He's a big boy!!

[SophieRose]

Had my ultrasound yesterday to see if bubby's really big or that my fundal height measurement was lying.
At 34 weeks, he's 6.9 pounds, and is expected to put on another 3-4 pounds if i go to term.
Everything looks good, heart is beating well, the cord is providing a good supply of blood, he has HUGE chubby cheeks and has the cutest little baby lip pout i've ever seen. Hehe, but then again i'm bias.

I have a meeting with the docs at the hospital on Thurs to figure out if their going to let me go to term, or their going to get him out a bit sooner.

Since last night i'm pretty sure he's engaged, not 100% sure, but since then it feels like i have a grapefruit jammed between my hips, and now i have to wee every half hour i'm pretty sure that's whats happened. Lol.
And i can no longer walk normally, i'm doing what Dp calls "The Preggo Waddle"


Has anyone else been in this situation before? Big bub and possibility of getting induced early? Would love to hear some experiences.

[~Kim~]

Hey Sophie,
Nate was estimated at 7lb at 34 weeks too. He was born 9lb1 at 39weeks. At that stage an ultrasound estimate can vary from reality a lot. Don't let them push you into something you don't want.
In my case it was accurate, but your body won't grow something that is too big for you.

[Early Kids]

I'd be interested in finding out how big your bub is at birth should you go to term.

I had Tristan at 34+3 and he was 6lb 13oz (3090 grams) I spent the first few days after birth wondering how big he would have been should I have made full term

[Inertia]

I have never been induced early. Had a bub that apparently these days is big O.o Still trying to work out when 9 pound became too big..

But a couple of stories from family history that might help you.

My 9 pound baby was an easier labour than my 6 pound baby.
Same for my mum - her 12 pounder was a walk in the park compared to her 6 pounder.

Sometimes I think pushing them out early is not the answer to an easy labour. I'd take another 9/10 pounder over another 6 pounder anyday.

[Taurean]

I've mentioned this in a couple of threads on BB but I'm happy to say it again.... I was 9lb and born via a drug free, intervention free, 90 minute vaginal birth. My mum is 5 foot nothing and had quite a small frame in her day. I really don't agree with induction or c-sections because the docs think a baby is too big. A friend of ours had a c-section earlier this year as her bubs was apparently huge. He was just short of 9lb so still in the 8lb region. Big? Hardly!

Good luck with your birth. I hope you get the birth you want. Good luck!

[Visitor8]

I had Ash a week early, normal vaginal delivery and he was 11 lbs, 55cm and 39cm head. They told me he would be at the end of 9 lbs... they were pretty shocked when they weighted him at 4.995kg!

My other 2 they said the weight and were way way WAY off, one was smaller, one bigger.... Don't rely on those ultrasound guesses.

[The[cookie]Doctor]

Don't let them push you into something you don't want.

And if you do want it - which we tend to at 37 weeks because we're sick of being pregnant - have a serious think about it and what the ramifications for your birth experience or your babies' health could be. In the end an extra few weeks of pregnancy isn't 'that' bad.

My Mid thought I was having a 10lb baby and DS was 8lb. That was from fundal and from looking at how I carried.
As for ultrasounds, IIRC they measure weight from the length of the femur - Do you think if someone measured your femur that would accurately gauge your weight? Just be careful with your options...

Before you let them dictate what your labour will be like because a guess of the size of your child, do some research about induction, early or otherwise. Many GD and PE labours that are induced at 37 wks end in CS because baby is not ready.

In the end it's your decision when it is offered... don't let them take that from you, you do have a right to say no. A 'big' baby is not going to be seriously damaging to your health if you go to 42 weeks.

Good luck with impending labour, I hope it is ultimately a safe delivery of your baby.

[Liz]

I had Tristan at 34+3 and he was 6lb 13oz (3090 grams) I spent the first few days after birth wondering how big he would have been should I have made full term

Kayla was born at 34wks (33+5 according to hospital.. pfft - what do they know lol) and she was 3.5kg (7lb14oz). I too wonder how big she would have been should she have been full term! Think my body knew she was big enough and booted her out!

