Fundal heigh small but US large??

[daydreamernyc]

anyone experiencing this?  My fundal height was small (2 cm below the number of weeks) but I had 2 ultra sounds 2weeks apart and they both showed my baby as measuring big (65-70 percentile!!)

makes me so nervous about having a big baby and tearing. I know that USs are not always accurate but the fact that both showed the same thing measured 2 weeks apart by different technicians, does that make the likelihood greater that it's accurate?  

[trixi282]

Is it likely accurate since 2 sonographers had similar results, probably. What position is your baby in, that could possibly affect it. Have you talked to your doctor about it yet and asked if s/he is concerned? Or voiced your concerns and asked these questions?

How far along are you? At this stage (30+ weeks) the estimates of size typically can be off by 10-15% plus or minus, so don't worry yet about a big baby. 65-70% is a good size.

I honestly have never had my fundal size measured by ultrasound, baby size, and AFI yes but not fundal size... And I've had about 100 ultrasounds this pregnancy (or so it seems).

[Widget123]

IMO you are way overthinking this. I wouldn't consider 65-70% percentile that big, and combined with your previous small fundal height measurement and the notorious inaccuracies of growth measurements in ultrasounds, I would just say that you are probably going to have an average sized baby and unless something else unusual happens to stop worrying about it.

[missjenniebean]

I measure behind fundally but the ultrasound shows me right on schedule. Weird but whatever. Baby is in the 58% according to US and was really low, which is why they said I measure behind externally. They didn't seemed concerned at all.

You'll probably have a average size baby:) no worries!

[daydreamernyc]

trixi282, I've had so many USs as well. I go weekly but they do a growth measure every other week. My OB was in disbelief with the one 2 weeks ago but then I had a bit of a freak out Monday when I had another growth scan. I'm 35w3d and baby is head down. Don't know if she has dropped yet though. I don't think so since breathing is still hard.

I have an appt this morning with my OB so will chat about it then.

Is there a correlation between size of baby and likelihood of tearing? I'm just worried about permenent damage. I've heard horror stories (which is never good for a worry wort like myself to hear! ).

[daydreamernyc]

Widget123, I probably am over thinking it. I'm definitely a worry wort and like to plan. So this unknown of what will happen during birth is nerve raking. I just keep telling myself not to worry

[silv3rlining]

I know US can be off +/- 2 lbs. Fungal height measurement can vary depending on baby's position. I had several growth scans with DS that were what I would consider relatively close/accurate. At 39+1 the US estimated him at 7 lb 13 oz when I had him at 40+2 he was 7 lb 12.6 oz (and babies can put on a lb/week the last few weeks of pregnancy).

I don't think size of baby really determines whether a woman tears or not. I think there are a lot of factors that contribute to it. There are women that have small babies that tear and women that have big babies that don't tear.

[leenziepops]

65-70 sounds pretty good and only slightly above average. If you said 80+ I'd have some worries. Plus tearing is not directly related to the size of your baby only. There are so many factors that play into this.

[trixi282]

I agree with silv3rlining, with my first i had an u/s at 37 wks to check position and they did growth and she was estimated @6lb+ I ended up going a full week overdue (so another 4 weeks from the scan) and she was born at 7lb 3oz! They're just that, estimates.

You're just a bit further along than me.... I have growth scans every 2 weeks too. I'm 34 today, Monday baby was estimated 5lb 4oz. And just 2 weeks 3 days before (Friday scan that time) baby was estimated 3lb 9oz. So Nugget grew a lot in a short time... The tech was surprised, and my doc was happy with the numbers, because just like kids on the outside, babies on the inside can go in spurts.

As for tearing, I don't have personal experience, but again it runs the gamut. Its honestly dependent on YOUR body, not baby size really.

A friend of mine tore with her second, who was smaller than her first....

[tiffbot]

Not that this will make you feel any better, but I tore bad with my first and he was 5 lb 11 oz.

[veggiemo]

Personally, I think fundal height is meaningless. How can they possibly tell how big the baby is by measuring you from the outside? Also, ultrasounds are only guesses at this point for size. My fundal height was measuring behind my entire pregnancy with DS. They did 2 extra ultrasounds to check on his growth and they always gave me some sort of low percentile guess on his small "peanut" size. He came out 7lbs4oz which seems pretty average to me.
When the doc told me this time I had a "big belly" and she was thinking an 8lb baby, I just smiled and nodded and then ignored it. I think the fact that they even attempt to guess based on looking at you from the outside is absurd. Quit worrying, there is nothing you can change about the baby's size anyway. Everything will be perfect!

[honeybunches101]

My fundal heigh has been a week behind, but in my growth scans baby is consistently in the high percentiles, 70s/80s. No idea why the discrepancy.

