When we found out I was pregnant, my OB sent me to a high risk OB for 2nd opinion. As part of the consultation, the high risk OB suggested we do a monthly growth scan to ensure the baby was getting proper nutrition. The concern was that given that I no longer have a colon, the baby may not get the nutrients it needs. So we have been doing this every month for the past several months - and we have consistently been in the 22-25 percentile. My last scan earlier this week (at week 33) indicated we had fallen to 10th percentile. My OB is now going to monitor me weekly and indicated if things get worse (e.g. the baby keeps falling and goes under the 10th percentile) we may deliver the baby early. Does anyone have any insight on this? Has this happened to anyone? Were your babies of normal size when they were born?? I am wondering if this has to do with my Jpouch or there may be a issue with the placenta/cord transferring nutrition to the baby. Any insights/experiences would be greatly appreciated - I am super worried that the baby isn't getting what it needs from me!! Thanks!

Burrism1,

Have you also had some of your small bowel removed? If you only had your colon removed, this should not affect the nutrients that your body absorbs since basically everything is absorbed in the small intestine. Have you been eating healthy and gaining weight? Do you normally have issues keeping weight on? I'm no doctor or nurse, but if you've been taking your prenatals and eating well and not losing weight, perhaps you just have a small baby? From most of the posts that I've seen regarding pregnancy (as well as from my own experience right now - my baby's size has been tracking perfectly the whole time), women with J-pouches have healthy normal weight babies all the time. Because so many elect to have C-sections at 38 or 39 weeks, they may not be as heavy as a 40 week old baby, but still, on track for their age.

I also wanted to add, growing babies will take what they need from the mother. It might cause you to become iron deficient, dehydrated, etc., but your body has plenty of stored nutrients for the little one.

Just another thought if the docs are really concerned (since this just happened to my best friend)...have you had any bleeding? Any chance you have a partial placental detachment?

Hey there, clz81 - No, I just had my large intestine removed with my jpouch surgery. I am a small person (pre-preg 5'1" and 100lbs) but have gained 23 lbs so far, which my OB is pleased with. I have not had any bleeding but OB did mention that sometimes the placenta can stop working, or not work as well, which could cause the baby to stop getting what it needs. Hope this helps..

No one ever mentioned this to me when I was pregnant but I had a small bump and towards the end I had growth scans but they weren't too concerned, my daughter was born at 38 1/2 weeks she was perfect and weighed 6lbs.

I think your doctor is overly paranoid and you just have a small baby. Mine was only in the 5th percentile and he was healthy and fine. I was also a very small baby so my doctor said not to worry about it because they follow the mother's size pretty typically. I did go for non-stress tests throughout the last trimester to make sure nothing was wrong, but nothing was. I am only 5'3 and I only gained about 20 pounds the whole pregnancy. At the end, I was drinking boost shakes all the time to try to get his weight up and I got up to a 23 pound weight gain but honestly he was fine, he was a 7 pound boy and totally normal. Don't let them scare you. The j-pouch has nothign to do with this, and as a PP said, baby will take everything it needs from you. If anyone is deficient, it will be YOU and not the baby, I promise.

Burrism, your weight gain is good, and as you said, you're not a very big person. I was a small baby and so was my daughter (pre-pouch). It's very likely since you are small, you will have a smaller baby as well. If there are no signs of fetal distress, I would try to keep that baby in there and cooking as long as possible! Don't worry :-)

I agree -- I don't think that having a j-pouch has anything to do with it. YOU are small, so it's no surprise that your child is small. As previous replies state, the baby will take what it needs first; and nutritional absorption happens in the small intestine, so there is no reason for the high-risk OB to make the declaration that it is due to your j-pouch.

My son arrived six weeks early but very large for that gestational age and was at the 3rd percentile on the full-term baby chart. When I expressed my distress to the pediatrician that he was only in the 3rd percentile, he shrugged and said, "someone has to be."

At every well-baby visit he inched up a little bit and now at 4 years old, he is at the 50th for weight and just under the 80th for height, which falls in line with where my husband and I are genetically.

I know saying it is easier than doing it, but try not to worry.