I was never measured, nor was a guesstimate ever made of her size. My OB had hinted at her being a big baby tho, but never in so many words. Just that he double checked my file to make sure I didn't have GD. I could tell he was looking for why the baby was so big, but he literally stopped himself short of saying she was a big baby LOL.

I agree with the others, don't rely so heavily on those measurements that you feel pressured to do anything you're not comfortable with.

Read up on birthing positions that open up that pelvis. Remember that women birth big babies every day.

[rottfren]

My son was average size right up until about 37 weeks, I went to see my ob and he was amazed at how much weight he'd put on in about a week. As a result I was induced at 38 weeks and had an agonizing 20 hour labour, with every intervention under the sun. He was a vacuum extraction and had shoulder dysplasia, and due to the extensive bruising he suffered he was under lights for a few days. I had about 40 stitches. I should have had a caesarean, all the midwifes were disgusted that my doctor had put me through this. This was a private hospital as well!

He was 10lb 4oz at birth and 58cm long so would have been well over 11lb if I'd gone to full term. I don't know if I would have had a better birth experience if I had been allowed to go into labour naturally. I suspect so, but due to his size (especially his monstrous head!) he took such a long time to get through my pelvis.

It's true that body size doesn't seem to have much impact on how easy babies are birthed, I'm tall and quite a big woman, my sister in law is tiny and she had three babies, one in my mother in law's bathroom when she didnt make it to the hospital in time! her longest labour was about 2 and 1/2 hours.

[SophieRose]

My aunt had a little boy a year and a half ago, around the same time (34 weeks) he was 6.7, and he ended up being 12.3. And that was two weeks premmie, because he was getting to big for my aunt so she had a c-section.
A month and a half ago, she gave birth to a 11.6 baby girl, also by c-section and two weeks early. And at 34 weeks she was also around 6.9 too.
My great uncle was 13 pounds two weeks early.
My Other aunt was 12.7
I was 9.7

I reckon he's gonna be huge if we go to full term. Lol.

I'm not really fussed on how soon he comes (i lie, i want him out now!!!), or how he comes, i just want him to be healthy.
If the docs think it's best to leave him in there till full term then i'm fine with that. If they want to c-section or induce me early, and they think thats the best course of action, then i'm ok with that too.

Although i will admit that if he his huge i know i'll be a little disappointed that i didn't get to have him as a tiny little newborn. But oh well. Cest La Vie

[Early Kids]

And if you do want it - which we tend to at 37 weeks because we're sick of being pregnant - have a serious think about it and what the ramifications for your birth experience or your babies' health could be. In the end an extra few weeks of pregnancy isn't 'that' bad.

Having had two prems (30+1 & 34+3) I really do agree with this. I have 2 friends who gave birth just before 37 weeks and both bubs spent weeks in the NICU because they just weren't ready. It is not a place I would want any parent to have to see their child in.

all the best, I hope you get the birthing you are looking for

[Lisa]

I don't trust Dr and ultrasound guesstimations at all and think it is nothing but a PITA that ends up worrying the mums too much.
I was told that I was measuring fine with my eldest DS and not once was anything suggested that I be induced... He was born a week late and weighed 9lb7oz.
However, with my DD and DS2 I was constantly told I was measuring large for dates, and the babies were large on ultrasounds, at one point with my DS2 a midwife voiced her concern for me carrying such a large baby as I am only 5'3... and CS was mentioned for my DD as they guessed her as being close to 11lbs. DD was born 7lb9oz and DS2 was born 7lb10oz and absolutely way off what was estimated. It annoyed the cr@p out of me because when being told I might need a CS with DD, I broke down in tears and worried for the rest of my pregnancy.
PLEASE don't let them tell you that you will need something when it is most likely not necessary.

[hayles07]

My DS was meausuring almost 7 pound at 35 weeks according to the ultrasound. I had another ultrasound at 39 weeks and he was measuring 9 pound 7 apparently.. I went into labour at 39+2 and he was born just over 9 pound, 4.1kg Big yes, but definately not huge. I had a straight forward VB.

