34 weeks but measuring 37!?

[starbyfar7]

its the weirdest thing.. but i cant seem to get a definitive answer on what it means. at our last midwife appointment (Tues), our midwife said that i was measuring 37weeks although im only 34-35ish.. now there has been some debate between my midwife and i regarding my due date.. they're sticking with baby's measurements from my 6 week ultrasound (29 march due date).. im sticking with my LMP date (21 march due date) because going with the other date would make this pregnancy scientifically impossible lol. 

either way, im measuring between 2-3 weeks ahead which means what? that baby is going to be a nice plump one? or that i can expect (please god let it be this) to deliver earlier than my due date?

[mad4mady]

Hello

I was wondering if baby is measuring that much bigger or are you just measuring that big? I am also measuring bigger about 5 weeks ahead but, it is because I have high levels of amniotic fluid, baby is only measuring about 1.5 weeks ahead, the rest is fluid. Might be something worth asking about.

[finnegansmom]

I wouldn't change your due date based on the measurement of your uterus.  No way.

I'm measuring at least 5 weeks ahead right now, and I think it's just because i have a good amount of amniotic fluid (on the high end of normal but not a concern - I've had a BPP and everything is great).

My last was born at 41 weeks, and oddly at my 40 week I measured only 38 weeks *(he was 9#10).  This time I measured 45 at my 40 but I think it's just the extra fluid or the position.  Also, if I eat a big meal or am bloated, retaining water, I measure bigger.  I wouldn't worry unless you were measuring (much) smaller or not getting bigger.

I've been measuring ahead for a while now and I wish I could say it's a sign of having an early baby, but since I'm going to be 42 weeks in a few days, that doesn't quite ring true for me.  I wish it did, I can barely walk.

[SGVaughn]

hate to break it to ya but its totally normal for fundal height to be a little ahead towards the end..and then a little behind right before (when and if baby engages)

its a lousy way to really figure out whats going on (dates or otherwise) unless the numbers are wildly off...its so bad I know a lot of OB's that wont even check it regularly if at all...its very low tech and non invasive so thats its lus, but the information garnered from it isn't very good, so thats its downside

in the OP's case the first ultrasound is actually the most accurate way of figuring out EDD because at 6 weeks it should only have a +/- of about 3 days

it IS maddening that you can't pin it even with the guess date though

[Agatha_Ann]

I agree with the pp's...I always measure behind at the beginning and way ahead at the end. All my babies have been born at 39-2 and have been 7.1 7.0 7.2 and 7.4. I would not ever change a due date based on fundal height. As hard as those last few weeks are, they are precious to your baby. It is much better to have an off due date where the baby is "born early" than to think you are over due and end up with a baby born before they are ready.

[lexapurple]

I would not change EDD based on fundal hight, it is even more subjective than US. Mine at 14 and 18 weeks were right on target. At 21 wks, however it was only 18, and at 25wks it was 21. 21 and 25 wks were taken by different MW. I was worried but MW was fine with it. At 29 wks I had appointment with third MW and it was on target at 29 again. One thing I noticed is that first and third MWs really dug around to find where my pubic bone ended and uterus started and second (low mesurments)started at the panty line where my uterus curves up. I think that the drustic differense was caused by MW mesuring skills. I also had an US day after 29wk appointment and everything is fine and baby measuring right on the date.

[tourist.]

Totally ditto Lexapurple.  During my last pregnancy while getting prenatal care from both a midwife and an OB, one day I'd measure right on target, the *very* next day I'd measure 4 weeks ahead.  Usually though, the measurements were a lot closer, but they were rarely the same.  Totally subjective.

[mncowmom]

I've been measuring about 3-4 weeks bigger throughout this pregnancy.  The first reason is that I'm bigger than average which can inflate the numbers abit.  I also rotate between two midwifes, and ob, and they usually have students, so the same person is not measuring me every appointment.  What they look for is the growth not the actual number.  I've been gaining the 3-4 cm a month, and that's all that they want to see.