Worried Mommy, measuring small at 31 weeks pregnant should I be worried?

Jessica - posted on 02/29/2012

Try not to worry until there is something concrete to worry about. I measured perfectly "normal" up until I gave birth, making the doc think I had a 7-8 lb baby. He was 9lb 5Oz! Those little ones can maneuver and hide themselves really well! I did gain 20 lb during my pregnant, but ended up having lost 10lb between pre and post partum. Our bodies all react differently and can act differently with each pregnancy.



Hang in there and try not to stress too much.

Elisabeth - posted on 02/28/2012

It depends how tall you are. If you are overweight at all then it is perfectly healthy to not gain weight. In fact, you are burning fat just by being pregnant. You may just be losing weight as the baby is growing. This is probably why your doctor is not concerned.

Hannah - posted on 02/27/2012

I've also struggled to gain weight with my second pregnancy, I gained 25 pounds with my son and so far, (with only 6 weeks to go) I've only gained 14 pounds! I think it's common second time around because you are so busy with your other child.

Heather - posted on 02/26/2012

I had the same issue with my second pregnancy. I had him a little bit early, so we were never able to get my ultrasound done, but he ended up being 9 pounds! I wouldn't worry because you probably don't have anything to worry about and you don't want to add unnecessary stress!

Liz - posted on 02/26/2012

I was so sick during my pregnancy I did not eat or keep anything down the first 7 months and continued to be sick there after. I ended up in the hospital for 2.5 weeks with a catheter placed in my arm the entire pregnancy for parental nutrition and on home health since I couldn't eat I was so small they thought he would be so tiny. Nope :) 7 lbs 11 oz and the shock on the doctor and hospital staff when he came out was great thinking that he would be at most 6 lbs. Babies do what they need and get what they need even if you don't. when I had him I was 40 weeks measuring 32 weeks

Sarah - posted on 02/26/2012

its a good idea to stock up on calories and take it easy..that means calming your mind too. The doctors soundlike they are taking good care of you. A lot of women lose weight during pregnancy..though I am surely not one of them.



My third stopped growing at 38 weeks and she is a VERY healthy little girl. Like I said, stock up on the good calories, fruits veggies, cheese breads and dairy and take it easy if you can.

Clarissa - posted on 02/26/2012

Go to your pharmacy and get a pregnancy supplement and a pregnancy multivitamin. Omega 3 and 6 and folic acid aswell.

Katie - posted on 02/24/2012

I started measuring small with my daughter at about 30 or 31 weeks. At 33 weeks they did an ultrasound to check and they discovered that my fluid was really low but the baby was fine. I did have to start going once a week after that for ultrasounds to check the baby and fluid level. At 37 weeks they did induce cause my fluid was so low. She was totally fine and weighed 6.1 and was 19.25 inches. :) The main thing they told me to do was make sure I was doing the kick counts and to drink at least 2 liters of fluids per day.

Tiffany - posted on 02/21/2012

Well, if you start out heavier, you'll tend not to gain much weight at all. That's normal.



I measured small with my daughter the whole way through. I started at 125lbs, and gained 30lbs, but always measured 2-4 weeks too small. At 38 weeks along (when I went into labour) I was still measuring 34 weeks.

But she was full term, weighed over 6lbs, and came home with me the same day, with perfect APGAR scores.



No worries. It could be where the baby is sitting. I know my placenta was right in the front, right behind my belly buldge, so it helped me measure small because she had to sit behind it.

Rosa - posted on 02/20/2012

With my first pregnancy I gained 60lbs with my second I only gained 16lbs and that wasn't till the end. I was the same weight till I was about 7 or 8 months. It all depends every pregnancy is different. I figured that one out lol Don't stress about it. You might be losing weight while the baby is gaining weight. That's how I looked at it. Good Luck.

Michele - posted on 02/19/2012

I measured 6 weeks behind with my second and he was over 8lbs, I measure exactly on with my third and she was 6.5lbs, all of my child have been the opposit of what the doctors expected. The first I measured so behind they did an ultrasound at 36/37 weeks, they told me she was actually really big and if I went full term she would be 9lbs at birth, I had her a week late and she weighed a little over 7lbs. I wouldn't stress too much. I also lost a good 10lbs at the begining of each pregnancy and didn't gain much until the middle of the third trimester. So just eat healthy thats the best thing you can do :)

Janessa - posted on 02/17/2012

If the baby is measuring okay I wouldn't worry, as long as you are eating steadily and well. Just as a side note, I know this isn't what you were addressing, but all of my babies measured smaller than their expected due date, but all of them were born on or around their due date average size, so if the baby measures small but still has grown. I wouldn't worry.

