Femur measuring small???

So, I went today for my growth ultrasound. Everything was great except for they indicated that his femur was showing a little bit smaller. His body and head are proportionate and everything and doctor says she's not concerned, but how can I not be?? Why do they tell us all this unnecessary information to stress us out? They also moved my due date back to March 6th...at my 20 week ultrasound I was measuring with everything being 4 days ahead. He is now weighing 3lbs 11oz which is in the 47th percentile for his gestational age. I'm just really nervous as to what this means??!! Dr says he may just have smaller legs, but how can I not be a little freaked and worried about it??? HMMM...anyone have this happen??

Oh and this was considered my 32 week appt and my levels were all great...iron, a1c, hemoglobin, vites frmo bloodwork last appt, bp, and weight (gained 3 more lbs), so I've gained 23lbs now according to their scales...I'm trying to be positive and not worry but I can't help but stress :(

Try not to stress (easier said than done!) Babies go through growth spurts just like children, so they could measure behind one week and right on target the next. Also, don't forget that these ultrasounds aren't foolproof and a lot of the time, the results can be off by quite a bit.

I'm 35+ weeks and I haven't had any kind of measurements or fetal anomaly scans done. The only measurement I've had at this point is my belly, which is measuring right on target!

Thanks Mandy! It's def much easier to say I'm not going to stress then do it lol! I'm going to try to just put it out of my mind. I talked to my mom and she's an RN who worked in labor and delivery. She told me not to worry either and that like you said everything can change week by week and sometimes even day by day. I think I would have been so much better off just not having the scan done. I only had the ultrasound due to my tummy measuring bigger and come to find out he's actually just a little on the smaller side. I so could go without the stress....ugh!! Thanks so much!

I hope this make you feel better.  I have had three boys since my surgery.  They were never that high as far as percentile goes.  I had them around 35 to 39 weeks and NONE of them were bigger than 5 pounds and 7 ounces.  That was the biggest one.  The other two were 5.4. lol  Tiny things and like 17 to 17 1/2 inches long.  They are all healthy and two of them are running around like mad boys. The other one is only 6 months old so I am sure he will be right there with them as soon as he gets mobile. lol  And they are to smart for their own good.  My three year opens the computer and does whatever he wants already.  My sister in laws have to watch where they put their ipod touch / iphone cause he can do anything on it as well.  Don't worry about it.  They will keep and eye on you.  They took my last one early (35 weeks) because he stopped moving but that had nothing to do with his size.  Let me tell you, he screamed bloody murder when they pulled him out. lol  It just means your baby is on the smaller size than the average baby.  Nothing more.  My boys are healthy and still are not on the doctors percentile charts and they are not worried at all. 

Thank you so much for your kind words. It does actually set my mind at ease knowing that I just need not stress over it and that it does happen and I need to take a deep breathe and wait it out. :)

At my 28 week growth scan, they told me that the baby is measuring 32 weeks, except for his femur measurement is at 29 weeks. I just take it as, they baby is going to be a big baby but not long. My son was a big baby but only 19 1/2 inches, now he is almost 3 and just a few inches shorter than my 5 year old. He was just a shorter baby at birth. His legs are very long as well now, but were shorter then. So I would not worry about it. Did you have the scan done to check for downs? If you did and they were normal, I would not worry.

Lianne,

At my 28 week appointment, I was measuring 32 weeks so that was why they scheduled the growth scan to begin with. I was actually very shocked to learn he was right in the middle for his growth as far as precents go. I did have the downs test done and it cameback negative and at my 20 week scan I was right on with measurements plus a few days.  Thanks so much!

~Kerri

Oh ya almost forgot...they did in fact move me to 2 week appointments now. When I went to schedule my next appointment , they tried to schedule me for almost 3 weeks...I was like hey wait a minute...and the office lady says to me well we have a period of time and then we have up to 7 days within that date. I told her no thank you that I wanted my appointment in 2 weeks because that was what the dr asked for and I wasn't settling for anything else...so next appt is on the 20th. These drs I tell ya!!! GRRR!

When I had my 18 week ultrasound with my daughter, sho is now 6 the doctor called me at work and bluntly told me that the babies femur was short and the back of the babies neck was thick, both markers for downs. He them told me that I had "options" of a medical abortion, an amnio or nothing. we opted for an amnio simply to be able to prepare and know. During the amnio, my husband asked a question about the downs and the doctor looked up at him and said that there was a greater chance of me miscarring during the amnio than having a downs baby...if my husband could have jumoed across the table and choked him he would have. The test came back with no downs and we changed doctors immedialty. SHe came out with perfect femurs LOL!

Thank you for sharing. It really helps to hear that I'm stressing myself out when I really shouldn't. The doctor didn't even mention downs or dwarfism and I thought there was only a 2 week growth curve from the measurement the tech took. I saw the NP this visit and next, but I'll see the doctor in 4 weeks...I'm going to ask her opinion on it as well, but the NP tried to reassure me that due to all the other measurements being ok that it probably just meant he was going to have shorter legs possibly. I'm a shorty at 5'2", but hubby is a big ole 6 footer...I know I just have to relax...I just wish these docs wouldn't wind us up for no reason!!! UGH GRRR!

Yeah the if the downs scan came back negative, I believe the only thing they look at the femur length was as a sign of downs, or a shorter length baby. That is most likely why the doctor is not worried.