experts, advice please....

[OracleInaCoracle]

my friend is having her second baby later this month. her dd was a big baby (10lb 4oz at term) and got well and truly stuck. she was eventually delivered by ventouse, tbh its amiracle that she avoided a cs, her waters broke 3d before dd was born. anyway this baby is showing as even bigger than her dd was at the same stage but consultant wont consider inducing her, and will even let her go over.
my friend is scared now. any tips for inducing labour at home/getting consultant to see how scared she is? she doesnt want a caesarean!

[OracleInaCoracle]

anyone?

[spugs]

i thought tht most places would induce early if baby looks like its going to be a whopper! hope someone comes along soon who knows how

[OracleInaCoracle]

thats what i thought too!

[Frizbe]

appreciate that 1st baby took a while to get out, but I'm wondering if the consultant is taking the view that one made it out ok, so next time things have already been stretched a bit, so it should be easier? I have two friends who both had v big 10lb plus 1st babies, who had even bigger 2nd babies, who popped out ok (one of them had sticking issues 1st time too) HTh's

[OracleInaCoracle]

i suppose that makes sense. but surely they shouldnt let her go over?

[babylove21]

I might be totally wrong here but isnt it a case of how big the head is ?

[OracleInaCoracle]

i dont know. ds was a big baby for me (im 5'2" with very narrow hips and he was 9lb2) and did have a very large head so he ended up being an emergency cs, and next time (because of my history) i will have a cs, buit i dont know how it works with natural deliveries

[OracleInaCoracle]

anyone else?

[babylove21]

I'm 5ft1 my non pregnant weight was 7st 0 with my ds and he weighed 81b3, a natural birth.

[OracleInaCoracle]

shameless bump!

[moominsmummy]

perhaps she should ask to see another consultant and explain how worried she is - I'm sure maternal stress cannot be good in the approach to birth - she may even have her mind set at rest if someone bothers to explain how they will manage the situation this time

[OracleInaCoracle]

thanks.

[OracleInaCoracle]

.

[Buckets]

You are allowed to ask for a second opinion. She should go and cry on her GP and get them to phone a different consultant.

[lulumama]

a lot to do with the ease of delivery of a bigger baby can be to do with the position the mother is in, some positions are far better at allowing the pelvis to open up more to allow a baby out

also, an epidural can make a ventouse or forceps delivery more necessary, as it relaxes the pelvic floor which can stop baby's head rotating correctly for birth.

head size is more important in some weighs than the weight, but if she does not feel confident of being able to deliver, then she needs to address that

being upright, on all fours, supported squat , birthing stool are all better positions for opening the pelvis than lying or sitting on the bed

bigger babies can be easier to birth as their weight is a help !!

induction based on estimated size not recommended by NICE, growth scans and palpation are not always accuarate

to help get labour going, lots of sex, nipple stim, raspberry leaf tea, positive thinking and being relaxed. but babies come when they are ready. she needs to do some reading and thinking positively about the birth....Ina May Gaskin, Sheila Kitzinger, Janet Balaskas, Penny Simkin, Michel odent........that sort of thing , to give her some faith back in her body.

[OracleInaCoracle]

thanks lulu

[lulumama]

welcome !

'some weighs than the weight' some ways not weight !! oops !

[lilyfire]

hi
my first baby was 11lb 3oz, although prediction was he was going to be average. Scan with second said he was going to be average, late scans are very unreliable, so your friend may find that her second isn't actually bigger. Mine was 9lb 10oz, much easier birth (home birth) really good experience. Do agree that position and environment are really important in birthing experience. Both mine were about 41 weeks and there was never any suggestion that it was more dodgy for me to go overdue because of size. Maybe wrong but think read somewhere there's research suggesting that babies grow slowly at end of term.