Possible C Section - head all of a tizz!

[Now we're 3]

Hi ladies - hope you can help here with experience or advice

My OB is on leave and yesterday I had my first visit with my replacement OB who would be responsible for delivering the baby if I don't go over term (my OB comes back from leave day after I'm due).

After examining me he made the comment that I was "growing a nice big baby" and that we would need to discuss birth options in the next week or so as there was a quite a possibility that regardless of how hard I tried I wouldn't be able to deliver the baby naturally! He was only putting me on notice that we'd need to discuss rather than saying it was definitely going to happen.

I've been hoping to go as natural as possible all the way through the pregnancy but had it in the very back of my mine that I might need to go section because of the size difference between hubbie and me. He's just over 6' 2" and I'm 5". While my own OB had mentioned that he thought the baby would be on the larger size of average this was the first time that it had been voiced out loud that I might have to have C/S.

Head is all of a tizz now as I am not sure what I should do - still try for natural and hope it all works out okay or just accept and book in for a section. I am thinking that I should probably go with the advice that the OB gives me as they are the experts and at the end of the day I want (1) what is best for bub and me and (2) to avoid having to have emergency section after God knows how many hours of trying to deliver naturally. I am going private so elective CS is an option. Also not someone who feels that they have to deliver naturally in order to be a real mother!

What do you think? Has anyone gone through this or what would your advice be? I know it mightn't happen and we still need to discuss with OB but would appreciate your input.

Cheers

[Lulu]

Hun, Obs are medical experts in the field of complex births. A possibly large baby is not a birth complication.
It's pretty crap in my books to start waving the 'big baby' card around. He's not even your ob.

No one thinks a c/sect makes you any less of a mother, and there is NOTHING to say you can't have this baby through your vagina.

[Lulu]

There is a plethora of information about c/s etc around here, there are also many many stories of mother being told how big their babies were (even after scans), going through surgery to find the baby is only 7 pds etc.
There are also plenty of stories of big chubba's being born naturally with no complications all the time. Take time to check out the vbac threads too, see why so many mums want one and the struggles they have to achieve it...many times because they had c/sect on the wrong opinion of an ob.

Talk to your own ob, you know it's not something to be taken lightly - and don't let the opinion of some bloke who has seen you once get your head all in a tizz! I have plenty of short friends with 9pd+ babies and it wasn't an issue.

xoxoxoxo

[Arimeh]

Hey What a thing to be dealt !!

FWIW, my DH is 6 foot 7, and I'm about 5 foot 5 - so there is a similar height difference between us and you guys. Just because they are tall doesn't mean you will have a big baby! I had a wellbeing scan done at 41 + 6 with Miss M, and they "estimated" her to be around 10 pounds, 4 oz with a HUGE tummy circumference (40cm).

She came out via c-section at 42 weeks (not because of size issues, but because the placenta and cord were deteriorating) at 8 pounds, 11.5 oz.

I'm trying for a VBA2C now - going through an independent birth centre, and its a struggle to find any support unless you go with independent midwives (which aren't always available).

It depends where your heart is really - but if I were you I would push for a natural birth, because if the baby is too big (which is quite rare I'm told), I think its better to have at least laboured and lost, than never to have laboured at all.

And the size of the baby is usually a little bit bigger on average than what you were at birth - not usually the father's size. I've read that its usually a pound difference between your birth weight as a baby and what your baby will be (dunno how accurate this is, I was 7 pounds 7 born, DH was 7 pound 14, DS was 8 pound 2.5 oz)

I dunno, I'd be inclined to give it a go at least, maybe because I know the struggle to obtain a VBAC?

Good luck with whichever you decide though

[Fleur]

Hun, Obs are medical experts in the field of complex births. A possibly large baby is not a birth complication.
It's pretty crap in my books to start waving the 'big baby' card around. He's not even your ob.

No one thinks a c/sect makes you any less of a mother, and there is NOTHING to say you can't have this baby through your vagina.

:yeahthat: Lulu you said it perfectly.

It depends where your heart is really - but if I were you I would push for a natural birth, because if the baby is too big (which is quite rare I'm told), I think its better to have at least laboured and lost, than never to have laboured at all.

what a thing to have thrown at you now. I can't say it any better than Lulu & Mel. It is very unusual for you to grow a baby too big for you to birth. That's not to say it doesn't happen, but those cases are the exception.

I chose to have my VBAC because I believed it was safer, and because the recovery time was much, much quicker.

As for whether to try for a natural birth or accept it & have the CS... you could try for a vaginal birth , accepting that sometimes there is a need for a CS... don't pressure yourself to have a VB, just try it & see what happens.
Ultimately though it has to be whatever you feel comfortable with
Good luck

[*Belle*]

Hon I was told my first bubba was big and she came out 7 pds 8 oz. Unfortunately her head got stuck in my pelvis during the pushing stage and I had emergency c/s. This was NOT due to her size hon. Your choice, totally up to you.

[STARRYSKY]

hiya! as everyone else has said, whoa! what a thing to have thrown at you now! that being said, me personally, I NEVER entertained the thought that I would have to have a CS, I skipped over all those bits in the birth books, was going to be all natural for me, but that wasnt the case.
at 40 weeks I was told I was going to be induced (due to pre labour for 2 wks) but the OB I saw was very staraightforward in her " no point faffing around here, we will let you labour for 4 hours then its straight to surgery, that baby is a big one and I highly doubt he is going to come naturally!"
I laboured for 10, then ended up having the csection, my boy was 9pd 11oz, yes he was big, but I do truly believe that I could have had him naturally, if I wasnt induced.
You do what is right for you, having a CS really screwed with my head, but I think this is because I was not prepared for it.
my best advice to you would be to research your options, find out about it as much as you can and be at peace with your decision, just remember that its your body, your baby, your choice.

