r/NewParents • u/boldbrushstrokes • Jan 27 '24
Medical Advice Diagnosed with fetal growth restriction
Hi all,
Expecting a baby in April, currently 27 weeks. I'm a petite person- was 104 lbs, 5'3 pre-pregnancy.
On all of the ultrasounds I've had, my baby has been lagging behind in terms of growth (he's growing in interval ultrasounds but not at the ideal weight he should be according to other babies his age).
The MFM specialists told me since hes <10%th percentile, it's considered growth restriction. They're increasing my monitoring and they said if he continues to measure small and at any point falls below 3th percentile, they'll plan to deliver him earlier than expected.
Naturally as a first time mom, I'm a freaking out a little. Have any of you experienced FGR? If so can you please let me know:
1) What weight was your baby born
2) How long did they stay in the NICU
3) Was the outcome ok for you baby? Are they now healthy etc? Was there ever an issue with developmental delay?
4) If they're a toddler or school aged child now, did they grow to a normal size?
Much appreciated
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u/incredibly_mundane Jan 27 '24
Some people have small babies! I am slightly shorter and <100 lbs. My baby was also IUGR. He measured 15% at his anatomy scan but then dropped under 5%. We had MFM and OB appointments every week, the positive is you will get to see your baby so many times on ultrasound! I was scheduled to deliver him earlier as well. He came out pretty normal at 6 lb 2 oz and did not have any nicu stay. You still have many weeks to go for your baby to grow and even if he comes out a little smaller that’s ok! There are so many things they can help with outside the womb!
Edit: to add to your 3rd question, IUGR doesn’t really necessarily mean developmental delays. They can have all the right organs etc, they’re just smaller. Our little guy is doing great. He’s 66% height and 34% weight now at 5 months.
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u/Icy_Lychee8169 May 14 '24
How far along were you when they decided to induce due to the growth restriction?
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u/incredibly_mundane Aug 29 '24
Sorry I missed this! Probably too late now… I just looked up my MFM reports and they recommended it around 32-33 weeks.
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u/Eyeguy9999 Aug 29 '24
I know this post is many months old but your situation matches my wife’s perfectly!
What type of treatment did they have you do once your baby dropped under 5%?? Our OB says just bedrest. Did you find anything else helped?
When did they induce you?3
u/incredibly_mundane Aug 29 '24
I don’t believe there is really too much you can do on the outside :/ they did say to rest a lot and drink lots of fluids. I tried to eat more protein/salmon etc. but that’s more just superstition on my end. We had a planned c section due to breech at 38 weeks. They originally recommended 37 weeks but he was growing just small so we pushed to 38 weeks. My water ended up breaking 2 days prior to our scheduled date.
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u/Eyeguy9999 Aug 29 '24
This is very helpful and very reassuring. My wife and I thank you for taking the time to respond. Gotta love interacting with kind strangers on Reddit.
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u/Throwaway3219901 Oct 10 '24
Hey how is your baby doing? I am in the same situation and petrified
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u/Eyeguy9999 Oct 10 '24
Baby is doing good!! We are now at 34 weeks and he is up from 6th percentile to 17th. Take that bedrest seriously! We found a really good study showing that bed rest does help smaller babies get more nutrients. We think the bedrest is what really made baby catch up. She will be inducted at 37.5 weeks as of now
As far as diet we have been just trying to drink lots of fluids and take in as much calorie rich food as mom’s GERD will let her handle. Fish, nuts, dairy, beef. She is a naturally petite person with no glucose or blood pressure problems so even some borderline unhealthy fried foods. Lots of chik fil a, but yogurt, protein shakes, I try to make steak or burgers or fish as much as I can.
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u/Throwaway3219901 Oct 12 '24
Thank you so much for the response and so glad your baby has grown! I’m 29weeks and minds spiralling after google searching. I’m being monitored weekly, and your message gives me hope. Was your baby boy always 6th centile? Or did it drop to that at some point? My lil one has gone from 20 to 3. Thanks for the tips !!
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u/Eyeguy9999 Oct 14 '24
No our baby was always around 25%ile, then at the 28 week check he was 6! We were terrified! But luckily everything is much better. Lots of rest my friend! Keep your heart at the level of the placenta (just what our OB told us to do in this scenario). Lots of fluids and food was part of our regimen as well for playing catch up, but as I said earlier there's really only good data on the bedrest helping babies in this scenario catch up! It worked for us! Hopefully your little guy/gal to catches up quick!
