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Fundal Height

2K views 23 replies 12 participants last post by  Mamatoabunch 
#1 ·
What are you experiences? Do you put any weight into it?

I just got back from my midwife appointment. Baby's heartrate was 140 and my bp was great. Weight gain was 6 lbs in 5 weeks. She measured fundal height last time at 18 weeks and I was measuring 20. This time I am 23 weeks and measuring 28 weeks. When she feels around she isn't feeling a second baby and neither am I. However, I'm starting to get a bit concerned about the discrepancy. We are still holding off for now on the u/s and am going to see what I am measuring at the next appointment. If I've increased even more, I'll have one to find out what is going on. Midwife just thinks baby is floating high. Thoughts? Experiences?

ETA: With my previous two I always measured right on, so this is new for me. MW said I'm in a 'gray' area for her as far as needing an u/s - which coming from someone that doesn't like them, was a bit concerning for me as well. She didn't seem overly concerned, but I can tell she feels like there might be something going on.
 
#2 ·
Hmmm, no advice but bumping for you! I know I've heard that things change once the baby drops. Maybe you'll measure right on when that happens? I think every pregnancy is so different, no measuring tool is really accurate. I guess I'd just monitor it and see how things go. Maybe you just went through a growth spurt or something? lol. Good luck!
 
#3 ·
probably not totally helpful info but fwiw the OB practice I go to doesn't even measure my fundal height...Ive noticed all the OBs kind of eye up my belly decide its the right size and thats it..they tend to talk to me a heck of a lot more than they touch me and generally try to feel out how I feel about things

BUT Ive had a cpl of ultrasounds ...and I tend to measure way behind in the first tri, then way ahead in the second tri and about on course in the third tri
 
#4 ·
I don't think fundal height in and of itself is diagnostic, it's mostly the difference between each measurement that is the issue. My midwife isn't terribly concerned, but I think at the same time she was trying not to make me worried. I have had a rough month and my aunt just passed away last night. So, I'm not sure how concerned to be. I think we are probably leaning towards an u/s at this point, but I'm also trying to mentally prepare myself a bit.
 
#5 ·
This is my 4th and all the others I've measured just on time but this one has been ahead the whole time. Last appt at 23 weeks I was measuring 26 weeks. I had just had an u/s and the baby was not measuring big and there is only one in there so I'm not sure why I'm measuring big. Anyway, all I have to offer is my own experience. Its been weirding me out a bit to measure so far ahead and I've had an u/s! so I totally understand.
 
#6 ·
I have been pregnant with twins and I didn't measure much ahead with them until the third tri and then it went crazy (like 10+cm more than weeks I was). Other times, I've been way off too. My second baby was just a big baby and I was consistently growing 5-6 in a 3-4 weeks period, so by 20 weeks I was measuring 26 or 28 I can't remember. But it was enough to be concerned for twins and have an US, and only one on US and he was fine. This time, they never measured me in Puerto Rico, but the one time I was here in MT, I was right on, but I feel like I'm so small!

If it were me, I'd probably wait until the next appt and if you were 35+ at 24/26 weeks I'd probably go for the US to check for multiples. Or, just wait it out longer :) There really isn't much you can do extra if you do have twins. If you think you might, my only suggestion as having btdt would be to take extra iron as by third tri I was soooo anemic and I'd been taking extra and I still couldn't catch up even with supplements/iron rich food/floradix.
 
#7 ·
I measured ahead at my last appointment (24cm at 19 wks) and decided to wait and see if it was a growth spurt, but within a week I decided I couldn't stand the suspense and had a quickie ultrasound to check. Paid $60 for it, it was seriously about 30sec of scanning, since I didn't want them to measure anything, just count heads. And only one in there! I really think fundal height can vary, it's a pretty subjective measurement - varies from person to person performing it, so try not to worry if you can.
 
#8 ·
Thanks for the replies! I talked to dh about it a little this evening and I think for now we are going to sit on it and think. I'm sitting here feeling baby moving around and I can only feel one and it's all pretty distinct. I'm really thinking it isn't twins. I have measured big and been much bigger this entire pregnancy. I have some friends that say they were bigger with their boys (we don't know the sex) and then others who had twins and didn't know it. My gut is just that baby might be a bit bigger or something benign. It's not like there is an expiration on having an ultrasound, though, so I want to take some time to think. I really appreciate the replies, though, because it makes me realize it could be nothing...or it could be something! ;)
 
#9 ·
With my second, my fundus was at my navel by 13 weeks. With this babe, it was all the way to my boobs by 16 weeks. I had a u/s and everything is fine. The tech remarked that babe had lots and lots of room to move around. My placenta is at my fundus this time, too. My MW thinks my fundus is around my navel right now, but she's wrong. I'm humouring her. I'm chubby so it's not so clear to her.
 
#10 ·
I measured 5-6cm ahead throughout the pregnancy with my 3rd, and with this baby I'm 3-4cm ahead. With my first two I was either spot on, or just a touch ahead. :) It varies! Fundal height measurements are NOT a science, and NOT a good diagnostic tool. What care providers are looking for when they measure is not how close you are to the number, but whether or not the number is changing in ways that may indicate something else. If the number jumps around from week to week it could indicate an issue with fluid, for instance, or undetected twins. But as long as it stays pretty consistent throughout (either ahead, behind, or spot on) you're good.
 
