**4-D photo of baby #3! You can clearly see the baby's nose and mouth. At one point the baby had his/her foot in front of his/her face!**
**A regular 2-D profile shot of our sweet baby!**
This is my third baby. I have been to the same OB-GYN for all three pregnancies. My stomach and babies have consistently measured small.
My stomach measured small with Anne (baby #1), so we did many many ultrasounds and Non-Stress Tests. About a week before delivery I was told that I would probably have a little 5 pound baby girl. She was 7 pounds.
My stomach measured small with Abbey (baby #2), so we did ultrasounds and NSTs. Not as many as we did with Annie because I refused since I had gone through it already and baby #1 was perfect. Abbey was born and weighed 7 lbs. 15 oz. (Yes, that is almost 8 pounds people!)
My stomach measured small with Baby #3. Today we had our second sonogram as a follow-up to the first one. According to their measurements, Baby #3 weighs 2 lbs. 0 oz. Evidently that is the 4th percentile, about 2 weeks behind what it should be. During the ultrasound, the baby was moving, and everything (heart, etc.) looked great. The placenta and umbilical cord also looked fine. Yet they still are requiring me to have a Level II ultrasound. This will look more closely at the placenta and umbilical cord to make sure they are functioning properly and that baby is getting the nutrients he/she needs.
So here is my main issue. This is a common trend for my pregnancies. Is there something wrong with having a small baby? Or a small stomach? When I asked the midwife what they will do they if they find something wrong, she said the doctor will be able to better discuss that with me. When I pressed for an answer she said it's probably nothing, not to worry, and that I may just have a small baby. She said if they find something wrong, they will probably just continue to monitor the growth closely. If at some point they determine that the baby would grow better outside of the womb, they would induce labor.
I want what is best for the baby. I'd be one of the first to admit that it really is a miraculous thing to see the baby in the ultrasound. However, I find myself being frustrated with the fact that this has been a common occurrence in my pregnancies, yet my babies have been healthy and of good size. At what point do we say that maybe this technology isn't really doing me any good? Yet if something WERE to be wrong, I know I would be extremely grateful for the same sort of technology that I am now scorning. I feel guilty in not wanting to have all of the follow-up ultrasounds. It's not because I don't love and care for this baby, because I certainly do! I just don't really know if in my situation it would be better to not do the sonograms since it seems to result in more tests and sonograms. I'm extremely thankful for our great medical insurance.
God is faithful, which is perhaps why I am less-concerned than other mothers would be. He provides for us in good times and in bad. I continue to have faith that God has a special and perfect plan for this baby and our family, whatever it may be.
