Normal fundal height for gestational age, L&D scan had weight under the 3rd percentile

[viettransdt]

Hi all, this is the farthest I've made it in 4 pregnancies so please be patient with me. Basically last Thursday (23w6d) I went to L&D for reduced fetal movement, baby was fine thank God, 8 point score on biophysical profile so plenty of movement and good heartbeat. However at my 20 weeks scan with my MFM she was in the 42nd percentile for weight and at L&D she was below the 3rd percentile. Placenta was fine with good blood flow, and today at my prenatal appointment OB said that my fundal height was perfectly on par for my gestational age (24w5d) now I know fundal height isn't as accurate as a growth scan but this just isn't adding up to me and I'm terrified that she really is in the 3rd percentile for weight and she's gonna be a stillborn. I want this baby so badly and the thought of going thru another loss terrifies me. OB says she highly believes L&D scan was innacurate as it often is and she even said "they sell ultrasound machines in packages and she dosent even think the L&D ultrasounds at the hospital are the ones that have the package that includes the appropriate tools and technology to measure weight" she also said they scan pretty quickly there mainly checking for movement and heartbeat which indeed the scan was pretty quick (I'd estimate about 5-8 min max where as my 20 week scan was about 30-60 min with the MFM ultrasound) I'm really hoping come my scan on Friday that she's measuring fine. Is there any hope here? Any positive stories of growth drops or L&D/hospital ultrasounds being innacurate?

 

[nancy7]

@viettransdt We got monitored so much due to short femurs. By the end of my pregnancy his femurs were in the 0.1%. He came out 19” long at 36 weeks and perfectly in proportion. 99% for height now.

Our MFM said it was positioning, as he was breech and hiding behind a fibroid. The ultrasounds can be inaccurate. While I was in the hospital post c-section there was a mom there who was being monitored due to PPROM and IGUR. Ultrasound showed her baby just under a pound. When they couldn’t stop her labor and baby came, baby was 2.5 pounds. Huge difference!

 

[viettransdt]

@nancy7 Thank you so much this is honestly so comforting reading this. I do know baby is breech and she likes to stay huddled up in there as well as the ultrasound tech at L&D couldn't even get a side profile of her face (just that creepy skeleton looking picture that you always see when they look at the front) because I guess her face was pressed up against my uterus so im sure that's not exactly "optimal measuring postitions" lol

 

[scottmcc1]

@viettransdt I'm not sure if this is helpful, but I had the opposite issue. I was told frequently that my son continually measured above the 99th percentile and was extremely large/heavy. It was suggested that I needed to be induced early or get a Csection, but I pushed back and refused. Needless to say, he was born at 42 weeks weighing 8lbs (not big at all, just very tall). Their calculations of his weight were WAY WAY off. If your OB isn't concerned and you trust them, I would take the scan with a grain of salt and wait to see what the next one shows.

 

[viettransdt]

@scottmcc1 Thank you this is good to know. My brother and I were both on the smaller side, about 21 inched and just above 7 pounds at birth. My mom said I looked so little in the big car seat on the ride home from the hospital lol. My mom was bigger at birth (about 8 or 9 pounds I think) but she grew up to be only 5 feet and I'm only 5 foot 2 as well so my side at least genetically is pretty small

 

[formeldahyde]

@viettransdt I had the same issue as @scottmcc1 - he measured big and I kept being warned of a C-section, especially once he went past 40 weeks. He turned out to be 7 lbs 13 oz and 20 inches. Very very average and I definitely didn’t need a C-section. Measurements at this stage are SO FAR from exact.

 

[serenity66]

@viettransdt Tbh your OB may have a point. I was admitted into L&D at 24 weeks and had a scan in L&D by a doctor who doesn’t routinely do ultrasounds. He put my baby in the 24th percentile. Had a growth scan at 28 weeks at the foremost centre for obstetric ultrasound in my city and they put him at 65th percentile. My OB said it’s likely the L&D ultrasound was just not very good.