to request elective section for large baby

[Miriama]

Currently 9 days overdue and grown massively over last week, indications from growth scan, and measurements is that baby is 11lbs, and I'm an older first time mum. Terrified of trying to birth such a large baby and have an appointment with consultant to discuss section. Any advice on how to make my case for a section?

It's so difficult if you're a first time mum. I was predicted a big baby,my consulted wouldn't give me a induction date...I was bloody huge. I couldn't walk. I was one week over and refused to leave without an induction booked. My daughter was.....wait for it......,11lb 10 oz. I delivered naturally . Her shoulders got stuck and I tore. The consultant was willing to let me go another week.....who knows what would of happened. Push for what you want. Tell them what you want. All the best x

YANBU.
It's every woman's choice so if you want one, demand one.

But in case you don't really want one but imaging a big baby is enough to scare you into having one, remember how very unreliable growth scans are. Friend of mine fought for a cs and got it, her "giant" baby was a tiddly 7lbs. A private consultant once tried scaring me into having a cs due to size of baby...she was 8lb 4oz and delivered naturally (with assistance but I don't think that was down to size but other factors).

To add to the growth scans not being 100% accurate, my first baby was delivered at 34 weeks but weighed a massive 6lb3oz (& I had 3rd degree tear & damage all over the place).

With my second baby, I had a scan at 37 weeks saying my baby boy was already 10lb, and as I'd been 3cm dilated since 31 weeks, had other health issues and my first had been huge too, they agreed to induce me there & then.

So was induced at 37 weeks, expecting a 10lb+ baby boy. After 1hour 46 mins of labour out popped a 7lb 1oz baby girl! Not a stitch needed either.

So they really can get these things wrong.

In your shoes, I completely understand wanting a CS though, and I'd probably do the same, especially as you have so many risk factors for induction failing. Fingers crossed you get what you need

Sorry to hijack your thread OP but I am wondering what kind of factors indicate a larger baby is likely? Obviously if the father is a very large man would be a factor, what about the mother's size? i only ask because I am TTC right now, I'm 39 and I am pretty petite at 5'3" and 7 1/2 stone while my DH is 6'2 and probably around 14 stone. I do worry about my chances of having a big baby.

Rain I don't believe it's much to do with size. I am 5.6 and DH is 5.7 and we're both slim...I had two babies of bigness DD1 was 10llb exactly and DD2 was 10.4.

MrsWinn - I guess I'll find out (hopefully)!

DH is the same size as me 5 ft 7 similar build and there are small and large people on both sides of our families.

When I had them I was not overweight. GD was tested for due to family history of type II and was never present.

Only thing is my mother family has higher end of normal sized babies - though two of my mums were early - I was only to term one and I was 8 lb 10.

Previous large babies is considered a factor by MW - though all mine have been roughly the same large size - the last wasn't the largest though one consultant insisted babies always got larger . I've known other mothers have just one large baby then rest are are much less in size.

I think in my case it was just a good placenta - they all came down the charts as they grew and stayed just above middle of the growth charts.

I've seen this on MN loads, and I was worried myself, but there isn't any evidence for larger babies (I spent a lot of time trying to find it only to find the opposite).

No study has found a link between the size of the father and the birth weight of a baby. Evolutionary it does not make sense either - a man who is tall is an 'evolutionary success' so there is no benefit to his children dying in childbirth because they also are bigger.

The only link there has been found that the father is an influence is in certain inter-racial couples (caucasian man with an east asian woman) where there is a slight increase in the need for a CS, but this is only slight.

As it goes DH is 6'3" and 13 stone. I was 7 1/2 stone and 5'1". DS was 7lb 5. Strangely the same weight as me and my mother - and there is evidence that birth weight is linked to the genes of the maternal grandmother.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17381491

Good luck OP, I hope you get the result you want.

I was in your exact situation and was refused an elective, told to 'give it a go'. Ended up with 24 hours labour, failed induction, emergency section. On top of some other health issues, it took me a really long time to recover from all that and I'm still pretty ticked off about it.

