How big is too big?

[dannii]

Hi
i just wanted to find out if anyone has been induced either early or on theyre due date, because of bub being too big ??


and if so.. how big was the bub before they do induce... etc?

Ive had some close monitoring at some of my ante natals because of my fundal height not matching dates. i have had these checked with regular ultrasounds.

the first 3 US came back that she was of average size and was alot of fluid in there.

My last ante natal suggested that my "clinical gestation" was at 42 weeks so i got sent for a 4th Ultrasound.

This time the sonographer said its not fluid anymore , its all bub.. and that at 37.5 weeks gestation she weighs in at 8 lb 10 oz already ! :eek:

Now, Of course this is shocking to me! but the sonographer seems to think thats ok , and i should just go home and they will contact me if they think anything is wrong.

although my doc told me to go see her after i get the results. but i couldnt find her at the hospital but the other midwives suggested the same.... just wait till my next ante natal to discuss results etc.. (time is running out!)

i would have much prefered to speak to my doctor about the US results.
im worried about how big she is!! but they dont seem to be :confused:

i guess my question is: what exactly are they monitoring then? it came back that she is a big bub. but then even though it confirmed what they thought i still get sent home and told not to worry.

so why are they monitoring it then?????

sorry its a long post but im just curious if this has happened to anyone else, or anyone knows what usually happens?
do you get induced or caesarean?? im confused at what they are thinking of doing as i havent been told!

obviously she is going to get alot bigger in the next few weeks until she's due....so how big is too big before anything happens ie getting induced or etc...??

im confused (and a little worried giving birth to 9lb+ baby :eek: )

any advice or info appreciated!!! thanks

[nemosmum]

Dont fret pet I gave vb to a 4.4kg baby no sweat LOL

A friend of mine had to have a c-section as her bub was over 10pounds and they said she wouldnt be able to vb. Then just last week she had her second bub again c- section (elective this time) as they told her the bub was over 11 pounds :eek:

Turns out her bub was only 7 pounds something and they got it wrong!!!!
But I cant imagine how on earth they could mix up a 7 pounder with an 11 pounder?????????? Just doesnt add up.

Any way long story short they can be wrong and if their not dont worry it will be ok.............my great grandma vb my grand father and he was 14 pounds I kid you not and this was all before they invented epi's LOL :D

It is possible

[dannii]

LOL thanks for the kind words of support. and makin me have a laugh :D

i feel kinda silly for worrying about it, when people have VB much bigger!

but im worried how much bigger she is going to get. i guess when you hear stories of women that have 'been there done that' makes things seems so much better!! hehe

[DoulaFelicity]

The only real way to know the size of your baby accurately is to weigh it once it's born. :)

All size estimates done clinically (ie: ultrasound, palpation, fundal height measurements, etc) are just that - estimates (more accurately, guesstimates!). Ultrasound, in particular, is notoriously unreliable for accurately estimating size (known to have a margin of error of at least 2 pounds commonly). Many is the woman who has been told they've got a "whopper" on board, only to birth a tiny little babe when their labour actually occurs.

It's also extremely, extremely unlikely that your body would create a babe too big for you to birth. Babies heads mold, pelvises separate and flex...by the process of natural elimination, 99% of us are here today because, genetically, our ancestors could birth us, and as a result, we carry on that ability. It would be a very rare case where a babe was truly "too big" to birth vaginally.

http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/pelvis.asp
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/pushing.asp
http://gentlebirth.org/Midwife/homwatif.html


...there are very very few cases where women have deformed pelvises due to childhood polio or congenital defect, where a baby really can't fit through (true cephalo-pelvic disproportion). But all these kinds of cases taken together should amount to c-section rates of around 3%...

http://www.empoweredchildbirth.com/articles/birth/whatifs/pelvicsize.html


Humans have evolved over a period of generations because of the successfulness of human childbirth. Those who grew babies too big or had pelvises too narrow died and took their defective genes with them. You are here today, reading this article because, in your gene pool, birth worked. It worked at a point where there were no doctors interfearing in the process and no "medical miracles" that would rescue a woman from her own genetic fate. Yes, women died, babies died and in the process, Nature perfected itself.

http://midwiferytoday.com/articles/dozen.asp


Deb, sweet and tiny, five feet tall, had had a section for cephalopelvic disproportion (CPD). This time she had a five-and-a-half hour labor. She went into labor two weeks prior to her due date, on the day her three-year-old was having his birthday party. There were 20 guests, and an entertainer who brought animals to her child's party. Deb had her baby with a ferret, a boa constrictor, a tarantula, and some bunnies very (very!) close by. She had the exact same difficulty during pushing that she'd had last time. But we do things differently and she had a nine-pound baby. She would have been sectioned, sans ferrets. Laura, small in stature as well, had been sectioned for CPD the last time. That baby was nine pounds, 14 ounces; so, of course, with such a big baby—sarcasm dripping here—that section must certainly have been "necessary." This time, she had a four-hour labor, an 11-pound baby with a huge head circumference, and no stitches.

