Is Baby size Hereditary?

[JobyBear]

Does anyone know, or have experience of, big babies running in their family?

My mother had 3 kids:
9pd 11oz :eek:
8pd 15oz
8pd 11oz

I'm worried I will have large babies too!

I'm 6ft tall & my husband is 6ft 2in, both of as are slim but not of slight build. Do these things factor into it too? :confused:

Thanks!

[Seekrit]

I hope baby size is compulsary, not for you sake but for mine/
IO was 6lb 1 and husband was 5 lb something...

[littlepickle]

I read somewhere that a babies size at birth is naturally predetermined my the mother, and a baby will be the right size for the mother to deliver. Of course, eating too much junk food and sugar or having gestational diabetes does change he size of the baby, but basically what I read was that if you were say 5ft and your partner was 6ft 4, the baby would be based on your size, and could possibly grow to be really talll in childhood. Hope thats sounds right.
I am 5ft 6 amd dh is six foot but I was 2llb 3oz when I was born and quite short (although premmie) but all of my siblings were also around the 6llb mark. DH was 7llb when he was born and his mum told me that he was not a tall child either, just grew tall in puberty

[reAllytee]

I read somewhere that a babies size at birth is naturally predetermined my the mother, and a baby will be the right size for the mother to deliver. Of course, eating too much junk food and sugar or having gestational diabetes does change he size of the baby,

Hahaha try telling that to my bubs :rolleyes:
I only just managed to birth him so wont be allowed to do so with next babies & i had hyperemesis all pg so was vomitting around 10 times a day & the likes so lost 15kgs in the first 6 or so months ! Couldnt keep anything down to keep myself moving around let alone eating junk to fatten up baby !
Bubs was born 4.5kgs just off 10lb, 57cms long & head circ 38cms :eek:
Im only 5'5 was a slim build ( please note was LOL ) & my partner is 6'5 & as skinny as a rake LOL ! We were both average babies around the 8lb mark.

I think genetics can have a role but i would never rely on it especially with what i have since experienced ! :rolleyes:

[meshan]

My Mum had 3 big babies and I have had 2 whoopers ( both over 10 pounds ). My Greatgrand mother lost a baby at birth who was 14 pounds. So at least on the femail side of our family it seems to be heridity. Saying that my sisters babies have both been on the small side.

[Foxymoron]

I come from a line of small babes, and small women, who birth 5 to 6 pounders.
So does my hubby :D I thought I'd be the same but my first was 8lb 4 oz, second was 8lb 8oz, and 3 surprised us by being a skinny 7lb! Got a feeling I'm carrying another whopper now though:eek:

[LittleBoysRock]

I dont think it is related at all.

I was 6lb 12oz born and had a 9lb 4oz baby! Big difference there.

My mum had small babies and easy labours. I have only had one baby but he was huge and I had a really diffcult labour...

[Lallas' Mum]

I was told it goes on an average of the parents.
I was 9lb 4oz and my husband was 10lb 10oz. My DS1 was 10lb 8oz and my DS2 was 11lb 4oz.
What hope did I have?
Both my siblings were decent size - one was nearly 8lb (and that was with Mum vomiting for the first six months) and the other was just over 8lb. All my MILs children were between 9 and 11lb.

I am 163cm tall and not of a large build. My rib cage was pushed out so far (especially with DS2) that it was hard to breathe. DS1 was born naturally but his shoulders got stuck during delivery and DS2 was delivered by C/S to be on the safe side. I think sometimes the man upstairs gets his measurements wrong because my children were a lot bigger than my body could handle naturally.

