Larger than average babies

hi,

just wondering who has had a larger than average baby and how this affected the birth, either in good ways or by making things harder? i am only 5"2 and my doc guessed at 35 weeks the baby may have already been 7 and 1/2 pounds, so chances are i am probably going to have a pretty big baby... just wondering about other people's experiences, and whether they had to have a c-section etc.

some people have said they think a bigger baby can make it easier as they do 'more work' in getting down the birth canal and they are stronger.... hmmm, im thinking they are just trying to make me feel better, haha. i don't suppose there is anyone out there who can compare giving birth to a biggie v's a smallie?

(i did tried a search before posting but didnt know what to search on!)

ps did anyone with a big baby go before their due date??

Hi Emma,
This is quite what you are looking for but........I was told at about the same time that my bub was small for dates and I had heaps and heaps of ultra sounds and monitoring - even though they told me that its really hard to tell the size at this point...anyway my little man was born 7.6 which is hardly considered small...I've also heard heaps of stories of people being told that their bub is going to big and they have ended up being average...

Good Luck...

Hh and Emma, my baby that was going to be small for dates is now in the top 10% for his age in both weight and height...

Hi. My DS was induced at 41 weeks and was born by emergency c/section, weighing 10 pounds and 3 ounces. I could not dilate past 3cm as his head could not come down properly through the birth canal, as his head was stuck. He went into distress and straight away the c-section was performed. I was told for quite awhile throughout my pregnancy that he was going to be a decent sized baby, but I wasn't thinking that big.

I am nearly 7 weeks pregnant with our 2nd child, but am having a c-section, as recommended by OB, so I can hopefully avoid the problems I had last time, such as post partum haemorrhage, etc.

Good luck and I hope all goes well. :)

My daughter was born at 39 weeks and was 9 pound 1, my labour was fine :) Didnt affect it in any way. I did have a retained placenta which needed a D&C after she was born but I dont think that was because of her size.

#1 DD was 9lb 5oz. I had to be induced at 41 weeks due to pre eclampsia but was told throughout pregnancy i will probably have a big baby. Her shoulder did get stuck, but i reckon this was due to having to have vacuum extraction.

#2 DS was 9lb 0.5oz. I went into spontanious labour at 39w3d. Labour was long but only because he was posterior. But he came out without any trouble at all. Actually he came out so fast all the blood rushed to his head. So pretty much the same size as DD but had no trouble. (which is why i think it was the vacuum that got her stuck)

I was told it doesn't matter the size of the baby, just the head. A 7lb'er could have a 35cm head and so can a 10lb'er. Once the head is out the body usually just slides out after.

Hey :)
My 1st DD was 9lb 2oz and a week late... I was told by my Dr that i was going to have a small baby!!! LOL I had no trouble with any of my births...

GL and I hope all goes smoothly :)
Tanya

I've heard that if the baby is bigger then the uterus has something to contract around to push bubs out. If a small baby then bubs is sort of just making its own way down as the uterus cannot quite push it out. Just what I've heard...no experience.

Good luck for an easy labour regardless of size

Hi,

My last son was 9lb 7 oz and it was a difficult labour. I think a lot of that had to do with the fact I had little support from the midwife looking after me. My Ob was great, however, after I pushed his head out his shoulders got stuck and although everyone was saying his head was out his shoulders were not moving no matter how hard I pushed. After changing my position and (my sis later told me, yanking him out) my Ob got him out with no broken bones. He did need to be resuscitated as he wasnt breathing due to cord compression while he was stuck but he is healthy and doing everything he should be. I am 20 weeks pg atm and trying not to think about the big baby thing. Good luck with everything.

my daughter was 11lb 4oz or 5.1kgs & i laboured for 13hours after being induced on my due date but i was dilating & already knew the baby was going to be big but not that big!! im 33 weeks pg with my second & have gestational diabetes so will have a csection to avoid an emergency one as i know she is going to be big - dr said it is mainly the head that has to get out & isnt overly relavent to the weight of the baby as the rest just slides out - typical male dr!!

glad to hear your story melbee!!I'm due next week(monday)and have been watching this thread closely since i keep hearing how big this bub is too, was starting to get panicked but good to know it can be done!!

