QuestionSHOULD I BE CONCERNED TAT MY DAUGHTER MEASURES AT 36 WEEK, EVEN IF SHE IS ONLY 29 WEEKS. SHE IS OVERWEIGHT,BUT NOT MORBIDLY SO. SHE DOES NOT HAVE GESTATIONAL DIABETES.
AnswerDear Elena,
If her fundal height is measuring 36 cm at 29 weeks gestation, she is measuring "large for dates". Measuring large for dates means the fundal height is more than 2 cms larger than average for that stage of pregnancy, based on the due date. Her doctor will probably schedule an ultrasound to find out why. Among the possible explanations are:
-The due date is off. (The ultrasound can help the doctor figure out a correct due date.)
-There are looser abdominal muscles than most women have, possibly as a result of an earlier pregnancy.
-There are uterine fibroids.
-There are twins (or more).
-There is too much amniotic fluid.
-The baby is positioned high above your pelvis, which might be the case with a breech baby or if there is a placenta previa.
-There is a bigger-than-normal baby because of gestational diabetes. This condition is known as macrosomia.
OR she might simply be carrying a big, perfectly healthy baby! The ultrasound will be extremely useful in determining whether there would be any cause for a soon-to-be-grandma to fret. :-)
I hope this information has helped you and answered your question. I wish you both well.
Brenda
