Big baby terror

[JackSprattsWife]

Hi all am 40 weeks today and have just spent most of day at hospital - first for a stretch and sweep in the birth centre which is where I was hoping to have my baby. They took the fundal height measurements and said I am measuring 41 weeks and am likely to have a big baby so sent me down to triage who have also said possible big baby. They also said things like shoulder dysplasia and difficult labour and said I can't have the baby in the birth centre, I have to be on labour ward. They all seemed quite calm about it and they haven't booked an induction until 40+10 but I've come home and googled big baby/macrosomnia and I am absolutely terrified - there seem to be a lot of possible complications for me and the baby so I can't understand why I am being left for another 10 days....the S&S doesn't seem to have done anything at all in terms of getting things going naturally :-(

Feel really scared, worried and like somehow it is my fault :-(. Baby is measuring 9.9lbs As of today.

[OhTheDrama]

Take a deep breath and calm down! Firstly at this stage all they are are "guestimates". It is well known that any estimate of size at this late stage is not the most accurate. To be frank I think they are being a bit reckless and scaring you, if they thought the baby was that big they would have induced much sooner. Could it be that they have too many booked for the birth centre and they want to reduce numbers?

I would also stand my ground and insist on the birth centre, ask to speak to the supervisor of midwives and insist that is where you are giving birth, also mention how inaccurate estimates of size are at this stage. I say all this someone who was predicted an average sized DD2, no more than 8 lbs they said! She was 9lbs 3oz!

[itiswhatitiswhatitis]

Nobody thought my first ds was going to be big, I certainly didn't measure big and he weighed 10 pounds. During my second pregnancy I was concerned I would have another large baby, EVERYONE (consultant/midwife etc) insisted I was measuring average and baby would be around 8 pounds. Ds2 was born weighing in at 11 pounds.

My point being is they have no certain way of knowing and it is largely guess work on their behalf.

[redhead78]

I feel your terror along with you! I was always prepared for our baby to be big as I'm 5'10'' and my hubby is 6'5'' so we were never going to produce a tadpole. But according to the scans my baby is in the 95th centile and is measuring 2 weeks ahead of her actual size (I'm 33+2). Last week at my scan/check up the consultant started talking about having a cs as baby was measuring so big and I started to get terrified. However, the then laid me down and actually felt my tummy and said he totally disagreed with the scan and as far as he was concerned she is a "clinically average sized baby".
So try not to worry...as a previous poster said, if they'd been that worried about how big your baby was there is no way they would let you go on for another possible 10 days!

[redhead78]

PS At our antenatal classes all the midwives have made a point of insisting that anything that happens during the birth of our baby is our decision (within reason obviously!). They've all said that they can give us advice and recommendations but at the end of the day actual choices are down to us. So if you're set on the birth centre hold out for it!

[5madthings]

Predictions of size are often wrong! It's very unreliable.

Bit big baby does not mean nightmare elabpour, my biggest was 10lb 13oz, had him in under an hour in birth pool, the easiest birth of my five :)

[RandomMess]

I'm tiny - just over 5' and was told my baby was small for dates, she was 10lb 6oz with loads of fluids and a huge placenta - no complications at all. It isn't an exact science it's only ever a best guess so try to relax, difficult I know.

[BrokenBananaTantrum]

When I was 38 weeks pg with DD the midwife said she was about 7lb 7oz so I thought she would be huge. She was 5lb 12oz at 40 weeks so they don't always get it right.

[ScarletStar]

When I went for my 20 week scan and asked if they could tell me approx weight of my ds at birth, the sonographer actually said that the only thing we can tell you for certain is how notoriously bad we are at estimating the weight!

[Stockhausen]

I had a 10lb baby, in the pool, gas & air and no stitches or tears.

It can be said that big babues are actually easier as gravity helps them along.

Please don't stress, that will delay your labour and lose you sleep.

[OrangeMochaFrappucino]

In my first pregnancy I measured top of the chart for fundal height and a scan at 34 weeks indicated a big baby. The midwife was encouraging about my ability to birth a big baby and I was allowed to use the birth pool in the birth centre, but I was very apprehensive about the possible complications of a big baby, especially the risk of shoulder dystocia. In my worry about that, I pushed the baby out all in one go - I just didn't stop pushing and he shot out! 6lbs 11oz - actually categorized as 'small for gestational age'! I'm measuring big again this time around and have no idea whether this means a big baby this time or another tiddler! But I do think their size estimates are very unreliable - so please try not to panic!

[WheresMeJumperOhNo]

Please try not to worry yourself.
I am very tall and so is my DH, with DS1 everyone was telling us how big the baby would be and he was 7lbs 1oz. DS2 I measured large for dates, had some extra scans and they were estimating he was almost 11lbs at 37+2! I was terrified. Due to previous c section with DS1, and polyhydramnios (which is obviously why I measured way above dates from the outside) they offered me another section and I took it (wanted one anyway) and at 37+6 DS1 was born at 8lbs 6oz. Nowhere near the 11lbs two sonographers had told me days before. They get these things wrong all the time.

[impatienceisavirtue]

I really, REALLY wish they would stop worrying women like this.

They are pretty much guessing and are pretty much always wrong.

