Large Baby First Time Round

[Stonard]

My DS was born by CS 10 months ago weighing in at 10lb 9oz. This came as a shock to everyone - despite me being the size of a house, the doctors and midwives predicted an 8lb-er. I went through 20 hours of labour with strong contractions, but no progress and eventually got a CS.
Around an hour after the op I had a severe post partum haemmorage. It was midnight, the medical staff had disappeared from the recovery room and my DH took a while to find anyone in the ward to help - not his fault, the staff went AWOL. The PPH was most likely caused by the size of the baby and the prolonged labour.
I'm now 15 weeks pregnant and worried about the labour and delivery this time round. I would dearly like to have a VBAC but am petrified that I may have a similar experience. As is my husband - the one picture I have of my birth is my DH sitting with DS, thinking I was about to die. I understand that the risks of PPH are higher because I had one before, as are the "risks" of having another large baby.
Has anyone out there had a similar experience? What happened 2nd time around?

Thanks

[babedia]

Stonard, just wondering why you think the PPH was most likely caused by the size of the baby and the prolonged labour. Is that what you were told or is that the conclusion you came to? I never heard of those two factors causing PPH.

A big baby is not normally a problem per se, the position of the baby is much more important as is an active labour.

PPH is statistically more likely to occur after a c-section, assisted delivery (forceps or ventouse), or medical induction or augmentation of labour (having a drip to speed labour up).

[Stonard]

My current midwife connected the events, Babedia. Something to do with the womb becoming too tired to contract after being so stretched with the big baby added to the long labour. I had the drip to "speed" labour up - although that's another issue. I think that did more harm than good - having to be hooked up to monitors for 16ish hours and not being allowed to get into the positions I felt I needed to did nothing to help me deliver my DS.
Thanks.

[mears]

Second babies are not always bigger than the first. One of my friends first baby was a difficult forceps after a long labour and he weighed 10lb 13oz. Her second baby was a short labour weighing 8lb 9 oz.

There is an association with prolonged labour, large baby and PPH. Large babies tend to have a large placenta which leaves a larger bleeding site when it is delivered. Combine that with a tired uterus that does not contract well and you can get a PPH. Added to your circumstance Stonard is the caesarean section which in itself is a risk for PPH.

Although you have had a PPH before, it does not mean you will have one again. If you labour spontaneously without intervention, your risk of haemorrhage is lower. There is no reason you should not be able to attempt a VBAC and there are many threads on the subject if you would like to do a search.

Were you induced first time round or were you not progressing in labour?

[BrummieOnTheRun]

Hi Stonard, I'll just chuck this into the mix, but changing my diet for my 2nd and 3rd pregnancies had a massive influence on the babies' birth weights. After an unfeasibly large 1st baby (for my size and build), I cut all refined carbs and wheat, and limited unrefined carbs. Lots of green & leafy vegetables and protein ensured an excellent balanced diet and no calorie deficit. Anyway, just thought I'd mention it.

[TuttiFrutti]

My first baby was 9lb 8oz, and my second was 7lb 8oz, so it's not necessarily true that second babies are always bigger.

However, second baby was a girl and first a boy, and apparently girls are usually about half a pound lighter. Also, I've been told that on average second babies are about 6oz heavier, but obviously there's a lot of variation within that!

Large babies do tend to run in families (like most other physical characteristics). My family always have 9 or 10 pounders, and my second baby was the lightest for generations!

For what it's worth, I had a similar experience to yours first time round and chose an elective c-section for the second birth. I've never regretted it. I just couldn't face going through that sort of trauma again, although everyone's different and some people want to go through it again as a cathartic "getting rid of demons" exercise.

[wheresthevalium]

Mmmm, DD1 was 9lb 14oz, DD2 was 6lb 15 1/2oz

Go figure!

[Weegle]

Can you get a second (and more?) medical opinion?

I had a large baby (12lb 12oz), very long labour resulting in CS, so like you. I lost a lot of blood and just escaped a transfusion the following day. At the time I was told this was most likely due to the length of the labour and the fact it was c-section. No mention was made to DS quite considerable weight in relation to that (he was quite a celebrity because of his size though!). I can't give you more advice because I haven't had a second yet but if you are keen on a VBAC I would speak to another midwife and maybe an obstetrician to get their opinions.

Congratulations by the way, and hope the pregnancy goes well

[Busybean]

I had a large baby for me- 5ft2 and he was 8lb 14oz, had to have stitches inside and out, terrible labour. I was really worried with ds2 so consultant scanned me every 6 wks up to 38 weeks to check growth, as it was everything was fine and ds2 weighed in at 7lb 14oz.
My mother also had a large then smaller baby, I wouldent worry too much, if your concerned talk to midwife/consultant.

[Twinmummyx2]

mine got bigger and then smaller again....

my 3rd was 10lb and the docs said my 4th was on target to be bigger, he wasn't he was 8lb 5..so its hard to tell and predict how things will go.

I had a PPH with my second child, 2 hours after giving birth i went to the loo and out popped a large blackcurrent jelly..about the size of another newborn baby!

For my next 2 induced births i had to have the drip going on after to make sure my uterus contracted right down, it was like being in early stages of labour after giving birth!..not nice I then had 2 c-sections as docs said my body didn't like being induced, had to sign hysterectomy sp? forms incase they couldnt control the bleeding.