I can't speak to quality of guestimating baby sizes but I can tell you there is a world of difference between ultrasound machines and technicians. I seem to be averaging about 2-3 pelvic ultrasounds a month at the moment, quite often it is that many per week, and I would have great faith in my favourite clinic's ability to measure just about anything and almost no faith in various other clinics ability to measure anything.
Having become quite the connoisseur of ultrasounds for infertility reasons I could probably tell whether it was worth trusting a baby measurement or not - but how do you know if you haven't spent hours watching your own insides on a big screen at a wide variety of clinics? Last time I had a bad scan I walked out, called my favourite clinic booked in for later that day, got a new referral and trotted over to find that my suspicions were spot on and the previous scan was hideously wrong. I certainly would not have had the knowledge or confidence to do this without having had as many scans as I have had in the last year.... Having to explain to my specialist that I didn't trust his staff's scan and went and got another one which had very different results was not quite so easy (interestingly he had no problem believing my preferred clinic over his own team's scan, apparently my 2nd opinion result was much more inline with my blood test results than the first scan had been). I am not sure home much value there is in measuring a baby to decide what to do after a previous 4th degree tear, I probably wouldn't do it if it were me. But if she does decide to get an ultrasound to estimate size choose the clinic VERY carefully - it DOES matter. I can give recommendations in Sydney if that is any help. cheers Jo At 7:58 PM +1000 30/8/05, Julia Vaughan wrote: >No experience of vaginal birth following 4th degree tear (thankfully!). But I >personally had an ultrasound at 37 weeks last pregnancy (at a specialist >women¹s ultrasound clinic) and the estimate of bub¹s weight was actually spot >on (if you allow approx a 1oz a day foetal weight gain). At the time I was >told that the estimate could be as much as + or 10% which is huge when you >are talking about 4500+ grams of baby! > >HTH, >Julia > >-----Original Message----- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Kim Stead >Sent: Tuesday, 30 August 2005 9:19 AM >To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au >Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] 3rd degree tears > >Out of curiosity...... does anyone have any experiences of vaginal birth >following previous 4th degree tear? I've just recently met a woman who wants >to give vaginal birth a go - has new partner (says old one was huge!). She is >smallish person - 60kg, last babe 10lbs (1st baby). What do you think. She >will be birthing in hospital. I've asked her to get a copy of her obstetric >records from previous hospital. Still in early pregnancy so can't gauge size >yet. Is a later ultrasound a good idea for a gestimate on the weight? I know >they can be so inaccurate. > >Kiwi Kim, > > > > > ><http://www.incredimail.com/index.asp?id=54475> -- Jo Bourne Virtual Artists Pty Ltd -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
