Abormal or normal pregnancy

Susan - posted on 01/04/2012

I posted a coment two weeks ago and I was just wondering how thing are going for you... :)

Jennifer - posted on 01/04/2012

Stay calm! Worrying will only make you feel bad, and won't do anything for your baby. :) Pregnancy is a very uncertain period for many women, and can be highly variable from one pregnancy to the next. I would focus more on whether the baby has 10 fingers and toes, a beating heart and all the other normal parts than the size of the baby. As many people have mentioned, your conception date could be different than the average, based on your individual cycle. Or, your baby may be getting ready for a growth spurt. Even if your baby is measuring small, it could be normal for this pregnancy - I think the only "normal" thing about pregnancy is how variable it can be! My son measured right on schedule through his whole pregnancy and then stopped growing for about a year at age 1.5 (otherwise developing normally) - so as a baby, he was in the 85th percentile and at age 2 he was in the 25th percentile for his age - at age 4, he is still small for his age, but still healthy and growing. I am currently pregnant with my second, and she measured right on schedule up until her 34th week checkup. Now we are at week 36 and she is measuring 39 weeks! Who knows what she will do once she is born!

Melissa - posted on 01/03/2012

i would not worry the doctors dates can be out by up to 2 weeks this is because it is only an estimate of what most people are ur dates could be out because you concieved later in ur cycle then most this can be perfectly normal i would not worry the doctor was out with my last pregnancy by bout 2weeks he based on my dates i was only 6wks but when i had my ultrasound i was actually 8wks as long as the baby has grown in ur next ultrasound i would not stress

Samone - posted on 01/03/2012

Don't worry. Unless you know the exact day and time you conceived the date the doctors give you is a estimate which why the automatically tell you two weeks before or after you due date is usually when the baby comes. I personally had problems with my period making it hard for them to predict my conception date. The doctor went off the ultrasound measurements for both of my children so don't worry it's not a exact science.

Anna - posted on 01/03/2012

I see you've had nearly a hundred posts telling you nothing to worry about. It's true there is nothing to say they know to the minute when you conceived, when you're going to give birth and all those questionables. So don't sweat that - but! do everything you can to stay healthy, eat right, rest when you can and keep your sprits up - this will help ensure a wonderful pregnancy and a healthy birth.

Heather - posted on 01/03/2012

Hi! I used to work for a group of OB's doing ultrasounds. The discrepency could be attributed to when you ovulated. Just because there is a discrpency in dates doesn't mean that this is an abnormal pregnancy. Like one of the docs used to tell his patients, don't worry until your doctor tells you to worry.

Yvette - posted on 01/03/2012

You have gotten many posts that are helpful and i hope mine makes you feel a little better. i have had 4 children - and was a high risk with all of them. my third child had a very low heartbeat all through the pregnancy right up until the minute she was delivered but she is healthy and growing fine. 3 of my pregnancies had a blood clot between the placenta and the wall of the uterus and my first pregnancy was with the help of fertility pills and caused a lack of oxygen during delivery and a smaller growth rate for the ultrasounds - BUT- it all turned out ok. i didn't even look pregnant when i went in to have my first child - i have always been a bigger woman and it just looked like i had put on a few pounds - despite the ultrasounds showing a slower growth rate which resulted in me getting 5 different due dates - she was 2 weeks and one day overdue and weighed in at 7lbs 6 oz. please don't worry...... contrary to popular belief if you are not drinking, smoking or doing drugs, then your baby will grow at its own speed. keep getting the right amount of folic acid, vitamins etc that you need and it should all be fine. i will say a prayer for you too. don't worry.

Shelley - posted on 01/03/2012

first trimester us is the most reliable indicator of the gestational age. It can frequently change a due date that had been based on your last period. This is not abnormal.

Martha - posted on 01/03/2012

I have never heard any mother call her unborn child "her fetus." And projecting a birth date is an art, not a science.

Ashley - posted on 01/03/2012

Sounds like your baby is growing slower then most - or someones dates are off

Cortney - posted on 01/03/2012

Your baby may be looking like it is younger than what it should be according to your calculations because you ovulated (and therefore concieved) later than the "average" day 14 of your cycle. Wouldn't be concerned. I don't know why your doctor wouldn't "be able to say anything at this point of time." If she's unsure if the baby is growing healthy all she would have to do is draw blood and test certain hormone levels...then again in a few days. certain hormone levels raise at a certain rate if the pregnancy is healthy. Had that done for my first because I had really bad cramping around 5 weeks.

