Baby less weight

Question

During 33wks scan, I was told the baby is small at mid section & underweight at 1.6kg.At 8mth Dr visit Dr say baby has shown to grow a lil however still is small. And there is a possibility to induce labour & deliver sooner at 37wks. We will wait for another 2wks to see if baby grows. If baby grows there will be no need to induce & jus carry on wif pregnancy. The expected baby weight is 2.5kg at 37wks if not hav to induce. Is that the weight gain in GA timeline ? Suld I induce or jus continue wif pregnancy unless baby has shown sign of stop growing

Vô danh · Answer

Oh mama, I totally understand the anxiety you're feeling right now, it's such a worrying time when the numbers don't look the way you expect. From what I've heard from other mums who went through similar situations, the doctors usually prefer to wait and monitor closely, but if growth seems to plateau or there are placental concerns, inducing at 37 weeks is considered quite safe and the baby generally does well, my neighbour actually went through this and her little one came at 37 weeks, went home within a few days without needing NICU time. The 2.5kg target at 37 weeks is a reasonable benchmark, but some babies do come in a little lighter and still feed and grow well outside the womb. That said, there's a genuine trade-off to weigh, continuing the pregnancy gives more growth time, but if the placenta isn't supporting the baby efficiently anymore, staying in longer doesn't always mean growing better. This really is one of those decisions where your own OB's assessment matters most, so do press them for the full picture on your baby's specific growth curve and placental function before deciding.