BIG baby!

Ok I am worried that I am going to have a gargantuan baby! I am having shared care with my gp and the hospital. I had an appt with my gp on thurs (? maybe fri) last week. The week before I had my glucose test done. GP said all was well, no GD, just a little low in iron. Checked bubs, all is well, though breech and posterior. Measured fundus, twice, measuring 31cm at 28+6wks. Not really worried at this stage.
I had an ante natal clinic appt today, saw an OB, again all is well, baby has turned (YAY!!) and is in a good position for birth (at the moment!). Measured fundus again twice and measuring 34cm. She also changed my due date to 20/8/08, rather than 15/8/08, so now according to her I am only 28+6wks now, so almost a week less pg than before. So bubs is measuring 5+ weeks ahead of dates. I am having a scan next week to see if there's anything else it could be, or if they're wrong.
What I want to know is what else could it be? I don't have GD, so baby wouldn't be big due to that. He's changed positions completely, so it shouldn't be the posi he was in. In prior scans, fluid and everything was normal.
And has anyone else had measurements like this and the dr has been completely out? I have had two dr's check now and both have said he's quite big for dates. It's freaking me out already! I REALLY don't want a c/s. The OB today already said the 'I' word (induction), which again I really don't want. I had one with DD and it was traumatic for me.
Arrrggggh!!!! Help!!

Fundal Height can be/is entirely inaccurate.
Just ignore it!!!
Women DO birth big babies! And so can YOU!

Think about it - any professional can measure slightly differently, all women can carry differently, all women can carry different amounts of fluid.... don't stress!

ETA: You know what else, I think you should decline the scan. Many women only have two scans for the entire pregnancy. Is it really necessary?

There should be a law against measuring fundal height - it serves no purpose other than to make you worry about the size of your baby and it has nothing at all to do with the size of your baby. There is a chance that he could be bigger - even a lot bigger, but its not a big deal - women birth big babies all the time - thats why mother nature made sure vaginas are so stretchy. You will be fine, he will be fine so try to think nothing more of it.

My fundal height was generally 2 to 3 cms bigger too... don't worry about it! Changing your due date around is irrelevent too. In the end my baby was quite big (4.3kg) but I birthed him fine- labour progressed well and I pushed him out unassisted without drugs. You can do it- your body has made a baby you can birth :D

My ob didn't measure. Not once. And he's not a slack ob; he's a fantastic ob.

He just had a feel and told me she'd be between 8.5 and 9 pounds and to buy 000 clothes. And he was bang on the money at 8 pounds 10 ounces (3.9kg).

So I'd say ignore them too.

He was slightly concerned by my foot size and the correlation between this and pelvis size given that the baby was going to be quite big (for me) but certainly didn't suggest a sizing scan or inducing.

Both my girls measured 3-4 weeks ahead the entire pregnancy & DD1 came 17 days post Edd weighing 4kg and DD2 came 41 weeks +3 weighing... 4kg. I had a scan at 41weeks and it showed her being 10lb 11oz, so a LOT bigger than she actually was.

Scans measure the length of the femur bone, and the fundal height measures your womb.. so no actual baby measurements going on. :hug: you will be fine!!

Thankyou everyone for your advice and words of wisdom :) And your faith in me.
It's just worrying me that bubs is measuring so big after being measured by tow dr's. I know it can be really inaccurate and logically I know most of the info you guys have told me, LOL!
Another thing worrying me is that my family is not very supportive already. And I'm nowhere near labour!! DH has said 'Well if he's too big you can just have a c/s'. Even though I have told him explicitely that I don't want one and why. My mum said 'I had 3 c/s's and I'm fine and you're all fine. Afterwards is nothing.' Maybe it was nothing for her dealing with the results of a c/s but I will have a 16mth old as well and I live in a 3rd floor unit. And I'm a BIG wuss!! If I HAVE to have one for safety's sake for me or bubs then obviously I will, but I am not thinking that a big baby is good enough. I am trying to educate DH, but I don't know if it will work...

DD1 was 7lb 5oz
DD2 was an extremely stressful pg & fundal height was small. Supposed to be smaller than DD1 - Came out 8lb 9oz!!
DS I expected to be around 10 lb!
Came out 8lb 7 1/2oz
Don't stress!!

Why did your Ob change your due date?

