Big Babies

[Ange80]

OK Guys i had to have a scan today because the midwives were worried about my measurements as i am measuring 4 weeks bigger then i am supposed to be pregnant.


So at the ultrasound today the lady told me i had a big baby. Im supposed to be 36weeks pregnant and my babies measurements Head Circumference, Abdominal Circumference and Femal Lenght all measure at 39.5 weeks pregnant and my baby currently weighs 7.8pounds.

Has anyone ever had a baby measure this big at 36 weeks and did they let you go full term.

Im just worried as i have a daughter who was only born 7pounds and i got 3rd degree tears with her which needed 130stiches.

Im worried i wont be able to give birth naturally to a big baby.

[squidipa]

wow i could so understand why you would be worried. wow. No i never had before my first born was 8.5 pound born vaginally the otehr two were smaller as i had c sections. Have you spoke with your dr about adjusting the due dates? there really is nothing i can say to bring you comfort your obviously a very healthy pregnant woman. With my third born they told me he was under weight yet eh was fine when born he was 7.8 pound.

[dee73]

My OB told me that late scan measurements were NOT accurate, and I know plenty of people who have been told they are having large babies who then go on to deliver one under 8 pounds. There really is no way they can accurately predict weight by this stage, and it makes me angry that they scare people by saying things like that. I had a friend in your exact poisition who opted for a c-section as a result of her fears, and her ds turned out to be 8 pound 2 so not big at all.

Also, remember your body will be better at giving birth this time, so even if baby is bigger than your first there is no reason to think you will not be able to birth it.

[squidipa]

Dee.....you are correct i have heard this also about baby measurements, thats why the only important ones for accuracy are the 19 week scans.

[The[cookie]Doctor]

Check out this thread...

big baby = hard labour?.

There is some reassuring information about birthing larger babies... for instance lots of 9 & 10lb-ers!

I'm trying to find the thread ive seen on scans but cant find it yet... bbs.

[frazaled1971]

at 31 weeks i had an u/s that said my bub was already 7lbs had another one at 35 weeks said 8.5 lbs and they wanted to do another one last week but i told them no as they are very offten wrong from everything i have been able to find out and why let it stress me and the doctors as this bub is to be a planed vaginal breech birth i dont want them to stress about his size as well thankfully my specialist agrees with me and cant see the point as they are so often wrong,
this is bub number six for me and yes my last bub was 9lbs 11oz but untill her my biggest was 7lbs 8oz and it wasnt any harder to have her then the rest so rest assured that after the first they are usually easier.

[Ange80]

Im not that worried about the size of the baby, but the fact that i might need to have a ceserian(SP?) I do not want a ceserian by any means and want it to be natural but the doctors are worried because of my tear with my daughter as it has damaged some of my nerves and that down in that region.

So my question should be has anyone ever had a really really bad tear and then been able to give birth naturally to a much larger baby.

[Trillian]

Hi Ange. Its very confronting when we are told we are having a 'big baby' and I honestly think it should be outlawed LOL - all it does is make us doubt our ability to birth a big baby. The measurements they take can be skewed - the abdominal circumference can be bigger if baby has a full tummy, the 'weight' of bubs is measured from a calculation using the length of the femur as a guide (who would have thought that weight could be calculated by using a leg measurment? ), which could mean that you are just having a long baby, not a heavy one. And even if you had a second scan done immediately after that one by a different person you would have gotten different results too.

Either way, there is no reason at all why you can't give birth vaginally, even with the previous nerve damage from your first birth. Second births are usually a lot easier than the first one as your body has done it before. There are also a lot of contributing factors during birth itself that can increase your chances of tearing - laying on your back, fast second stage of labour (the birth of the baby) and poor management of the perennium as the baby is being born. That said there is a lot you can do before the birth to help your perenium - massage, upright birth positions etc.

From my personal perspective, I had a episiotomy with my first (4.18kg), went on to only have a 2nd deg tear with #2 and #3 (3.85 and 4.32kg each) and only a small graze that required no stitches with #4 and he was 4.56kg and had the biggest HC of 37cm. The biggest difference out of all of them was I had better perenium management with my 4th.

So there is absolutely no reason at all why should need a c/s - you've given birth vaginally before and the only issue was the tearing. Grab yourself a copy of the pink kit and get to know your vagina and give yourself the confidence you need.

[Macca79]

I had a scan at 31 weeks and was told then that bub was the size of a 34 week old but now I'm close to the due date my midwife says that bub is big but an ok size. She said that our bodies grow babies that we are generally able to cope with in terms of birthing.

I reckon you should try to relax as the reality is until you get to the birth you won't know for 100% and right now looking after yourself and not worrying will help you more. Maybe try massage or other relaxation ideas, I have found these things have helped me when I get worried or concerned.