Lori - posted on 01/02/2012

Implantation of a fertilized egg normally takes place 6-12 days after ovulation, this could allow for the difference in the gestation age your doctor has calculated...I hope everything is okay...post an update to let us know...praying for you.

Lori - posted on 01/02/2012

Implantation of a fertilized egg normally takes place 6-12 days after ovulation, this could allow for the difference in the gestation age your doctor has calculated...I hope everything is okay...post an update to let us know...praying for you.

Sara - posted on 01/02/2012

i had the same issue when i went for my dating ultrasound my the date of my last period i was almost8weeks but my ultrasound measurement gave me a date of 6 weeks and 4days so they told me its up the dr on what date they give you.. they told me it depends on the date of ovulation to give the date.. so i wold not worrie about it..

Alisa - posted on 01/02/2012

I just want to say kudos for all of the great personal & incredibly knowledgeable & comfortable info. Ok here I
s my story, I happen to be a labor & delivery RN, but more importantly, I am a mom of 3 wonderful children, actually ~ my babies are no more.( 16-10 years). I want to tell you @ each preg. & hopefully, it wil l reassure vrs scare you, but I figure knowledge is power. With that being said; I went through the same issues, I
knew when I got pregnant to the date, but... My due dates didn't coincide; but
be a let labor

Alisa - posted on 01/02/2012

Divya, as all these very educated & experienced mothers have expressed ~ each any every story is valuable knowledge. As for me, don't well just listen to my experiences & keep in a file in your brain. Can first

Kim - posted on 01/02/2012

All ultrasounds can be off by up to two weeks!

Kylie - posted on 01/02/2012

No dramas they change them I've had 6 kids

Heather - posted on 01/02/2012

With all on my pregnancies I measured a little off. I was told that the EDD could change a week or so as the baby got a bit bigger and they can measure more accurately. Also, unless you have IUI or IFV, DOC is only a guestimate, you can be off up to 3 - 5 days depending on when implantation took place.

Amy - posted on 01/02/2012

It is too early at this point. They have to follow and see if it is slowing down or not. A friend of mine, they told her the baby was not growing at the right rate, and she just delivered and the baby was just fine. You never know, they measured my 2nd one wrong and said he was 2" smaller than he was the time before. It turned out the new Dr measured differently than the last Dr and he was fine. And like the ladies before, they changed my date due to match fetus growth date, by one week.

Laura Zoey - posted on 12/30/2011

Don't worry, just try to enjoy your pregnancy!
I don't get ultrasounds til I'm 18-20 weeks along and then it's just one scan.
They can try to 'manage' your pregnancy but really, they can usually just watch and see what happens.
Drs can do amazing things to save people but most things in pregnancy happen regardless of interventions

Corrie - posted on 12/29/2011

Don't get impatient, just go with the flow and find out

for yourself. At this stage u r anxious about the baby and

u could make a wrong move. Good luck, Eunice.

Tine - posted on 12/28/2011

This is why I don't believe ultrasounds are a great idea ... they are over used and inappropriately used in pregnancy.

Your stage is really very very early for an ultrasound. At this stage (are you 5 weeks pregnant or is the embryo 5 weeks old and thus 7 weeks pregnant?) pregnancy can not even necessarily be picked up on ultrasound, and unless there are some worrying symptoms I really feel it's best to just leave this bit to nature! Too much testing and medical intervention in pregnancy without an indication just causes stress and doesn't improve outcomes. In fact, both ultrasounds and stress can retard fetal growth!

Try not to worry, the results you have been given mean very little!! :-) I also have a long irregular cycle and only know when I conceived my son because I was breastfeeding my 2 year old daughter and my nipples hurt when I ovulated! lol!!

Relax, enjoy the pregnancy and always question your doctor if you're unsure about anything - he isn't god, just a man with a certain amount of knowledge and lots of things he doesn't know. You know your own body better than anyone!

Keri - posted on 12/28/2011

why are you wondering this? Even with all the medical technology we have these days, due dates in my opinion are still "estimates" - my son wouldn't have been "due" the 15th and born on the 18th if that weren't true. From what I know, the hormone tests they run at each prenatal appointment should be the best indicator of your baby's gestation.

