Fundal Height 31 cm at 37 weeks

Hi There,

I just posted about an u/s measurement and now I just came back from my
midwife appointment.

My midwife said that she is very pleased with my measurements...even though I
measured 31 cm at 37 weeks! She said because my stomach circumference has
grown there is nothing to worry about! She said its all fine and normal...my
weight gain as well... Does this sound strange...?

She also estimated the current weight to be about 3 kgs--my u/s yesterday
estimated 2.5. Also yesterday my doc measured my fundal height to be 35 and
one day later my midwife measures it 4 cm smaller....?

I do trust my midwife. When it comes to pregnancy and birth she has a very
wide range of what is "normal." But does anyone find this a bit strange...?

Thanks ahead for any responses or comments.

--
Message posted via FamilyKB.com
http://www.familykb.com/Uwe/Forums.a...nancy/200703/1

"sylviafrances via FamilyKB.com" u31396@uwe wrote in message
news:6eec68a7b4247@uwe...
Hi There,

I just posted about an u/s measurement and now I just came back from my
midwife appointment.

My midwife said that she is very pleased with my measurements...even
though I
measured 31 cm at 37 weeks! She said because my stomach circumference has
grown there is nothing to worry about! She said its all fine and
normal...my
weight gain as well... Does this sound strange...?

She also estimated the current weight to be about 3 kgs--my u/s yesterday
estimated 2.5. Also yesterday my doc measured my fundal height to be 35
and
one day later my midwife measures it 4 cm smaller....?

I do trust my midwife. When it comes to pregnancy and birth she has a very
wide range of what is "normal." But does anyone find this a bit
strange...?

Thanks ahead for any responses or comments.
My fundal height with #2 at 39 weeks was 33 weeks. It had got progressively
smaller from 26cm at 28 weeks. #2 was 6lb 14 oz. at 39 weeks.
I knew someone who was measuring several centimetres over most of the way,
with it increasing more than the number of weeks. He baby was under 6lb.
Debbie

"sylviafrances via FamilyKB.com" u31396@uwe wrote in message
news:6eec68a7b4247@uwe...
Hi There,

I just posted about an u/s measurement and now I just came back from my
midwife appointment.

My midwife said that she is very pleased with my measurements...even
though I
measured 31 cm at 37 weeks! She said because my stomach circumference has
grown there is nothing to worry about! She said its all fine and
normal...my
weight gain as well... Does this sound strange...?

She also estimated the current weight to be about 3 kgs--my u/s yesterday
estimated 2.5. Also yesterday my doc measured my fundal height to be 35
and
one day later my midwife measures it 4 cm smaller....?

I do trust my midwife. When it comes to pregnancy and birth she has a very
wide range of what is "normal." But does anyone find this a bit
strange...?

Thanks ahead for any responses or comments.

--
Message posted via FamilyKB.com
http://www.familykb.com/Uwe/Forums.a...nancy/200703/1

My Fundal Heights were always changing. Don't forget that the baby's not a
static thing. It's moving all the time, so the measurements will change. If
the baby's moved down now, that can affect it too as they measure from the
pubic bone. If the baby's all scrunched up, that will affect it too.

If your u/s showed everything was normal yesterday, then I would be inclined
to trust it. After reading your u/s post too, I'd guess you just have a
smaller baby. No 2 babies are the same, so the centile charts are just there
as a guide. If you based all ages on them, my 8 month old should be a year
old now FWIW , at about 32, my DD showed a slightly small femur, but she
didnt when she came out.

Lucy x

sylviafrances via FamilyKB.com wrote:
Hi There,

I just posted about an u/s measurement and now I just came back from my
midwife appointment.

My midwife said that she is very pleased with my measurements...even though I
measured 31 cm at 37 weeks! She said because my stomach circumference has
grown there is nothing to worry about! She said its all fine and normal...my
weight gain as well... Does this sound strange...?

She also estimated the current weight to be about 3 kgs--my u/s yesterday
estimated 2.5. Also yesterday my doc measured my fundal height to be 35 and
one day later my midwife measures it 4 cm smaller....?

I do trust my midwife. When it comes to pregnancy and birth she has a very
wide range of what is "normal." But does anyone find this a bit strange...?

You speak as if you expect all these measurements
to be perfect and precise. They're not. There's variation
from measurer to measurer. Especially this late in the
game there's variation from baby to baby. Fundal height
can be quite sensitive to the position of the baby. Late
term estimates of size can be off substantially, even with
experienced providers and regardless of the technique used.
Just relax. Your care providers aren't concerned, and there
doesn't seem to be any evidence that they're being cavalier
about anything they ought to be concerned about.

Best wishes,
Ericka

My midwife said that she is very pleased with my measurements...even
though I
measured 31 cm at 37 weeks! She said because my stomach circumference has
grown there is nothing to worry about! She said its all fine and
normal...my
weight gain as well... Does this sound strange...?

She also estimated the current weight to be about 3 kgs--my u/s yesterday
estimated 2.5. Also yesterday my doc measured my fundal height to be 35
and
one day later my midwife measures it 4 cm smaller....?