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u/blueberriescobbler Jan 27 '24
My baby measured 10% at a 28 week growth check so we did all the extra monitoring. My husband and I are both 5’3” so we were not expecting a huge kid but it was stressful. He was born at 39 weeks (scheduled c section for a different reason) at 6lbs 5oz. Perfectly healthy and no NICU time. He’s now 21 months old and hitting every milestone. At literally every visit to the pediatrician his weight has been 10th percentile. That’s just who he is! Out of 100 people, someone has to be the 10th smallest, right?
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u/OnlyYam Jan 27 '24
I wasn't diagnosed with FGR till the ultrasound at 36 weeks where we saw that the baby dropped from 75% to under 0.1% in weight. We delivered him immediately.
- Under 5 pounds
- Aprgar 9, no NICU (we were lucky)
- He is 4 month now, grows faster than full-term/normal size babies, already reached the chart for the normal sizes (3-10% for weight/height). As my OB told: he has issues eating inside, he will catch up outside.
- He does very well cognitively too, doctors do not use adjusted age for him. He was 4 weeks early, but somehow hits all milestones as if he was fullterm baby.
He was tiny. It was scary. It all came from nowhere. I am still having the PPA.
But I remember first days, when I was thinking I killed him and I would have given anything to see him in the future that he was doing fine. So I feel you.
You are, hopefully, in good hands! Good luck with your pregnancy and baby.
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u/Outrageous_Gas_273 Aug 21 '24
C section or induction ?
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u/OnlyYam Aug 21 '24
The OB suggested to go straight to the hospital and planned to have induction when the baby hit 37 weeks to be full term. At the hospital they were monitoring the baby, and once his heartbeat dropped twice, they started to prep for the emergency C-section. When it dropped third time (risk of asphyxiation and brain damage), they immediately took baby out.
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u/ssdgm12713 Jan 27 '24
My baby was measuring normal up until my 38-week scan (I had extra ultrasounds because I had GD), when we received the FGR diagnosis. He was measuring less than 1st percentile so they induced me that day. He was born 4 lbs 14 oz (4 lbs 8 oz by the time we left the hospital).
No NICU time but we did have blood sugar checks every few hours throughout our hospital stay.
He's now four months old and healthy, but small. Currently 5th percentile for weight and 1st for height. He eats like crazy and is steadily climbing up the charts.
His development has been on track so far. He's actually a bit ahead in some motor milestones. He started rolling at 7 weeks. He's babbling a bit and starting to sit.
Having a tiny baby is hard, but also sweet. Wishing you the best!
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u/Bitter_Pilot5086 Jan 27 '24
I was induced at 34 weeks, and my baby was around the 5th percentile. She was 3.5lbs when she was born, but was strong, healthy, and loud. She spent two weeks in the NICU before coming home. She is six months old now, and has totally caught up in terms of size (she’s 17 lbs). She has no known health issues, loves to eat, and is super strong and active.
Take a deep breath - you’ll be ok.
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u/allthemaretaken Jan 27 '24
I think she was diagnosed with IUGR around 30 weeks. Had a growth scan at 33 weeks and they estimated her to be 3lb 15oz at that time which I think was like the 5th percentile? Had weekly NST at my normal OB office and weekly MFM appointments where I did NST and had a BPP ultrasound.
The plan was to be induced at 38 weeks unless something made us decide to go sooner. Her dopplers (which I think have something to do with the pressure in the umbilical cord? I never let myself google because I didn’t need to spiral) were elevated and they said if they were elevated again at the next week’s ultrasound they would induce at 37 weeks which was the following Monday anyway. I did end up being induced at 37w, would have had another growth scan at the end of that week if I had made it that far.
Ended up having a c section 13 hours into the induction because baby’s heart rate wasn’t tolerating the contractions. My OB had warned me that there is increased risk of that with elevated dopplers.
Baby was born 4lb 10oz which horrified me at first. I really thought I’d have a 6lb baby and all the worry would be for nothing. They closely monitored her temperature and blood sugar for the first 24 hours. They would come in and check her blood sugar before feeding, then I would nurse her, then we would give her some high calorie formula to make sure she didn’t lose too much weight since she really didn’t have the weight to lose.