[Angelmist♥]

I have to say it does in a way. DS1 was the exact weight of his pop born.DS2 was the exact weight of his dad born and DD was the exact weight of me,my mum and grandma at birth.So in our family it definitely does;)

[Milly]

I have heard this theory of it being heriditary, but I really don't know how much truth there is to it. If my babies are anything to go by, then it is not. I am also a small build too but have had bigger babies than my mother. She is actually a bigger build than me too (she's a size 18 and I am a size 8). I take after my dad's side of the family. They are like hobbits:D

My kids were:
DD 7lbs 11ozs (3.485kgs) 51cm
DS 8lbs 3ozs (3.7kgs) 51cm

Me:
7lbs 7ozs

DH:
7lbs 1ozs

But if you are destined to have a big baby, don't panic too much. I easily pushed out the 8 and a bit pounder. No vacuum, forceps or anything:D

[♥Heaven Sent♥]

I think in a way yes i was born 6lb 10oz and 46cm long and dh was 6lb 10oz as well and hes not exactly tall i have diabetes and dd was born pretty close to what we were she was 7lb 14oz and 46cm like her mum she is a shorty too just like her mum.

[Ky]

I don't know that I agree!

I was 4lb 3oz and dh was 6lb 7oz

I had dd 8lb 7oz and ds 13lb 2oz!

I thought I would have little bubs!

[pegasus]

I figure no - but then again we (my brother, sister and I) were all "average" weight - around 7lb 8oz and DH was average weight too somewhere round that - I got lost in imperial conversions. Maybe I shouldn't comment on birth weight, just that when they get a bit older that's when people have been making comments to me about DS being small, then they all say - but you and your DH are small (I'm 156cm and DH is 177cm). This is where I don't agree as my mum points out both my sis and I are small, but my brother is 6ft 3. Same goes for my dad who is small, but his brother is big.

[MrsMiggins]

My mum's mum had all very big babies & difficult deliveries, my mum had all quite small babies & quick, easy deliveries. I was very small when I was born, but then I was almost a month early.

I am tall-ish with a large build & my DH is short with a large build. Our bub when she was born was a little shorty, but a very good weight. She just had her 4m check today & she is now well above average length & weight!

[Jewel]

HI ALL!!!! :)
First time on this forum and thought this was a fun topic.

I don't know whether the size you and your partner were when you were both born play a part in how big your baby will be but I was a 7lb 4oz baby (my sister was 1oz heavier) and both my parents are short(ish) mum 5'4, dad 5'7. My sister is same height and build as me.

I myself am 5'8 (medium build) and father of both my boys is 6'1 and same build.

My first baby (now 2yrs) was born 9lb 12oz and 9 days overdue and the second (now 5mths) was 10lb 1oz and 2 weeks early!!
Both were born naturally with only the aid of gas (kind of loses its effectiveness after 19hrs!!!).

I am yet to (personally) meet someone who's baby was bigger than my second but have heard of bigger babies. Was relieved to discover some of you on this forum have had bigger bubs than me...was feeling kind of alienated.

Cheers
Jewel :D

[liams mummy]

i really dont know

DP was 6lbs and i was 8 lbs

Thought i would be safe hahaha whata joke i was 19 and in 5'8 slim build and my darling son was 10lbs 2oz (must of been all that chrissy dinner) but i can honstly say i loved the birth and was really surprised i asked them again and then told them their silly machine was broken but my mum (a midwife herself) said that just by looking at him u could tell lol! had no drugs or tears!!! i heard somewhere that smaller babys hurt more because you have more contractions to move them down the birth passage. Cant wait for baby #2 but ill be pepared to birth a bl#!%y 3 month old.

[MrsTwith3]

Hi all,
Im a newbie to this and enjoy reading about you all.

As for size my 1st child was 10 days overdue and weighed 7lb 11oz. Her father was 6ft4 and weighed 10lb9oz :eek: . Im 5ft4 and weighed 6lb. My 2nd baby was 9 days over and weighed 6lb8oz and his dad is one of a twin and weighed 6lb5oz and he is 5ft9. I seem to think that it averages out between the mother and father. Well Im hoping that. Im expecting baby number 3 in late september:D .

[OM]

I don't think it is hereditry.

I am 5'2 and weighed just under 2lb
DH is 6'2 and weighed 9lb 11oz

DS was born weighing 9lb 9oz.

[Bronwyn]

Hi All

I guess the height is hereditary, both our families have all the men over 6 foot, my hubbie is 6foot5 and born 10lb 2oz, I am 5foot9 and born 9lb9oz (mum pushed me out in 20 mins).

Our darling girl was 3 weeks early and weighed 9lb 3oz and 57cm length and i guess will be a very tall young lady.

