fundal height??

[craftymum]

I don't see a midwife just my GP and she has never once measured my fundal height, has anyone else had this? It's just when I hear others talking about growth scans etc I wonder how on earth they have any idea of mine when I have never been measured and as my bump is really tiny (still wearing my regular pre preg clothes) it makes me wonder.

 

[madkoi_baby]

This seems a bit odd! Next time you see your GP ask them about it. How come you dont see a midwife? Do they listen to the heart beat & do all the routine blood tests/urine sample & Blood pressure? x x

 

[craftymum]

the community midwifes only come out after the birth here, and I can only ring them from 9-5 they did ask to run a clinic in the surgery but the GP's said no for some reason. I see a nurse who takes my BP, weight and tests my urine then I go into the Doctor who just feels my belly and listens to HB and that's it. To be honest the care is not great here as I've had a tough pregnancy with hyperemesis from 6 weeks to present and they don't seem to really care.

 

[claire23]

Can you measure yourself? I do it every week. And next time you go to see GP, ask him/her to measure you. xxx

 

[madkoi_baby]

Ah thats awful hun. Ask your GP next time you go about measuring the fundal height. It should be inline with your weeks. I am 31 weeks & I saw the midwife on Monday & my fundal height was 30" which they said was fine. If not, you could ask your husband to measure it - lay down on your back & with a tape measure, measure from the top of your pelvic bone to the top of your uterus. Just to put your mind at rest. But saying that, it is not all the accurate, just a guide really.
Try not to worry too much about it though hun.
xx

 

[craftymum]

not sure where to measure to and from. Just thought it strange that I've never been measured. If I asked my GP she'd prob just tell me there was no need or something honestly she's useless

 

[CatStorey]

Thats really strange, I don't understand why they havn't measured you

Deffinatley ask them at your next appointment.
In your Maternity Notes do you have a chart where they mark? In mine there is like a graph and every time they measure they plot it on the graph and it should follow the curve thats marked on it already.

Everywhere is so different with the care they give, I get confused!

 

[madkoi_baby]

Yeah mine is marked on the chart & following the curve! I'm sooo intrigued to find out what my baby weighs at birth!

 

[craftymum]

might get hubby to try later for me then. there is the chart on my notes but it's never been filled in, the only thing that's ever written in my notes is my bp, weight and urine results

 

[sara k]

yes...its unfair if she doesnt check ur bump height...i mean ask her..

 

[craftymum]

gosh seems like everyone else has been measured by this stage, does seem strange doesn't it

 

[lucilou]

I would have thought they would have taken MORE care to measure you since you have been so unwell, not less... or maybe they know if you don't really have a bump the measurement might not be that accurate anyway... I've only been measured the last 2 visits, and each time I have been about 2cm over, but my midwife said it's nothing to worry about.... to be honest the method doesn't seem very scientific so I don't know how much it means anyway...

Might be worth asking at your next appointment though.

 

[Rebaby]

I think it's crazy that they've never once measured you

Admittedly fundal height isn't super accurate, but here at least they print you out a personalised growth chart which takes into account ethnicity, age, height and weight and then they can plot your fundal height against weeks and see if it follows the curve.

A few things can affect it though, like the way baby is lying and also the way you are carrying.

I had my first measurement taken on tuesday at 27+5 and was measuring 26cms (you're supposed to measure roughly how many weeks you are along) but the midwife wasn't concerned as she felt baby was transverse and that if/he she had been lying a different way i would have measured higher (iykiwm)

I do think it's important to have some inkling of if you're measuring ok, just so that they can refer you for a growth scan etc if you drop off your chart or don't grow from one appointment to the next.

I'd definitely mention it at your next appointment although it does sound like your GP is just a bit crap hun

 

[MummyToAmberx]

I was measured at every appt from 28wks with amber.
Got first measurement at 25wks with this pregnancy, got a graph in my notes for them to plot it.

 

[craftymum]

I'm back with GP in 2 weeks, think I will mention it. I'm thinking about changing my docs after baby is born but my next nearest one is 8 miles away which is awkward as we only have 1 car and I don't know if they will take us on as we may be out of the catchment area