Measuring ahead during pregnancy?

[Andi98989]

Feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment and just need to get this out more than anything .... my best friend IRL just had her second baby last week, so I can't really lean on her like I normally do. Oh, and this is my first baby. ;)

I went to the doctor at 24w4d and was measuring 28 weeks, so basically 3-1/2 weeks ahead. My doctor said to make sure I got my glucose test done the next week so we could see if gestational diabetes was an issue or not.

I went to the doctor yesterday at 28w2d; I saw someone else in the practice since my doctor is on vacation. I passed my glucose test with flying colors; no where near the re-test cut-off. She asked about the notes in my file from the specialist office; I told her that I had my NT scan done there and my regular doctor was going to send me back there for a growth scan if baby continued to measure ahead. So then she measured me .... and said they would be sending me for the growth scan. I asked how big he was measuring, and she said 33 weeks!!! 5 weeks ahead?!? :dizzy:

She's going to have my regular doctor write the order sending me back to the specialist for the growth scan. So, that won't happen until next week at the earliest, and then it will be a couple of weeks before I actually get in for that appointment. On the plus side, they're a very good office and pretty accurate with their scans.

I am feeling so overwhelmed right now!!! We're working on finishing the basement right now, and I can't do anything in our nursery until more is done in the basement and we can move everything out of the nursery and downstairs. But, we do have most of what we need for the nursery (crib, mattress, dresser, glider), so once we can get stuff set up, we can move along pretty quickly. I have two showers coming up in August so we'll have even more stuff by that point, but still won't have anywhere to go with it. :rolleye0014:

If you've made it this far through my ramblings .... has anyone else measured this far ahead and ended up going to term and/or having an average sized baby? I'm feeling quite anxious about potentially having a very large baby (DH is 6'5" and large framed, I'm 5'4" and small framed) or about going early. Right now I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this guy is just really long and has his legs folded up under him and that's making me measure ahead. I just wish it the measurements would stop increasing exponentially and would just become consistent!!!

[jgenie]

No BTDT just wanted to offer :hug5:. Try not to worry - hopefully the growth scan will give a better picture of what's going on .

[sste]

Measurement is very inexact; people carry differently. I measured WAY behind at 6 months and had to go for an ultrasound. At eight months, I was huge - - normal or more than that. I had a baby that was completely average sized at 7lbs, 4 oz.

[WatchingThemGrow]

I've not been there, but :hug: to you. Just take deep breaths, go get a pedicure and put your feet up. Waiting for appointments can be hard.

On the bright side, bigger babies are often better sleepers!

[JBaxter]

Wanted to add not everyone measures the same ( as in the practitioners). Dont freak it may just be the way the baby laying.

[justincase]

Also not BTDT but had the opposite. Measuring way too small, suddenly, over a period of a couple of visits. They do have a way of alarming you, don't they? Got the scan done and turns out DD was just laying transverse so not "contributing" to the measurement, they said. Sending P&PT your way that your situation is similar -- maybe your babe is comfy in a weird position?:hug:

[JBaxter]

On the bright side, bigger babies are often better sleepers!

HA HA HA says WHO?

[Piglet]

I always measure ahead at that point and then level off by the end of the pregnancy. It isn't a perfect science in calculatingt measurements and the position of the baby makes a big difference at that stage. My pregancies were very uneventful (beyond the measuring big) and I was 10+ days overdue with my last 2 babies, both born a very average 8 lb 8 oz.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Bigger babies are not harder to deliver most of the time. What matters more than the size of the baby is the way baby is positioned (posterior, normal...), position you birth in, position you labor in and some interventions (like having your water broken) all play a big role. Plus, you can never tell how big your pelvic opening is till you try labor b/c it isn't something that can be measured from the outside- being petite doesn't mean you are small where it counts for the birth. :)

I measured a few weeks ahead here and there with ds2. He was on the bigger size but it was an easy birth.

There are lots of things that can be causing the higher readings- something even as simple as baby's position. Relax and see what the scan shows.

eta- have you paid attention to how small a centimeter is? That's what they are measuring. Human error could even be a factor.

Beth

[BabyMine]

I measured ahead but delivered 2 days before my original EDD. They also told me DS2 was going to be almost 9lbs. He was 7lbs 6oz

[Radosti]

Well, you're measuring ahead... if your sugar is fine, then it could just be your husband's family genetics. He's a huge guy, so that's to be expected. My first two were 9 lb 12oz and 10lb 1oz. This one is heading in the exact same direction. Not much to be done about that. They do end up being more solid than their tiny counterparts. And they do start out in larger clothing and diapers. Not much else is different. Both of mine came 2 weeks early, who knows how big they'd have gotten if they'd cooked 2 more weeks.

[AnnieW625]

I always measured a bit ahead of what my estimated due date was and delivered at 37 weeks and a few days. My dr. estimated that I could have up to an 8 lb baby, however when that last measurement was done four days before I delivered Elisa who was 6lbs 6 oz.

Just want to send you good wishes.

[WatchingThemGrow]

HA HA HA says WHO?
Ok, well, that's what happened at our house. DS2 was the biggest one yet and he is doing longer stretches much earlier than DD was. I guess it doesn't work that way for some?

[srkaplan]

I measured waaaaay behind for the last couple of months & ended up delivering 3 days early with an average 7 lb baby. I now look back and think that I was lucky because I got to have ultrasounds at every visit since the measurements were so off. I didn't realize that wasn't normal until talking to preggo friends now who only get 1 or 2 throughout the whole pregnancy!

[Andi98989]

Thanks, ladies!! Have to love combining the pregnancy hormones with the general fear of having no clue what to expect. :)

[Indianamom2]

I didn't have that exact situation, but during the last 6 weeks or so of my pregnancy, all the doctors kept telling me that they thought I would be having a bigger baby (no Gest. Diabetes here either). At my final ultrasound, the week of delivery, they were estimating that he would be about 8 lbs. 11 oz.

I was induced three days later and delivered a 7 lb. 14 oz. baby boy.

The estimates can definitely be off. Even with ultrasounds, measurements and multiple OB opinions (I had at least 5).

Good luck with your upcoming scans and try not to worry (I know, easier said than done.). This could all be explained by the way your baby is positioned.

Congrats, by the way!

Christina
DD 9/04
DS 7/09

[JBaxter]

My 10lb1ozer was not any harder to push out than my 8lber ( actually needed fewer stitches). Its all about the head size and position. I would not worry drs guess wrong all the time.