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... did you have a very big baby?
Someone I know is about to have a baby and is "not allowed" to go past 40 weeks. There is a bit of big baby = bad birth fear-mongering, and I just wonder how much basis there is in it.
I went to 41 weeks 5 days. Baby was 4.07kg.
^ I know that my stats are probably playing on her mind a little bit. But at the same time, I had a big baby and an awesome birth, so I hope that's a consideration too.
Mmmm I think the "not allowed" can be negotiated in some cases.... I wasnt allowed to go past 9 days with my vbac attempt.... I got to 14 days and he was 4.56kg(10lbs), and DD was 11 days over and 3.99kgs(8lb13oz)..... Lots of people give birth naturally with big babies with no worries... I just never got the chance! My gf who is tiny had a 9lber and 10lb14 bub only a few days late both vaginally. Good luck to your friend.
I thought the not being 'allowed' thing was more about the fear of an increase in the risk of stillbirth?
Anyway, mine were 4029g and 4030g, both at around 42 weeks, so not particularly big.
It's a pet peeve of mine that people feel they're 'not allowed' to gestate beyond a certain point. It's a decision that should be made by the mother.
I went 40+13d and he was 3730g so not particularly huge. And he was really long (55cm) so he was more skinny even though he was heavy.
I thought that was about going past 42, or the magical 40+10?:
Her first was born at 40 + 10, so the 40 week limit is very much about not wanting her to have too big a baby. Firstborn was 3.7kg, after a lot of scans and hoopla and carry on about how big it would be in the weeks leading up to the birth. :rolleyes:
DD was 42 weeks, induced emerg csect and 8pds 2oz.
DS was 41+5 VBAC and 9pds 1oz.
DD1 - went to 41weeks and she was 8pds 1oz....
DD2 - went to 40+6 and she was 10pds 6oz........ :rofl: I make big bubba's!!! thats 4.7kg
I was 40+13 when he was born... 3.8kg
DD1 40+12 and 8lb 10oz so not huge
40+11 here and DS was 3.84kg or 8p7.
They told me/indicated he would be "big" but I'm pretty sure he was right on the 50th% in the end. They really can't tell how big a baby is going to be until it arrives ;)
My daughter Ellen was stillborn at 41 weeks. I didn't want to be induced early. She weighed 3.333kg
The risks are usually because the placenta can start breaking down and not functioning as it should, I had scans every 2 days from 6 days overdue heading to my due date.. Interestingly the last scan the day before JJ was born I asked what size he was and she said - oh he looks average and he was 10lb so it is clearly not a precise science guessing the weight of these babies! I know there are loads of people even on here that have had sizing scans that are way off - so something for her to consider as well xoxxo
Why do they think she's going to have a big baby?
So far as I know, the risk increases after 42 weeks (although there is some differing info on this). The line in the sand seems to be a bit arbitrary though, as some doctors/hospitals seem to insist on 40, 41, 41+3 or 42 weeks as a cutoff, while some (particularly midwifery-led practices) will also suggest it's safe to continue gestating (if the mother wishes) with regular monitoring after 42 weeks.
There is research concluding that routine induction at 41 weeks did not improve outcomes.
A baby will be as big as it is meant to be. I know of women who have gone to well over 42 weeks (I'm talking 43+) and some of them have been quite large babies and some of them haven't been that big at all. I know women who have gone before 40 weeks and had large babies and some who've had really small babies. It really does sound like your friend is being given all the bull**** lies just to suit the Dr because there is absolutely NO reason at all to induce at bang on 40wks because she might have a big baby. And her last baby wasn't big at all in my opinion. My pgs were 39+6, 40+1, 40 and 40+4 and their sizes ranged from 3.85kg to 4.56kg.
42 weeks - 8 pound 11.5
41 + 5 - 8 pound 10
41 + 4 - 7 pound 12
I think the amount of weight they put on is pretty negligible in two weeks over. I think at my 37 week scan for dd3 she was estimated as being 3.1kg and came out 400g more than that nearly 5 weeks later.
DD1 - 39wks - 8lb 15oz
DD2 - 40 + 12 - 10lb 7oz
Another one here who makes em big lol but i can't say they were good births sorry. No one told me i was having a 3mth old, just joked about it. It is a catch 22 because obviously intervention leads to more problems but having huge babies can also lead to alot of problems.
I really think its more to do with the baby...