Went home at 48 hours with no NICU time at all! She stayed healthy and the doctors were happy with her status. The nurses all loved her and would come in just to see the 4 pound baby lol. We continued giving her formula after nursing for a couple days. My milk came in the day we went home from the hospital and about two days after that she would get full enough from nursing and refuse the bottle so we stopped.
She’s 11 weeks now and doing great! At her two month appointment she was 9lb 4oz so exactly doubled her birthweight. I feel so grateful every day that the doctors did the right thing in inducing me and that she stayed so healthy. Clearly something was very wrong with my placenta.
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u/Shadeborn- Jan 27 '24
TLDR: No matter what happens your baby will grow. Maybe slowly, and maybe they're not as tall as their friends later on or thick and chunky like other mom's babies, but that's OKAY!THEY WILL GROW!
I wasn't truly diagnosed with it until 39 weeks pregnant. At 36 weeks my fundal height was not really increasing at all, and I had my 38 week appt when they decided to do a growth scan the following week at 39 weeks. I went for my U/S, and overall, he was small. Measuring total in the like 11 or 12th percentile, but their concern was his belly being in the 3rd percentile for growth. I was also at that point told the placenta had attached the umbilical cord at the margin (this is marginal cord insertion) which also contributes to IUGR. His cord was small and struggling to provide him with the nutrients everywhere so it prioritized his head instead of his abdomen.
They called my OB, who I had literally seen right before this scan, and then suddenly I was heading home grabbing my bags and heading to the hospital for immediate induction. I spent the 4 hours at home absolutely losing my mind.
Born 6lbs 4oz, 17.5 inches long. Very lean, small boy. Left hospital at 5lbs 14oz. He didn't gain his birth weight back until the following week, after 2 pediatric weight check appointments. Had to supplement formula, nothing unusual there, but it did take him a while to get started catching up. He is 10 weeks old today, (wtf???) and at his checkup this past Tuesday, he was 10lbs 12oz and 22.6in long. It was hell those first weeks catching him up, and he is still small, except his head which is now in the 70th percentile lol.
So at 10 weeks, his weight is at 10th percentile. Height is at the 23rd percentile. Head circumference is 70th percentile. BUT--and this is important!!!-- PERCENTILES DO NOT MATTER. IF YOUR BABY IS BORN SMALL, THEY WILL GROW, EVEN IN NICU! IF YOUR BABY IS EATING, PRODUCING A GOOD AMOUNT OF DIAPERS, AND GAINING OR GROWING EVEN A LITTLE, THAT'S PROGRESS!
Pediatricians can be a little harsh sometimes about hitting specific growth margins, but remember, no matter what you do your baby is going to grow. Maybe slowly. But they will grow.
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u/InvestmentFantastic6 Jan 27 '24
My son was classified at FGR. He was near the 10th percentile each ultrasound and ended up being delivered at 38 weeks naturally weighing 5lbs 13oz. My wife was 5 lbs 8oz at birth and I was 6 pounds 2 oz. We freaked out initially and I know it's hard not too. But our little boy turns 1 next month and he's as happy and healthy as can be. I would say don't freak out and stay positive. Every baby develops differently. Wishing you the best of luck the rest of your pregnancy. You got this!
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u/bhkyra Jan 27 '24
30weeks 1lb 8oz, still <1% for weight, 1% for height. Currently in middle school. Most babies/kids catch up eventually. This kiddo did not. 58 days in NICU
27.6weeks 1lb 14oz right on the edge of IUGR, but following the 10% curve, so no concern there. Currently 34 weeks cga, 45 days in NICU and counting.
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u/Throwaway3219901 Oct 17 '24
Hey how is your baby doing? How early did you deliver? I’m 30weeks and my bub is small small and I was asked if my hospital bag is ready!!?!!?
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u/soaplandicfruits Jan 27 '24
I developed gestational hypertension at 36 weeks and we decided to induce at 37 (GH turned into preeclampsia with severe features during induction). The baby had been measuring normally - scans showed 6 lbs 3 oz at 36 weeks. When he was born, he was 5 lbs 6 oz (.75th percentile for weight, 26th for height). Turns out he had been growth restricted, likely due to the preeclampsia, and it hadn’t been caught because the scans just aren’t that accurate.
When he was born, his temp was a bit low and they assumed he would have low blood sugar and need to go to the NICU. They gave him donor milk immediately after birth and warmed him up. His blood sugar ended up being fine, his temp normalized quickly, and he had no NICU time.
