Help! I'm apparently having a large bub

[*Kimmy*]

Hi guys,

At my 32 week Ob appointment today I was told the baby is measuring large, and apparently has since June. The Ob said they may do a scan at 36 weeks to see just how big the baby is, and apparently to check if the delivery will be more complicated. To say the least he has scared the hell out of me! :eek:
He could not give me an estimate as to the current weight, or what he thinks the birth weight may be.

I'm worried I am doing something wrong, or more importantly that I am going to have trouble delivering, and may require C-section. Can anyone who has been through the delivery of a 'high birth weight baby' give me some much needed advise??!! Were you told this early of the probability of a large baby? :confused:

[tickle]

They told me my baby was small (at 32 weeks) and then 2 weeks later she was big and then at 37 weeks she was huge. This was all through scans. They can be very inaccurate. I would try not to stress over it too much, babies are very rarely too big for the mum to birth. I'm sure it will be fine.:)
Oh by the way, she wasn't the massive baby they thought she'd be, but she wasn't a littley either (3.8kg).

[misskittyfantastico]

I'm with happy.
Your body is an amazing thing and Obs and scans aren't always on the money. Try not to let any (probably unnecessary) worry stop you from enjoying the rest of your pregnancy.

[the_queen]

Some OB's have a terribly low number as to what they consider to be a "big" baby. My baby was 9lb 2oz (4.130kgs) and everyone says "wow he was huge!" but I delivered him vaginally, no tears or episiotomies :smiliedance: It's all about who your care provider is. I know a lady who has birthed 6 children, 5 of whom were over 10lbs (except one, who was 9lbs 12oz or something like that) and she's birthed them all vaginally. Active labour, upright positioning, minimal intervention, and you can birth just about anything :thumbsup: Laying on your back, being induced, having epidural - all these things increase the chance of emergency c-section.

Before you get panicky, I would be asking him what he thinks your "big" baby will weigh - remembering that u/s estimates can be half a kilo out!

Trust your body!!:yes:

[Goosie22]

To say the least he has scared the hell out of me! :eek:


Unfortunately this is a big problem with Obstetric care, they work from a fear base (always looking for problems), instead of a normal.

What is his C/S and intervention rate?

BTW when you do have a scan they are + or - 500 or more grams.

[Minke]

My obs did it to me too!

I was told at my 36 week scan that bubs was measuring around 9lb :eek: , and offered a c-section at 38 weeks, but having delivered my first naturally (8lb) i figured to go that way again. I did end up having a 4.5kg baby and he was delivered by emergency c-section, but am glad i did try labour etc. I did have it written into my birth plan that the doctor thought he was going to be big - sort of like an opt out clause (so i wasn't still trying to push 12 hours later) and it was pretty obvious after i dilated fully that his head wasn't going to be coming out that way. Go natural - its a far easier recovery, but if you have to have one - c-sections aren't as bad as everyone says...

It was scary, but at least i had to consider all the options and it prepared me that things might not go as smoothly as the first time. But there are heaps of ladies on here that have delivered 11lb bubs with no problems!

I wouldn't worry too much about it all, whatever bubs weighs and whichever way he/she comes out, doesn't matter as long as they're healthy :thumbsup:

Good Luck

[*Kimmy*]

Thanks so much for all your advice. I clearly have an Ob who instills panic without backing up the statement too much as he couldn't tell me what he would approximate the birth weight to be, and did little to calm my fears. It's great knowing I don't have to be superhuman to deliver a 'larger' baby, and that he's quite possibly incorrect with his guesstimate anyway!
Thanks again guys - brings my stress levels down by a lot! :smiliedance:

[jenna_due 28th oct]

:eek: hey, at my first ultrasound, the guy doing it goes
" GEES THATS A HUGE HEAD"
i freaked out big time, i had another ultra sound and was told the exact same thing.
so apparently my little man aint so little after all which scares the hell out of me, cause its gonna hurt

[♥Heaven Sent♥]

Hey i was told at 38 weeks that my baby was 9lbs + and would have to have bubs at 39 weeks when i had bub she was only 7lbs 140z so u/s are not very accurate.

[Mariposa]

dont be too concerned about this. with my last pregs i was told that she was going to be at least 4.5kg if not more. this totally freaked me out, as my other girls were big but they were under 4kg. u/s weights are not very accurate at all!

[the_queen]

And hey Jenna, at my 34 week u/s (to check placenta position) my bub's head was measuring 38 weeks big (does that make sense? His head was the size of a 38 week bub) so I was fuh-REAKING out about that - but he came out quite normal, everything perfect :D

Anecdotally, women who have had one big and one average/small size baby, tend to say that the bigger one was easier to deliver!

Our bodies are so amazing!!

