Week 37: "SGA..."

I had a doctor’s appt. yesterday afternoon.  I was expecting it to be pretty “routine” as it hasn’t seemed like much is going on this week (other than my typical pain.)  J  

It all started out pretty routine – but I ended up being put on a monitor and then sent over to the other clinic (has better ultrasound equipment) for some measurements.  After all was said and done, it looks like the baby is below the 10^th percentile, which mean SGA (“Small for Gestational Age”.)  So my doctor had mentioned to us that if the baby turned out to be below the 10^th percentile, then she would probably want it out sooner than later (just to be safe if it had stopped growing - so they could address any issues sooner than later.)

We have an appt. at 9:45am on Monday to be monitored again, so we are also assuming we will find out what we are going to do next.  My mind is going crazy over not knowing the plan…  is it going to be next week, or the following?  Or will we just wait this out unit he decides he is ready?  Will keep you posted after Monday’s appt…

SGA: 

http://www.baby2see.com/baby_birth_weight.html

About 10 percent of fetuses are low birth weight. A health care provider may suspect fetal growth restriction if the mother's uterus measurement (fundal height) is lower than expected. This can be confirmed with a series of ultrasounds that will monitor how quickly the fetus is growing.

Measurements can be taken of the fetus' head and limbs and compared with a growth chart to estimate fetal weight. In some cases, fetal growth can be improved by treating any condition in the mother (such as high blood pressure) that may be a contributing factor.

The health care provider will closely monitor the well being of a growth restricted fetus using ultrasound and fetal heart rate monitoring. If these tests show that the baby is having problems, the baby may need to be delivered early.

The main causes for Low Birth Weight:

·         The two main causes of LBW are early delivery, also known as preterm birth, and poor fetal growth. About 70% of all LBW babies are born preterm - before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy.

·         The remaining 30% of low birth weight babies are born at full term, but did not grow properly in the womb.