Denise - posted on 12/28/2011

I wouldn't worry about it too much right now. If there are no problms with anything else (like blood work), it could be that your baby is just small. If your doctor is not worried, neither should you be. Just relax and enjoy! :D

Wanda - posted on 12/28/2011

I really wish docs would stop trying to estimate how big a baby should be when every baby is different!! I had 5 baby's and all of them were so different in size and birth weight but all were healthy! Please do not stress over anything to do with your pregnancy! when they do blood tests and all the other things that will answer any questions they have. your stress can affect the baby so you just need to relax and eat healthy and know that God will deliver you a most beautiful baby when its time! :)

Deborah - posted on 12/27/2011

I'm an L&D nurse. Your "Due date" is +/- 2 weeks. They're just trying to pin down the date. Last menstrual cycle is just an educated guess based on a 28 day cycle. No worries.

Michelle - posted on 12/27/2011

My babies always looked small on the initial ultrasounds and went back and forth from being told I wasn't as far along as I thought I was to then developing fast. It's normal. It's tough to see enough detail on the early ultrasounds.

Celeste - posted on 12/27/2011

Jill said "whoever delivers ON their due date anyway?" and to that I say 1 in 4 babies delivers on their due date. My 3rd baby came right on his due date. His oldest sister came 5 days after hers and his older sister came 5 days before hers. Babies come whenever they're fully ready to come. Due dates are an estimate and will be adjusted throughout pregnancy as needed. Seriously OP, don't put too much time into worrying about it.

Celina - posted on 12/27/2011

when I was pregnant with my daughter she always measured small throughout my whole pregnancy and when i was pregnant with my boys I measured way bigger in ultrasounds and drs visits,,, relax all are different and if they have any concerns they will just keep a better eye on you..... and when my daughter was born she was 7 7 boys were 7 13 and 7 14 so not much of a difference at the end

Romi - posted on 12/27/2011

As an sonographer, we deal with that a lot. It depends on the time in your cycle you conceived. A week off is not a big deal. If you said you were supposed to be 8-9 weeks and the ultrasound shows that you are 4 weeks, then it's abnormal. Bloodwork is also very important as well. HCG levels help with telling how far along as well.

Lisa - posted on 12/27/2011

docs can never be 100% they told me my baby was going to be 10lb so they delivered me early he was only 7lb 2.5oz so they do get leights and weights wrong x

Malinda - posted on 12/27/2011

an earlier date could mean that your baby is just a bit smaller than 'average'. you are very early along, and the scans are usually pretty close so early on. I wouldn't stress about it, it's not good for your baby! with every ultrasound i had, my babies due date ended up even further along. just because he was smaller than average. the way they work out a babies age on an ultrasound is to measure the baby. they measure the head, the length of the leg, etc... there can be a bit of error by measuring... if doc doesn't put the line on exactly the 'start of leg to end of leg' kind of thing... but according to age, because it is early along, the scan will be most accurate. The docs also cannot tell the exact date that you fell pregnant. they go according to a chart that is for a 28 day cycle... if your cycle isn't 28 days long, then that could also cause a few days difference. the difference is only 8 days... it's not a lot. that can account for many different things... when you ovulate, you have a high chance of falling pregnant over a couple of days, not only one exact date. My honest opinion would be to say that nothing is wrong... just make sure you are eating healthy, and taking folic acid! it's all your baby needs right now!

Tabu - posted on 12/26/2011

Well,in that case your gestation calculation is wrong..coz,whatever calculation doctors say,they go according to the ultrasound ..

Bobbi - posted on 12/26/2011

its normal to have your due date changed sevral times just wait till the next ultrasound to be sure & it may change again later down the line

Fara-Fraidy - posted on 12/26/2011

First off at 5 weeks you will see nothing on ultrasound..Heartbeat isnt usually detected til 8 weeks..sure its all good dont stress yourself out

Mandy - posted on 12/26/2011

Hi Divya..I've had a pregnancy go both ways. My first pregnancy the baby wasn't having steady growth. We were devastated when I miscarried at 12 weeks. But my 2nd pregnancy..who is now my firstborn was tracking small but the doctor told me to hang in there and eventually he caught up to the curve! Hang in there and try not to stress. I now have 2 perfect boys, after having a total of 4 miscarriages.

Sally - posted on 12/26/2011

Due dates based on dates are a guess based on an average menstrual cycle and an average gestation. Due dates based on an ultrasound are a guess based on average baby sizes and and average gestation. And baby size and age are very difficult to judge accurately from an ultrasound, though they can get a more accurate GUESS of fetal age from an early ultrasound than a later one.
Two weeks either side of he "official" date is perfectly normal for almost everybody and a month either side might be normal for you.
Your preganancy is probably just fine and getting hung up on a due date is just a way to get frustrated at the end when your baby shows up when it is ready instead of when the doctor thought it would be ready.

