My female friend is at the 6 month mark. The baby weighs just about a pound. How could this baby turn out?

Question

Her HCG levels are low, and at this point in her pregnancy (6 months) for it to weigh "less than a pound" seems pretty bad. it is a female.

I would also like to disclaim to the obvious numbskulls on here who have no real information or credible professional advice, albeit meaningless opinons to please go somewhere else as this is a serious matter.

Thank you for your understanding.

Answer 1

1 kg = 2.2 pds

Answer 2

Week Twenty-Four

Bring on the bulk! Baby gains about 6 ounces this week. The weight is in muscle, bone mass and organs.

His body begins to fill out with his appearance increasingly becoming more like a newborn.

Taste buds begin to form. If mom drinks something strange or bitter, baby may be observed showing his distaste.

Little creases have appeared on his palms. The muscular coordination of his hands has improved as he sucks his thumb.

Over the next seven days the sweat glands will be forming in the skin.

His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily.

This week your baby is officially considered viable.

Baby weighs 1.3 pound (600gm) and is 11.8 inches (30cm) long -- almost the length of a ruler!

I got this from the website cited below. Doesn't seem like the baby is TOO small for 24 weeks, and as others mentioned, any measurements now really are estimates so the baby could be bigger (or smaller).

Answer 3

in the last stage of pregnancy is when the baby puts on the most weight and fat...i wouldnt worry to much. especially if the doc didnt say anything and these are not exactly accurate either

Answer 4

Her HCG levels shouldn't dwindle unless she miscarries which at 6 months wouldn't happen, she would go into preterm labor. HCG is a chemical found in pregnant (or a chemical pregnancy) womens urine. HCG doesn't bounce around.

She could have low progestrone or a high protein precentage in her urine but unless the fetus has died in utero her HCG SHOULDN'T change.

At 6 months along a baby should weight a little more then a pound. Not much more though. If the doctors are concerned about growth and the baby is measuring well below size and the baby continues to be failure to thrive in utero, your friend should expect to be admitted to the nearest hospital with a level 4 NICU. She may stay on the OB special care (or some hospitals call it OB High Risk) floor for a few days or WEEKS to monitor closely the growth/heat rate/development of the fetus. If it is determined that the chance of life for the baby is better once delivered(and there are a lot of babies born at a pound. Its not uncommon) the hospital will administer steriod shots to mature the babies lungs. They will do an emergency CSection, vaginal delivery would be too stressful on that premature of a baby. The baby would be on a ventalator, a PICC line, a feeding tube, under heat lamps. The baby may even be on life support at first with round the clock nurses (usually 2 nurses) monitoring solely THAT baby.

With a baby born at 6 months your facing the certainty of life long mental and physical handicaps. Females typically do better then males but at that gestational age the chance of survival is about 30%.

The baby could (the baby WILL..) have brain bleeds, which can resolve but leave most babies mentally impaired. Babies born early loose eye sight, some even go blind. Their hearing is poor too, some go deaf. Their bowels are immature and parts of the bowel can die (called NEC), it can be fatal or reguire surgery after surgery. Cerebal palasy is almost gaurenteed.

Babies born that early have a varitey of mental and physical handicaps but pulling life support or the ventalator and terminating life due to complications is a very personal choice. A lot of the super micro preemies pass on their own and a lot of those babies really aren't compatable with life.

Babies that do THRIVE that are born at about a pound often need GTubes and never eat orally just liquides through a machine that can be attatched to the stomach, need trachs to breath because of esphagoal problems, are in wheel chairs, need several medications a day to deal with a score of medical problems, need nasal oxygen and will reguire a home health nurse.

Answer 5

From what I have read and remember hearing from various places, a fetus in the 6th month of pregnancy will weigh from 1-2 lbs, depending upon where in the 6th month you are and also keeping in mind that not every fetus grows at the same rate. Also, there is no completely accurate way for them to estimate the weight of a baby, and so they could be off on their guess by up to several ounces - even using an ultrasound. In fact, by the end of pregnancy their weight estimates are known to be off by more than a pound in either direction. (My daughter was estimated to be 8.5 lbs the day before my due date. She was born just 2 days later - at 6 lbs, 4 oz.

Unless an ultrasound or other prenatal testing how showed a problem, I would not worry about this. As far as HCG levels, I have no idea. I didn't know that people even still had their levels tested that far into pregnancy, to be honest.

If your friend is concerned, she should bring it up with her doctor though...he/she can hopefully reassure her.

Answer 6

the weight doesnt seem out of line. second trimester ultrasounds are notorious for being "off".

at this point there isnt much to say about how it will grow through the rest of the pregnancy.

the bulk of the weight will come int he last 6 weeks. dont stress. stress can harm a fetus. jsut relax and enjoy the pregnancy and have faith and listen to the doctor.

but in my professional opnion ( not knowing any other details) the weight wouldnt be a big concern at this point.

Answer 7

i dunno around 6 to 7 punds baby at 21 weeks my baby weight it 15 oz and second baby at 19 weeks 12 ounces and first baby was 6lbs 11 0z second baby 6 lbs 5 oz

Answer 8

It depends on exactly where she is in her pregnancy.  I have a pregnancy guide book which says at 25 weeks the baby should be weighing in at 1 1/2 pounds but by week 28 should be up to 2 1/2 to 3 pounds.  And of course, none of these numbers are set in stone...each baby develops at it's own rate.  Most of the weight that the baby puts on is during the third trimester...more rapidly towards the end of the pregnancy.  My little guy was born at 38 weeks (which is considered full term) and weighed only 5lbs 6oz but he was still perfect health-wise.  And remember too that even IF the baby were to be born prematurely, with all the medical advances that have been made in the last while, she would have a very good chance at surviving.

Answer 9

hmm attitude .

Theydo not know for sure weight of baby its all an estimate. If the doctor is not concerned then thats fine, its still so early on  

Answer 10

Ultrasounds are just estimates. My daughter was estimated to be 7.5lbs and was born at 6.1lbs. I do know because I am a nurse and remember going through by OBGYN clinicals that the third trimester is when the baby startes gaining its weight. I don't think 1lb at 6months is unusual since there are some premature babies who survive weighing in at just over a 1lb.

If  your friends OBGYN isn't concerned then I don't see why you are.