Worries about growth

 Measuring behind on growth scan. 

As you know from my previous post I got covid at 32 weeks pregnant and was very unwell. They said baby shouldn't be effected however their is not alot known still about covid let alone the effects on pregnancy and baby. 

Now I am fully recovered and feeling so much better I realise how ill I actually was. 

Then at 34 weeks after we were all clear and out of isolation the midwive came to do her usual checks and appointment. Especially with me having covid she just wanted to make sure me and baby were okay. All my blood pressure and urine all fine as always. Heard babies heart and them wiggling around in there. However when the midwive measure my bump size which shows the rate of growth. It had not really process, which me and Ben noticed too. Since being ill my bump has not grown and I feel I lost weight. 

So because the measurements only came up at 30cm when they should be same cm as the amount of weeks I am, give or take 2cm so between 32-36. Where as at 28 weeks I measured 29.  So 1 cm increase in over 5 weeks was a little worrying. Therefore she booked me an emergency scan. 

I had the scan on Saturday which was 34 +2 weeks by then. My previous private scan I was 31+2 just before getting covid. Baby was estimated to be around 3lb 12oz. They say babies should gain half a pound every week so 8oz. However the scan showed that baby was measuring at 32 weeks at only 4lb 4oz. So only grown 9oz in three weeks. The growth had dipped in my chart and dropped a persentile line. Which the worried us more. 

Photo: weeks of gestation at the bottom, then in the right is measuring in grams and the persentile lines. The X are where baby measured at what weeks. So can see our babies growth slowed as meant to continue up on the same line. Then at the bottom shows my bump measurements at what week.

What did this mean, had covid played a role where I was so ill and couldn't eat. Had baby slowly grown or stopped growing altogether. Even they could not be sure at this point therefore booked me a follow up growth scan for two weeks later at 36 weeks. As well as a doppler blood flow check at 35 weeks. 

That week waiting for the Doppler was hard however we kept busy buy sorting the garden and the house ready for baby and put baby shower that weekend. I will do a separate post for the baby shower. 

I then had the doppler scan the following Sunday. This is a scan done the same as any ultrasound however looks more at the blood flow from the placenta through the umbilical cord to baby. The scan showed the blood flow was good and baby was getting enough oxygen and nutrition. Which was reassuring, baby's heart rate was great and fetal movements have been fine. If not more stronger. Like limbs stretching out and pushing rather then little kicks. Now it was just waiting another week for my next growth scan which is scary. I am worried if he has not grown what does this mean. Was it covid or something else. Would this of happened even if I was not ill. Who knows, all we could do was keep busy by finishing cleaning the house and getting all babies stuff ready just in case. 

(Written at 35 weeks).