Baby with a seemingly HUGE head???

[ErikaMaye]

So I had my 21 week scan yesterday - and we're having a little boy They were happy with everything but am a bit concerned with a few things - firstly the estimated weight (341g) is lower than some of the books I've read say the baby should weigh by now. Secondly the baby appears to have very tiny legs - femur length was right at the low end marker of the scale. And thirdly... The head is huge. Circ. was 195.0mm.

Okay so am a first time mum, but... We're half way through... If it carries on growing - how am I supposed to get it out?!?!

I'm quite small - 5'4 with a shoe size to match the latter - and am actually really really worried about this! My DP (bless him..!) doesn't seem to realise that I'm genuinely worried. But I really am!

I have ME, so am more suseptable to anesthetic, so am terrified that I'll have to have an emergancy c-section. That really is my ultimate fear, because they just don't know how my body will react. I'm shaking just thinking about it. And now I'm thinking, if the baby's head is that big, what if I can't actually get it out, and they don't have a choice, and have to operate? Really scared!! Any comments would be appriciated please...

[lazylion]

Hi Erika, my second baby had a huge head (off the charts) and I had an elective c-section. His head was stuck in my pelvis and he was quite battered so I'm glad I did - it is always an option. If you find your midwife unsupportive in this get referred to a consultant, they tend to take your worries more seriously in my experience.
The baby I'm pregnant with now has short femur length (low end of the scale like yours), I don't think the measurements are that accurate in this and if there was something to really worry about it would have been mentioned at the scan. Having said that I'm worrying along with you, but I worry about absolutely everything.

[ErikaMaye]

Thanks. I'll have a word with my MW when she comes to see me next week, talk to her about the messurments. She's very good, and she's probably come across this before - she's a teen specialist, and I'm certain that she'll have dealt with people younger and smaller than me. I don't think she'll be unsupportive, she's mentioned CS before, because of my disability, so if I opted for that route she'd back me up, I'm quite certain.

I'm a worrier too I hope everything goes well, thankyou for taking the time to reply. I'm assured that first time mums are constantly panicking!!

[QueenofVenus]

Hello, just thought id leave a little message, my sister in law had the same thing at her 20 week scan, she sat crying in the waiting room straight after her scan saying it was going to look like and alien and it'll all be a nightmare, bless her, and she eventually gave birth to a 5lb 9oz girl all well proportioned and a very easy natural delivery - just abit of gas and air! I think at 20 weeks, they still have alot of growing to do, and they most of the time tend to even themselves out My scans with my first (a boy) were all very average right along the 'normal' charts, and he ended up being HUGE!! 10lb 62cm long and none of it was picked up even the week before he was born at my last ante-natal check!! They are just guidelines, try not to worry (not easy with your first i know) you will (both) be fine

[BlackLetterDay]

Hi erika, at my 21 week scan my dc's head also measured 196mm (off the scale).I'm not too worried as dc 1&2 also had big bonces (99th percentile) also ds had pretty short femur length compared to his head size but all was well although I did have sections so can't really help on the labour side.

Will they be giving you growth scans at all? I'm sure if you explain to your consultant/midwife your worries they will keep an eye on it.

Funnily enough this baby is off the scale for femur length and ac too, so uniformly massive lol, although can't see the long leg thing lasting we are all a bunch of shortarses. Good luck.

[barbarapym]

I had the same thing with DS - huge head at 20 week scan. We had to go back for another scan after awful 3 weeks of worrying and it was all fine. I think different bits just grow at different rates and it's something you'd never even know about without a scan. (DS does have quite a big head mind - but I had a water birth and came through OK!) Good luck and try not to worry too much.

