33 weeks and possibly SGA?

Question

At my 33 wk OB appt., found out through my sonogram that baby is only 3.5 lb- my OB is slightly concerned about SGA, but the placenta, amniotic fluid levels, my weight gain (23 pounds), and umbilical blood flow all appear to be healthy. My uterus is measuring a little small (about 31.5 cm), but I am a petite person. Also, my OB gave me a Nonstress Test and the baby reacted very well and normally throughout (heart rate increased with each movement). I am just being monitored with NSTs every week and have another sonogram scheduled in 3 weeks to measure growth. Has anyone else had a similar experience? I am a first time mother and really scared. I have been eating very healthy throughout the pregnancy, staying active, and felt great, with no pregnancy complications, up until this last appointment. I'd love to hear about anyone else's similar experiences and if their babies had a lot of growth later in the third trimester. Thank you so much!

Answer 1

when i was 36 weeks i got an ultrasound and they estimated my son to only be 5 lbs when i had him at 40 weeks he weighed 9lbs 5 oz!! remember its just an estimate the only way you will find out exactly what baby wieghs is when you deliver in a couple weeks, if everything looks good then i wouldnt worry about it unless your doctor tells you something is wrong sounds to me like everything will be fine your baby still has about 6-7 more weeks of growth good luck and congrats

Answer 2

At around 30 weeks my OB said my baby was at the 13th percentile and they were concerned about her growth. At the time I'd only gained 15 lbs and had actually stopped gaining, it was hot as h**l up here and it affected my appetite big time. The OB never said SGA specifically but they had me start coming in 2x a week and having a lot more sonograms and NSTs. They also do Doppler tests a lot ot make sure her blood flow is good and to see if she is getting all the nutrients from my blood. Worst case scenario would mean they would want to induce me somewhat earlier to get her out of there. My amniotic fluid, placenta, etc on the sonograms appear normal and she is very active every time I go. I am also petite 5'1 and 120 lbs before pregnancy, and am "all baby" according to everyone who sees me.

So far I'm at 36 weeks and last I heard she was 5 lbs at 35 weeks, the "normal" weight at that time should be 5.5 lbs give or take. I've gained 1-4 lbs every time they weigh me since the 30-week visit, and they are very happy with our progress.

They said the baby may just be smaller than "normal" because I'm small myself! Hang in there and eat a lot. I dont' know if this happens with everyone else but she has grown a lot over the past 6 weeks and hopefully will grow some more over the next 4 or so weeks.

GOOD LUCK sweetie

Answer 3

Ultrasound cannot give an accurate reading on your baby's size, weight, gestational date, due date or amniotic fluid level. If you are eating well, have had no pregnancy complications and you are healthy, this weight diagnosis is most likely incorrect. It is impossible to tell your baby's weight in utero. Most likely when you scan again, your baby will have changed to another position in the womb and then they will say that your baby is big. Ultrasounds are useless diagnostic tools which more often than not cause a mother to worry endlessly from results that may or may not be correct. You can always get a second opinion or a second scan from another tech. Best wishes, G

Answer 4

By 33 weeks the baby should be about 4 pounds, so your baby's weight is not too far off. All of the women in my family have given birth to perfectly healthy babies only in the 6 pound range. And the babies were small during pregnancy. We are petite too. As long as all of your test are going well, try not to worry so much.