The doctors were talking about a c/s or inducing me early due to his size. Honestly, ridiculous! No way would I ever get talked into anything of the kind regardless how HUGE my baby was meant to be.

Good luck. After all, they are only estimates and no indication of how big baby will actually be.

[Ozziehoffy]

My u/s at 36 wks - they told me that bub was already 8 pound (for me a big baby - 1st 7lb, 2nd 5lb 12oz). Well, at full term he was only 8 pound 4, so I found it to really be quite unreliable. A wise lady in my belly buddies also told me this.... it's not the size of the baby as in weight BUT the size of the head which matters... and even then they squish up to come out. Like, Kim said, your body won't make a baby too big for your body... it's quite a rare thing for this to happen.

A friend of mine had her second bub in March this year and they were talking possible induction right up until she went into spontaneous labour about a week after her EDD. They'd induced her only 2 yrs earlier AT THE SAME HOSPITAL because they thought that the baby was big... he was only 4.2kg I think from memory - she's a tall lady and big boned and dad is very tall too. Now, they said they weren't going to induce (even though she wanted them to) her second bub cos there was no medical reason to, they'd said they thought the baby to be big, but turns out she was only a little lighter than her brother. So, it does go to show that they can be too ready to induce for no good medical reason other than "the baby might be a big baby".

[littleberlin]

That's a tricky one...in the later stages of my pregnancy my doctor told me that she thought I had a big baby, judging by fundal height, how I was carrying (huge!), and ultrasound that put my daughter above the 90th percentile. My refrain became, 'but scans are notoriously innaccurate - can't they be out by ten percent?', and refused induction at 38 weeks based on the fact that a big baby was no reason to induce early. We continued to refuse this right past the due date, having faith in my body and our baby that things would be moving when the time was right.

We were prepared for a natural birth, total calmbirth devotes, and very focused on this objective. At 41+6 weeks my baby still hadn't engaged, and after my waters broke and I went into labour that afternoon she was still obscenely high in my abdomen. We ended up with a casarean because, apparently, she wasn't coming out any other way - my OB had to reach up to ease her out, rather than down into my pelvis! She was 4.97kg at birth. Science won! We couldn't believe it. Sometimes my husband and I wonder if she would have engaged had we agreed to an induction a month earlier - but then, what risks would that have posed to her? Despite ending up with the complete opposite of the kind of birth we desired, I'm glad she had all that extra time in the womb to grow and develop, and she's as strong as an ox.

I'd trust your body and its ability to go into labour naturally...when your baby has done all the growing she or he needs to in utero, then your body will respond in kind. Although my baby never engaged, this thread (and countless others) proves that many women birth 4.5kg+ babies with ease. If it happens for you, that's utterly wonderful. But if it doesn't - don't feel like you've failed, because at the end of it all what you have is a perfect and well-nurtured baby, regardless of how they arrived in your arms.

[littleberlin]

I forgot to add - if you've decided against induction based on suspected big baby and are nervous about communicating this to your care provider, I'm fairly certain that the Royal (or is that American? I can't remember) Society of Gynecologists and Obstetricians advise against induction for this reason - a suspected big baby isn't classed as a 'medical' reason. It might make you feel more comfortable if you're faced with pressure to counter this push to induce with 'official' recommendations from a body governing the profession.

[SophieRose]

As i said, i'm not bothered.
But any way, was booked in for a c-section this morning, bub is coming out on the 30th of July! At 39weeks and one day.
The docs said, if i wanted to go natural, then we would induce me in a week or two. But if i wanted to keep bub in as long as possible so that he could have all the growing time i could give him, then it'd be a c-section.
I'm happy with that. Either way, vaginal or c-section, the end result is the same. Doesn't matter to me how he comes out, as long as he's healthy and happy.
I'm not the kind of person who's steadfast on either way of birth, so if the docs say c-section, i'm ok with that.

I just can't believe it, in 28 days i'm gonna be a mummy!!!!

[Visitor8]

Goodluck.

Personally I wouldn't ask for a c'section early because of healing and possible issues with that. But if your happy with it then that's what matters.

interested to hear the real size your bub is once he comes.