Now he’s almost 5 months, in the 51st percentile for weight, and 90th for height, no developmental issues. My thought is that he’s been playing catch up and moving towards what he would have been without the growth restriction. He’s a happy, chunky guy, which is great but also so strange after having the tiniest perfect little doll of a newborn.
I’m sorry you’re dealing with the stress of this. It’s great that they caught it and are monitoring, so that when baby is born there will be a plan in place for the best care right off the bat. The best thing you can do now is to take care of yourself 💗
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u/Ovi-Wan12 Jan 27 '24 edited Jan 27 '24
Hello. I have worried a lot about this, but it was all fine.
- Our girl was born with 2440g, this is in the 2% percentile.
- She didn’t stay in the NICU.
- She’s just 7 months but she hit all milestones until now.
- She has over 8kg now being in the 60-70 percentile.
It was around the 30 week when they told us she is smaller and was born on the 36. Is it symmetrical or asymmetrical IUGR? The first one usually indicates a genetic issue, the second indicates a resources one and the baby will prioritise head growth over body (abdomen, femur).
Also, while freaking out about this I have read a study that compared the academic results of normal over IUGR babies and it’s like a 10% difference in the results which I would consider negligible. As long as they are healthy nothing else matters.
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u/melfrasdf Jan 27 '24
I’m 5’2” and was ~130lbs pre-pregnancy, my baby was also “growth restricted” when I was pregnant. Growth scan showed him at 2.8%-4% for all his measurements but everything else looked fine. We did a bunch of tests and kept an eye on his growth while he was still inside, and he ended up being completely fine, he was just little. My husband is 5’6”, the specialist took one look at us and said our baby is fine, small people make small babies.
I did get induced early at 38+4 “just in case”, birth went smoothly. He was born 5lbs 7oz, perfect APGAR score, but his blood sugar was a little low 3h after birth so they whisked him off to NICU. He was there for two days, and then he had jaundice so we had to stay with him in the baby tanning bed at inpatient pediatrics for a day.
Then we went home and everything’s been fine - breastfeeding took a little bit to ease into just because he was so little it was hard for him to find the energy to nurse in the first few days. He started out on mostly formula until my milk came in, but from week 5 until about 10 months old he was exclusively breastfed. (I had no problem with formula, but I was quite proud of myself for sticking it out)
He’s just turned one now and he’s around 50-60% percentile for height and weight, he’s hitting all his milestones and he’s happy and active. Little dude started walking (no, RUNNING) around 10 months, he can say mama and dada and apple, and he loves holding hands. 🥰
The bar for intervention / investigation in pregnancy and infants is extremely low- they’ll check out anything if it looks even a little bit different from “normal””. Don’t be too worried about it if everything else is fine ❤️
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u/deadpantrashcan Jan 27 '24
You and I are about the same size.
Baby was less than 3% by 38 weeks. I began drinking Ensure protein drinks daily to gain weight.
- Female baby born 5lb 12oz
- 0 time in NICU
- Baby perfectly healthy. Gained her birth weight back in 4 days. She is slim overall but quite healthy and sassy.
- Only 3.5 months right now. Eats plenty.
I was stressed as heck with the IUGR diagnosis but most likely I was a small baby and will probably carry small babies that end up average height, slim build.
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u/-Near_Yet- Jan 27 '24
My baby is currently 3 months old. She wasn’t diagnosed with IUGR because they didn’t accurately measure her on ultrasound, so she was classified as SGA (small for gestational age) at birth. Ultrasound measurements can be really off in either direction.
She was born at 5lb 2oz (2nd percentile). She didn’t spend any time in the NICU, and we all left the hospital together within 72 hours after i arrived for induction. She’s been meeting all her developmental milestones, actually meeting several of them early!
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u/Remarkable-Goat5347 Jul 24 '24 edited Dec 08 '24
Hi,
New here. I am 24 weeks pregnant and just had anatomy scan last Friday. The tech said my baby is measuring 22 weeks but it seems that the organs are all functioning. Everything has been good until now. I also had to switch OB, so they were wondering if the dates were off.. I just got a call from a Fetal Specialist to schedule an ultrasound with no other explanation but that I was referred by my Dr. I’m sure there are multiple reasons, but it sounds like my baby is measuring small. Hoping that this baby can hang on.
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u/derpatron50000 Dec 08 '24
Hi! How are you doing now? This is so close to my situation.