[SassyMummy]

DD was big...but not according to any scans. I was actually told that she was small at one of them...

The only time anyone in the medical profession said she was big was when I went in to be induced...and he said it just by feeling around my stomach.

DD was born, via a c-section delivery (despite 3 inductions, I just never went into labour and she was 2 weeks late) at 4.67kg.

[jennababe]

my friend just had a 9lb 10 baby.. vb and she was still tiny!!!!!!!!!!!........ she was the biggest of my friends 3 kids.. and said it was the easiest labour.. im not sure a kg or 2 more.. would really make much of a difference!! relax everything will be ok :thumbsup:

[Terrible2+1cutie]

I am not sure i am going to be any help, i went through a 24 hour labour with my first DS before being told his head was too big and wouldnt be able to get him out, i had a emergency cesarean with him, he was 9lbs 10 oz. With my second DS i was told that he was going to be smaller than DS#1 . I asked cause i was wondering my chances on having a natural birth, i still decided on a elective cesarean which i am glad i did now cause DS#2 was 10lbs 4 oz. I dont think they can really tell, they just play a massive guessing game so dont worry too much.

Catherine

Mum to Blaze and Bailey

[Karizma]

I had a 9.5 Pound baby. And he was 58cms long. The nurse actually measured him twice cause she couldnt believe how long he was. He is now 4.5 months and is in size 0 :eek: He is perfectly healthy hapy little boy. Maybe he is just gonna be a basket baller and be over 6 feet like my little man. I wouldnt worry too much :hugs:

[spiritedfamily]

Yes all four of my baby's were big babies...and overdue and the doctor said to me I was at risk of not being able to push them out...and that they must induce them.

I birthed them naturally...and 10 days over the due date...no tears or complications.
1st - 9lbs 4oz
2nd - 10lbs 8oz
3rd - 11lbs 7oz (my boy)
4th - 10lbs 8oz

I think its important to go with how you feel...if you feel happy about your progress, then hear your doctor out but do what you feel is best. It seems that in most cases women know when something is wrong (instinct).

[tams]

I agree with the other girls, there is no point in worrying about it. My whole pregnancy, at every scan Aiden was 2wks larger than 'average' size for that week and then when we were down to weekly visits my doctor kept saying he was very large but I seriously think they just took one look at my husband (who is 6ft 8) and thought the worst. He did end up being 9lb but that is really not that 'huge' and I ended up stressing alot more about the birth than was needed! It's hard, but try not to stress about things you can't change. Somehow your body will work out what is needed and if you need intervention then thats just what happens :)

[Rachael]

I would think it is more the size of the head rather than the overall weight of bub that matters most.


at 36 weeks I was scanned (had a labour scare) and was told bub was weighing 3.2kg, following week I saw my Ob and she told me that bub was going to be on the big side for my body and considering how much pain I was in said I could be induced the following week (38weeks).

I was induced but ended up have a C-section as I was not dilating at all yet was having contractions 1min apart.

Later on I was told bub had never engaged as his head was too big for my pelvis and even if I had chosen to perservere with a natural birth it would have ended in a c-section.
His HC was 39cm and he came out weighing 3.8kgs, length was 49cm.

Good luck

[petrijack]

I also agree with the other girls. With DS1 i always measured bigger. The Dr sent me for an U/S at 38 wks talking about the possibility of a c/section if he was 10lb or more. Needless to say i freaked a bit. Anyway, the U/S estimated his weight at around 8lb,5oz so not that big. I ended up being induced 3 days before due date and he was 9lb,7oz. I had him vaginally, 5 hr labour, no tears/stitches.

With DS2 the same thing, i always measured bigger. Dr's said not to expect him to be any smaller than DS1. He was 8lb,10oz. Again, induced vaginal birth. 1hr,9 min labour, no tears/stitches.

Personally i wouldn't be too concerned (i know easier said than done!) Their estimates are just that - estimates!

Good luck. I'm sure everything will be fine!

[FourAngelKisses]

I was told my first would be "8 maybe 9lb", but he was 11lb. I was only 45kg when I got pregnant with him and I'm only 5ft 4in tall, so not an overly large person. I think I am destined to have big ones though, my next 2 were 8lb 3oz and 10lb 2oz. I know this one will be large too, but I know that my body can cope with it.

Best of luck!!

[Briannabear]

As some of the other girls said, sometimes the doctors can get it wrong. They told me the whole way through my first pregnancy that I was having a large baby but she was only 7 pound 11 born!
My sister in law is about a size 10 and has very big babies. Ranging between 9 1/2 pound to 11 1/2 pound - and she's had great natural deliveries with all of them (5 in total!).
You'd be surprised at what your body can do! :smiliedance: