Measuring Behind

[zenproof]

I sware, if its not one thing...its another.

Today at my appt I had my glucose test - which was so not what I had expected. While I felt cracked out for about 10mins after finishing it - I really felt fine. No nausea or anything.

However - I mentioned to my midwife that I was feeling a bit concerned that I am so small. That i might be measuring behind (because ive measured a few times and can't find my fundus much higher than my navel). So she pulled a tape and said I was about 22/22.5cm. So I am almost 3wks behind.

She supsects that i am carrying real low and I have been thinking for several weeks he is head down because I feel the large rolling movements deep in my pelvis and near my bottom. Everyone talks about how 'little' I am - and its been wearing me a bit. I have only gained 14lbs too. Which seems low to me.

She is having me come back in 2.5wks for another check up to see if the measurement hasn't caught up. If not - then we are going to do an ultrasound to check fetal growth.

Now tell me - how am I supposed to not stress about this between now and then!! ack. :

[ilovejeff]

You're 24w5d, right (did I do that math correctly?) My MW says you want to measure within 2 cm of the week you're at so if you're not there, you're darn close. If baby is sitting low, that could account for the difference. But make sure to keep us updated - you know how we like to worry around here!

[acemama]

+ or - 2 cm is still within normal range. Remember your fundal height is a measurement in cm and should be close to how many weeks you are but does not measure how many weeks you are. KWIM? As long as you continue to grow. Some of us may measure bigger or smaller than others. Try not to worry.

[KayleeZoo]

I was often 3 behind with my last 2 (first one was IUGR, so she's not relevant here ). Depends a lot on how baby is situated, too. Plus, if your body isn't growing an average sized baby (my babies are 6lbs at full-term and I was 5lbs full-term), and your baby is going to be on the smaller size at term, you'll measure smaller during the pg because everything is based on a 7.5lb newborn, if I remember correctly.

Try not to worry- really, measuring way big is more cause for alarm, I think

[murphysaangel]

I am too - in fact, my mw wants an u/s done to check the baby's growth. I'm having it done the Monday after next. I'm not really worried about the baby, I really think he's doing fine, but I am worried that my EDD is way off, and I have a 41-week "deadline" to face. So if I am measuring small, it totally confirms what I've been telling them - that I should actually be due around the 7th-10th. I'm not having much luck convincing them. But hopefully with the measurements confirming the baby's small size I'll be able to at least push any 41-week interventions back to...never, lol.

[~Laura~]

I am measuring behind by a week or two. I thought it was odd that I didn't feel her above my belly button much, so I asked my midwife last time. She said it was probably just that she hadn't stretched out vertically yet. Sure enough, yesterday morning I woke up with her head smack dab between my rib cage. It was creepy, but I was glad to have her reach up that high. As soon as I got up, she scrunched back down.

As everyone else said, it's probably just fine. They are so little at this point that they can stay tucked in a little space.

Laura

[mama to 2 girls]

Not in your ddc but saw this on new posts.....just wanted to share my experience to try and make you feel a little better.

With ds I always measured either right on or a week behind and one point I measured a full 3 weeks behind and at the next appt. I was still behind..well the next appt. after that I "grew" almost 10cm's! I went to eat one night near my dd and people told me I didn't look that big and even my cousin commented on my size....well I blew them all (including my m/w) out of the water when I pushed out a 10+lber!

's and try not to worry...easier said than done right.

sorry again for ddc crashing.

[sugarpop]

As far as weight gain I just wanted to add that I am 25w4d and I have gained only 15.5, I was normal BMI/Weight prior to becoming pg and now they tell me the baby is chubby! So I think maybe everyones body is different, but your weight is far off from mine!

[zenproof]

Originally Posted by mama to 2 girls

Not in your ddc but saw this on new posts.....just wanted to share my experience to try and make you feel a little better.

With ds I always measured either right on or a week behind and one point I measured a full 3 weeks behind and at the next appt. I was still behind..well the next appt. after that I "grew" almost 10cm's! I went to eat one night near my dd and people told me I didn't look that big and even my cousin commented on my size....well I blew them all (including my m/w) out of the water when I pushed out a 10+lber!

's and try not to worry...easier said than done right.

sorry again for ddc crashing.

THANK YOU!!! Ugh..i had the worst day yesterday...all weepy and worried. It just really sucked.

A few weeks ago I had some cramping we thought may have been PTL but wasn't...then some spotting after sex one day....and then i was feeling great for awhile! now this. this pregnancy is keeping me on the edge of my seat and its so frustrating!

Thank you for you kind words.

sugarp - we are pretty similar. how do they know you have a chubby baby???

[b-girl]

zen - In all the pics of you I've seen it looks to me like you have a really long torso -- which I understand helps "hide" the baby. I on the other hand have the shortest torso and have an enormous belly. But the past two appt's I've been measuring behind by about 1wk + a few days. At 28 weeks I've gained about 18 lbs. I think people gain weight differently, for me I gained right away -- before the bfp I could barely button my pants. At my first appt, at 8 weeks, I had already gained 4 lbs, which is a lot on my little frame. But then I didn't gain again until 16 weeks, at which point I went up another 2 lbs, then at my 20 wk I had gained 5 lbs and again at 24 wks another 5 lbs! But the past 4 weeks I've gained 2 lbs. I know they say many women tend to gain the most during the 3rd tri, but my mother says that she didn't gain a lb the last two months with either my sister or me. So maybe that's the trend I'll follow. You may be following the more "traditional" pattern, where weight gain is slowest in the 1st, picks up a little speed in the 2nd, and then bam really picks up in the 3rd and you'll have a 5 lb gain in a month like I did (during my 2nd tri).

How have you been measuring all along? Was this a brand new discovery -- like you grew 2cm in the past 4 weeks?

I know how worrisome this all can be -- I had my fair share of "scares" during the 1st tri and it's still hard for me to relax. My husband is still so freaked out by my bleeding episode at 12 weeks (which happened after a night of playing around) that he cannot bring himself to relax a little and have sex with me.

[2boyzmama]

Well, I'm one who's always had the dubious disctinction of measuring ahead (then having large for gestational age babies!), BUT my mom NEVER measured "correctly" with any of her pregnancies, in fact once she lost a cm or two between appts. It always freaked the drs out, but she always delivere at term with healthy 7 pound babies. I have no idea how or why, but measurements never worked for her!

[octobermoon]

you do look like you have long torso which as a previous poster said could very well hide the baby a bit! you are definitely growing.

but anyway the worrying totally sucks! i felt bummed after my appointment last week too, i'm measuring ahead which comes with its own worries let me tell you. i have to go every two weeks to the MW now also. i'm taking comfort that i'm only two cm off, that is good to know!

[zenproof]

bgirl - last visit i was suspicious but didn't say anything about being concerned (b/c i have measuring myself for awhile now - not that i am any expert..but it has felt pretty obvious to me where the top of my fundus is). she never said anything about my measurement then (at 22wks). i could have been under then, but still within a range that didn't concern her. she did not seem worried about me being under at all. but because i was - said i should come back in 2wks for a check up, that we could do an ultrasound then if i was still pretty behind.

whats funny is i soooooooooo dont have a long torso. i have to be careful about pant rises because typical ones come at or above my belly button and make me look like an oompa loompa!!! and if my mother is any indication of what lies ahead....by 60 my boobs and belly will be all up in eachothers personal space. yahoo! i guess the pictures are misleading. or maybe i'm longer than i think - i don't know! i appreciate you trying to make me feel better about this though. i'll take what i can get.

i just wish i could flip that 'oven light' and be sure my snickerdoodle is coming along alright!!!!!!!!!

i have read that being small, it being your first, and/or if you have strong abdominal muscles - could all be cause for measuring behind. im sure its nothing - but sure is nervewracking! :

2boyz - that is good to hear!!!

october - how funny you all think i have a long torso!! maybe i am just disallusioned! im sorry you have to feel my frustration. its annoying to say the least!