Me:
DD1 - 41+1 ; 7lb 5oz
DD2 - 41 ; 8lb 9oz
DS - 39+5 ; 8lb 7.5oz
DD3 - 40+5 ; 7lb 5oz
Friend 1:
DD - 42+2 ; 7lb 9oz
DS - 42+2 ; 10lb 10oz
Friend 2:
DD1 - 40+2 ; 7lb 5oz
DD2 - 40+5 ; 6lb 9oz
All babies birthed naturally, except friend 2's DD. Baby was brow presenting (face first)
Obviously the more time inside, the more chance to chub up, but that means nothing really.
*shock*:
How dare you question the doctor!! :rolleyes:
I can't fit enough of the little :rolleyes: dude in here to convey how I feel. She truly believes that this baby will be big. She truly believes that big baby = bad birth. She WILL go dutifully into that hospital on B-day and succumb to the cascade of interventions again. She will blame the midwives/hospital/birth experience/size of the baby again. She will end up in tears over it later, again.
She's not my friend. She is a member of the family I married into. The one who punched my husband in the face over our parenting choices. This baby's imminent arrival is stressing the pants off me. Part of me wants to save her from this, to shake her by the shoulders and say "it doesn't have to be that way!" But if she gets violent over me breastfeeding twice in an hour, I don't think that will be received favourably :lol: The other part of me says "Fine. Go. Follow orders, and get what you deserve."
I'm sure that makes me sound horrible. But I have to get it out.
Me 36+3 = 3.64
37+5 = 3.98
As a middy I find most of the times big baby = average or no bigger then the 4kilo mark. I cared for a lady who they said her bub was huge (expecting the 5kilo mark) and out he came all 3kilos of him. Still remember a lady who the Ob absolutely insisted on her having a c/s for big baby. I know he threatened her with a variety of things. Eventually she agreed but was very very unhappy about it and bub was 6.6kilos just prior to 38weeks. She had previously had 3 NVD all over 5kilos but no4 was 1.5kilos bigger then the other 3.
To be fair, her situation is as much a product of the 'system' as of her own choices. It's her life, her birth, she has to live with it.
Anyway, try not to slap her
I had ds1 at 40+6 and he was 4.5 and ds2 at 38+5 and he was 4.035 so even early mine are big :)
My friend just had her second baby this week at 40+5 (induced at a private hospital) and she was 3.3kg so nope, not big at all! No scaremongering for her either, she just wanted her out as she'd had a lot of pre labour and was over it.
Both my boys went one week over their EDDs.
There was a big difference in their birth weights (almost 1kg) but since they both had the same gestation it couldn't have been due to the length of my pregnancy.
Pretty much yes :lol:
First: Born 40 weeks at 4300gm
Second: Born 41 weeks at 4730gm
Both were natural births.
When I first booked into the birth centre with the second I was told I wouldn't have to see an OB to be approved as "low risk" given my previous natural labour. But then when an OB had to sign off they flagged my file that I had to have an OB appointment before being approved. I never went to that appointment as I was planning a homebirth anyway but I suspect the OB wanted to talk about my "big baby" and I do wonder if they would have wanted to cap my allowed gestation under "low risk" and not let me birth in the birth centre past a certain date due to "big baby" risks... whatever those risks are??
I am pregnant with my second child but my first was expected to be about 7.5 pound, i had him at 40+10 and he was 6 pound 13 so 3090g, and my partner and i are not exactly small and were both 8 pound babies so really its jsut luck of the draw
I went 40+12 and ds was only 3.67kg and 52.5cm long
I think there are risks associated with big babies. things like shoulder dystocia are a huge risk to baby and mother. My 10lb7 bub had shoulder dystocia, got stuck, inhaled fluid on her breathing problems and fluid on her lungs and ended up in SCN on a drip, chest xrays etc. Obs said she could have died etc. it was scary stuff. I sustained a third degree tear and am still recovering almost 6mths on. yeah sure tearing can happen with any size baby but i think it is naive to say there aren't more risks with big babies.:
Shoulder dystocia and tearing do happen with any size baby. I think they have more to do with position of mum and baby during birth.
All mine were roughly 40+10
3.9kg / 8lb10
4.4kg / 9lb13
4.1kg / 8lb13
4.7kg / 10lb8
:hug: It sounds really frustrating for you.:
I missed your second post audax. It's SO frustrating. I have GOOD friends debrief their disappointing births to be and still make decisions that are not in line with their optimal birth second time around. I care deeply about these women and want to take over and tell them what to do but but I can't. TBH I generally don't get into big discussions about their second births. I just can't do it. We need debiefing for the debriefers sometimes!