Worried about my pregnancy - small baby

[Manon443]

Hi Ladies,

I've recently joined and have been busy settling into my new home in France and as a non-French speaker, it's quite a challenge to be having my first child here. I'm starting 7 months and having a baby girl late Nov / early December by the way

So far the pregnancy has been uncomplicated but I just got an ultrasound yesterday and my Doc said she was on the small side and off the scale. My husband and I are fairly short but most of our families are pretty average and most everyone was of average birth weight/size. I've gained over 8kg /18 lbs, eaten quite healthily, take vitamins, yoga, meditation etc and I'm concerned because low birth weight / size is linked with lower brain activity and chronic disease later in life.

I'm 5'3" and was 60 kg / 132 lbs before pregnancy and the weight I've gained seems to have gone mostly everywhere else. I do have a belly but it looks more like sausage & cheese eating than a baby .  So far no stretch marks, innie becoming an outie, or linea nigra. All the things I was hoping not to have I now wish I did in order to feel that I'm progressing normally.

Are there any other mommies who had perfectly healthy children of low birth weight / size?

Thanks so much for your help,

Kim

[SouthernStormy]

I would try not to worry about it much, as ultrasounds can be so far off at times. I had my baby a couple days ago- it was a hospital transfer so they did an ultrasound. I ended up with a csection because after the ultrasound they said she was measuring like a 36 weeker vs 41 weeks like she was supposed to be- but when she was born she was 7lbs 5 oz- which given my size (5 ft tall and fairly petite) is not really small at all, definitely not 36 weeks small.

[Manon443]

Congrats on your new baby girl!! I hope you're getting much needed rest while learning all the ropes to this exciting time in your life!

That weight seems pretty average so I'm glad everything came out okay for you. Our girl is shy of 32 cm when she should be about 34cm. Maybe there will be a growth spurt somewhere or she'll come out really plump

[akind1]

Ultrasounds can be way off in either direction. What is more important is are they seeing appropriate growth? I know for me, this baby was measuring small around the 20-26 week mark (by ultrasound, and also by the way my uterus was growing), but she seems to be catching up and then some this last month as I've been measuring slightly ahead.

FWIW, with my first pregnancy, they were estimating a big baby, based on my weight (I started out plus size) and the fact DH is over 6' tall, and I went to 41+6 . . . DS was born at a whopping 6 lbs 14 oz. A friend of mine (coincidently she's French) first baby was estimated to be 12 lbs!!! by ultrasound, so they did a scheduled c-section. Baby was 8 lbs something - so a 4 lb difference!

as far as actual small babies go, a cousin of mine was born at 5 lbs even at full term, and she's always been very healthy and has no other deficits to speak of.

I know so much of this is anecdotal, but I think the most important thing really, is that the baby continues to grow at the rate she should.

[Manon443]

Thanks so much for the info and first hand accounts! She's been progressing normally - guess just got caught up on the small side if the ultrasound is correct. And if it is, it could also be contributed to stress - hence the necessary yoga & meditation.

New culture, language, few friends, and not working for the first time in my adult life - but at least French food is really plentiful and yummy

So as I settle in, perhaps there will be a growth spurt for baby Chloe!!

[cameragirl]

Did they say what the baby measured? Ultrasounds can be 20% off either way during the last half of pregnancy, so that may be an issue.

[Toposlonoshlep]

I have yet to see an accurate measurement from an ultrasound. Everyone I know, myself included, had a baby that measured nothing like what was suggested.

[Manon443]

Thanks so much for easing my fears ladies!

Our baby girl is just shy of 32cm when she apparently should be 34cm. The ultrasound took quite a long time so perhaps the doctor had trouble getting an accurate measurement. Not sure as he only speaks French so we didn't communicate much about it - he just said she was a bit too small.

[Toposlonoshlep]

My understanding is that US measurements are estimates. My ob always made a point of that. My son always measured big, and then was just under 7 lbs when he was born. The Dr. may have just been thinking out loud or speculating. I definitely wouldn't worry about it. I don't think a US measurement can be accurate to 2 cm. 
 

Originally Posted by Manon443 

Thanks so much for easing my fears ladies!

Our baby girl is just shy of 32cm when she apparently should be 34cm. The ultrasound took quite a long time so perhaps the doctor had trouble getting an accurate measurement. Not sure as he only speaks French so we didn't communicate much about it - he just said she was a bit too small.

[cameragirl]

Oh I see. At 7 months and a difference of only 2cm, there likely isn't a real problem. The baby could just be on the smaller side of the normal range, or the US measurement could be off.

[amberskyfire]

Like everyone else said, ultrasounds can't tell the size of the baby, no matter what your doctor tells you. They are wrong more often than not. As long as everything else looks good, I wouldn't be worried. Everything is probably just fine! Good luck!

[strawberryprincess]

My niece was born full term, or very close (about 38weeks).  She weighed 4lb14oz, and they believed she had lost weight at the end of the pregnancy; the placenta had deteriorated significantly by birth (my SIL smoked the first 4-5mo of the pregnancy, guessing that contributed).  She had an u/s and they deteremined baby was very small, so they induced immediately.

Although baby was tiny, she was very healthy.  She gained weight normally.  She is now 7.5 years old, healthy, normal size, and incredibly smart! 

Best wishes to you and your baby!!!
 

[JunieMoon]

My dd was born at 43 weeks only weighing 6lbs and nothing is wrong with her. She met all milestones early and would be considered gifted. Myself and my siblings were all low birth weights and were all labeled gifted as well. Try not to worry.

[Fly Girl]

It doesn't sound to me like you have anything to worry about. Ultrasounds can be wrong up to a pound or two in either direction. I think you have a good weight gain so far. I am 5'7" and 125 pre-pregnancy and only gained 25 lbs my first pregnancy and 20 lbs my second pregnancy. I never had much of a belly until around 32 weeks and then I grew like crazy every week after that. But I still looked small at 40 weeks. My midwives guessed that I would have a 6-6.5lb baby... Well I had an 8 lb baby and then an 8.3 lb baby. Every one carries different, looks different and every gains weight different and as long as baby is looking healthy then you he/she will probably be just fine. Good luck with your pregnancy!!

[dot1]

dd1 was estimated in an ultrasound at 36 weeks to be less than 10th percentile.  My fundal height was only 29 cm at 36 weeks....so they suspected IUGR.  My intuition said everything was fine.  My theory is baby just dropped, and one of the seasoned docs wasn't worried and said I had a "heart shaped uterus".  Plus I was gaining in circumference and weight still.   She was born around 40 weeks 19.5" and 6 lbs 10 ounces which I think is somewhere in 40-50th percentile range (sorry don't know the metric conversion).  Her dad is small.  Perfect baby and child in every way!

If there is no other clinical signs that could suggest IUGR (e.g. preclampsia, etc), then I would totally disregard any ultrasound findings.  Just observe and know your body, eg. keep track of fetal movement, measure your belly circumference regularly, etc.  A responsible clinician would not make any drastic decisions based on ultrasound size estimates alone.

My sister is about your size and her daughter was always off-the-growth charts small.  Her progressive, seasoned doctor said not to worry as long as she was still following her own growth curve. This girl is a thriving, but still small, very athletic teenager.

Bonne chance en France :)

[Manon443]

Thanks to all you wonderful Mommies

I checked in with my midwife today and interestingly, she asked about my ethnic background and when I told her I was half Asian, she noted that my pelvis size might actually be smaller than average so a smaller baby would make sense. She said that, in general, our bodies tend to make babies at the size we can naturally push out!!

I'm learning so much being pregnant and loving it all!!

[montessorimama1]

I've noticed that when I up my protein intake the baby/belly has a growth spurt.  Are you sure you're eating enough protein?  Best of luck with the rest of the pregnancy!