Rest assured that your body is designed exquisitely to birth your babe - larger babes are actually "easier" to push out, often - more for your muscles to grip. ;) The dangers of Induction far outweight the statistical likelihood and dangers of your babe being "too big" to birth. Unless my babe was truly in genuine medical urgent danger of death, Induction would not be a consideration for me; I would (and did) avoid it at all costs.

By the way - I birthed at 42 weeks, naturally and spontaneously, having been also told my babe would get "too big" after 40 weeks, blah...he was 8lb 11oz, completely healthy, and the experience was wonderful. His size certainly wasn't on my mind whilst I was labouring and birthing him! :D

Hope this helps - if you'd like any more information or have any more questions, feel free to PM me. :)

[nemosmum]

Yes felicity I was told that at 12 days over due an induction was a must hmmm not very happy now that I have learnt the thruth iykwim.

I was told I didnt have any other options but be induced and so I took medical advice and agreed to an inducement.

By the way your right, I wasnt thinking about O's weight either when in labour!

Good luck Danni, you'll be fine :)

[SugarBlossom]

I was induced 1 week early and ended having an "emergency" c section....but bub was 11 pounds!! :eek: or 4.955kgs.

My fundus height was 43 cms at 35 weeks.

If I could do it again I would avoid being induced at all costs, but saying that I have a very beautiful healthy boy. And at least I tried....no drugs for 10 hours! ;)

Most interventions end up being c sections.

But it is a decision only you can make, and you can say NO! to the doctors....which I diden't know :mad:

Hugs
Jazz

[DoulaFelicity]

o's mum - that's all too common a story; understandably, you did what most women do when concerned for their babe's welfare and when they're misinformed by care providers they trust. :mad:

But on the upside - you're here, helping others to understand their options; and next time, you'll know more about yours, and be more empowered. We're resilient, resourceful creatures, us women, aren't we? :D


you can say NO! to the doctors
Absolutely, Jazz! :D They're our employees...we call the shots with our births.

[Bella-Archie]

With my first baby they induced me a week early because they said my baby was huge .....she was 9lbs 5oz ..... I thought that was really big !!! And was glad that they did ......had a vb no really probs

then with my second they said that my baby wasn't that big at all and I went in to labour 2 weeks early ..... aparantly ...... and had a 11lb baby naturally !!!! :eek:

[Terrible2+1cutie]

Well my first baby i was induced 2 days before my due date because the doctor was going away, after a quite a few hours of being induced and nothing happening, a 24 hour intense labour, emergency cesarean, Blaze was born on his due date weighing 9 lbs , 13 oz.

Catherine

[tyler's mum]

i got induced a week early, my doctor kept telling me my baby was to big, and that i had a big pelvis, i had 8 ultrasounds,, well they were all wrong,, turns out i have a small pelvis tyler got stuck,, they had to cut me and vaccum her out... and she was only 4460kg [7b 10 oz]

[reAllytee]

With me bubs was 8 days overdue i ended up pushing for what ended up being 2hrs in total they used to ventouse (vacuum) to help but it took the 3rd go & him doing a hell of a lot of damage on the way out but they were desperate to get him out. It was almost an emergency c/s. Bubs was 4.5kgs just off 10lb with a head circ of 38cm & his length was 57cm.
That being said i had always had larger measurements through my pregnancy & nothing ever matched up but as my partner was always there they were like well Dad is very tall so thats to be expected so i was always put at ease. Then due to my blood type being diff to my partners i had to have anti D injections. So i went back for my second injection at 34wks so had to see a doctor to do this ( i was seeing midwives ) he checked me out & was not happy with how big bubs was. He told me to come back & see a doctor the following week but the fact that at the hospital it meant me waiting anywhere up to 3hrs to see a doctor he had buckleys chance of me doing this. So i said as i was seeing the midwives on Saturday (this was Thursday ) i would discuss it with them what their thoughts were. So i did this & the midwife wasnt at all worried saying yet again Dad is tall its to be expected so me being trusting of their judgement i let it be. I still had a nagging feeling but kept thinking well the midwives know best i even voiced my worries to a midwife at a later appt saying im worried i will have a c/s & she said dont worry if you have one it makes no difference which way bubs comes out all that matters is your both healthy. Now im not bagging midwives or the ones who have cared for me they were FANTASTIC i cannot commend them enough. Its just i now find out that i wouldve been sent for scans to check bubs & i both out to see whether i couldve had a vb or needed a c/s with him being so big. He rotated in the birth canal all through the labour because his head didnt fit properly & he became stuck which is why they even had troubling using the vacuum his heart rate decreased & he wasnt even breathing when he arrived, i also became ill. Ive also been told im not to have another v/b due to the damage he caused & it being so traumatic.
I guess what im trying to say is that get things checked out & look at all your possibilities dont just take one persons advice look at it all as a whole & make a decision based on what you feel is right.
As the midwife said it doesnt matter how bubs arrives all that matter is your both healthy after it all right ?
Sorry ive ranted i hope i made sense :o

