Fundal Height

From WikiParenting

Fundal height is a measurement that caregivers use as an indicator of how well a pregnancy is progressing. Prior to the invention of ultrasound technology, fundal height measurement was relied on heavily to determine how well the baby was growing. Fundal height measurement now is used as one in an arsenal of tools.

Contents 1 The Fundus 2 Fundal Measurement 3 Average Measurement 4 Conditions that affect fundal height

[edit] The Fundus

The uterus is a large pear shaped organ, with the larger end at the top. The fundus is the name for the portion of your uterus where the baby is carried for the pregnancy, the large upper portion of the pear shaped organ; the narrower lower portion is the birth canal.

[edit] Fundal Measurement

Your caregiver will begin measuring your fundal height when you begin showing, typically sometime in the second trimester. Using a tape measure, a measurement will be taken from the top of the pubic bone to the top of the fundus. Your caregiver will determine where the top of the fundus lies by gently manipulating your abdomen. The measurement, in centimeters, will be recorded on your chart at each visit. As your baby grows larger the fundal height measurement will increase, and show that the baby is growing as expected.

[edit] Average Measurement

While not true for every pregnancy, a general rule of thumb is that the fundal height should measure one centimeter per week of pregnancy. If your fundal height measurement varies very much from this you should talk it over with your caregiver, but it should not be a cause for immediate concern.

[edit] Conditions that affect fundal height

There are conditions that can affect the fundal height measurement, and range from no cause for concern to more serious medical conditions. Talk with your caregiver and discuss reasons for abnormal fundal height measurement. Examples of condition that result in an abnormal fundal height measurement include:

• A baby who has dropped down into the pelvis
• A baby who is in a transverse lie, draped across the mother’s abdomen
• A baby in the breech position
• Multiple pregnancy, twins, triplets or more
• Oligohydramnios , an amount of fluid in the amniotic sac that is less than a normal amount
• Polyhydramnios, an amount of fluid in the amniotic sac that is in excess of a normal amount

If you are measuring smaller or larger than normal, your caregiver will probably order an ultrasound to determine the nature of the abnormality and to check on the health of your child.

• A baby that is large for gestational age
• A baby that has experienced growth restriction in the womb

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