[~Kaz~]

Just wanted to chip in to what the other girls have said. Obs are basically surgeons darl. That's what they do and are understandably biased because of their training (just the way it is). I can't stress enough that you do your own homework, your own research and make your own mind up. Whatever you decide to do is ok. It's your body and your baby. Just as long as it's your decision and based on facts and the best information you can get at the time. There's nothing wrong with discussing all of your options and all of the possible scenarios. This should occur to inform you prior to your labour, not to have some ob who only just met you, pre-determine how you're labour is going to go.

Good luck!

[Visitor3]

I am going against the grain here, but if I were you I would book in a CS. I went through pretty much every type of birth you can have except for forceps (started natural, had epi after 7 hours, pushed for 2 and a half hours no success, prepped for theater, tried suction, continued pushing, no success until c section got my baby out in 2 minutes).

I don't think anyone can really estimate how big your baby will be. Even how big you were at birth is not really a sure fire way of telling, (I was 5.5 pounds(or 2.5kg, tiiiny ! and my dd was 8.8 pounds (or 4.03kg), not so tiny )

Really it is such a personal choice and ultimately you will really have to weigh up how you feel, but for me I will be booking in for a c-section rather than possibly put my child and myself through that whole trauma again.

Good luck with whatever choice you make and remember that no one has the right to judge you on a decision you make for your body, which ever way you may go. We are here to support you

[Arimeh]

Prettybutterfly - I'm sorry you had an awful experience - it sounds very traumatic

I just wanted to point out that though that 8.8 pounds is under 4kg - cos Miss M wasn't over 4kg born and she was 8 pounds 11.5oz. I think she was around 3950/3980 grams (can't remember which, its been a year!). So I think someone told you a wrong conversion somewhere

[~Kaz~]

Yeah my DS was 8p7ounces or 3.84kg.

[Visitor3]

Prettybutterfly - I'm sorry you had an awful experience - it sounds very traumatic

I just wanted to point out that though that 8.8 pounds is under 4kg - cos Miss M wasn't over 4kg born and she was 8 pounds 11.5oz. I think she was around 3950/3980 grams (can't remember which, its been a year!). So I think someone told you a wrong conversion somewhere

Thanks Arimeh... Oops sorry I only really know kgs, so I googled for the conversion in pounds... Google you failed me !!

Ok to avoid confusion, I was born 2.5kg and my daughter was born 4.03kg. Point being, it's really hard to say how big your baby will be even by scan or mothers or fathers birth weight.
Arimeh would you know the correct conversion for 2.5kg and 4.035kg in pounds ?

[Arimeh]

8 pounds 14 oz Just a smidge under 9 pounds.

Oh and 2.5kg is approximately 5 pounds, 8.18 oz

[Visitor3]

8 pounds 14 oz Just a smidge under 9 pounds.

Oh and 2.5kg is approximately 5 pounds, 8.18 oz

Thanks hun

[fionas]

As the others have said, do your own research. But really the thing is this, NO-ONE can predict what sort of birth you're going to have. Really, no-one, not people who say it just takes willpower and you'll be fine and not any ob who warns of dire consequences if you attempt a VB.

My ob has the lowest caesar rate in Melbourne so he's not one to push (pardon the pun) them unnecessarily. He did, however, when pressed by me, admit that he was a little concerned because DD was a biggish baby and I'm small-boned and basically my body is a bit out of proportion. I'm 166cm tall (so quite tall), take a size 5.5 shoe (friends ask me if I had my feet bound as a kid because they're stupidly small relative to my height), have never met anyone with smaller hands than me (and after a few drinks at a party will insist on showing everyone my hands so I've compared mine to quite a lot!) and some of DD's hats actually fit me! So naturally I was concerned about my pelvis size and ability to get her out.

Anyhow, he said best bet was to try for a vaginal birth and we'd just "wait and see what happens". That was good enough for me. It was a long labour because she was posterior and I did have forceps to get her out but only two stitches. So I'm glad I took his advice which was to give it a red hot go (even though I was pretty much the same as you - not too fussed about whether I had a vaginal or caesarean in the whole scheme of things - just didn't want a caesar unnecessarily if that makes sense). She was a 8 pounds 10oz or 3.925kg.

I can't emphasise enough that no-one can predict what sort of birth you will have. The trouble is that when they do predict, it messes with your head.

[CrazyLady]

Nature is amazing at growing babies to suit the mother's birth canal.

Honestly do whatever you feel most comfortable with, do your research and remember to not stress!

It is your body, your baby and your choice and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

Good luck!

[chickenlittle]

Hello Meadsie, just wanted to say I'm in a similar position as you right now.

Saw a fill-in OB today for my appt at 35.5 weeks. (Is yours away on conference too?)

So I lay down for the old tape measure thang and as he measured me his eyebrows shot up and I thought Oh God here we go.... fundal height is 39. Pfft.

So he gave me the same little talk about discussing options with my regular OB when I have my next appt in 2 weeks.

In my case this is my 3rd baby... 1st was 4.2kg and I was induced and birthed her relatively easily considering the whopper she was, only a couple of teeny stitches, and my second was a breeze at 3.3kg, no drugs and no stitches, all good.

I'm scared only because of the baby's well being. I don't care about the pain - I can always scream for an epi! - but I'm worried about shoulder dystocia if the baby's too much bigger than my first.

But I'm going to try to keep calm and talk to my own OB in 2 weeks.

It's not a nice place to be in because your mind goes berserk. But I agree with most of the commments here in that it's impossible to tell exactly how big the baby is and how your body will manage.

Good luck with it all... keep us posted.