Big baby (apparently) - needing some reassurance.

Hi everyone,

I'm sure there are a few threads about this floating around, but I just had a visit with my OB and am completely on the verge of a nervous breakdown! I am almost 37 weeks, and she is concerned that we have a giant baby on our hands, according to fundal height measurements, and how I am carrying (aka huge. Though isn't everyone in the last few weeks?). We've been advised to have a growth scan this week (which I wasn't really into as I know how inaccurate they can be), and I just feel so stressed out about this now.

To be honest, I've always felt that the 'big baby' thing was a bit of a sham...why would my body grow a baby that was 'too big' to birth? And also, a little person is going to be pushed out of the birth canal anyway - what difference does it make if that baby is three kilograms or four? My OB wants to get a better idea of the estimated size from a scan, so that we can work out how to 'manage' things if she does turn out to be a giant baby. Our preference is for a natural, vaginal birth (which is shared with our OB), and she has said that if it seems as though our baby is going to be over 4.5kg at full term, then we would need to talk about inducing early (though she has suggested that I step up acupuncture treatments in the short-term). Her biggest concern is the increased risk of shoulder dystocia with a larger baby, which I understand as with the obstetrical model the emphasis is always on risk.

I'm officially babbling, I'm sorry...I suppose I'm just wondering about other women's experiences, and outcomes. I feel a lot of pressure to get things moving to avoid a chemical induction, and now all I can focus on is the stress of having an alleged big baby...I don't want to go into this birth plagued by worry and fear, but unfortunately my temperament makes this rather difficult. Any sage advice? Anyone?

Honey, its ok!

I had DD1 who was 7lb 5oz, then when I had DD2 I was told she wold be smaller than DD1 coz of my fundal height, weight gain etc.
She was 8lb 9oz!!!

They can be so far off its not funny!

Nothing wrong with a big healthy bubba! My friends DS was 10lb 10oz. Birthed naturally 15 days over due. No induction etc at all. He's 3 months younger than my DS & is the same general size with a bigger head! He's gorgeous!!

It's very rare that your body will make a baby you can't birth!

I was 4 weeks ahead in fundal height measurements and Tara was born at 40 weeks by elective c/s and she was only 3.02kgs cant remember pounds, have you had an ultrasound? even though this is not accurate either at late stage of pregnancy.

DS was 4.64kg at birth, but not a "big" baby, he was just really long, and had about a 38cm head.

You sound like you have done a lot of self education on these sorts of things already. Do you want to be induced, or are you hoping to avoid it? Does they type of induction make a difference?

I still dont want to have a medical induction, and after having a VB with DS, I don't doubt I can birth a "big" baby, but Im planning to start natural induction techniques, like accupuncture at 38 weeks. I figure that with more natural things, if they're ready they;ll come, if they arent they'll stay put.

Just thought I would add, threw my last few week my fundal hieght mesaured 2 weeks infront, bub was born 9 days over at 4.155, and I had no problems birthing her, I had more trouble with my first and she was 3kilos exactly.

Oh, I would like to avoid a medical induction at all costs! I know that, ultimately, even if my doctor recommended it out of the possibility that she might be 'too large', I am of course allowed to refuse. I have been booked in for a growth scan on Thursday morning, so I suppose that should give us some idea...though I'm quite skeptical about the accuracy of an ultrasound at this stage of pregnancy. Do you know what I think it is? It isn't the idea that she might be large, it's that the idea of a baby being too large/difficult to birth almost implies that your body is somehow going to be unable to cope with the physiological process of birth. I suppose my worry has more to do with the doubt that comes along with such judgments of baby's size - I've worked really hard during my pregnancy to rid myself of any fears or doubts I might have had about birth, and I feel as though I've been set back months in terms of my mindset. It's back to that old 'oh my God - how on earth is a little body going to fit through there?!' worry of the first trimester, only now it's combined with - 'oh my God - there is an increased chance of her getting completely stuck on the way out?! What if her collarbone breaks? What if she needs to be resuscitated?' etc, etc...I've had a complete worry-wart relapse! I think I am going to have to spend the afternoon doing Calmbirth relaxations...these stories are helpful, though.

Just so you know. I was cruel to my mother & I got 'stuck'. Don't know the datails, should ask I guess, but she was taken to the next hospital 60 kms away so they could use forceps & I'm fine.
(Well a bit quirky, but fine!!)
I have no idea how it worked or what stage she was at when transferred, but I made the trip no problems & was perfectly healthy born.