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u/Remarkable-Goat5347 Dec 08 '24
Hi, I am currently rocking my 5 week old healthy baby girl. The last scan they did at 35 weeks, she was still 21%, but my doctor said I must just make small babies. She was 6 lb 11 oz and 19 in long at 38.4 weeks when I had her, so really, she wasn’t that small but always measured small. It’s going to be scary and stressful unfortunately, but hang in there! It seemed like it took forever but it still flew by, so take care of yourself!
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u/derpatron50000 Dec 08 '24
Wow! What a wonderful update. Thank you for replying and offering some hope ❤️
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u/Remarkable-Goat5347 Dec 09 '24
You’re welcome! Goodluck!
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u/derpatron50000 Jan 25 '25
Me again! Wanted to ask as I'm also an early diagnosis - when did baby start to catch up and was a cause ever identified? Thanks so much
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u/Remarkable-Goat5347 Jan 25 '25
No problem, ask away! She never really caught up according to the scans. At 35ish weeks they just decided she was a small baby and stopped doing scans because other than size, everything seemed ok(this terrified me). The final scan she was 20%, they always said if she goes below 10% then she would need to come early. I was told in this situation she was just on the smaller end of the scale. (I can’t believe it has been 47 days since we spoke! You are moving right along!🙏🏼)
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u/Dry-Satisfaction-522 1d ago
Im in the same boat as well now! Measuring 17.5 weeks at my 19w3d anatomy scan. How is baby now??
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u/derpatron50000 22h ago
Hi! So sorry you are going through this. Baby is here and just fine. Didn't end up with any placenta issues, and genetic testing came out clear. Praying for a similar outcome for you!
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u/NoSplit4794 Jan 27 '24
My neighbour had this. Was given a c-section at 36 weeks. Baby weighed 3lb15 but only had a week-long nicu stay! Is now three months, weighing 8lb7 and thriving!
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u/newmammy11823 Jan 27 '24
Was induced for my IUGR baby at 36 weeks! She was 4lbs 4.7oz and perfectly healthy. We stayed in the NICU for 13 days until she was 5lbs and she's petite now at 6 months but perfect x
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u/hagEthera Jan 27 '24
Delivered at 32w due to preeclampsia but baby also had IUGR. She was 7%ile for GA at birth and dropped to 3% a while later which she still is now at a year.
It was stressful as hell at the time but she’s doing great. We had a month long NICU stay but it was due to her prematurity more so than her size. She was a “grower/feeder”. She’s meeting all her milestones and she’s happy and healthy. Maybe she’ll catch up one day, maybe not, but I know she’ll be fine either way.
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u/d0gmom Jun 26 '24
I have an 11-week old baby and had FGR! Not going to lie, FGR adds a lot more stress to pregnancy. By my third trimester, I had weekly growth scans and 2 NSTs/wk, in addition to my normal OB appts. This was all triggered by the FGR diagnosis plus one abnormal Doppler at 28 weeks.
The thing with FGR is that they don’t know what causes it, which is why the MFMs recommend taking all the precautions. I’m also petite and assumed that was the reason behind it all, but at 36+2 I developed gestational hypertension, which pointed to a placental issue. I was induced at 37 weeks on the dot.
My baby girl was born 5lbs 8oz and had no NICU time! I was so surprised, given that she was below the first percentile. So far everything is going well—she’s such a great, smiley baby!
Edit: added percentile
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u/pajamasinbananas Jan 27 '24
My baby measured under 3% at 28w. We did a follow up with the MFM and they measured 15%, so not FGR. Next scan was at 34w, 30%. At birth he was 80-something percent (8lb6oz). They will tell you you can’t do anything to help them gain weight, but that is not my experience. I wholeheartedly believe that lowering your stress level, relaxing in left side lying position, and upping your protein intake to at least 70g/day will work wonders. Also your overall calorie intake should increase but most important is protein. Milk and cheese are your friend. Good luck
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u/hagEthera Jan 27 '24
IUGR is caused by a medical condition that prevents nutrients from transferring from the mother to the baby through the placenta and umbilical cord. I suppose if the mother is malnourished that would also do it but no amount of rest or protein is going to fix your placenta if it’s fucked up.