I also don't think size has a ton to do with tearing. I tore badly with my 8lb son, but he was born face up which probably contributed. DH's cousin had a 10+lb baby and didn't need a single stitch, was chasing after her older kids within a day. Size probably has something to do with it but there must be more.

Incidentally, I asked my doctor if changing my diet could impact baby's size and she said no. I eat tons of carbs and sweets (bad, I know) and don't want to have a massive baby and difficult labor. She said cutting back would be good for my healthy, but probably wouldn't impact baby's size at all either way. So, there is no sense in worrying since you can't do anything about it anyway!

[daydreamernyc]

Thank you ladies. My OB today said the same thing veggiemo said, don't worry.... Worrying won't change a thing. I also asked if there was anything that I should be doing now (red raspberry leaf teas, etc) and she said no (which I was surprised at since so many people talk about perennial massages, etc). So, I'm not going to worry! What ever will happen, will happen!

[Deleted]

Out of curiosity what weight did they estimate the baby is? I'm 35 weeks 4 days and I just had an ultrasound today. They estimated the baby weight is 6 pounds 10 ounces with baby measuring 37 weeks 1 day. But the doctor told me there is a 10-15% range in error. It my 2nd baby. My first was born at 40 weeks 8 pounds 4 oz. I did tear slightly but at that point there is so much going on I didn't remember tearing. I was just excited to see my baby so didn't think much about it.

[daydreamernyc]

@poppyc8, I was measured at 35w exactly and was estimated at 5lbs 12oz which puts her in the 65th-70th percentile

[wegrowsheep]

May 7, 2015 6:39:13 GMT -5 daydreamernyc said:

trixi282, I've had so many USs as well. I go weekly but they do a growth measure every other week. My OB was in disbelief with the one 2 weeks ago but then I had a bit of a freak out Monday when I had another growth scan. I'm 35w3d and baby is head down. Don't know if she has dropped yet though. I don't think so since breathing is still hard.

I have an appt this morning with my OB so will chat about it then.

Is there a correlation between size of baby and likelihood of tearing? I'm just worried about permenent damage. I've heard horror stories (which is never good for a worry wort like myself to hear! ).

I know women smaller than myself that have had significantly larger babies, and didn't tear, ever. Their theory? Some people are just "stretchy!" Personally, I wonder if it has any correlation to tendency toward stretch marks....

[Deleted]

May 7, 2015 7:53:23 GMT -5 veggiemo said:

Personally, I think fundal height is meaningless. How can they possibly tell how big the baby is by measuring you from the outside? Also, ultrasounds are only guesses at this point for size. My fundal height was measuring behind my entire pregnancy with DS. They did 2 extra ultrasounds to check on his growth and they always gave me some sort of low percentile guess on his small "peanut" size. He came out 7lbs4oz which seems pretty average to me.
When the doc told me this time I had a "big belly" and she was thinking an 8lb baby, I just smiled and nodded and then ignored it. I think the fact that they even attempt to guess based on looking at you from the outside is absurd. Quit worrying, there is nothing you can change about the baby's size anyway. Everything will be perfect!

My doctor actually told me fundal height doesn't mean much except only in the case when your fundal height is way way smaller or way way larger. I've always measured 1-2 weeks ahead and when I ask him if that is an indicator of anything he tells me it doesn't mean anything about size of baby or when you will delivery.

[nicolec78]

May 7, 2015 22:25:12 GMT -5 wegrowsheep said:

May 7, 2015 6:39:13 GMT -5 daydreamernyc said:

trixi282, I've had so many USs as well. I go weekly but they do a growth measure every other week. My OB was in disbelief with the one 2 weeks ago but then I had a bit of a freak out Monday when I had another growth scan. I'm 35w3d and baby is head down. Don't know if she has dropped yet though. I don't think so since breathing is still hard.

I have an appt this morning with my OB so will chat about it then.

Is there a correlation between size of baby and likelihood of tearing? I'm just worried about permenent damage. I've heard horror stories (which is never good for a worry wort like myself to hear! ).

I know women smaller than myself that have had significantly larger babies, and didn't tear, ever. Their theory? Some people are just "stretchy!" Personally, I wonder if it has any correlation to tendency toward stretch marks....

1st baby was 5lbs 10 oz and I tore vertically and horizontally -no stretch marks
2nd baby was 6lbs 13 oz no tearing and no stretch marks
This is my third and I have a couple stretch marks this time around. Could be because everything is measuring 4-6 weeks ahead. This is going to be a big baby. Hope I am stretchy this time around.

[bruunk]

My SIL was told they couldn't measure my nephew, he was so big, and that she should have the c section because she would need it anyway. Dr was estimating a 10+ lb kid. He came out 8 lbs. I take the measurements with a grain of salt.