Goodluck

[Danielle]

hey!

Just wanted to laet you know I am in a very similar situation, I am attempting to try for vaginal birth after a previous c section, and they dont like you trying if your baby is past "so big" due to pressure on the scar. And I am not allowed to go overdue what so ever either.

I had a growth scan at 34 weeks, and my baby measured 8.8 pounds, they told me he was the size of a 39 week baby at 34 weeks, with all his mmeasurements combined. But they did say it can be inaccurate by half a kilo either way, so he could be half a kilo less or half a kilo more, either way if I am allowed to go to 40 weeks he will be a big baby. Which doesnt surprise me as my 1st was 10lbs 2 oz.

It is very confronting finding out the size of your baby this far along... its really only a ball path figure anyhow.. but it gets you wondering about things. I had to have a c sect due to bubbys size 1st time around, and probably will have to this time I see my OB tuesday, I am going to discuss my concerns and fears with him of not wanting another c sect and see if I cant attempt vaginal delivery, maybe you should do the same with your OB, you will make the right decision for you and your baby as scary and daunting as it is.

Good luck with it all! I hope you work out a decision that will be right for you and your bubby. I am 36 weeks pregannt and still have no idea what I will be doing

[Katstribe]

Ange I just wanna say try to have more faith in your body hun! Just becasue you tore so badly with your first doesn't mean you will tear again. For example my first vaginal birth was a 6lb7oz girl and i tore all the way up and all the way down and out both sides and through the inner flap (sorry no technical name coming forth in my mind) and they needed 3 boxes of the stitching thread! My next bub was 7lb8oz not one tear! The only thing i did differently was to listen to my midwife! I panted when she said to pant and psuhed when she said so and if she said little push thats what i did! Sometimes that can make all the difference in the world. Also if you are really worried about teraring try doing some pirenial(bad sp) massage with some oils. I have since given birth to a 8lb6oz (that was my biggest to date) and still no tearing or grazing! So please don't let the fact that you tore badly last time have any bearing on what may happen this time.

Good Luck
Kat

[Ange80]

Thanks for all the comments guys, im starting to become positive that I am going to have a vaginal birth.

One thing i am interested to know is why do they give you ultrasounds this late in pregnancy if they are not accurate?

It just makes the mother to be freak out and think she is having an extra large baby, one of my friends was told she was having a 10 pounder and ended up having a 7 pounder. It makes me angry.

Oh yeah and the hospital rang me last week to tell me that everything is ok but they cancelled my appointment for last week and wanted to cancel my appointment for this week and make it for next thursday 03/04/2008 when i would have been nearly 39 weeks pregnant because I am not a high risk pregnancy.

Is this right for them to do that? I thought that once you hit 36weeks that you were supposed to be seen every week until the baby is born or is that just for people with high risk pregnancies.

I ended up cracking up and they ended up keeping my appointment for this week.

[Trillian]

They do it because they can, simple as that.

As for your appointments, if everything is going fine, then there is no need for you to go in weekly from 36wks. With my 2nd and 3rd pgs I only went at 35, 37 and 39wks because my Dr told me there was no reason for me to come in and if I felt that something wasn't right then by all means come in, but hey, I didn't need any further convincing not to LOL. And put it this way, if you don't go they can't make you 'agree' to things you don't want.

And of course you are going to have a vaginal birth - you've done it before, you know what to do and you'll do great!

[robbo3]

I had a scan at 34 weeks (to check placenta) and they casually told me bubs estimated weight was 6lb.....scared me a bit as based on estimates it put bub at about 9lb at 40 weeks.....I disregarded it though based on my other kids weights (6lb10oz, 8lb2oz, 7lb3.5oz).

Guess what though...bubs was born 9lb at exactly 40 weeks

I also had a scan at 34 weeks with DD where her estimated birth weight was 8lb at 40 weeks......she was born 8lb2oz at 40 weeks....

So my experience has been good with estimation....but that said my last had the biggest head and I had no damage whatsoever....my 1st and 2nd left me torn and bruised.

I agree that a good midwife and good management of the birthing stage can make all the difference....

[bon]

My DD #2 Matilda was born at 41 weeks. I had no idea how big she was as my last ultrasound was at around 24 weeks, although I suspected she would be on the larger size. Turns out she was 9lb 9oz, which of course I only found out after she was born. Out of my three births, hers was the best and although I did tear it was not huge, and I suspect that would have happened whatever size she was. I am glad I didn't know before hand that she was on the large side, because that would have made me stress and doubt my ability to give birth to her. I am glad I didn't know because it would have added unnecessary stress, and as it was it didn't change the outcome - she was still born vaginally, which was what I wanted.

Ange - You can do it! Women's bodies are made to carry and give birth to babies, trust in yourself and your body