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I'm 28 weeks pregnant with my third child, and my bump measures 32cm. Should I worry?

Kim Mackenzie-Morris



If your previous pregnancies went well, and your babies were healthy, your midwife won't have measured your bump before you reached 28 weeks of pregnancy, or 25 weeks for first-time mums-to-be.

By measuring your bump during a routine antenatal appointment, your midwife will get a rough estimate of your baby's size and rate of growth. She'll run a tape measure from the upper edge of your pubic bone to the top of your uterus (womb) to measure the fundal height.

The number of centimetres your bump measures should be the same as the number of weeks you are pregnant, give or take 2cm (0.8in). Based on this, it sounds as though you are measuring a little large for your stage of pregnancy (large for dates).

You midwife will use a customised chart to plot your baby’s growth. This chart takes your height, weight, ethnicity and how many babies you have had into account. As long as your baby is measuring within the normal range, your midwife will be able to reassure you that your baby’s growth is normal. If the growth pattern slows down or becomes excessive, your midwife will arrange for you to have an additional scan to confirm your baby’s weight.

You may just be a bit bigger because it's your third pregnancy. Women expecting second or subsequent babies do tend to measure larger. This is probably because their tummy muscles have been stretched by previous pregnancies. Carrying a little extra fat, or being shorter than average, may also make the measurement bigger.

Measuring the fundal height is an inexact science, as it can be hard to feel the top of the uterus. Different doctors and midwives may come up with different figures. But if your baby has been well at your previous scans, it's very likely that he'll be fine now.

Even in the third trimester, a midwife will be more concerned with looking for babies that may be smaller than average and not growing well.

If you have diabetes, or another condition that makes having a large baby more likely, you'll be offered additional scans and will be carefully monitored throughout your pregnancy.

Last reviewed: September 2013

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At my last appointment i was 27 weeks measuring at 33
@Twalib. I 4got to mention that it's also my first pregnancy and in my late 30s. I'm perfectly healthy. No health issues and I don't joke with ma African dishes.
@Twalib. U dint need to worry yourself over nothing. If ur baby is fine and d scan is alright. If u don't have any health issues then it's fine. I'm 28 weeks and people always say I look like I'm 40 weeks pregnant but I can't be bothered. My baby's development is a little bit faster than some babies at 28 weeks. He's doing great and I'm fine as well. So no worries for me. People can say whatever they like bur the size of my bump and baby may depend on my ethnicity, race background etc. I'm cool with it.
Hello . Im pregnant with my first baby but my doc. Said that she measured my baby 19 cm. But im 28 weeks now . It is normal ? Im so confused . I never asked my doc. To that because i really dont know about pregnancy status . How can you help me ?
Hello.. This is my first pregnancy 28 weeks now but my stomach looks bigger than other mums my belly button has really darken, every person that sees me think i might be having twins but the ultra sound showed just one. Please help me know if this is normal. Thank you. Will be glad to hear from you soon..

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