Go with what you are comfortable with. You can & will do this.
Good luck.

hav you read up on active birthing positions as well? That would give you more room to fit out a bub if you do have a larger than average (and whats an average anyway - roughly 50% will be smaller and 50% larger!)

im sorry your OB has put this doubt in to your mind!
You are right that your body grows a baby right for your body!

check out the gaskin manouvere(sp) maybe give the info to your ob :lol:
it is a change of positon that opens your pelvis up more when bubs is (if it happens) stuck.

I think you know that no good will come out of the scan as they can be soo far off base with the measurements. that i think you shouldnt go....
as it will add more stress and doubt on to yourself about "not being able to birth" your baby the way you want! and that your ob obviously thinks you wouldnt be capable either.

It seems you know all the right things- these scans can be so wrong I don't know why they bother! Know that your body can do this and don't let that fear creep in. I had the same thing told to me about massive baby, etc. I refused the scan because I decided it would be unhelpful to know just how massive, especially given how wrong they can get. DD turned out to be 8lb 10oz, so big, but no giant.

Check out some techniques but don't get panicky about it and make sure your head is back in the right space that you can conquer anything and birth your baby no matter what.

hi little berlin
is this your first baby?

Gosh, are those third trimester growth scans ever accurate at all?! Our doula was actually just talking about the Gaskin manouvre - she is loaning me the more recent Gaskin book (not Spiritual Midwifery) which has a whole section about that in there. I wonder if the incidence of babies getting stuck have more to do with the kind of labour you experience, rather than it just being a matter of having a 'big' baby?

Our OB is actually pretty great...we were also talking about optimal birthing positions, particularly ones that allow for ease in protecting the perineum, and also about taking things slow as I want to avoid an episiotomy...she did also say that a bigger baby is not necessarily going to be an indicator of a difficult or traumatic birth, so it's not all doom and gloom! I think she's definitely in the minority in terms of obstetricians, particularly in that her style is to consult with you, rather than just tell you what to do! Although I hate that I am worrying about it now, at least I have a doctor who is accepting of the kind of hopes I have for the birth. I feel as though I have read so many stories on here of women being told that thet have to birth via c-section due to baby's size, only to discover that their 'huge' baby wasn't really all that huge at all!

I had a scan at 34 weeks to check that my placenta was ok.... so it was one of the better bigger scans. They said that the baby was 4.6kgs... and allow for a 20% difference so i thought right this baby is either over 5kgs and already almost 4kgs,..... Well she was born 3 weeks later and she was 3.3kgs! so she either lost a lot of weight or they were VERY WRONG!

There is normallu only ever a problem between a women growning a too bigger baby for her body is when say a tiny asian women mates with a islander??? and that you can understand..

If your Ob is talking 'big baby' I'm sorry she is NOT one of the good ones, she is obviously totally caught in the whole obstetric view that womens bodies are inherently incapable of birthing babies without intervention. It's a very bad sign, and if she thinks a scan is going to shed light on the situation, then I'd trust her even less.

Have you utilised a resource called 'The Pink Kit" ? It gives great info all about the pelvis and how it works in dynamic concert with bub during labour to facilitate birth, and gives great suggestions about how to optimise birthing positions etc.

The ONLY way to give a diagnosis of CPD is to labour, and see what happens...only in hindsight can you know.

That your Ob is so scared by SD casts aspersions on her ability, quite frankly, than anything else...

A 'big' baby does not mean a big head and shoulders necessarily, it can simply mean a heavy baby, so weight means nothing at all.

Babies heads are designed to mold for birth, and pelvises are stretchy structures desisned to facilitate birth.

I truly believe you can do this, don't be cowed by scaremongering.

You sound like your head is screwed on right and you know what you want and most importantly you're not being taken in hook line and sinker by what she is saying - you're right to doubt and to ask questions about this. Shoulder dystocia is by and large a positional problem - 5lb babies can cause problems if they are not in the *best* position for birth. It's a great start that you have a doula and she is offering you support and literature about this - she will be there to help coach you through the birth and if babe does turn out to be big - she will be more than able to guide you into the best positions for it.

I have had two babies (out of 4) that presented with shoulder dystocia - one was 4.32kg and my last was 4.56kg - but they were BOTH in a terrible position for birth and they have very broad shoulders, so both those factors combined to make it harder to get them out, but not impossible - I didn't even tear with my last baby, just the smallest graze. Trust your instincts on this one.