Perhaps more advice is needed. All mine were large - largest was 10lb 2oz - but they were all long and skinny.

Redtooth - Thanks for the info. I guess to does make sense that the size of the father wouldn't necessarily mean a bigger baby. Well my mother and I were both 7lbs, so that would be nice!

I was having an ELCS anyway for health resins but my midwife said that if I wasn't they may have been suggesting one purely based on babies size.

My bump was enormous and was nearly off the chart when it was plotted on the graph and when baby was measured via scans he was always just over the 100th percentile when those measurements were on the graph. I was being scanned every 4 weeks from 20 weeks onwards so they were pretty convinced I was having a big baby!!

However, when he came via ELCS at 39 weeks he was only 8lbs 8oz so hardly the monster they were expecting

Scans can be misleading

Good luck OP!

10lb Id have no worries about but Id not be happy if it was 11 or 12 makes a huge difference.

Sod that.

Just for reassurance if you do end up going down the natural birth path, DS was 11lb 3oz and came out incredibly easily.

Good luck!

I wish I'd had a section with my third. I only went 4 days over and she was 10lb 11oz. She had shoulder dystocia and was stuck for what seemed an eternity. I had laboured very well on only entonox and was actually enjoying the experience as it was a different hospital and a lot more relaxed and quiet. I wasn't strapped to the bed and once I politely told the mw to naff off and stop trying to make me sit on a ball all was good. My waters went by themselves, the contractions were coming thick and fast and I got the urge to push. Once her head was out all hell broke loose. I was pushing with all my might and nothing was happening. I was scared to death and could see the baby's skin turning a deep purple colour. The mw asked dh to push a button behind my bed and suddenly the whole room was filled with people. I had one person on each leg pushing them up to my chest, one pushing my tummy so hard that I was left with bruises and one pulling on dd's head so hard that I felt myself shift. All to no avail. All of a sudden without warning I felt what can only be described as boiling water being poured over my genitals. A doctor had performed an episiotomy and the pain was horrific. I felt myself fading and then coming back because dh told me she was out. They seemed to be working on her for a long time and I could hardly breathe. The whole room was silent and the staff kept exchanging glances. Finally I heard a rasping noise and a little cry. Everyone started laughing and crying. I was lying there, legs in stirrups, sucking on entonox while being stitched up.
35 minutes after giving birth and receiving 100+ stitches I finally got to hold her. I felt numb. I had no idea what to do next. I lay there staring out of the window hardly daring to move. With my previous 2 births I was up and about within the hour. I was showering, feeding my baby and feeling high. This time I didn't have the strength to do anything. The mw was trying to force me into the shower or bath. Despite everything I'd just gone through, and how completely traumatised I was I was being spoken to like I was an annoyance and dh had been sent home. Lucky for me that dd passed out which meant I could lie there frozen, unable to move and reliving the birth in peace.
The lady across from me ( who was lovely but the whole family were knobheads) was recovering from a section. She was absolutely fine and in a lovely mood. The mw's couldn't do enough for her. She'd had a section and therefore was bed bound for at least a day so I understood, but what about me? I'd been sliced open without pain relief, my cervix was poking out of my vagina, I couldn't clear my throat, sneeze or cough without lying down and doubling over. My baby was like a purple ribena berry and her face was covered in bruises. I was so sore that I lay down with my legs apart (the bounty lady burst in which didn't help and the other lady's visitors took my bedside chair without asking. Just came over, moved the curtain aside and took it.)
I went to the toilet and ended up screaming in pain. My stitches had burst and were already infected. Can you believe they let me go home the same day? Had my vagina not pushed a baby out I'm pretty sure I'd have been made to stay in hospital. My friend was up and about after her section within two days. My 40 year old aunt was in hospital for 6 days with her cyst removal op.
I'd always wanted 4 children. I enjoyed my pregnancies and my labours (honestly). But now, five years on? No way. I still have nightmares. I dream that dd didn't survive. My bits are wrecked. They get so itchy and sore. I have random ridges and hard lumps around my perineum. I have sex with dh maybe once every 6-8 weeks and I couldn't care less. I have no sex drive at all and feel so guilty for dh. ( who is wonderful and never pushes it btw)

