If you had a very long pregnancy....

[kateo]

My daughter Ellen was stillborn at 41 weeks. I didn't want to be induced early. She weighed 3.333kg

[Beach Mama]

The risks are usually because the placenta can start breaking down and not functioning as it should, I had scans every 2 days from 6 days overdue heading to my due date.. Interestingly the last scan the day before JJ was born I asked what size he was and she said - oh he looks average and he was 10lb so it is clearly not a precise science guessing the weight of these babies! I know there are loads of people even on here that have had sizing scans that are way off - so something for her to consider as well xoxxo

[onthefly]

Why do they think she's going to have a big baby?
So far as I know, the risk increases after 42 weeks (although there is some differing info on this). The line in the sand seems to be a bit arbitrary though, as some doctors/hospitals seem to insist on 40, 41, 41+3 or 42 weeks as a cutoff, while some (particularly midwifery-led practices) will also suggest it's safe to continue gestating (if the mother wishes) with regular monitoring after 42 weeks.
There is research concluding that routine induction at 41 weeks did not improve outcomes.

[Trillian]

A baby will be as big as it is meant to be. I know of women who have gone to well over 42 weeks (I'm talking 43+) and some of them have been quite large babies and some of them haven't been that big at all. I know women who have gone before 40 weeks and had large babies and some who've had really small babies. It really does sound like your friend is being given all the bull**** lies just to suit the Dr because there is absolutely NO reason at all to induce at bang on 40wks because she might have a big baby. And her last baby wasn't big at all in my opinion. My pgs were 39+6, 40+1, 40 and 40+4 and their sizes ranged from 3.85kg to 4.56kg.

[Arimeh]

42 weeks - 8 pound 11.5
41 + 5 - 8 pound 10
41 + 4 - 7 pound 12

I think the amount of weight they put on is pretty negligible in two weeks over. I think at my 37 week scan for dd3 she was estimated as being 3.1kg and came out 400g more than that nearly 5 weeks later.

[Crystalwings]

DD1 - 39wks - 8lb 15oz

DD2 - 40 + 12 - 10lb 7oz

Another one here who makes em big lol but i can't say they were good births sorry. No one told me i was having a 3mth old, just joked about it. It is a catch 22 because obviously intervention leads to more problems but having huge babies can also lead to alot of problems.

[luna moth]

It really does sound like your friend is being given all the bull**** lies just to suit the Dr because there is absolutely NO reason at all to induce at bang on 40wks because she might have a big baby. And her last baby wasn't big at all in my opinion.

*shock*

How dare you question the doctor!!

I can't fit enough of the little dude in here to convey how I feel. She truly believes that this baby will be big. She truly believes that big baby = bad birth. She WILL go dutifully into that hospital on B-day and succumb to the cascade of interventions again. She will blame the midwives/hospital/birth experience/size of the baby again. She will end up in tears over it later, again.

She's not my friend. She is a member of the family I married into. The one who punched my husband in the face over our parenting choices. This baby's imminent arrival is stressing the pants off me. Part of me wants to save her from this, to shake her by the shoulders and say "it doesn't have to be that way!" But if she gets violent over me breastfeeding twice in an hour, I don't think that will be received favourably The other part of me says "Fine. Go. Follow orders, and get what you deserve."

I'm sure that makes me sound horrible. But I have to get it out.

[Mildez]

Me 36+3 = 3.64
37+5 = 3.98

As a middy I find most of the times big baby = average or no bigger then the 4kilo mark. I cared for a lady who they said her bub was huge (expecting the 5kilo mark) and out he came all 3kilos of him. Still remember a lady who the Ob absolutely insisted on her having a c/s for big baby. I know he threatened her with a variety of things. Eventually she agreed but was very very unhappy about it and bub was 6.6kilos just prior to 38weeks. She had previously had 3 NVD all over 5kilos but no4 was 1.5kilos bigger then the other 3.

[onthefly]

To be fair, her situation is as much a product of the 'system' as of her own choices. It's her life, her birth, she has to live with it.
Anyway, try not to slap her

[meow]

Pretty much yes

First: Born 40 weeks at 4300gm
Second: Born 41 weeks at 4730gm
Both were natural births.

When I first booked into the birth centre with the second I was told I wouldn't have to see an OB to be approved as "low risk" given my previous natural labour. But then when an OB had to sign off they flagged my file that I had to have an OB appointment before being approved. I never went to that appointment as I was planning a homebirth anyway but I suspect the OB wanted to talk about my "big baby" and I do wonder if they would have wanted to cap my allowed gestation under "low risk" and not let me birth in the birth centre past a certain date due to "big baby" risks... whatever those risks are??

[princesswalkee]

I am pregnant with my second child but my first was expected to be about 7.5 pound, i had him at 40+10 and he was 6 pound 13 so 3090g, and my partner and i are not exactly small and were both 8 pound babies so really its jsut luck of the draw

[Crystalwings]

Pretty much yes

First: Born 40 weeks at 4300gm
Second: Born 41 weeks at 4730gm
Both were natural births.

When I first booked into the birth centre with the second I was told I wouldn't have to see an OB to be approved as "low risk" given my previous natural labour. But then when an OB had to sign off they flagged my file that I had to have an OB appointment before being approved. I never went to that appointment as I was planning a homebirth anyway but I suspect the OB wanted to talk about my "big baby" and I do wonder if they would have wanted to cap my allowed gestation under "low risk" and not let me birth in the birth centre past a certain date due to "big baby" risks... whatever those risks are??

I think there are risks associated with big babies. things like shoulder dystocia are a huge risk to baby and mother. My 10lb7 bub had shoulder dystocia, got stuck, inhaled fluid on her breathing problems and fluid on her lungs and ended up in SCN on a drip, chest xrays etc. Obs said she could have died etc. it was scary stuff. I sustained a third degree tear and am still recovering almost 6mths on. yeah sure tearing can happen with any size baby but i think it is naive to say there aren't more risks with big babies.

[meow]

Shoulder dystocia and tearing do happen with any size baby. I think they have more to do with position of mum and baby during birth.

[raffy]

I went 40+12 and ds was only 3.67kg and 52.5cm long

[meow]

I missed your second post audax. It's SO frustrating. I have GOOD friends debrief their disappointing births to be and still make decisions that are not in line with their optimal birth second time around. I care deeply about these women and want to take over and tell them what to do but but I can't. TBH I generally don't get into big discussions about their second births. I just can't do it. We need debiefing for the debriefers sometimes!