30th percentile - worried

[wookie3]

Hi all,

I was looking for other people who maybe experienced or are experiencing the same really.

I am 31 +2 and have slowly dropped from 50th centile to 30th now. I have another scan at 36. What will happen if baby is still small and behind?

Baby has always been, and still is, transverse so that could mean the fundal measurement is out but I had a scan this week and the sonographer placed me on 30th centile and said I was behind and that there is a lot of fluid/liquor. I am so worried. There is no reason for her to be small as I am 5'11 and the Dad is 6'2 and we are both big builds. What can I do to make baby grow? Has anyone else been measuring small but then had a nice weighty, big baby?

Please help x

 

[Inka]

Hi,

In terms of percentile anything between the 16th and 85th is within the average range, so please don't feel the 30th is worrying.

Hope you get advice but as long as my babies fell within this I wasn't worried, and even then after birth my daughter dropped from 50th ish to 9th for months due to milk allergies and she was fine xx

 

[wookie3]

Thanks Inka, what did she weigh when she was born?

 

[SleepyBaby]

i as put <10th centile by midwife and her magic tape measure, went for scan and baby is weighing normal r a big bigger than average!

With my last pregnancy i was always put on the low side of things when measuring, a week before he was born i had a scan and told to expect a 6-7lb baby, yeah, they got it wrong he came out at 9lbs on the button!

 

[wookie3]

SleepyBaby,

That's really reassuring, but since having the scan that's got to be accurate right? Or could she just be fooling the scan? I am tall with a log torso so maybe she is hiding and as transverse may just seem small?

I'm clutching at straws

 

[2016]

The scans aren't always accurate. Some people have found them 1-2 lbs out! And I think baby can change centiles without concern. This LO was 50th centile and at my last scan above 95th! They don't seem concerned even though neither DH or I are particularly big.
If the sonographer/MW weren't concerned by the results of your scan then try not worry yourself.

 

[Terangela]

My 1st was born at only the 3rd %ile and healthy as can be. I only had a 20w u/s with her and at the time she measured 3 days smaller. My Dr still thought she would be about 50th %ile, so we were shocked with how tiny she was at birth. 5lbs 5oz

My second I had a scan at 34 weeks and again at 36 weeks because of my DD's size. They measured him at 50th %ile during my first u/s and 40th %ile during my second u/s he was 6lbs 14oz at birth.

My 3rd my fundal height stopped growing at 34w and had lagged behind by 2 weeks from the time I started being measured. So I had scans at 36, 37, 38, and 39 weeks. They ranged showing between 50th-35th %ile. I wasn't worried as he was continuing to grow even though it was slowing. Not to mention my first was only 3rd %ile.

This time my fundal height was 2 weeks behind two weeks in a row and then 3 weeks ahead at my last appointment. I think that last measurement was off. I think 2 weeks behind is more accurate. I don't have huge babies and DH was a huge baby and all my babies have been smaller than I was when I was born.

 

[SleepyBaby]

im 5'10" and the magic tape measure has measured me small in both pregnancys, the scan i had for this pregnancy showed baby on target/ above average in size, a week later the midwife told me im measuring 6 odd weeks smaller, i replied with " im sorry but fundal height can kiss my oh's hairy left toe! " the scan at the end of my 1st pregnancy told me my little boy was smaller than he was, 6-7lbs one week to 9lbs the next week when he arrived? that means he would have put on 2-3lbs in a week? doubt it!

they had me paniced for two weeks waiting on growth scan just to find out there is 0 wrong with baby and she's in no way small!

They are never to accurate with scans, i wouldn't worry, if babys happy and kicking away then there is nothing to worry about imo!

 

[Seity]

I had a scan at 36 weeks last pregnancy because I was measuring behind. They estimated baby at just under 6lbs and weren't worried at all. I had him at 38+3 and he was 5lb 13oz. Absolutely perfect. I'm 5'7" and so is OH and my son was on the 5th percentile at birth. He's now just over the 50th at 2.5 years. He slowly went up percentiles over time. I was always the smallest in my class until high school. I really wouldn't worry about your baby being on 30th percentile, esp when it's just an estimate.

 

[minties]

Nothing wrong with 30th percentile! My son was 30th for 99% of his life and just looked like every other kid his age. He's in size 2 to 2.5 clothing, so he's not puny.

 

[jenniferttc1]

Scan mesurment's can be way off alot of times.

 

[TatorMom]

They estimated DS2 to be 8.5 lbs during an u/s several days before he was born. He was born weighing 5 lbs 14oz. U/s are helpful, but it all depends on the pics they get of the baby and skill of the tech.

 

[gryphongrl]

I personally would be thrilled with a healthy any-percentile baby - And 30% may be better than pushing out a healthy 90-percentile baby, right? yowch.

There was an interview with an OB on the Ricki Lake show of all places and he said that U/S are notoriously inaccurate as the other ladies have said... It's more accurate to have the same very experienced midwife feeling your belly and the position of the baby from appointment to appointment, just to verify baby is growing at some proper rate. But yeah! Size doesn't matter than much. True in so many things

 

[cheshire]

I am 5ft 8 and DH is 6ft 3. Our first boy was 8ibs 13 at birth but our second was measuring two weeks behind and only 5ibs 13 at birth. Both boys are now on the 50th for weight and 75th for height. Our diddy little one is actually now 1cm taller than his brother was at the same age and no longer diddy.
No reason ever found and I worried myself rigid. Turns out I didn't need to.

 

[Sombra]

I was told at my 20 week u/s that baby was 30th percentile. I was also concerned and brought it up to my doctor to which she replied "what? Do you want to have the biggest baby on the block or something?" - she wasn't concerned at all.

Sometimes they catch them right before a growth spurt which is what happened to me. at my next u/s 8 weeks later baby was in the 84th percentile.

You just can never be too sure what's going on in there or how accurate they really are.

 

[wookie3]

Thanks everyone, yeah of course I want her to be healthy whatever percentile she is but it just seemed a bit odd when me and my OH are so big and tall?! I thought there maybe a problem with my placenta, or something I was doing wrong as the graph looks worrying as not following a curve it's dipping down an down.

Thanks for all your answers, I guess nothing is known until baby is out and on those scales so it doesn't mean she will always be small or short? (Not that I have any issues with small and short people!) will she catch up ?

X

 

[2016]

Why are you so sure the first measurement was correct? She could have been 30th centile all along!

My BFs little boy was born on the 7th centile and has always been slightly smaller/slimmer than my 95th boy. But her boy was still born very long and is still just about the height of mine!

 

[wookie3]

Exactly 2016, I don't know! I just put my faith in the midwife since week 28 first fundal measurement so .... I do feel better now, there are a far lot worse things that could occur. I just panic Cause its my first x

 

[miss cakes]

my other babies were always bang in the middle at 50th centile throughout pregnancy yet they were pretty long when they were born and now all three are way above average in height to give you and example my daughter was 7lb born long and skinny lol and shes now 5ft 8 and shes only 12 (still really slim lol) so i dont think its much indication of how they will be when they are older that percentile thing plus 30th centile isnothing to worry about its still well within range x

 

[sethsmummy]

agree with everyone else hun... the scans can be so off and measurements of fundal height. I was told miniumum of 8lb baby and my son came out 5lb 14. so 5th %ile. He dropped down to the bottom %ile and then under it... He had reflux till about 11 months and is still small and short now. Only just come back into the 5%ile now that he is almost 3 for both weight and height. he is 86cm tall and 25lb 1oz but perfectly healthy xx