How accurate are growth scans?

[Suggerhoney]

Hi ladies

I'm sat here worrying . I had a growth scan at 26+1 and was told baby is 2lb 4oz
The sonographer said its completely normol but to me it seems big.

I really do not feel like I'm carrying a 2lb 4oz baby,he doesnt feel that big and there is still plenty of room. And im carrying alot of water.

I normoly grow 7 and a half pound babies at full term (40 weeks) but will be induced at 37 weeks max due to health issues.

I had my DD at 35+4 and I had growth scans with her and they estimated her to be around 7 and a half pounds at 35+4 but she was only 5lb 7oz.

I'm only tiny and I'm already so afraid of giving birth due to my last labour and delivery being very traumatic.
I did request a c section this time but have been refused due to my health issues and the risk of me bleeding out on the operating table.

So I'm being induced at 37 weeks or it may be earlier and it will be vaginal.

My DS1 was born at 42 weeks (2 weeks over due) and was very big 8lb 15oz and he got stuck and I needed forceps. He was born not breathing.
So as u can imagine I'm really scared.
I new he was a big baby but the scans estimated him to be average and around 7lb 10oz. So that's twice the growth scans have been wrong now.

It's like I get told ure having a big baby and you have a small baby
Or you get told baby will be small and end up having a whopper. What's ure experiences with growth scans ladies?

My next growth scan is at 30+1 weeks so not to long to wait.

 

[Beadle]

When I had my daughter at the appointment about 2 weeks before I had her they told me she was about 9 and a half pounds, and she came out at 8 pounds 3 oz. I was huge so I believed them that she was going to be that big too so I was shocked when she came out at only 8 pounds.

 

[jkhkjnjhb8879]

Mine was accurate. 2 days before I had my twins the scan said 4lb1 and 4lb and they were 4lb 3 and 3lb 14.5
I had a scan at 28 weeks with this baby and she is estimated 2lb5 x

 

[HLx]

They expected my 1st to be 5 or 6lb at birth I had many growth scans, but at 40+3 she was 7lb, not overly big but much bigger than expected. With my 2nd I had one growth scan I believe it was at around 34 weeks and they said he was already 7lb something, and expected him to be at least 9lb plus at birth and he was only 8lb 4, so I dont think they are extremely accurate, but ot gives you an idea I suppose

 

[AmeliePoulain]

They are more accurate the more you have as you see a general trend. I had one with dd1 and it was near the end - 36 weeks and really inaccurate. With dd2 I had them every 2/3 weeks and was very accurate. Dd3 similar - the last one was a bit off as she was engaged and not possible to measure her head properly.

If you have the baby at 37 weeks, even with very average weight gain I don’t think it would be a really big baby based on the weight so far.

I had an emergency forceps delivery with my smallest baby (6lb) also - I don’t think that correlates with size always, often bad positioning.

 

[Suggerhoney]

Thank you ladies for ure replies and ure experiences.
Very much appreciated.

I had regular growth scans with my DD at 26 weeks then 30 weeks scan she was measuring 4lb eeeek then 6 and a half lb at the 34 week scan so I really thought they were right and even tho I was having her at almost 36 weeks she was gonna be a good size so was a complete shock when a tiny 5lb baby came out. So scans were not accurate with her.

Only had the one growth scan with DS. At 34 weeks and they said he wud only be 7lb to 7 a half lb and was not a big baby.
I new he was big. I was absolutely huge with him and I looked full term at 27 weeks.
But still they kept saying he was not big.
Us womon know our own bodies and when he was born weighing 8lb 15 I told them see I told you he was gonna be a big baby. He was 14 days over due tho so had extra growing time.

With this baby ive only had the one growth scan so far but will have another at 30 weeks and then 34 weeks.

Fundal (uterus) height measurement are bang on my gestation. With my big baby I always measured 2 weeks ahead when they did the Fundal height measurements.

Also with my tiny daughter the fundal height was either dead on my gestation or a week behind
So for me the fundal height for both was more accurate than the scan measurements.

Also even tho she said he is 2lb 4oz on the scan he was only measuring 2 days extra. I was 26+1 and he was measuring 26+3.

 

[DobbyForever]

I didn’t have a scan specifically for growth. My gym just felt my belly and said your baby is 5lbs, by next week it’ll be 6. I was nervous but figured ftm usually go late so nbd. I went into labor two days later and had a 5lb 3oz baby.

 

[Suggerhoney]

I didn’t have a scan specifically for growth. My gym just felt my belly and said your baby is 5lbs, by next week it’ll be 6. I was nervous but figured ftm usually go late so nbd. I went into labor two days later and had a 5lb 3oz baby.

They did that with me when I was in labour they felt my tummy and said very good size baby a good 7 pounds or more. Only 5lb 7 so that was out as well.

 

[Take2]

I’m sure bub won’t be too big at the 37 week mark. And big doesn’t necessarily mean a traumatic labour, my dd (baby number 3) was 10lb 7oz, they predicted 10lb 6oz so pretty darn close, the labour went pretty quickly and despite a bit of grazing I did really well, no stitches required. I was glad to have her out because I’m a fairly small frame and carrying around all that baby was getting challenging!! My other 2 were 7lb 11oz and 8lb 5oz respectively and those labours were longer and more painful.

 

[busytulip]

I think a lot of the accuracy comes down to the experience of the sonographer/technician

My girls were measured 3 days before birth
Twin A 6lbs 1oz
Twin B 5lbs 4oz

Then at birth they weighed
Twin A 6lbs 11oz
Twin B 5lbs 12oz
So it was very close

 

[Suggerhoney]

I’m sure bub won’t be too big at the 37 week mark. And big doesn’t necessarily mean a traumatic labour, my dd (baby number 3) was 10lb 7oz, they predicted 10lb 6oz so pretty darn close, the labour went pretty quickly and despite a bit of grazing I did really well, no stitches required. I was glad to have her out because I’m a fairly small frame and carrying around all that baby was getting challenging!! My other 2 were 7lb 11oz and 8lb 5oz respectively and those labours were longer and more painful.

No I dont think so either hon. Its very likely I will be induced before 37 weeks but it depends on my liver function and bile acid levels. But wont be going past the 37 week mark.
Ive had the weight 6lb 6oz in my head since b4 I even got pregnant and I do not know why. And i do not know what wud be that weight other than a baby and then i got pregnant. Hubby thinks around the 6lb mark as well so we shall see.

Oh gosh hon I take my hat of to you. 10lb 7oz wowsers
I grazed with my biggest and was quite sore after. His birth was scary he just got so stuck.

Not had problems getting the smaller ones out but it still hurts like hell. Worth it tho.

 

[Suggerhoney]

I think a lot of the accuracy comes down to the experience of the sonographer/technician

My girls were measured 3 days before birth
Twin A 6lbs 1oz
Twin B 5lbs 4oz

Then at birth they weighed
Twin A 6lbs 11oz
Twin B 5lbs 12oz
So it was very close

That's so close.
Congrats on ure twins hon. Ure avatar is the cutest.
My next growth scan is in 3 weeks so will see what my little monkey weighs then. Haha