500g is not really that much difference for a weight estimate, ultrasounds
estimates are widely accepted to be upto that much off, sometimes they are a
lot more inaccurate. I suspect for that measurement your midwife is likely
to be closer to correct.

With the fundal height measurement there an also be all sorts of errors,
maybe the doctor didn't want to prod around too much an held the tape
measure a little bit lower than the top of the symphysis pubis (where the
bottom of the tape measure should be placed). Maybe one of the tape measures
is old and stretched! Also, the baby could have dropped between the two
measurements, at this stage with a first baby, it wouldn't be unlikely.

Your midwife is right though, other measurements have increased, so the baby
is growing (regardless of the absolute size no growth is a worry), and the
absolute weight, even if it's the lower one of the ultrasound is still
absolutely fine.

Cheers

Anne

"Ericka Kammerer" wrote in message
...
sylviafrances via FamilyKB.com wrote:
Hi There,

I just posted about an u/s measurement and now I just came back from my
midwife appointment.

My midwife said that she is very pleased with my measurements...even
though I
measured 31 cm at 37 weeks! She said because my stomach circumference
has
grown there is nothing to worry about! She said its all fine and
normal...my
weight gain as well... Does this sound strange...?

She also estimated the current weight to be about 3 kgs--my u/s yesterday
estimated 2.5. Also yesterday my doc measured my fundal height to be 35
and
one day later my midwife measures it 4 cm smaller....?

I do trust my midwife. When it comes to pregnancy and birth she has a
very
wide range of what is "normal." But does anyone find this a bit
strange...?

You speak as if you expect all these measurements
to be perfect and precise. They're not. There's variation
from measurer to measurer. Especially this late in the
game there's variation from baby to baby. Fundal height
can be quite sensitive to the position of the baby. Late
term estimates of size can be off substantially, even with
experienced providers and regardless of the technique used.
Just relax. Your care providers aren't concerned, and there
doesn't seem to be any evidence that they're being cavalier
about anything they ought to be concerned about.

Best wishes,
Ericka

Yes, what Ericka said.

It's hard to be precise in measuring a body while immersed in fluid and
constantly moving. Each time they measure, the baby could be in a different
position -- some days quite scrunched up and curled, and other days kicking
and stretching out to his fullest. Or engaged in the pelvis more on one day
than the previous.

In general with health issues, but more specifically pregnancy issues, if
your caregivers aren't concerned, then there is no reason why you should be
concerned.

This sounds to me like a situation where you are used to normally being very
in charge and have an expert knowledge of what is going on, so you are
taking detailed notes and reading the files, but you don't have the expert
knowledge to go with it. This is then making you question everything.

I'd recommend at this point that you stop trying to be her doctor and just
support her as her husband. Massage her feet, draw her a warm bath, pour
her a short glass of wine at the end of a long day, but don't spend any more
time fretting over this measurement or that measurement. I would guess that
you stressing out about these things is probably adding stress to your wife
as well. You relaxing and trusting her doctors will help her to relax and
trust her doctors.

Just my 2 cents.
--

Jamie
Earth Angels:
Taylor Marlys -- 01/03/03
Addison Grace -- 09/30/04

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Password

Thanks for your responses...Jamie, I am the wife : ) I think you
misunderstood my post...But the glass of wine sounds good : )

Jamie Clark wrote:
Hi There,

[quoted text clipped - 32 lines]
Best wishes,
Ericka

Yes, what Ericka said.

It's hard to be precise in measuring a body while immersed in fluid and
constantly moving. Each time they measure, the baby could be in a different
position -- some days quite scrunched up and curled, and other days kicking
and stretching out to his fullest. Or engaged in the pelvis more on one day
than the previous.

In general with health issues, but more specifically pregnancy issues, if
your caregivers aren't concerned, then there is no reason why you should be
concerned.

This sounds to me like a situation where you are used to normally being very
in charge and have an expert knowledge of what is going on, so you are
taking detailed notes and reading the files, but you don't have the expert
knowledge to go with it. This is then making you question everything.

I'd recommend at this point that you stop trying to be her doctor and just
support her as her husband. Massage her feet, draw her a warm bath, pour
her a short glass of wine at the end of a long day, but don't spend any more
time fretting over this measurement or that measurement. I would guess that
you stressing out about these things is probably adding stress to your wife
as well. You relaxing and trusting her doctors will help her to relax and
trust her doctors.

Just my 2 cents.

--
Message posted via http://www.familykb.com

You speak as if you expect all these measurements
to be perfect and precise. They're not. There's variation
from measurer to measurer. Especially this late in the
game there's variation

Personally, I don't even do FH measurements after 35-36 weeks, but
rather do a hands-on estimate of fetal weight instead.

What you say about intra-examiner reliability and fetal position is
true. Also, FH dropping off in late pregnancy is often due to
engagement of the fetal presenting part.

As for a hands-on examiner saying the fetus is 2500g and an ultrasound
saying 3000g, those are both within the same margin of error.
According to most studies of this kind of thing, your midwife is just
as likely to be right as your sonographer is. If the kid is really
2750, then both your midwife and your sonographer are doing a better
job estimating than most.