..just for an answer for Emma, when preg with DS i was told he'd be giant too and he was 8p5 and 50cm long so not that big after all(but not small for a 1st)so don't worry dics/midwives etc aren't always right on these things..and DS birth was text book, barely any drugs, no epi, 8 hrs from first contraction to last push and only had to push for 20 mins..so don't get too stressed out..the body is pretty amazing!!

Hi Emma, I have also been told that a bigger baby makes for an easier birth. As there isn't as much room in the birth canal to move about so they just pretty much slide out, with a little help of course.
My DD was only 6p8oz when she was born. And she kept on turning and moving around and ended up getting stuck behind some tissue, but in the end I managed to push her through, but she did come out with a cone head:D

I can't compare big vs small, sorry!

I had 36 week u/s that showed DS weighing 9lb @ 36 weeks, and put my due date 3 weeks earlier than what it was.

I was induced at 10 days post dates. DS *was* 10lb 4oz, and did have a larger HC of 38cm, but I birthed him with only gas/air, and had no tearing from his head (I did have a small tear but that was cos his shoulders and the rest of him flew out really fast!)

Most babies are the prefect size for their mummys bodies, so hopefully this will be the case for you.

hiya

DS 1 was 8lb1oz he was 55cm long... cant remember the head...

DS 2 was 10lb 6oz and he was 57cm long..

this one we are hoping a girl... and i am happy as long as its not bigger than last :) i dunno if i could cope.. both boys were all drug free... i used the bath for pain relief for DS2

angel

My DD was 7.5 lb. I had the epi with her,due to very high blood pressure. It was an uncomplicated birth, 6 hours all up i think.
My DS was 9lb 4 oz. I went 7 days over my due date. I was told that he would just be an average sized baby at pretty much every Dr's app i had. He came out pretty easy aswell (well as easy as child birth can be lol) I didn't have any drugs.

I'm also only about 5'2, so don't be to to freaked out about having a big baby:D

Emma,
We sound like we have very similar stories. My OB has told us from about week 25 we would be having a big baby and the only way we will be having a small baby is if we go early by a few weeks.
He also said the same thing as Rayray said and that our babies are the right size for our bodies as a matter of survival. My mum, grandmother and great grandmother all had huge babies ranging from 9lb 8oz to nearly 13lb all vaginally. So I was in for a big baby from the get go.
I guess we won't know until we are in labour and birthing our babies. I am terrified that I am going to end up with a c/section without being given a fair go at a vaginal birth because of the apparanent big size and being a primip with an untried pelvis.
I've got another appointment in two weeks and I am going to have a good talk with him about what he thinks.
What are your initial concerns about being told it is a big baby? Having to have an elective c/section or not being able to birth vaginally?

Small Pelvis, Big Baby
Pelvises I Have Known and Loved

back up to links kelly posted; just saw this thread;
https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...ad.php?t=32181
truley its the size of the head that counts!:PLOL.
if your body is capable of growing it your body is capable of birthing it naturally:D

oh and you hear often after the birth the babies not as big as the ob guessed!:P its really hard to get accurate measurements or weight from an ultrasound that far along in pregnancy.
maybe your doc is just scissor happy:o

thanks for all your stories guys, its comforting to hear there have been some whoppers born with seemingly no complications!!
nurse dan - i guess its just a general fear of how the hec is little old me going to push out this gigantor baby, i am also worried of things getting stuck, or things not progressing. im also worried about having to have a c-section, i really want to avoid that. and im worried about tearing etc because of a big head. just probably all the usual fears. i guess being told it is big makes me doubt my capabilities but only time will tell. maybe it will go smoothly without a hitch, here's hoping!! not long to go now.