My baby is measuring small? I have a couple of questions..?

Question

Hey, I am 30 weeks now and I went to the dr on Thursday and he said that I am measuring at 28 weeks..so Im a little small. We checked the fluid levels on the ultrasound and it looked fine he said..so I didnt really worry and since he said everything will probably be okay but I go back in two weeks and they can be more certain then..so I looked it up and then checked previos questions about this on answers but it just made me worry more b/c I read that it could be a sign of down syndrome, and that some women miscarried when their baby measured small...I know if there is anything wrong I would still love and care for him just the same but I still get upset...I guess my question is have any of you measured small and had a healthy baby with no problems? and also, since Im so far into the pregnancy, will it lessen my chances of a miscarriage? Maybe Im worried for nothing but the two week wait is already driving me crazy.

Answer 1

Hello!

I'm 36 1/2 weeks right now and the past 3 times I've had a doctor's appointment I've measured 1 to 2 1/2 weeks under. My midwife hasn't been worried at all. Plus or minus two weeks is completely normal. I would not worry about it at all!!! I've also had a lot going on in my life too. Just take the time to breath and relax yourself...do things you enjoy doing :) I would not worry at all about the measurements. Look on the bright side...if you're measuring smaller, you won't be having a 10 pound baby!! You also still have 10 weeks to go! A lot can happen in that time! If they think it's a problem they'll give you an ultrasound just to check it out!  :) Congrats!

Answer 2

Measuring 2 weeks small or big is no big deal. Anything more than 2 weeks is where they begin to worry. I have been measuring 2 weeks smaller than I really am since 28 weeks.  The doctor said it's completely normal and the fact I am a very petite person probably has something to do with it (the baby being small).  My son was born 3 days late and was only 6 lbs 6 oz but completely normal and healthy. I am now 34 weeks pregnant and measuring at 32, and it's also due to her head being so far down.  

Answer 3

Don't stress yourself out. Some babies are just small. My sister measured 38 weeks when she was around 43-44 (she was 4 weeks overdue by the time she had her son...) He came out at over 8 lbs, so don't stress yourself out over something you can't change.

Answer 4

My second son is my problem child.  I was at 36 weeks and went to a scheduled doctors appt.  They said he was only measuring 31 weeks. I told them he had been moving less so they hooked me up to a baby montior and sure enough his movement was down.  They sent me for an ultrsound right then and it confirmed that he was really small.  The doctor sent me to the hospital to be induced.  During labor the doctor made me stop pushing because I was strangling my son.  The cord was wrapped around his neck twice so tight.  He was tiny!!! 4lbs and 1oz.  The first night he stopped breathing for about 20sec. so they kept him in the NICU for 7days to make sure he was well enough to go home.  Due to the way he was stuck in my uterus(from cord) he has a problem turning his head to the left.  He has already had 2 ear infections and has a very low temp tolerance.  A few weeks ago his temp got to 103 and he had a small siezure.  He is now healthy and smiles alot.  Don't get me wrong I am not trying to scare you, just sharing my "small baby" experience.  I hope your baby is just a little small now but will pick up some weight and some out perfect:)

Good Luck

Answer 5

Your fine,  Anything measuring within 2 weeks is perfectly fine.  I am also measuring small.  And with Down's they would of told you at your u/s that there might be a chance of Down's and do further testing with you.  That's why I had the AFP test done.  My doc says look at it on the bright side.  The smaller the baby the easier to push out.  

At your 20+ weeks u/s they measure the arms legs and torso to make sure they are of average size.  So if they did not say anything then he's good to go.

Answer 6

It's not uncommon to measure small or large.  It happens.  Sometimes babies have different than average growth rates.  Perhaps you haven't gained a lot of weight this pregnancy.  When I was pregnant with my daughter 7 years ago, they did tripe screen tests on EVERY pregnant woman.  Evidently they don't do that anymore, but I still elected for a sequential screening test to rule out birth defects (one less thing to worry about).  The baby could catch up later in the pregnancy - they gain all their weight in the end and if an ultrasound was done to measure fetal head and belly circumference, you'd probably find that the baby was just about right.  And another myth - it's not miscarriage after 20 weeks in pregnancy.  Then it's stillbirth.  As long as you're feeling the baby move every day, you're fine.  It's normal to worry in pregnancy.  If your doctor hasn't mentioned any concerns, there's really nothing to be concerned about.