Dekota - posted on 02/17/2012

The measuring isn't always right, they stopped measuring me 5 35 weeks but then thy measure me at 41 weeks and i was only measuring 36 weeks, I had a healthy 7lb 3oz baby girl... I measured correctly till I was like 25 wks

Bernadette - posted on 02/16/2012

I have a friend who is a very skinny girl (and I mean VERY skinny) and when she was pregnant with her second child she hardly even looked pregnant for a long time, and by the end only looked like she was about half way through. She was pretty worried about it too. When her daughter was born, she was over 9 pounds and a very chubby baby! Where on earth she was hiding in my friend's tiny frame, I do not know, but everything was fine. Of course, that's not to say that this is the case for everyone and, being the mother, it is almost impossible for you not to worry - that's just what mothers do! But until you know for certain, it's best to *try* not to worry. Almost impossible, I know, because mothers tend to think worst case scenario and worry until they know things are fine, rather than not worry until the know something is wrong. Is the baby moving and everything? Could just be a small baby. And as others have mentioned, the doctors don't always get it right. My sister's obstetrician was predicting an 11 pound baby for her and scheduled a c-section, because she said she was "never wrong". My sister's baby ended up being about 7 and a half pounds. She was born a couple of weeks early since she did end up having a c-section (due to high blood pressure, not the baby's size) but there is no way she was going to put on another 3 and a half pounds in those couple of weeks! So much for that doctor never being wrong...

Ashley - posted on 02/16/2012

At that far in the pregnancy do not go by how the drs measure. It is impossible for them to actually tell the babies size that far into the pregnancy. The baby can just be positioned strange. I was going once a month after 5 months to get ultrasounds because I was measuring small the whole time. As I was delivering the baby the dr actually stopped me and actually said how big was this baby supposed to be? He was measuring 6pounds 3oz and 18in when I won't into delivery. He was actually 9pounds 7oz and 19in. My friend just delivered a 10pound baby yesterday who was measuring small at 30 weeks. Im sure the baby is fine. I wouldn't get too stressed

Brittany - posted on 02/16/2012

I lost weight with both of my pregnancies. Both children came out about average at around 7 1/2 lbs. With my daughter I didn't look more than 5 months pregnant when I went into the hospital. Even with my son I looked no more than 7 months.

Elizabeth - posted on 02/16/2012

I agree with Kaitlin it could just be how she is sitting. When I was 37 or 38 weeks pregnant with my first the doctor thought she was only 4 or 5lbs, and was worried so they did an ultrasound and she was 6-7lbs. She was born 41weeks at 8lbs 5oz, perfectly healthy. If your doctor isn't worried I wouldn't be either.

Chrystal - posted on 02/16/2012

I wouldn't worry to much. With my second on delivery day I weighed less than I did when I got pregnant with her and she was born a healthy 7lbs 3oz and very alert. If everything looks normal on the tests then it's not a big deal to not gain weight and keep in mind that depending on a few factors the ultrasound can be off by I think it's a pound in either direction so baby may be bigger than they think or smaller. Just keep eating healthy and doing gentle exercise to keep you both fit and ready for labor when the time comes nature will take care of the rest your body knows what to do to grow a healthy baby.

Paskalini - posted on 02/16/2012

I measured small with my second baby. I only gained 6 pounds the whole pregnancy. My OB sent me to a specialist and when they did the ultrasound she said everything was fine she was just "petite" the head to chest size wasn't measuring so far off that there was anything to worry about. Turned out when she was born she was BIGGER than my first!!! She is anything but "petite". My first (now 5 years old) is willowy and petite my second ( 10 1/2 months) is a little chubby ball of cuteness and SOLID!!!! Both were born at 39 weeks and completely healthy, So relax I don't think there is much you can do and stressing out will not help anything. Hope everything turns out for the best!!

Chelly - posted on 02/15/2012

Could very well be nothing. I've measured small with both pregnancies.



Are you measuring small consistently every appointment or on track or big, then small?



What position is the baby in? Posterior babies and make the measurements smaller.



Also at 175 if you were overweight then it's ok not to gain weight.



My first was said to be 6lb, not more than 7 as I was measuring small and she weighed over 8.



Hopefully you're just not on their 'normal' chart, which is totally ok. Don't worry until there's something to worry about :)

Tasha - posted on 02/14/2012

A friend of mine was about your size when she got pregnant and she lost weight almost her whole pregnacy. I measured small with all three of my kids and they were all a healthy 6lb 9oz, 6lb 2oz, and 6lbs 5oz. As long as you are still measuring bigger each time then there shouldnt be a worry :)

Toni - posted on 02/14/2012

Don't worry about measuring small, it could be down to a number of things like how the baby is positioned, the concern really comes if your measurements don't change. Just enjoy the fact you get extra ultra sounds :-)



With my last pregnancy I measured small, then perfect for my weeks, then big, then small...my daughter was a big mover so I'm guessing it was how she was lying. I always measured small with my son.

Kaitlin - posted on 02/14/2012

It may just be how she's sitting. I measured 'small' for my second even though he came out 8 lbs, 13 days early. My first always measured a week ahead, but he was 9 9 . This baby we aren't measuring yet, but I'd bet I was measuring small- I haven't gained any weight, even lost some- at this point with my other pregnancies I had gained 10- 15 lbs.



Just keep eating healthy fats and good proteins. They're best for baby. And huzzah, you get to have another u/s! I know it's hard, it's natural to worry, but try to take a deep breath.