[octobermoon]

i know what you mean about checking in on baby....i so want to know my baby is OK too. sometimes i wonder if i should have had that U/S!

[2boyzmama]

I have a very short torso, the way I determine is by finding the very bottom of my rib cage, then finding the very top of my pelvis and seeing the distance between them. I can barely fit a finger in between them, that's how short my torso is! It could be that my ribcage is long or that my pelvis is high or some combination of the two, but I always attribute that to the fact that I show very early in pregnancy and carry all out in front. There's just nowhere for baby to go!

[b-girl]

Originally Posted by zenproof

i have read that being small, it being your first, and/or if you have strong abdominal muscles - could all be cause for measuring behind. im sure its nothing - but sure is nervewracking! :

Yep I've heard that about the abdominal muscles too... They say that women show earlier in subsequent pregnancies because their ab muscles are weaker from the previous pregnancies.

I showed right away and was pretty shocked about it... but then I read that about the muscles and I realized that my major abdominal surgery in Sept (where they had to cut through the muscles) severely weakened my abs and I think that's part of why I showed so quickly.

Hmmm... can you call your midwife and ask for her to look through your chart and tell you what you've been measuring all along?

My midwife has me carry around a little chart in my bag at all time (in case of emergency) and in it includes: all my prenatal lab results to date, every visit date -- the hb rate, fundal height, my bp, my weight, any important info, and visit dates. So I've been able to track my growth this whole time.

[iluvbnamomma]

Hey Zen. Just wanted to tell you that i measured 4 weeks behind with my first. We ended up having an u/s at 34 weeks to check everything and the dr reassured me that i just had VERY strong abdominal muscles (not anymore ) and the baby was completely fine. He was born on his due date weighing 6 1/2 pounds and PERFECT! The entire pregnancy everyone kept saying "your so small, blah blah blah..." Try not to worry i am sure everything is fine.
The good news is i after he was born i left the hospital with my jeans on
and yes, not so with my sweet girl...

[zenproof]

Originally Posted by iluvbnamomma

Hey Zen. Just wanted to tell you that i measured 4 weeks behind with my first. We ended up having an u/s at 34 weeks to check everything and the dr reassured me that i just had VERY strong abdominal muscles (not anymore ) and the baby was completely fine. He was born on his due date weighing 6 1/2 pounds and PERFECT! The entire pregnancy everyone kept saying "your so small, blah blah blah..." Try not to worry i am sure everything is fine.
The good news is i after he was born i left the hospital with my jeans on
and yes, not so with my sweet girl...

THANKS I'll go with 'abs of steel' for 500 alex. Works for me.

bgirl - sounds like you have a kicka$$ midwife! i already feel like ive been such a pain in the ass at my drs. office...they've all been really sweet, but i feel like i just need to chill. im sure they understand and get it all the time. i'll just wait until the next appt. get some acupuncture in the meantime - and drown in some Calgon at next bath.

[cristeen]

Just to reassure you a little bit... last week my fundus was about a centimeter above my navel, and like you I was starting to get concerned. Then last night I noticed the little one kicking me in the ribs - checked for my fundus again and it had moved about 3 inches up in a week! Growth spurt!

And I've only gained about 15 pounds so far... I keep gaining and losing the same 2 pounds lately.

[ChaoticMum]

I don't have time to read all the responses, right now, but just wanted to give my story - I measured 2-3wks behind with ALL my babies - and my last one was 10.5lb. I STILL measured 2-3 behind with him. At a 33wk u/s to check my placental placement, HE was measuring 2wks ahead - so they said OH! A BIG baby! And my fundal height was 3 weeks behind. A FIVE week discrepency between fundal height and baby size. He came out 10.5lb.

Now I'm only measuring 2 ahead with the twins - but for my history that's like 4-5 ahead.

I would see what your fundal height is in 2 weeks. If you grew 2cm you're on track.