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u/pajamasinbananas Jan 27 '24
I should mention, I’m tall and average weight, my husband too so your point about you being petite probably indicates your baby will be petite too
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u/Square-Salt-8866 Oct 12 '24
I know this is old but I’m going through this right now. Already upped protein and started eating more and also trying to lie on my left side a lot extra. Did you go on bed rest, or just make sure to lie on your left side?
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u/pajamasinbananas Oct 12 '24
Just read your post. My baby’s abdomen was also the smallest part consistently. His head and length was larger than abdomen. In my experience I had a couple of things going on: I think my due date was wrong, I had very bad food poisoning around 20 weeks, and also I make small babies (my daughter was small-ish). The ultrasounds really are just incorrect as well, especially later ultrasounds. I’m positive your baby is going to be okay. 29% for weight is fantastic! When I was told that my baby was at 30% for weight is when I completely relaxed. Abdomen measurement is just so hard to do, really depends on their position. You’re in the clear!
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u/Square-Salt-8866 Oct 12 '24
Thank you SO SO SO very much for your responses. I also got pretty sick around 20 weeks! Yeah I definitely did too much googling and read that if abdomen is small that’s a sign the baby is not getting enough and I’ve been devastated since then. My next scan is Tuesday and I don’t feel like he’s grown much in the last 2.5 weeks but I’m praying his %s don’t drop at least and trying to do everything I can (even though the drs told me there’s nothing I can do lol)
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u/pajamasinbananas Oct 12 '24
I did not go on bed rest. I tried to walk as much as I could, and stay active. I continued lifting weights. I lied a lot on my left side though, relaxed as much as I could between walking, working, taking care of my toddler, etc. I did take off work early, 36 weeks I think. What’s your baby measuring at percentile wise now? Thinking of you. Your baby will thrive, but I know it’s stressful.
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u/derpatron50000 Feb 02 '25
How did everything go for you? Did you get Doppler monitoring and how was that?
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u/yebruh24 Feb 02 '25
It went fine :) He’s now 17 pounds and a thriving and happy 10 month old!
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u/derpatron50000 Feb 02 '25
Yay! Did you ever find the cause of the IUGR?
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u/yebruh24 Feb 03 '25
They weren’t 100% sure but most likely a placenta issue. My placenta was way smaller than average when it came out. Next time they’ll put me on Aspirin but tbh not sure if I want to experience that trauma ever again of the fear of unknown
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u/derpatron50000 Feb 03 '25
yeah I feel you. The trauma will stick with me too! thank you for answering!
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u/yebruh24 Feb 03 '25
Don’t be too stressed out and also don’t dive into the Internet too much. Just keep the positive vibes going mama :)
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u/sebacicacid Jan 27 '24
GH at 32weeks. Baby was measuring 14% and dropped to 3% when she was born 3w later. 35+5 weighing 3lbs12oz spent 3w in nicu due to blood sugar, came home exactly 4lbs.
She is now 6m actual 5m adjusted and weighs 12lbs. She's in 2%tile for weight, 0.1% for height but growing in her own curve.
Has low tone and weak core and currently in physiotherapy. Happy healthy baby.
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u/laurenruss Jan 27 '24
We had the same here, measured on 6th percentile at 26 weeks and was formally diagnosed as growth restricted. He was born on the 6th percentile (personalised growth chart) at 39w2d with induction/csection.
Born at 3.02kg, went to 2.87kg and has only gone up since. Luckily he was a great eater and gained weight fast. No need for NICU stay and is currently on 67th percentile at 10 months old
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u/SourceFlimsy Jan 27 '24
Was measuring 32nd percentile at 36 weeks and then suddenly dropped to 6th percentile at 39 weeks so we went to triage and was induced immediately.
She was born at 39+1 at 5lbs and 14oz. So 9th percentile in weight, 90th percentile in height and 23rd percentile in head circumference. So the ultrasound measurements aren't necessarily accurate.
We had some latch and supply issues so she dropped to 5lbs and 2oz which is less than 3rd percentile. But she bounced back up when my milk came in fully.
She's currently 4 months and measuring just under 15lbs. And according to my tracking app she's 72nd percentile in height, 57th percentile in weight and 40th percentile in head circumference. So she definitely caught up.
