can a ultrasound be accurate in the weight of a baby?

Question

the doc says my baby is a little smaller than average i am 32 weeks i dont know how much he weigh he said next week .this week they was supposed to do the weight now he says come back next week .they giving me the run around they say baby is good everytime .

Answer 1

If the baby is a litle smaller than average it could mean either that they're a little off in the calculation of your due date or that the baby is just a bit small. I don't know if they can exactly calculate the baby's weight. It's more the length of certain body parts that indicate the overall size. It doesn't sound like they are worried. If your baby ends up on the small side, giving birth will be a bit easier, so don't worry. The size at birth doesn't always coordinate with how big the child will grow anyway. Enjoy the rest of your pregnancy. I hope everything continues to go well.

Answer 2

Ultrasounds weights have a range of 10% over or under...when you are talking about 7-8lbs then you are talking about a 1lb variation above or under the weight they give you.

If everything is good then checking for weight is a waste of time, money and an unnecessary exposure to ultrasound. A weight ultrasound at 32wks is useless information unless you have a very small for dates baby, and even then there is nothing you can do with the information. A baby will typically gain a lot of weight in the last month of pregnancy, about a pound a week.

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

My babies were very small. I was a small baby. The ultrasound is pretty accurate and it is a good device to keep track of the baby but it isn't a perfect guideline. They do not have any other way but to compare you to millions of others. If baby's heart rate is good, you are eating well and drinking a lot of water and taking your vitamins and they say baby is good, then baby is good. My son was 6 weeks early and came home in a week and he did not hit the 3% mark until he was 6 months old. He did not hit the 50% mark until he was an older child in elementary school. He is almost 6 ft, skinny as a rail and healthy as a horse and always has been. His pedi always told me not to worry about the % mark but to look at how healthy he was. He was right.We are all wonderfully made and all perfectly different. Try not to worry. Just keep up the good work and keep you healthy. Best to you.

Answer 4

If the baby is developing well in all other areas(heart, lungs, brain look ok on ultrasound) and the weight is low, you still have 8 weeks to get up to average weight. If you have had a healthy pregnancy (ie little or no alcohol to drink, no smoking, no drugs, no health problems), a lower than average birth weight is not something I would fret over too much. Best wishes!!!

Answer 5

Ultrasounds are not an accurate way of predicting the birthweight of a baby. They are OFTEN off as much as a pound! I wouldn't let them scare you too much. What is your fundal height? At 32 weeks, anywhere from 30 to 34 cm would be considered normal.

Answer 6

Here's an example for you:

I had an ultrasound on a Friday. They said my little guy was about 7 1/2 lb. (This was about 2 weeks before my due date.) The VERY NEXT DAY I ended up having an emergency c-section, and he was born at 8 lb. 11 oz. I don't know what I ate for dinner Friday night, but it sure must have packed the pounds onto my son... ;)

Answer 7

Yes it can be accurate. A friend of mine was told her baby would be 8 lbs 7 oz from the ultrasound and she had a healthy baby girl 8lbs 9oz a few days ago. Mine two were pretty close to what my Doctor told me they would weigh also. Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy and with your new bundle of joy.

Answer 8

Baby's are all different sizes when they are born so unless they think that there is a problem with the baby's development don't stress too much. My son was born at 29 weeks and he was 2 Lbs, 15 oz, and he was several ounces bigger than his gestation according to the doctors at Children's hospital.

Answer 9

dont worry sooo much... i new a girl, just a couple months ago, pregnant with twins. Her ultra siound told her the babies were each about 5-6 pounds. When she delivered a week later, they were 7-8.5 pounds. dont sweat it. Docs really need to be a bit more sensative to pregnant moms.i think, as if we arent unstable enough(mentally) they throw in little things to worry us... things we have no control over. Think about genetics....were you a small baby? both my boys are slightly undersize for their age...BUT their dad is only 5'4. What do you expect?

Answer 10

No because about time you have the baby you will either pick up or lose anything is possible. The told me i was having a girl and behold it was a boy. And i had to take back a 900.00 layaway back yo the store. Of all girls stuff of course