I think the diet you have during pregnancy affects the weight too, I was very very strict knowing that I would have blood pressure probs and only put on 3.7kg and bubs was 4.2kg but it was all very good food and bubs was taking all of the good stuff. I have a friend who gained 28kg on junk but only had a 5lb baby because what good nutrients was there for the baby to take....none. So I'm a firm believer in eating properly during pregnancy.....wish i could do that all the time.....lol.

[madvoice]

My siblings sizes including mine were:

Me: 8lb 14 oz (at 4 weeks premmie)
Sister: 9lb 4 oz (2 weeks late)
Brother: 10lb 6oz (on time)

Hubby's side of the family:

Matt 8lb
Sister: 9lb 2oz

Raleigh was 8lb 4 oz at 38wks. I dare say its a combination from both sides.

[Clarebear]

Babies will be born the size they are meant to be regardless of parents I believe. I am 5ft 6 and my DH is 6ft 7. I was born 6 pounds, he was born 8 pounds. My 2 brothers were both 8 pounds, and my mother was the biggest of my grandma's 6 kids at 7 pounds.

Our 3 babies were born 8 pounds 10.5, 10 pounds 8.5 and 11 pounds 12.5, and all were born withing 3 days of their EDD, and all naturally, last being the easiest.

I have never had GD either, excersize everyday whether it is walking or swimming and have eaten better and more healthy with each pregnancy.


It will certainly be interesting to see the size of this bub in May :)

[jessgray]

i think it does in a way.

here goes my familys birth weights
me: 7 pound 11
sister: 6 pound 8
brother: 7 pound 11 and a half
sister: 7 pound
brother: 6 pound 9

Dp's family all had children hovering around 6 pounds. dp was the heaviest at 6 pound 9.

DS was 8 pound 15 at birth :laughing:

[BlessedWithBlue]

Hmm i think it doesn't,
my mum had 3 quick and easy labour and deliveries. 6 hours with me, 3 hours with my sister and 2 hrs with my brother:eek: I had 10.5 hr labour with my oldest ds which ended up with an emergency c/section and a 7.5 hour labour with my second son with ventouse delivery so i didn't have it easy when it came to the deliveries.

I was 6lb 1/2 oz, df was 9lb and Rylen was 7lb 13oz and Kyen was 6lb 11oz.
My sister was 7lb 1/2 oz and my brother was 6lb 14oz.

[ilovebabies!!]

I weighed 6lb at birth hubby 7lb12oz

Our babies have both weighed in at 8lb 6oz
(but VERY easy labours!!)

My sister weighed 7b 9oz at birth her hubby 8lb 12oz (and he was a twin!)

Their daughters have weighed in at 5b 12oz and 7b 120z

:thumbsup:

[missie_mack]

Not sure about the heriditary thingy. My gram had her babies anywhere between 8 and 13 pound (ouch!) and none of my aunts or uncles are particularly tall about average for their age group I think. My mum is one of 3 girls and my two aunts had 10 pounder type babies. One aunt was placed in bed after 20 weeks with her pregnancies to keep the babies smaller. I however was only 6 and a half pound and my brother was similar.

On an interesting note hubby AKA the scientist did some research and the size of the brain and head circumference can help determine the weight of the baby when its born. He checked with everyone we know recently had babies and it was always close. Not sure where he read it probably in one of his science journals....

[MummyCharmzy]

I dont think it is.. I was 6lb2ounces and 10 days late....

DD was 5 weeks early and 5lb 12 ounces so only 6 ounces less than I was 6.5 weeks earlier!!!

DS was 2lb 12 ounces but growth restricted and born 9 weeks early

[imogensmummy2005]

I think it is hereditary as both myself and my partner aswell as our siblings were small at birth.

ME 5 pound 10 oz. Born on my due date!
Sister1 3 pound 13 oz. 4 weeks early.
Sister2 6 pound exactly.
Sister 3 5 pound 11 oz.

DP 6 pound exactly. 2 weeks early.
Sister 4 pound 12 oz. 6 weeks early.

Imogen was 6 pound 5 at birth so i think genetics definately determines baby weight.