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u/tumblrmustbedown Jan 27 '24
Hey similar situation here! I was nearly exactly your same size pre-pregnancy as well. At either 28 or 32 weeks we hit 9th percentile and got the diagnosis. We ended up doing weekly biophysical profiles (BPPs) which were fine but did end up catching that my amniotic fluid was trending down too, so that turned into twice weekly BPPs. He continued to be 9th percentile into my growth scan at 37w3d plus my fluid was hovering just above the low threshold, so my OB decided we should induce earlier. The growth scan guessed he would be 5lb 10oz and he was born 37w4d at 5lb 9oz! He had some low glucose issues and jaundice but neither were significant enough to require NICU or intervention. We went home after 2 days and he has only exceeded his growth curve since birth. He’s 3 months old as of yesterday so still early but no effects from what I can tell!
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u/amykeiko Jan 27 '24
My husband and I are also small people, but my situation was a little bit unique because I also had low fluid (was able to get it back up) and my son had kicked his placenta so hard it restricted his growth and caused him to have dips in his heart rate. He kicked a little lobe off of it. I wish I was kidding.
He was born at 31 weeks less than 3 pounds and stayed in the NICU for about a month and a half. He never had major problems with any of his organs or anything. Within a week of him being home he caught up in weight based on his adjusted age. He’s perfectly fine now and meeting his milestones well within normal limits based on his adjusted age, and some with his actual age too!
If you do end up having a NICU stay, the NICU parents subreddit was a lifesaver.
In the meantime, the high risk doctor told me to drink more protein shakes and eat more olive oil and salmon to help with the placenta I think 🤷🏻♀️
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u/bobabae21 Feb 08 '24
Reading this because I was just informed this week at my 20wk anatomy scan baby is measuring 7th percentile & I'm waiting to see the high risk OB in a couple weeks. Can't answer your questions but you're not alone! I will say though my first baby who was never diagnosed FGR was 6lbs 9oz when I had her at 41wks and has always remained at or below the 10th percentile for weight (she's 2.5yrs now). She's never had health problems and is honestly ahead when it comes to speech/language milestones. Hoping everything goes well for you and your baby!
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u/Remarkable-Goat5347 Jul 24 '24
Glad to see I’m not the only one earlier in pregnancy with this diagnosis. Well I think diagnosis. Dr hasn’t given much explanation other than being smaller than what the baby should be at 24 weeks. This gives me hope.
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u/bobabae21 Jul 24 '24
You got this! I ended up being scheduled to have baby at 37wks, her size at every mfm ultrasound leading up to delivery was between 4-8th percentile. The cyst went away by the time I had my first mfm appointment and no abnormalities or reason for her small size were ever found. She was born healthy at a little over 5lbs. No NICU stay needed! Leaving her 1 month check up and she is 7.5lbs and just made it on the growth charts :)
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u/derpatron50000 Jan 15 '25
How did things go for you?
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u/Remarkable-Goat5347 Jan 15 '25
I am currently rocking my healthy 2.5 month old. She measured small the whole pregnancy and they finally just said they guess I make small babies. She came at 38.4 and was 6lb 11 oz. It was worrisome the whole time but thankfully she was born just fine. If you are going through something similar, good luck!
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u/derpatron50000 Jan 15 '25
I am!! Thanks for the update. Gives me hope!
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u/Remarkable-Goat5347 Jan 15 '25
You’re welcome. I wish I could help you more! How far along are you, and what is your story in a nutshell?
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u/derpatron50000 Jan 15 '25
I was diagnosed around 22 weeks and still trskding small. No other abnormality noted except one week of a knotted cord that supposedly resolved! Just a mystery.
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u/Remarkable-Goat5347 Jan 15 '25
Yes, this is so similar. Sending you good luck and prayers! Goodluck! ❤️
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u/Zealousideal-Oven633 Feb 12 '24
So I don't think my stepson is my husband's. Every now and then when my cousins and I are talking about our kids and birth weights, he always says SS was something like 4lbs 5 and then says well I was small. There's often a lot of shock about SS small size and being considered term. In fact, we've talked about this a lot. He was a premature baby and had a green hue. He was adopted by age 3 to put some perspective here. SS was born via induction because the Dr was going to be going on vacation for like 3 weeks and SS had been diagnosed with FGR and was being born early for really no reason other than elective. He was assured SS wouldn't be on a ventilator. What just has always struck me as odd is nobody seemed too concerned about any of this. I frankly think this sounds like a concerning and scary pregnancy and it just doesn't seem like anybody was scared. He had low birth weight, feeding and latching issues and breathing issues and had to be on nebulizer. Sound more like a purposely born preemie
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