Because she usedmy second u/s dates (at 19wks) rather than the first dating scan (at 8 and a bit wks) to estimate. I will talk to my gp about that. I tried to tell her I had another scan before that, but she wasn't listening. I'm not worried about my due date really. I don't know exactly when my last period was so I don't know exactly when bubs is supposed to be due. But I'd say in mid to late August just on my gut feelings.

DD would have measured about 6 weeks ahead if she'd been measured. She was full term size at 6 weeks prem (3.5kg). My OB did kinda hint that she was getting a bit big, but never said it in so many words.

I say trust your body to grow a baby that it can birth. I reckon my body knew she was getting too big so kicked her out early! LOL.

Ignore. Ignore ignore ignore. Everyone.

You don't have any medical conditions that could cause bub to be bigger than you can birth, which means your body is building the right size baby for you :) Myy midwife measures me, but always says that there are so many things that can influence fundal height thats its not even worth worrying about. Your body knows what its doing.

I understand your fears of c/s ... Something I found really helpful to do was to read up on some empowering c/s stories. I don't want a c/s. Not at all. But if I hold on to that fear in labour its possible that the fear of having a c/s will stress me so much that I might end up having to have one IYKWIM. I think being prepared has helped a lot. Writing my birth plan including what I want to happen if I have to have a c/s. It doesn't alleviate all fears, but I tried to address the ones that were scary me the most. Dunno if this helps but I hope so. I really do know what you are going through!

Kellie, I agree with the others. Fundal height doesn't mean much at all, but even if it is a big baby, you can deliver vaginally. Women birth big babies every day. Even small women birth big babies fine every day.

And given that you are not wanting a c/s, it's good that they have made your EDD later. Less chance of them telling you that you need an induction because you are x days overdue. You can and will do this hun, have faith in yourself - we do!!

Awww sweety the girls have given you some great advice and I'm sure you don't need to be told that y ou can say NO to an induction. I had one too - ended in c/s, should never have been induced in the first place. As the girls have said, we are made to birth babies - that is what our bodies are made to do. :hug: Odd that she changed your date too hun - I am sure I have read somewhere that the scan done for dating from 6-12 weeks is more accurate for dates than any other scan. I had my s can at 18w4d and gumnut measured at 20w1d but there was no talk of change of dates at all. I will try to hunt down the info for you. Also Kelly posted a great video a while back of women who gave birth to big babies! It is possible - but remember, bubby might not even be that big!!!!!!

Just as an aside- my girlfriend who is a size 6, about 5"3' had a vb for both her boys- one was 10lb14oz and the other was 9lb10oz! :)

Yup I agree with everyone else!!!! They are just "guessing" with all these measurements, and they are soo inaccurate. My last OB said that they take the dates off the first scan they do (like 6 or 8 weeks) as they are most accurate then, instead of 18-20wks when there is so many things to take into account - ie, bubs could just have long legs and throw off the whole dates!!!! ridiculous. And I think its true, we do create bubs size that we can handle.
I went to the GP the other day, and he felt my belly and was surprised by the size of what I'm carrying - and mentioned around 10 pounder! (Mind you, not what I wanted to hear when I'm having a VBAC) I went to my OB and she said, nope, probably around the same as DS - 8 pound something. She also said that we only make babies we can push out and it is very RARE to make a baby too big for us to handle.
My first OB said 12 pounder for DS - so a whole 4 pounds out - so not accurate in the way that they measure!!!!!

Ibid re. the dating scans....if they're done before 12 weeks then they are far more accurate with EDDs as after 12 weeks (ish) the baby takes on the parents .....er forgive my pregnancy brain...... genetics and grows according to them?! If that makes sense?!

Is your DH your only labour support person? If you think he'll cave quickly and offer you up for a c-sec the minute you contract, I'd suggest you get a doula or someone else who knows what you want and will stand up for you!

Good luck! Sounds like we'll be birthing around the same time......race ya!

I have the same ob as Liz (go JP :)) and same story...he kinda mentioned DS's size a few times, in a pretty vague way. One day I pulled him up on it and he said "Hey, I didn't say the baby was big, I said 'not small' and it makes no difference anyway so don't panic." So...I didn't. He was right though, DS was big-ish at 8lb 13oz, but not massive and he was 10 days past dates (which were spot on, being an IVF prg).

