told im having a big baby

[stig29]

Hi there, Im just looking for some advice to put my mind at rest.
Im sick of getting conflicting info from the hosp.
At my 36 week check I was told the baby was boarder line too big and if i was still big at 38 weeks they may induce me. This went against a previous dr who said because I had a section (10 years ago !! ) they wouldnt induce me( this is baby number 2)
At 38 weeks my fundal height gave an estimated weight of just over 8lbs and the midwife told me at my next hosp appointment they would give me a date to induce me early and tickle me along !!
I went to the hospiatl yesterday and although my funal height is now giving an estimated weight of over 10lbs I have been told I wont be induced early !!!
Im not diabetic and Im a normal height and build I do want everything to go as natural as possible but Im just getting frustrated with conflicting info.
Has any one been told they were having a whopper and the baby was normal ? or have you had a whopper with a vbac and how was it ?

[johnworf]

Hi Stig,

have the hospital given you a reason why they have to induce you apart from the baby being big? i.e. will it fit through your pelvis or is it too narrow?

If everything is physically ok with both yourself and your baby, I'd put my foot down with a firm hand and tell them no thanks and sit it out until the natural 'end' so to speak.

I don't understand why doctors tell you these things when really they could just leave it to nature if everything is physically fine.

Obviously saying this, if they turn round and say they're worried the baby would get stuck or it would put you in danger after your previous C Section, then I'd go with their advice.

[geordieminx]

I know loads of people who have been told they are having a huge baby and then it has turned out to be on te larger side i.e 8-9lb but now where as big as predicted... I think there is quite a large margin for error

[MissingMyHeels]

Sizing scans are notoriously wrong - I know lots of people in real life (and there are LOADS on here) who have been told they're having whoppers only to pop out a wee 6lber and the other way round.

Re: induction, I was under the impression that you won't be induced for a VBAC but I'm sure someone else will come along with some expert advice. Good luck, hoping you have a nice quick labour with a manageable sized baby!!

[Tutter]

hi

i was under consultant care for a huge baby - estimated to be 97th centile. was measured as 39 weeks when i was 29 weeks

ds2 was born naturally at 39+4 and weighed 7lb 6oz

[stig29]

Thanks for your replies, the doctors haven't even mentioned the size of my pelvis or anything like that, all they have talked about is my very old scar !!! I too was under the impression I wouldn't be induced with a vbac (as told my a previous dr) only to be told I now will, but not early like the last doctor said ! the latest news is I will be brought in for a sweep at term +7 if nothing has happened.
Like I said i do want to go au natural lol but they have put the fear in me that i will go through the huffing and puffing and end up having an emergancy section if hes too big.
I suppose I should trust my own body, he certainly doesn't feel like a 10lber but then again what does one feel like apart from heavy !!!

[ABitBatty]

I'm under consultant care at the moment. When I was 32 weeks I was measuring 42 weeks I too have had a previous CS (7 yrs ago) and I am being 'encouraged' by the consultant to have a CS @ 38weeks.
I have tested negative for GD and on the growth scans my baby is right off the chart in all measurements

DS#1 7lb6.5oz -failed ventouse=forceps delivery
DS#2 8lb14oz -failed IOL=CS

There is suggestion now that I can't fit his head through my pelvis even at the size he is now, never mind in another 6 weeks. DS2's head didn't even engage after a long induction of labour

[Dropdeadfred]

i was induced for dd2 (just because she was 10 days late) and that was less than two years after a cs with dd1.
They do monitor you very carefully though..

[pucca]

they were right for me.

I measured about 6-8 weeks bigger from quite early on, i was huge! i went for a sizing scan and was told the baby already weighed 7.5lb at 32 weeks, they estimated the baby would be around 10lbs full term, i also had extra fluid.

I was booked for a section at 39 weeks, i went into labour naturally at 38 weeks exactly and ds weighed in at 9lb 6oz! i also flooded the theatre room, so you can imagine how big i was when pg.

[Oliveoil]

I had a section with dd1 and she was 9lb 10

had VBAC with dd2 and she was 9lb 5

not induced, labour was fast, about 5 hours from waters going to birth

all fine and dandy

they didn't mention inducing unless I was 2 weeks over, and I was 11 days in the end

if I had a long labour they would have put me in for a section as it can put strain on your scar

[lizziemun]

I'm 5ft.

Was told the opposite with dd1 i was told at 36wks that she was an average size would be no more the 7lb 8oz she was born at 39wks and was 9lb4oz. With dd2 i saw consultant at 41wks was told again that she would be no more then 8lbs induced the next day and she was 9lb 2oz. But i also lost a stone in weight the day i had her.

[mellyonion]

i measured consistantly large for dates with my middle baby and had loads of scans to track my dds growth from about 34 weeks.

she was born at 41+3 weighing in bang on her weight estimate of 10lbs....

incidentally, she was the easiest birth of all...my 1st weighed 8lbs and my third 8lbs9 oz....

good luck!

[jjaandmum]

With my ds I was told he was a 'big baby' and it turned out at 42 wks that he had IUGR and was born 5lb 5, emergency section due to fetal distress when attempted induction. No-one had thought my high blood pressure and other pre-eclampsia symptoms were worth investigating further. They decided after he was born that maybe I did have pre-eclampsia after all.

with dd had regular growth scans and they put her at 50th percentile on the charts all the way through, born at 39 wks, 7lb 10 so I've had both experiences. They got it very wrong once and about right the second time.

[ILikeToMoveItMoveIt]

Looking at your post, it seems they are guessing the weight from your fundal height measurements?

Fundal height measurements are known to be a marker of a big baby, not a definate. And I have never heard of a baby's weight being guessed by a fundal measurement.

Scan measurements are known to over estimate by approx 10%-15%, and a lot of PCT will not estimate a weight from the scan results.

I have never heard of a woman who has had a previous cs, then go on to be induced with a further pg.

TBH, at your next meeting I would question everything they have said to you. Maybe they haven't read your notes properly regarding your last delivery?

[Jbck]

DD1 was estimated as large and was born by emergency cs at 40+10 after induction due to distress & a placental node in front of baby being discovered during labour. She was 7lbs 11.
DD2 was born naturally on her edd (a little help from Mr Forceps) and measured normal all the way through & was 7lbs 13. I had a date for induction though 6 years after emergency CS.
Consultant did say induction after CS is only given one try though, no repeats of gel etc.
Maybe each hospital/consultant has different policies.
Good luck & try not to worry.

[canofworms]

Not read all the replies but I've had 3 dc and all my sizing scans were completely wrong - my "big" babies were 7lb 7 and 7lb 9 and the "average" one was 9lb 15!!! So yes, the scans may be wrong!

Also I had a cs with dd1 because she was breech and I went on to be induced with dd2. I had 2 lots of gel and the drip as well but it failed (was told probably because that was my biggest babe)

Good luck!