Pregnancy is one of the happiest moments. However, mothers need to understand various things about pregnancy in order to maintain good and correct health.
One of them is about normal fundal height according to pregnancy. What is normal fundal height during pregnancy? Why is it important to measure normal fundal height for pregnancy?
When the stomach begins to expand, doctors will generally measure the lump that grows regularly after pregnancy with a measuring tape. This is called fundal height.
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Quote from Healthline and Mayo ClinicOne of the benefits of measuring normal fundal height according to pregnancy is to determine small babies according to gestational age. The expectation is that after the 24th week of gestation, the fundal height for a normally growing baby will correspond to the number of weeks of gestation.
For that, you need to understand the importance of measuring normal fundal height according to pregnancy. Let’s talk about normal fundal height according to pregnancy, Mother.
What is fundal height?
Fundal height is the vertical measurement (up and down) of the abdomen during pregnancy. This is the distance from your pubic bone to the top of your uterus.
The doctor might also call it symphysis-fundal height (SFH). The symphysis is the scientific name for the bones that are joined together, such as those in the pelvis.
How to measure normal fundal height according to pregnancy?
Normal fundal height according to pregnancy is always measured in centimeters (cm). To measure fundal height, you will be asked to lie on your back in bed, the same as when you are doing an ultrasound.
The doctor then uses a flexible tape measure to measure the distance from the pelvic area to the top of the uterus. After 24 weeks of gestation, normal fundal height usually corresponds to gestational age.
Benefits of measuring normal fundal height according to pregnancy
There are also various benefits of measuring normal fundal height according to pregnancy, including:
- Doctors have a better estimate of how far you are progressing in your pregnancy.
- The doctor can chart the fundal height over time to make sure the weight is gaining and the baby is growing consistently.
- Fundal height helps show how big the baby is (fetal growth) because a big belly doesn’t necessarily mean the baby is big.
- Can find out the exact gestational age. So, if the fundus is about 26 cm (plus or minus 2 cm), you are probably around week 26 of pregnancy.
Of course, fundal height cannot give an exact number of weeks or indicate the exact size of your baby but it is still a good estimate of that.
Measuring fundal height is very important, especially when no ultrasound is available or if you are on a business trip out of town. Fundal height is used by doctors around the world to help check the health of pregnant women and the growth of babies easily and quickly without the need for expensive high-tech equipment.
Fundal height is so important that researchers created an international formula to help better estimate gestational weeks and baby size with this measurement. Some mothers-to-be may exhibit a larger belly than others.
Then what are the risks if the fundal height is not appropriate? See on the next page, Mother.
Mother, let’s download the Allo Bank digital application here. Get 10 percent discount and 5 percent cashback.
Let’s also watch the video about 3 causes of fetal death in the womb.
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