If it makes you feel any better, DD was much smaller but a much harder delivery with a 2.5 hr 2nd stage...DS was 7 minutes!

I wouldn't worry to much, on monday night my fundal height was 32 cm's. My OB was taken back slightly but really happy at how much it had all grown. My dates haven't been moved still going off the 20wk scan.

Might just be a bigger bub. I'm at least expecting this as DD was 3 weeks early & already weighed 6.7.

Good luck, stick to your guns no need to panic this early

Thanks girls. I have been reading up on birth and looking at some birth videos, which have been inspiring. I'm not scared of giving birth, I thinkit's more being bullied into interventions or a c/s. Ando not having much support.
I owuld love to have a doula or midwife attend my birth, but I don't have the funds unfortunately. I am trying to show my dh things and inform him, but he's not all that interested. He will most likely be my only support person. Mum would be more of a hinderance and I don't want her there and I don't really have a friend who is all that close that I'd ask them to attend my birth...maybe one, though I don't know!!

i would ignore it too. a friend of mine was told she was having a big baby like around 10 lbs so they induced her early and the baby ended up being quite small around 6ish lbs. they are only guessing and they do get it wrong.

Kellie, if you're keen on a doula but can't afford it, maybe see if there is a student doula who would be interested. I think they do their "training" births for free.

kellieem,

you could try to get a trainee doula/midwife for support... they wouldn't cost you anything. I am paying for a midwife (homebirth) and I have recently met with a trainee doula who will be helping as well (no cost). She needs to attend one more homebirth as part of her training and lucky me is it!

:goodluck2:

Where could I find out more about student doulas/midwives in Sydney?

Does anyone know how to get into contact with a student/trainee doula/midwife??

Kellie, start by posting in the "want a trainee doula" thread here. If you have no luck there, post your question in the "using doulas and midwives" forum and you are bound to find someone to help. GL.

Good luck with trying to find a trainee doula. And just becuase you are measuring large does not mean your bub will be i have been up and down all over the place with fundal height. They should go off your first ultrasound.

Thanks again ladies :D
sweetpea, I know that measurements may not be accurate, in fact its most likely not, but it's hard not to listen to 'professionals', iykwim! I consistently measured larger with DD, but only a week or 2, which didnt concern me. This time, it's 5 wks and measured by 2 dr's, one an ob. And I just feel sooo much bigger in myself this time. Though I am feeling positive about birthing my baby, I'm just worried about interventions. But I am waayy ahead of myself, I still have 10wks to go! And yep, I know they should be taking my EDD off my first u/s, that's why I'm not too worried about my due date, though as someone said here that it's probably better if the change it so that it's later then I have more of a chance of going into labour myself.

The irony of this thread hit me so hard i had to post!

Your ob measured your bump, looked at your dates, saw you were a little ahead by that (fairly useless) measure, then CHANGED YOUR DATES and declared you huge!? WTF!?

So you go from being a little big for dates (my midwife actually DID measure between 20 and 30 weeks but she told me she wasn't looking for a number (i.e. 22 weeks = 22cm) but for a DIFFERENCE. Like if i was 20cm last week and now i'm 22cm then good, bubs and i are continuing to grow. AND in addition she gave 3cm/week leeway because of position, water retention and fat gain/loss. So i'd have had to be 6cm too big/small before she even paid attention. She told me a full term PG in a woman who was obese at conception could be as much as 65cm and still yeild a completely normal sized baby. - the "extra" 25cm is the fat and connective tissue between the skin and the uterus.) to being really big for dates by her simply changing the dates. Well hun i reckon you're 34weeks today, so you're small for dates to me!

The magic words for me was when you said you tried to tell her you'd had an earlier scan but she WASN'T LISTENING. If she can't listen to you, you should afford her the same courtesy! Ignore her! And if you feel intimidated then agree to every intervention suggested and then DON'T SHOW UP for the appointment - email, or leave a voicemail, so you don't have to stand up to her face to face and tell her you're not coming in. Simple. The way some caregivers talk to you it's hard to remember sometimes that you are a GROWN WOMAN and NO ONE can make you do anything you don't want.

Best of luck and lots of loves

Bx

Aww thanks bec, sometimes it takes others to put things into perspective.
I had wondered about being overweight and how that affects the measurements. I have put on a fair bit of weight since having DD so I wondered if it would change things?!