pregnant?  Which would be basically at conception, so you would have been tested immediately and not sure HCG would have been in your system since it is produced at implantation which is typically 6-10 days after conception.

Also, 1-2 weeks pregnant on April 18 suggests that you should have had a period approx. 1-2 weeks prior -- somewhere between April 4-11 or at least ovulated and implanted sometime in April.

Again, you need to follow up with another U/S AND I failed to mention before, that you should also be tracking your HCG levels.  They should continue to double every 48-72 hours indicating a continuing pregnancy.  

It doesn't really matter whether your LMP was in March or April if you are monitoring via HCG levels and U/S because these will give you a better indicator of how the pregnancy is progressing and how far along you are.

And, I suggest highly when things are not textbook to always consider options carefully and seek second opinions.

Please let us know how you are doing.

[Pushpalatha]

Thanks for your replies. I will be going for u/s this friday and I will let you all know how that goes.