What is considered big in regards to a babies head circumference?

[DaintreeDream]

I was just curious to know what is considered big in regards to a babies head circumference?

My DD's measurements were as follows:
Weight: 6.6 pounds
Length: 51cm
HC: 35.5cm

In regards to weight I know she was on the smaller side of average but I tend to think her head may have been on the bigger side? Am I correct? I also think she may have been a bit on the long side for her weight.

Any thoughts?

[sazzafrazz]

Not too sure but posting my DD stats so you can compare:

6lb4oz (2.82kg)
48cm length
33cm HC.

My daughter looked (and still does) long and skinny. Your dd was longer and lighter but with a bigger head so your idea does stand up to our measurements! Will be interesting to see what others say...

eta: I see now that she was actually slightly heavier than mine but you get what i'm saying

[Visitor8]

all 3 of mine were 'big'.
37 (8lbs 4oz, 53cm)
37.5 (9lbs 5oz, 55.5cm)
39 (11lbs, 55cm)

[AliBaby]

I was told I had a really long baby and my babies head was considered on the bigger side of things.

Her stats were:
Length- 52.5cm
Weight- 8pound 1ounce
HC- 36.5cm

Is your DH or are you tall?

[DaintreeDream]

I am 5'3 and he is maybe 5'11ish (just under 6' ) so nothing special. I do not know where she got her length. Considering she was long and light she had and still does have a lot of chub on her. Her head has never looked big but I think it sounds big for her weight.

[Trillian]

I *think* the average hc is 34 cm, so anything smaller than that would be below averge and anything larger is obviously above average. I think it's just a mind over matter thing - I have had 34 cm up to 37 and there was absolutely no difference to me in how much it hurt, but no estimates were ever made on how big they would be. Maybe if I had of been told "oh this head is quite large" before they were born, then I think I would have gone into that birth with reservations about my ability to get them out. A lot of people have said 'OMG' to me when they knew how big my last baby's head was but it didn't make much difference to me at all.

[DaintreeDream]

I have had 34 cm up to 37 and there was absolutely no difference to me in how much it hurt

Nice to know! When I was pg with DD I was always told head head was spot but she was small weight wise, I was never to concerned and ended up with a CS so have no idea if it 'felt' big. When she was born people commented how she was small but it is the head size that counts when 'giving birth'.

I am hoping for a VBAC next time and these silly comments have got me thinking. Although I think that my next bub might be bigger all over as Matilda was born at 38+2 weeks via CS with no indication from her that she was planning to evacuate any time soon and also as she has a chromosome deletion which leads to low birth weight.

I am putting silly things in my head I think.
When I was pg with Matilda I had no doubt in my mind that I could birth her naturally, my fear was CS, now that I have had a CS and for me it was such a breeze (CS and recovery) I am kind of telling myself how hard it is going to be to go natural after this experience. I want a natural birth more than anything and I know that I can do it. I am just like anyone I suppose, I overthink things.

Thankyou for your responces. I think that 35.5cm seems ok, not small but definatly not large .

[AliBaby]

I *think* the average hc is 34 cm, so anything smaller than that would be below averge and anything larger is obviously above average. I think it's just a mind over matter thing - I have had 34 cm up to 37 and there was absolutely no difference to me in how much it hurt, but no estimates were ever made on how big they would be. Maybe if I had of been told "oh this head is quite large" before they were born, then I think I would have gone into that birth with reservations about my ability to get them out. A lot of people have said 'OMG' to me when they knew how big my last baby's head was but it didn't make much difference to me at all.

So true!

[Trillian]

Oh, and don't forget that their head will mould to fit through your vagina too, so the actual circumference afterwards is irrelevant really. If you are given all the time you need to push them out then there is no reason why you can't get a baby out with a 40+cm head. My first baby had a hc of 35, which is not over large, and the shape of his head was amazing! I pushed for nearly 1.5hrs and he had this huge conehead - I even asked if it would stay like that ROFL! I was devastated to think that his head would stay like that, but that's just how much it needed to mould to be able to fit through.

[2CheekyMonkeys]

well DD1 had a head circ of 38cm and it was not on the chart they give you with the percentiles on it. i would think 35cm is pretty average. DD1 was 55cm long too which was about 95th percentile from memory.

[feeb]

36cm head is generally considered avg.

DS was 38cm head, 3995grams and 53cm long at 38 weeks!!!

[Pandora]

DS had a 38cm head, 4640g but he was 41+3