[dannii]

wow im scared now :eek:
Allyoo, that must have been so traumatic! but thanks for sharing that, its definately worth getting checked!
i must ask, are you ever planning another bub??

my last docs appt. i brought up the results from my US and he just said "yes, you having a big baby, your fine!"............ oh ok ?? :rolleyes:

nothing more said!

so now im playing the waiting game bub due in 6 days and i dont have another appt in that time.

fingers crossed i dont go over.

[LittleBoysRock]

I was told at 38 weeks that I was having a 7lb baby.... despite my protesting I thought it was a bigger baby.

At 40 weeks +4 days I gave birth to a 9lb 4 oz baby by VB (failed Vac/Forceps delivery). It was a messy labour and almost caesar.

Next baby if it is as big I will be booking a Caesar. Baby didnt fit through my pelvis properly so my life and that of my baby were endangered.

Go with your instincts! I should have!!

[Supermum]

The only real way to know the size of your baby accurately is to weigh it once it's born.:)

I'm with DF. My first ob wanted me to book in an elective CS because my baby was sooooo big - estimated 10lb. He was born naturally on his due date weighing in at 3.3kg's.

My girlfriend had a CS because her baby was going to be over 11lb ... so delivered two weeks early via CS ... at just over 6lb.

I had a huge stomach ... as did my girlfriend. And in both instances we were told "It's all baby".

And a positive story ... a woman at daycare gave birth to her son on her bed, on her own, with her 3½ year old son (single mum) on the phone to the ambulance. He was nearly 11lb and took just forty minutes to arrive!

The bottom line is ... you just never know!

[reAllytee]

Sorry dannii i never meant to cause you stress !
Oh yes i plan to have more !!!! I dont care hahahah my partner is more stressed i think ! My mum thought i would never have anymore after having such a sick pregnancy then such a traumatic labour then nearly fell over when only a few weeks after having Harry i was like "oh & when we have the next one yadda yadda ! ". My thing is im actually more worried about being sick throughout the pregnancy again more so than anything going wrong in labour again. Weird hey. :p
I would just have to say go with your instincts but if your doctor isnt concerned & you feel ok im sure all will be fine ! I think the big thing is the size of the head not so much how big bubs is. I guess i had doubts especially when the head became engaged & we all knew it was all systems go & i never got the "lightening" where the baby has moved down you have room to breathe again, i never got this, i guess he just enjoyed the room ! heh. I didnt even have a huge belly until i was 8mths it then doubled & tripled !
But as Supermum was saying about the lady delivering an 11lb baby its possible & it does happen with no dramas. And i rather think its amazing & inspiring !

[Ky]

Too big is when your baby is over 13lb at 36 weeks!

The ultrasounds showed that I was carrying a very large baby with a lot of excess fluid and a large placenta. At delivery by cs at 36 weeks the measurements were (all carefully done for a case study) ... baby 5.94kg (13lb 2oz) fluid 6 litres (6kg) and placenta 1.2kg. If he had have been left to go full term, he may have been around 16lb.

Daniel was going to be big anyway as he was very long and has solid bones, but he was also very fat due to my gestational diabetes. He is now a tall and very slim nearly 3 year old.

Bella was born at 37 weeks by cs after a failed induction ... they tried to induce as I had very little fluid and they were concerned for her. She weighed in at 8lb 7oz, so if she had have gone full term, she may have been around 10lb. She is also a tall and very slim nearly 5 year old.

Both times, the ultrasounds were pretty accurate, but I did have a scare at 30weeks with Daniel where a sonographer thought that he had fluid around his heart and we ended up being transferred to a larger hospital and prepped for a cs the next day ... luckily, the ultrasound the next morning allowed the surgery to be cancelled, as his heart was fine!

When you are unable to stand up without holding onto something to keep you upright - then your baby is too big! ;)

[dannii]

wow Kyra ! that is amazing.. i have never heard of any stories like that :eek: 13lb 2oz!!!!!!!!!!
hehe

i love hearing all this ! makes me feel so much better :D

i am over due at the moment, but i guess i will find out just how big bubs is very soon . im so excited

[BubbleBelly]

Dannii, I hope your little bubba comes soon!!! I've got my fingers, toes and legs crossed for you!

[Sarie]

I had 2 vb first was 9lbs second was 8lbs 4oz. PJ was a lot smaller than expected, just a whopper placenta!