#11 ·
Yes, I realize it's not a good diagnostic tool, but my concern here IS the fact that the number has grown between visits. The first measurement showed a 2 cm difference and then the next appointment showed a 5 cm difference, a growth of 3. It's not a 10 or something, but I promised myself not to get concerned unless the number grew and it did. Don't get me wrong, I'm not seriously, seriously worried about this, I'm just curious as to what factors could be happening. My midwife does not feel like I have excess fluid nor am I diabetic. My gut is telling me my uterus is just stretched out, but there is a little part of me that is worried/concerned/curious if it is something else....undetected twins, fibroid, tumor on baby, etc.
 
#13 ·
I don't put any stock in my fundal height because I was obese when the pregnancy started so it's highly inaccurate for me. I can feel the top and bottom of my uterus, but measuring over the excess well, fat...lol... yields a much higher number. I'm just not going to worry about it and assume everything is great lol I did have an u/s though at around 19 weeks and everything looked fine.
 
#14 ·
I am measuring way ahead this pregnancy. I know there is only one baby! I feel bigger, look bigger, and have all the symptoms of someone in their 3rd tri already. Maybe it's just because this is the 3rd pregnancy, who knows?!!!

Fundal height is nothing to get worked up about, unless there is a HUGE variance from one month to the next. Even then, growth spurts do happen!
 
#16 ·
I didn't measure ahead one week. I measured ahead at two appointments, with growth in between. I'm honestly a bit shocked at some of the responses on here. You act like I am freaking out over this where I have repeatedly said I am not, I was just looking for others who had experienced this.
 
#17 ·
Awhh! I'm sorry if you took my post this way! I noted that you'd grown more at multiple appointments. As I said, I've done that before and had a big baby, but if it were me and I kept growing a lot more at each appointment, I would have a scan by 28w-32w to check things out just for peace of mind. Good luck mama!

Quote:
Originally Posted by amaayeh View Post

I didn't measure ahead one week. I measured ahead at two appointments, with growth in between. I'm honestly a bit shocked at some of the responses on here. You act like I am freaking out over this where I have repeatedly said I am not, I was just looking for others who had experienced this.
 
#18 ·
I don't mean to suggest I am flippant about measuring ahead. I would not account for a 2cm difference at 20 weeks, that is entirely w/in the realm of normal w/ a third pregnancy plus. The second, basing on measuring a little ahead at 20 weeks isn't that far off either IMO. I can get out my charts for my last 6 pregnancies and type up the numbers. I am UP and have measured myself, there is quite a variance.
 
#19 ·
Annabelle - I didn't think you were being flippant. Thank you, though. I am actually measuring 5 weeks ahead, not 2. I was measuring 2 at 18 weeks and now I am 23 weeks measuring 5 ahead, so 28 weeks. My midwife said her 'cutoff' for feeling like something was amiss is 3 weeks ahead and since the difference continued to grow, that is reason for her to 'have a red flag'. Luckily, she is very hands-off and wants very much for us to make the decision on how to proceed. I wasn't sure when I left whether to be concerned or not considering her 'cutoff' and that I am 2 cm past that mark. It's not huge, no, and I don't really feel like it's twins, so I'm not sure whether or not to actually be concerned. I have a few friends IRL that said they measured ahead with their boys, but were more on target with their girls so maybe that is why I am measuring ahead (we don't know the sex). I just thought there might be some references to such explanations on here.
 
#20 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by amaayeh View Post

Annabelle - I didn't think you were being flippant. Thank you, though. I am actually measuring 5 weeks ahead, not 2. I was measuring 2 at 18 weeks and now I am 23 weeks measuring 5 ahead, so 28 weeks. My midwife said her 'cutoff' for feeling like something was amiss is 3 weeks ahead and since the difference continued to grow, that is reason for her to 'have a red flag'. Luckily, she is very hands-off and wants very much for us to make the decision on how to proceed. I wasn't sure when I left whether to be concerned or not considering her 'cutoff' and that I am 2 cm past that mark. It's not huge, no, and I don't really feel like it's twins, so I'm not sure whether or not to actually be concerned. I have a few friends IRL that said they measured ahead with their boys, but were more on target with their girls so maybe that is why I am measuring ahead (we don't know the sex). I just thought there might be some references to such explanations on here.
I wasn't clear. If you were already measuring ahead by 2 at 20 weeks, then it stands to reason that you are just going to measure ahead, being your third pregnancy, so if you were measuring ahead by 2 then adding that "ahead by 2" to your current gestation of 23, that would be 25, so 3 ahead now. Clear as mud, LOL.
 
#22 ·
I would get a second opinion, measuring fundus height is not an exact science. Is there more than one midwife at the practice? I'm not suggesting your midwife is incompetent, just that it's easy for people to get a slightly different measurement.
 
#23 ·
My midwife is the one and only. I do know I am much larger than I have been the previous times, just from memory and pictures, so I'm sure I'm not right on. At this point, I think dh and I have decided to see how things go over the next month and if I just start getting really big or feeling 'too much' movement, I'll get an u/s.
 
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