Angela - posted on 12/26/2011

Hi there, Im guessing you havent got much of an answer on this one from your doctor since you're posting on here.. that will be because he/she does not have enough information.. yes it is possible there is something wrong, but it is also possible that the scan was wrong ie measuring at a different date due to position of the baby or the radiographers interpretation, or even that the initial dates were worked out wrong. No-one can conclusively answer this question without more information - I hope all is well for you and the wee one, hopefully you have a good midwife that can guide you through your options if you do end up having challenges - hope that helps

Gabriele - posted on 12/25/2011

Each pregnancy is so different, even in the same mother. What is normal for one is not necessarily normal for another. It's normal to worry about your baby, but there are a lot less birth defects than "normal" births. Just make sure you are taking care of yourself correctly so your baby will be healthy and strong ;0)

Tina - posted on 12/25/2011

You do not need to worry about the date. You're due date is an estimate from your last period. It is rare that you will ever have the baby on your due date. Both my kids decided to show up 5 and 6 days earlier than my due date. So remember...it's just an estimate!

Zella - posted on 12/25/2011

When my surprise package should of measured 2 1/2 lbs, he measured 4 lbs! Came out 10 lbs 2 ozs!!!
Each baby is different!
My first baby (a girl) was 7 lbs 8 ozs, the second (a boy) was 8 lbs 3 ozs, 11 years later we got (a boy) the 10 lbs 2 oz bundle of joy... 18 months later we got (another girl) 8 lbs 13 ozs. Like I said, their all different!

Samantha - posted on 12/25/2011

no worries, its hard to pin point the exact timing. the most accurate way to measure is by the babys thigh bone...the doctor will check the length on the ultrasound and give you a more accurate age range...well weeks...I've had 2 successful pregnancies and one was twins which were extremely high risk. I had weekly diagnostic ultrasounds and have experienced everything you can when it comes to having a baby and everything between. everything will be,ok, you. will no more when u go to your level 2 ultrasound. so sleep easy. good luck

Rachael - posted on 12/25/2011

Lots of people ovulate late some or all cycles. My last pregnancy was 2 weeks later than if we worked out off a normal 28 day cycle. I think getting the dates correct through early ultrasound could stop unnecessary inductions.

Natasia - posted on 12/25/2011

normal she is calculating it based on your last period and if you ovulated earlier or later than day 14 it will be wrong. U/S is the most accurate she is probably doing another U/S just to ensure the measurments are correct not because something is wrong

Reenie - posted on 12/25/2011

maybe their dates are off alittle there. don't get too worried yet?

Lisa - posted on 12/25/2011

Yeah, the doc told me that it's just a guestimation. Everyone ovulates at different times. I am sure it' fine

Rachel - posted on 12/25/2011

Fetal size is very accurate in the first trimester then it begins to differentiate. Usually the sonograms are accurate to within 1 day so if you know when you ovulated and the measurement seems off, then there is cause for concern...if you are unsure about the ovulation date then the second ultrasound will be important to determine how far along you actually are and if there is a problem. I have 4 healthy children and have had 5 losses over the years so I have been on both sides!

Amanda - posted on 12/25/2011

I think measuring a week small or a week large is very normal. It could be your dates are a little off. That would account for the doctors dates not matching with the 'normal' growth expected of a baby at your stage of pregnancy. But the 'normal' is such a range, dont worry. When you go back I bet you will see growth, and thats what matters. You may even find the baby has a growth spurt and goes back to on date size, or even bigger.

Lauren - posted on 12/25/2011

The same thing happened to me with my second son. I was very worried and couldn't understand why his size wasn't adding up to his conception date. My Dr. said I may have ovulated later than usual, but I have a very regular cycle and know the exact day I got pregnant....because it was Christmas and my husband and I decided to start trying for our 2nd baby that night. My Dr. still thought I could have ovulated later than normal, therefore, he let me go 9 days past my due date. My due date was never changed, but was still based on my last menstrual period and not a later ovulation date. That said, my son was born nearly 11 lbs and 22 inches! Congrats on your pregnancy. Try not to stress too much about it, although I know it's easier said than done :) Merry Christmas.