How to deal with fundal height – for would-be mothers

Worrying about the details during pregnancy is a normal affair for the stressed out mothers to be. Well, if you are worried about the measurement of your fundal height, here is some information that can help.

If your fundal height is small, your doctor will evaluate your baby’s health by performing an ultrasound. Although ultrasounds aren’t perfect, they are the best way to find out about the baby. Small fundal height measurement can and cannot mean a lot of things.

* You are not less pregnant than expected. The ultrasound already would have confirmed a due date and that is final.

* Small fundal height measurement is normal for some women. Sometimes the baby lies sideways or the mother carries it low in the pelvis. As the measurement of fundal height takes only the up-down measurements, small measurement is normal sometimes.

* The baby could be small but if it is so, the doctors will try to see if the baby is growing symmetrically or if only the head is growing and the abdomen is going off the growth curve.

* It could be that the baby is symmetrically small but that could be normal if it runs in your family. Ask your doctor more about symmetrical growth restriction if this is the case.

* If the baby is asymmetrically small, the brain development is found to be all right but the abdomen and may be the leg bone growth lags behind. This is known as asymmetrical intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). This can be caused due to irregular flow of blood through the placenta. Expecting mothers should not smoke and keep their blood pressures in check. Malnutrition during pregnancy can also be a cause.

If your baby is small, or suffering from asymmetrical intrauterine growth restriction, your doctor will keep a special check on your condition. Consult your doctor and medical team if you are having doubts.