[ToriaPumpkin]

According to my growth scan two weeks ago I'm carrying a small hippo. According to my midwife mother, while he probably won't be small (DS was 9lbs at 39+4) he doesn't feel that big. The sonographer did make sure to point out that they're out by about a pound either way most of the time!

[Definitelysometime]

I'm on for a hippo too, apparently. Baby on 97th centile and measured 7lb 8oz at 36 weeks. I'm now 39 weeks and baby feels bigger and stronger by the day - yikes! They still haven't offered to induce or anything though, despite estimating it to be a good 9lb 7 at term. And its a first baby so will in all likelihood be late. DH and I are both tall so didn't expect a small baby but there's no need to scare us like this!!

[hazchem]

Big babies don't mean difficult labours. DS was 10pounds 2 I laboured at home for most of it. I arrived at hospital at 91/2cm an decided to have gas and air from 9 1/2cm till pushing, then about 20minutes of pushing. I wasn't sure how to push so took me a couple of goes to work out what to do. I ended up giving birth on the labour ward, I had wanted a homebirth so the thought of being on a standard labour ward was a huge fear of mine, I fought to be accepted into the birth centre but on the night no one answered so we went into the labour ward. The midwife was wonderful hands off, and calm. It was so different to how a hospital midwife was in my mind.
One thing that helped for the birth was DS was in a good potions. I did lots of walking and hip swiveling on the birthball. Oh and I did a fair bit of large sewing so spent ages on hands and knees pinning and cutting.

I was told I was having a big baby and they talked about risks but I felt confident in my ability to give birth and I did a fair bit of research. One thing I remember was that while the risk of shoulder dysplasia are slightly higher the outcomes for babies aren't worse.

[steppyhen]

Had 2 growth scans both measuring about 95 th centile hsd baby 2 days ago after the let me go 10 days over due and get induced baby was born 10 lbs 9 oz. This was ny first baby and has a broken collar bone due to them letting me go for a vaginal birth
Im furious as I pushed and pushed to be induced had 5 sweeps to try get things started and they wouldnt do nothing. The labour its self couldnt have gone any better until the pushing stage and I dknt mean

[steppyhen]

Mean to scare yoy but if your really worried please push and push them. Xx

[Chipandspuds]

If it's any reassurance DS was 9lbs 1oz and the birth was very straightforward. It was about 5.5 hours from waking up in the morning to delivering him, I arrived at hospital 9cms dilated and had him within an hour in a birthing pool with gas and air.

The first thing my mum said was "god he's big!" And the midwife agreed and weighed him!

My community midwife who visited me at home was surprised as I'd been measuring normal, but was happy to prove to her student midwife that "big babies can be easy to birth"!

Wishing you good luck OP

[Sweetpea86]

Im36 weeks and measured 41 weeks if I'm going by that I'm going to give birth to a baby hippo

[Ellboo]

My hippo is now 2, and I'm thinking about having another. For me, the 'big baby' guesstimates were correct, and he was above the 99.6th percentile. Was moved from the birth centre to labour ward, which was really disappointing briefly. He was badly positioned, which made it more painful. Given his size we ended up with forceps, BUT it really really wasn't as dreadful as I had thought it would be in advance. And both me and my beautiful baby were fine. There isn't much you can control about labour as far as I can tell, but what you can do is try to get the baby well-positioned (I lay around on the sofa far too much in the weeks leading up) and follow all the usual tips to try to bring labour on. And don't forget the other advantages - big baby = big placenta so usually lots of milk supply, and they are often good feeders and sleepers as a result. (Someone told me they are often smarter too but frankly I think they were just trying to make me feel better!)

[MrsM2013]

I'm confused - 41cm at 40 weeks is within normal range- you can be + or - 2cm and that is normal
Also did they scan you to assess fluid volume as often big bumps are due to lots of amniotic fluid rather than sumo babies.

[Bumpsadaisie]

Please don't panic. Mine was nearly 10 pounds. It was fine, honestly, much better birth than his sister who was 8lb on the dot.

Indeed I have often heard it said anecdotally that bigger babies are easier to birth, they are stronger and have more oomph.

They have very little idea about size until the baby comes out anyway.

[JackSprattsWife]

Hi everyone- really appreciate all the messages and feedback - I think I am in early stage labour now as a result of yesterday's stretch and sweep so hanging out on all fours with my bum in the air. Trying to wriggle the baby into right position. I think it is now a matter of what will be will be - I'll let you all know how I get on in the next few days x

[moomin35]

JackSprattsWife - what size is considered a "big baby"? Best of luck x

[Woobeedoo]

Wow, sounds like you have my consultant as he said exactly the same to me - tried to scare me shitless, he actually said "...and you could need an emergency c-section and the labour ward is closer. You don't want to put your baby at risk do you?".

Long story short, I gave birth MY way, in the birthing unit as I wished, calmly laboured in water & gave birth on 'dry land' with gas and air and when my "oh, he's going to be massive, 10-11lb" baby was weighed, he clocked in at 8lb so hardly massive. He was however very long (I actually thought "Fuck, it's Gollum" when he was handed to me) which is what buggered up their sizing guesstimates.

The scans can be way off with their sizing, all depends on how the baby is positioned and - so I've since been told - how much fluid you have sloshing about in there.

Good luck!

Puuuuuussshhh!! x