Inducing because baby is at 9th percentile?
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Anonymous
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It's great that they're not finding any other problems, although I think you're right that its weird that they would want to induce you early if everything else looks OK. Has the baby's growth actually stopped?
But the PP is right that the 9th percentile is technically growth restricted, even if your doctor says it's not - it's a pretty simple definition: http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancycomplications/iugr.htm |
Anonymous
| OP here. Actually the defiinition is not that clear cut and this is one of the problems with people looking up medical information online. technical definitions are not a clinical diagnosis. Fetal growth curves are based on the general population and people of average or above height in most cases. They are not accurate representatives of people who happen to be a lot smaller than average and thus give birth to smaller babies. IUGR is a clinical diagnosis given by a perinatologist due to insufficiency of a fetus to grow normally. my baby has been growing normally the entire time and therefore is NOT growth restricted. Hence am uncomfortable with inducing. |
Anonymous
| umm i wouldn't induce automatically for a 6 pound baby. you need to talk to your doctor further and get more info. my baby was born 39.5 weeks and was 5 lbs 10 ozs. both me and hubs are not small at all and i gained 45 lbs while pregnant. it was a mystery why she was so small and i barely showed but she was perfectly fine. never brought up the idea of induction at all. |
Anonymous
| 8:27 here - tiny baby is now a 24 lb perfectly healthy 18 month old (around 50 percentile). had my second baby and she was almost 7 lbs. sometimes its just random. but if you are a very small person i don't understand why a small baby would be alarming. |
Anonymous
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OP, I'd revisit this issue with your doctor. I wouldn't be comfortable inducing in this case, particularly as someone who weighed 5lbs, 13oz at birth--and I was three weeks overdue!
So many people are obsessed with big babies, but small ones can be perfectly healthy. As you've said, yours is developing fine, just small. I'd say it's fine to say to your doctor, what gives? |
Anonymous
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OP, I also would not be comfortable inducing. I gave birth at 40 + 4 to a 6.3 lb baby who was PERFECTLY healthy. My doctor never batted an eye. Unless there are health problems or a restricted environment, I'd really put a hard line of questioning to your doctor. You know you can refuse induction, right? But if you're not comfortable refusing, ask directly, what are my statistical, relative, and ABSOLUTE risks of a problem birth if I decline induction? Are there alternatives? What makes you think induction will improve things? Have you accounted for the fact that my husband and I are small? That our family has a history of small babies? Etc.
As you know, ultrasounds can be WAY off. And plenty of babies born at 6 lbs or just under are very healthy! Unless there's a real problem, I would resist the heck out of this. |
Anonymous
| After a 37 wek u/s, it was determined that there was definitely growth restriction, my babies hd to measurement was way off. I had a c- section that night, and it was discovered that there was placenta failure, and my baby could have died. he was 5 lbs at birth. By 6 months, he had caught up and was in the 75%. I was scared shitless aftef the u/s!!! |
Anonymous
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This may be a silly question, but have you asked your doctor why he/she wants to induce?
Something's not adding up about what you're saying. If everything looks fine with the placenta and the baby's already at 39+weeks and you're being told it's just small and not actually growth restricted, then inducing makes zero sense. So either your doctor is not telling you something important or you're not hearing a critical piece of information. Have you asked for an MFM consult? |
Anonymous
| OP here- yes I have called my dr officeand asked to speak to the doctor about this. My dr had casually mentioned it at the last appointment but it wasn't until the office called to schedule it and i asked the reason - to which they replied ' the baby is small'- and I told them I didn't understand since I've been repeatedly assured there is no growth restriction- still waiting for a call back. Sigh- so frustrating. |
Anonymous
Okay, wow, in this case, I'd be FURIOUS. Your OB mentions it casually but does not discuss it with you fully and make sure you have no questions before having his staff call to schedule an induction? I would insist on a discussion with the doctor. And frankly I would not want to do it over the phone. I hope he isn't like this routinely. Good luck to you. 
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Anonymous
+1 That's completely outrageous. I definitely wouldn't agree to a date until I'd sat down and discussed this with my doctor in person. Moreover, I wouldn't take "the baby is small" as a reason given how your OB's repeatedly emphasized to you that the baby's growth over time is fine, s/he is just measuring small. Jeez. |
Anonymous
OP again- yup, I'm pretty mad. I have been super happy with my drs throughout and suspect it's a case of miscommunication and incompetent office staff because medically, the doctors have been super supportive of my wishes and wish my olderchild, caught a bunch of medical issues that would have been easy to miss. They are extremely careful and excellent doctors- I think it's the office staff that have no medical knowledge and potentially could be confused? I dunno- just waiting for someone to call me back. I called again today and was assured a doctor would speak with me as soon as possible. I also told them I would NOT under any circustances be induced before my due date unless there was a risk to the baby, in which case, somebody should explain that to me in detail. |