[hawesmead5]

With my 1st I had a scan at 32 weeks by the consulatant obstetrician. I had a very good relationship with her as I had been seeing her regularly since 6 weeks, but nothing prepared me for her saying out loud, goodness it has a huge head! She was so concerned that she had measured wrong that she called another sonographer in to check who confirmed the measurements. She then went on to talk about if I should need an emergency c-section. Anyway my ds was born at 7lb 11oz and with a completely normal sized head, so I wish I hadn't spent all those months worrying. Goodluck and I hope everything goes well for you

[thisisyesterday]

all 3 of mine had head measurements that were wayyyy up the top of the scale.
at birth i think they were 37, 38 and 37.5 so fairly big but it was fine and apart from ds1 who was ventoused out I delivered them naturally with only grazes to show for it.

ds2 and ds3 also had the short leg thing! but both were perfectly in proportion once born.

please try not to worry. if there was anything even remotely worrying from the scan results you;d have been told abot it.

they're happy with baby, so you can be too

[mogend77]

Honestly don#t worry! Last time I studied all the stats after my 20 week scan and convinced myself that my baby had a huge head. She did have a big head when she was born as it happens, but it was still a tiny little thing! Newborns are sooooo tiny - even the big ones! And bodies are designed to push them out. There is even some evidence that large babies are slightly easier to birth than small ones.

In truth it is incredibly rare for babies to be too large to get out. The vast majority of the time when they end up having assisted delivery or section it is due to the woman being in a bad position (ie on her back) which limits the space available - which is mainly due to medical interventions like induction/monitoring limiting the woman's movement & making epidurals more likely.

If you are genuinely worried, when it comes to labour stay active & stay upright (which is the best thing you can do anyway). But you shouldn't worry - your body is designed for this! In all likelihood it will do its job just fab.

[ErikaMaye]

Thankyou so much everyone I'll have a word with my MW, and my mums friend, who's also a MW. I have a 32 week scan booked in for September, but I just have this image of going and like my whole womb being taken up with a head!!! Its rediculous, I know, but still...

Seriously though, thanks. I don't know many people who have had children aside from my mothers friends, really! All my friends are just lounging around, enjoying the summer before they start university so am at a bit of a loss, really.

I was told something by my old therapist about your shoe size affecting how difficult the birth is, which I don't really understand. Could someone explain that to me?

I don't want to spend the rest of my pregnancy, which so far, I'm relieved to say, has actually been relatively easy, especially in comparison to my specialists concerns.

barbarapyn - Was it easier with a water birth? They have a birthing pool at the hospital I'm having the baby at but its not something I've considered, really.

[Ninjacat]

Hi Erika

as you know I had my scan last week at 19wks 2days and all measurements were 2 wks larger than expected. My dates are spot on so I asked my mw who said babies grow at different rates during this bit so not to worry and it should even out by the end.

Having said that my ds was 9lb 12oz and very long so maybe I just cook them big.

Your baby will come no matter what and the best thing you can do is get yourself into a position where you feel confident, in control and know that you will cope no matter what may get thrown at you.

DS's birth was quite traumatic (I was young and very unprepared) but we survived and I can only remember it in a third party sort of way. There have been lots of lovely moments since that have made up for a shaky start.

[barbarapym]

Waterbirth was fantastic - natural pain relief and very calm. No tearing either. I was very lucky to get one though - they are very popular and you have to meet a number of conditions ( be v low risk basically). For DD, my second, I wanted another waterbirth but couldn't have one because I had a lot of blood in early labour. But I highly recommend it - if you are interested I would mention to your midwife now and keep on mentioning it right up to the birth!

[ErikaMaye]

Think I'll have a big chat with her when she comes round next week. She's really good, and I imagine that most of the people she deals with are first timers because of the ages, so don't feel quite so bad about mentioning what is probably a silly concern...

Thanks, Ninjacat and barbarapym. I will look about the waterbirth. I don't know whether my age / size / disability will count against me qualifying for it, but got to be worth looking into.

Hoping that by the next scan things will have evened out in size. I'm trying to do enough reading and research so that I'm prepared, but not so much that I'm over whelmed by it. Its a very careful balance.

As for tearing... Firstly this thought hadn't even crossed my mind until I read about it the other week. Is it very common? And if you do need stitches, how long do they take to heal? Does it make walking / moving around difficult, as I have a walking stick, so need to think about how outset my balance will be after.

[thisisyesterday]

water births are FABBO! I laboured in water with ds2, but gave birth on dry land.

managed to get in the pool a few moments before ds3 was born and it was lovely.

would definitely recommend it if you can use one.

Erika, yoiu're fairly near me, I am in Crawley. so if you are ever up this way and need a friendly ear to chat to about big-headed babies then give me a shout