, I REALLY need some "I had a big baby and the birth was OK and I didn't tear to shreds" stories

[katierocket]

DS was 9lb 13oz, got stuck, was ventouse with episiotomy. I am now 4 days overdue - they think this one will be over 10lbs and I'm very scared about the pushing out part. I'm worried about a) it getting stuck again b) tearing into pieces.

Have heard so many horror stories over last few weeks about big babies, I really need some "oh it was a breeze" ones!

[LadyTophamHatt]

Ummmmmm........

[Ceolas]

Ds (number 3) was 10lbs exactly. I didn't tear and it wasn't noticeably more painful than the other 2.

The fact that you've already had one big baby will help.

[tamum]

Blimey, I had no idea- I was thinking you were about 5 months I'm very sorry I can't help directly, mine were only 7-8 lbs, but I do have a friend who had two 10lb babies without a problem. Didn't Soupy have a big baby too?

[Kelly1978]

hmm, well it wasnt a breeze, but there wasn't any complications and I only grazed, didn't tear. ds1 was 9lb7.

[tortoiseSHELL]

Ds1 - 9lb12, hospital birth, epidural, 2nd degree tear, stitched

Dd - 10lb0, homebirth, tore a little bit, but no stitches, no pain relief, no problems!

Ds2 - 10lb1.5oz, homebirth, as with dd, no stitches/pain relief

[babybore]

Best friends's 1st baby born in October. 9 1/2 pounds, no tear, and did it all on tens.

[tortoiseSHELL]

With a big baby, i think it's even more important that you labour upright, and think about maximising the size of the gap in your pelvis - i.e., going upstairs with exaggerated steps, all fours, sitting on a birthing ball, walking around. You really don't want to be lying on your back on a bed if at all possible!

[misdee]

i only had a 9lb baby(dd2), and that was easy. slight nick, not even a proper tear, gas and air, and she popped out.

[MegaLegs]

I had 4 whoppers (DS1 10lbs10, ds2 9lbs, ds3 10lbs15,ds4 9lbs3 but he was a cs) Had a small tear with ds1 that needed 2 stitches. DS2 shot out like a champagne cork. DS3 was hard work but only cause I could feel how big he was and let him kind of slip out rather than push. It was ok honest!

[MegaLegs]

I used gas and air and tens with all 3 vaginal deliveries

[katierocket]

These are great, thanks - keep them coming.

LTH - you can go away for a start

Tamum - how time flies

OK well maybe not "it was a breeze" I'd settle for "it was do-able"!

[ivelostmyboobsboohoo]

my best friend had a 9 lb 12 oz baby in a birthing pool, no drugs. (2nd baby tho) . and she is very very tiny frame wize. think she might have had a tear but no stitches!

[Bozza]

What about a "my first baby was 9 lb 10 and I had an episiotomy and lots of stitches and was told that my next baby would be over 10 lb but she was actually 8lb 12 and I had a less than 5 minute second stage as she almost slid out" story? That any good to you?

And labour was only 5 hours. And I was at a children's birthday party (admittedly at a neighbour's house) the next day. And that I was sat at the kitchen table eating porridge with my DS 45 mins before she was born.


Good luck.

[frogs]

Ds (2nd baby) was 10lb and I went from 7cm to giving birth in 10 mins without so much as an aspirin by way of pain relief. It did hurt, but was over too quicky to be appalling. I had a small tear and some stitching, but no more than that.

Dd2 (nearly 10lb) was a similar story -- the only reason I didn't give birth in the bathroom was because the midwives manhandled me into a wheelchair back to the delivery room.

And I too had a difficult birth with with my first 9lb, slow labour, ventouse, massive cut, lots of blood lost, blah blah. 2nd and subsequent babies are a completely different matter it's as if your body says, 'Oh yes, I remember this!' and just gets on with it.

hth

[Bozza]

DD was a homebirth and I was stood leaning on the bed rather than trad. position in hospital with DS. I kept moving including things like going downstairs to get my notes and having to stop half way up the stairs for a contraction just 20 mins before she was born. So would back up what tortoiseshell says.

[Bozza]

Also frogs I am tempted to believe if you have had a big baby, everything has not gone back to what it was.

[motherinferior]

Katierocket, go back and re-read the article I sent you about having your second baby and how your first birth has 'programmed' you!

Also, do remember they don't know the baby will be huge.

[motherinferior]

I can cheer you up with the fact you're not the woman DP knows (she's the SIL of one of his friends) who had twins - both over 10lbs.

[LadyTophamHatt]

Well, I didn't need any stitches so thats quite something concidering it felt like I was trying to turn myslef inside out.

Of course it's do-able, you just might not actually want to do it when the time comes. I know I changed my mind!!

[katierocket]

Bozza - great story, thanks!

Frogs, also very reassuring.

MI - I was looking for that article the other day but have lost it - you couldn't email it to me again could you? (should I CAT you?)

[katierocket]

Aha, it's OK MI, I've found it now.

Am feeling a lot better after reading these. Will have another look later to convince myself it could be OK

[MamazonAKAfatty]

one of my brothers was 9lb 1.5oz and mum didnt have as much as an aspirin and she didn't tear.
all of us were quite large though, i think the smallest was one of my brothers at about 6.8lb.

[IdreamofClooney]

my DS was only 8lbs4 so cannot really comment but can say that my sister has my neice who was 9lbs 7 and a half with no pain relief and no tears whatsoever. My sister is incredibly skinney and was told her baby was going to be tiny and yet she popped out a whopper - first baby.

As everyone says shoudl be easier second time round....

[colinandcaitlinsmommy]

I had a 9 lb baby with a REALLY big head (the dr. and nurse even commented on it) It was a 3 hour labor and even though I tore and had some stitches, they never bothered me at all. I was worried about another 9 pounder, but DD came out at an easy 7 1/2 pounds in even less time with only a few pushes.