Birth weight correlation with baby gender?

[Trillian]

I don't think there is any relationship between them. I have two of each gender and DS1 was 4.18kg, DD1 was 3.85kg, DD2 was 4.32kg and DS2 was 4.56kg. the earliest was born at 39+6 and the latest at 40+4.

[Arimeh]

I don't think there is any relationship between them either.

DS - 39+1 - 8 pound 2
DD1 - 42 weeks - 8 pound 11
DD2 - 41+5 - 8 pound 10
DD3 - 41+4 - 7 pound 12.

If DS was left in there longer, he would have been around the same as DD1 and DD2 I imagine. I think DD3 was lighter because of my gall bladder issues during her pregnancy and I couldn't eat like I did with all the others. All the others I put on around 22kg - in hers I lost 7kg.

[HotI]

Ok, so apart from gall bladder issues is there anything else you can do to try to get a smaller baby?

[meow]

Smoking works apparently.

[Arimeh]

I don't think so - like I said, its just a guess, DD3 might have always been that small regardless of what I ate.

Are you trying for a smaller baby?

[meow]

Jokes aside, I had two big babies and I ate like the sugar-demon I was. A LOT of sugar and carbs. I tested negative for GD first pregnancy and didn't test in the second. I have a theory that my next baby will be smaller now that I don't eat carbs and sugar like that anymore. Will have to wait to tell you the results of my small study though sorry.

[willow5]

I'm not even sure eating has a great deal to do with it. I had HG with DS3 and DD so was pretty much completely starved and dehydrated for the first 5 months with DS3 and better medicated with DD so could eat and drink a bit more with less vomiting. Still they were both heavier than DS1 and not really what I'd call small babies.

[meow]

I'm not even sure eating has a great deal to do with it. I had HG with DS3 and DD so was pretty much completely starved and dehydrated for the first 5 months with DS3 and better medicated with DD so could eat and drink a bit more with less vomiting. Still they were both heavier than DS1 and not really what I'd call small babies.

Did you find that the HG tended you towards certain foods? Did you eat more refined carbs with those pregnancies?

[HotI]

I would prefer a smaller baby than DS, or at least not a bigger one.

Both my kids same parents, similar diet (nor perfect but pretty good), same gestation (41 weeks) but DS was an extra 1.3kg. They are different body shapes, but since birth to 1.5 years both then travelled down the growth charts to average or smaller sizes.

I put on a heap of weight during pregnancy, lots of fluid which i lose in the first month pp and then extra that drops off around 9 months pp. This is another area i'd like to see if i can do something about.

[nickle730]

My three kids all have the same parents and were all born at around 39 and a half weeks (can't remember exactly!).

DD1 - 2.7kg
DS - 3.57kg
DD2 - 3.30kg

I ate the same diet with each of them and did not have GD with any of them. I gained around 12kgs during each pg. DD1 is still on the small side, she is now 10 and weighs 26kg. I think she is just made little, we come in all shapes and sizes and she is small. I am certain of her dates, she was not early. I agree with the PP who said that a bigger baby is easier! DD1 was jaundiced, sleepy, difficult to feed and had a poor sucking reflex. Everyone from the MCHN to the paed hassled me about her slow weight gain. The other two were better feeders and seemed more robust. DD1 was also the most difficult delivery by far.

[Miss.September]

While I don't have different genders, I was more inclined to eat more junky foods with DD2 and she was 9lb 2oz at 40 +6 (I gained 11kg). DD1, I was pretty strict on being as healthy as I could be - so lots of veggie soups for lunch, very little junk food (as in chocolate, potato chips, cake) and she was 7lb 13 oz at 39+5 (I gained 9kg).

My friend had a big boy as her first, almost 10lb and her second was a petite little girl (same gestation) at just over 6lb.

Way back when my grandmother was having her babies, she'd had two big boys and her third was on the way. She was put on strict doctor's orders to consume no salt so she could have a little baby! I don't know what size my aunt was though. My grandmother always said how difficult it was to stick o any sort of salt-free diet.

I don't know if what I was eating contributed or not, just thought I'd give you more to ponder!

ETA - The comments about pushing and being coached ring true to me. DD1 was smaller in both weight and length, I needed a forceps delivery (plus epi) and I ad superficial tears. I had no idea what I was doing. Second time round, I went with what the midwife said, she coached me through and I didn't need forceps and no tears at all. (I did need an epi though but that was because the cord was around her neck an they had to cut it before she was born - they couldn't get to it without the epi.)

[raffy]

I only have the two boys but they were both 8lb 6oz, DS1 was born at 41+5wks and DS2 at 38+5wks, I shudder to think how big DS2 would have got if he was in there for another 3 weeks like DS1! However both pregnancies were exactly the same! Sickness, cravings, aversions, weight loss, symptoms etc. all exactly the same but if they had the same gestation DS2 would have been significantly bigger

[chody47]

Ok, so apart from gall bladder issues is there anything else you can do to try to get a smaller baby?

Have a placenta that doesn't work properly...

[Bloom]

I have had DS 3.6kg, DS4.5kg and then DD 4.9kg! If you look at the baby growth charts in your baby immunisation book you'll see that on average girls are born smaller than boys.

I tested negative to GD and I was worried and even asked for a 2nd test, but was told it wasn't neccessary. DD was my shortest gestation at 40+5. I did eat sugar and carbs a lot (whereas before her pregnancy I was off sugar and low on carbs).

I would also be interested to know what to do to have a smaller baby, if there is a next time for me.