If by some miracle I was to get pregnant again I'd demand a section from the outset. If they said no or couldn't guarantee one I'd probably consider a termination. I couldn't put my body (and frankly my family) through another natural birth. I'm not a scaredy cat. I delivered my first two "naturally" without serious incident. My 3rd birth has left me petrified of childbirth (not pregnancy strangely) nearly 6 years on I still cry when I recall it and I feel pathetic. Dd is here. She is safe and well. Why am I letting this affect me all these years later? I'll never get past this.

If they are telling you the baby is likely to be 11lbs, and you are already 9 days past due date, then I don't blame you at all for wanting a CS.

I know women who have birthed 10/11 lb babies; I also know women who have had emergency CSs due to babies this size. None of that helps you!

If you don't come back to this thread today I hope it's because you are having your baby and I hope all goes well!

yourma - that sounds horrific, I can't believe you had to go through that, you must have been terrified. Your daughter is lucky to have such a strong and brave mom x

Watching with interest,

YourMa, so sorry to hear about your experience. How terrible for you.

op, I'm with you too. I hope you make the right choice for you.

I'm 38 weeks. Last week I was told my baby was big at 3.5 kg. They've never measured my bump. I have been considering an elcs. I could still have one but my doctor talked me out of it twice.

I was worried what if they'd got it wrong and actually she was small and needed to stay in longer? Dh is a lot bigger than I am but we both had the same birthweight of 7.1lb. My mum had a difficult birth with me and I was born with forceps. I was told I have a small pelvis too so there is a concern there if my baby is big I'm just not sure how accurate the measurements are. I haven't put on any weight in 3 weeks though. My plan I think now is to book an elcs as close to my due date as possible. I did tell the doctor my concerns about struggling if she's big. (YourMa, that's not the first time I've heard stories like that and I'm desperate to avoid that) the doctor just told me they'd convert to emcs before that happened.

Thank you ladies. X

Wow, lots of new posts on this thread! Right so I went to the appointment today armed with my action plan and notes, ready to fight my corner. I didn't need to say anything. The consultant took one look at me, checked the scan and said that a section would be recommended due to risk from shoulder dystopia as baby estimated at nearly 5kgs. They took blood yesterday for glucose as there is a potential gestational diabetes issue in which case I might be asked to go in tomorrow for section, otherwise will be Tuesday next week. She did say that measurement scans can have a large margin of error, however in this case she felt that there was enough evidence for elective section rather than (her words) a heroic labour which may end in a section anyway.

I have a massive sense of relief, and am so pleased that I listened to my gut feel about this. My husband is massive (think viking rugby player) and actually consultant and DR yesterday said that father does have a bearing on the baby's physiology, so not sure where some of you are getting the information that is isn't from.

Anyway I'm pleased with the result. I know a section isn't an easy option, but I feel much more relaxed now. Thanks to all for responses, I really appreciate it.

Excellent result op and good luck!

Very exciting, good luck miriama!

Yay!!

Although out of interest, why aren't they doing the section now when you are already 9 (practically 10) days over due?

Surely you could go into labour any minute and then it would be an emergancy c-section?

I have no experience with C-sections though!

Thanks all for replies. Consultant has written all over notes that I am not favourable for vaginal delivery, and that elective section is planned for Tuesday. If I do go into labour, waters break etc. I am to call ahead and advise labour ward so that section can be arranged. They do planned sections on Tuesdays and Thursdays at my hospital and obviously missed the Thursday session today. I had a VE and cervix unfavourable so guess there is no immediate issue re labour. Will be a revised plan if blood results show a GD issue. I have no experience of c-sections either!