Ultrasound - measuring big. Freaking out!!

[jadza]

So I have GD but not had any issues with my blood sugars even without changing my diet much. I was measuring 2 weeks bigger at my last appointment so they sent me today to have an ultrasound done to see how big baby is.

I'm 35 weeks and 4 days pregnant and they said she weighs 6 pounds 4 ounces. All the sonographer would say is that shes 'a bit big' and I don't have another doctors appointment for another 10 days! To me that doesn't seem overly big, seeing as ultrasounds are known to be not that accurate. They say the average for 36 weeks is 5.78 pounds.

Its like they are always trying to make me panic. I have a feeling they want to bully me into having a C section.

Anyone have any experience with birth weights? Is she going to be to big to give birth naturally?? How accurate are the ultrasounds at weight????

 

[sethsmummy]

at your stage they tend to gain half a pound a week so roughly so realistically shes only going to gain another roughly 2lb hun. that makes for an average size baby to me Dont let them scare you into anything. My sister gave birth naturally to three children over the 10lb mark (10lb 6oz, 10lb 1oz, 10lb)

Another thing to note is with GD they dont tend to let you goto 40 weeks anyway and your induced at 38/39 weeks due to the placenta having increased risk of deteriorating earlier. Iv been told i wont be allowed to go past 38 weeks by my midwife but yet to talk to my consultant. I see them tomorrow after my first growth scan.

I really wouldnt worry about your babies weight hun. xx

 

[jw1555]

I'm the same hun, at 34 weeks growth scan baby was measuring at 5 lbs 10 and so they tested again for GD which was positive. They said I will likely be induced at 38 weeks but if I can control my blood sugar they will let me be induced on my due date. I've got my next appointment weds to check how my blood sugar is going and for them to decide on when to induce me.

 

[lauraemily17]

Our growth scan at 32 weeks predicted my lo would be 9lb at term. (Based on an average half pound a week weight gain) He arrived on his due date weighing exactly 9lb!! So yes the scans can be quite accurate.

Your lo is only measuring slightly above average and likely will be about 8lb by 40 weeks, not big at all.

 

[ATC]

At 35+5 my little man was 7lb 8oz and I didn't have GD! He was born at term +10 at 9lb 14.

 

[katherinegrey]

At 36 weeks my son was measuring 6lb 13oz, he was born at 40+4 weighing 9lb 3oz, so the scan was fairly accurate, giving birth to him wasn't easy in all honesty, but I did have a vaginal birth.

 

[RaspberryK]

Sounds fine to me, anyway I didn't have gd, had 10lb3oz baby (overdue) and no problem with natural delivery at all - not even a stitch.
I'd had a growth scan at 36 weeks saying he was 6lb13 (I think) and another 4 days before he was born saying he was 8-8.5lb which was 2lb off.

Xx

 

[JaneyScot]

Big babies do not necessarily mean a more difficult birth. I've had 2 big babies and 2 lovely births. Ds1 was 9lb 10oz and ds2 11lb 10oz.

It doesn't sound like your baby is measuring big though.

 

[lauraemily17]

I agree. The birth of my 9lb baby was actually much better than of my 6lb 11oz baby. I actually pushed out the bigger baby quicker!!

 

[K123]

I don't think that's that big. At my scan this morning at 36w5d baby was measuring 7lb 5oz which I thought sounded a bit big but consultant wasn't concerned at all.

 

[Rhapsodi]

There were a few months (20wks to 33wks) where I was measuring 4 weeks ahead! The ultrasound showed Baby was 2 weeks ahead (80-90 percentile)

At 35+4 my midwife said I was only measuring 2 weeks ahead and baby wouldn't be big. She guessed 5 lbs if baby came that day.

I wouldn't worry about it. Babies don't all grow at the same rate.

 

[lemongrass]

With my first I had a scan at 37.5 weeks that said he was 7 lbs, 3 oz and he came at 38 weeks weighing 6 lbs 12 oz. they aren't really accurate, off by up to 2 lbs. this time they've told me that my baby is "a bit small." I don't think that they are trying to scare you but just inform you that your baby is measuring slightly larger than the average baby. There is nothing wrong with that in itself.

 

[Ashersmomma]

I can't comment on a natural birth with a larger baby, as I didn't have one, but a C-section. But I can say that the measurements are not always accurate. It's all an estimation. They did an ultrasound with my first at around 38-39w because they thought he was large and wasn't dropping. They estimated him to be 11+lbs at the ultrasound. He was born at 40w2d at 8lb9oz, so pretty off

 

[BeautifulD]

I've always had on the smaller side of average babies but I've heard the bigger they are the easier they are that said my eldest was 6lb15 and she flew out yet my 6lb 7 ozer was much more painful!!

 

[mel28nicole]

At 35+6 they measured baby at 7lbs 2oz. She was born 39+5 at 8lbs 7oz. So roughly she dis gain half a lb a week. I needed a c section tho because she wasn't dropping after 50+ hours of labor

 

[AMB1216]

First, the ultrasounds can be wrong. Even my doctor told me that, I have GD as well and my sugars are pretty much perfect. My baby has measured 2 weeks ahead since they started doing my Fundal height. I had a growth scan at 30 weeks and he was 5.5lbs, so the tech was worried but my doctor didn't seem at all concerned. He said that baby tends to take after their parents and my husband was 8lbs 11 ounces. So I knew there was a chance he'd be big. I have another growth scan tomorrow and I'm hoping maybe he's slowed down a bit and if not that they will induce me once I hit full term. I'm really not wanting a CS but if he's too big I know it'll happen as I'm a petite framed girl. (part of me is hoping they will want to induce me soon as I'm miserable and over being pregnant as well xD)

 

[jadza]

Thanks everyone! I'm feeling much better about it all! The reason I think the hospital keeps trying on scaring me is because when I went in for my GD information session and they showed us pictures of big babies and said that's what will happen if you don't change your diet. For starters I don't think I even have GD. When I did the test I had to have a blood sugar level of 7.9 or less, I got a 8.0.... Which doesn't surprise me, my body is not used to having that much sugar!!

I know I shouldn't be worried about her weight my Sister gave birth naturally at home to my niece who weighed 12 pounds, well that's as far as the weight machine went.

 

[emeeorevan]

I don't feel that that is too big. If baby gains the typical 0.5 lbs a week then you are looking at a 8-9 lb baby at 40 weeks. My ds#1 was born @37weeks and was 8lbs while Ds #2 was born @38 weeks and was 9lbs. If I went to 40 weeks I would have had 9.5-10lb babies but both deliveries started naturally (contractions first) and both were delivers vaginally. (and I'm small and naturally thin)