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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think 7lb 12 is not “a big baby”?

127 replies

MrSpock · 08/08/2018 13:30

I’ve just found out I’ve been booked for a GTT test. This was out of the blue and no one had told me about this. Rang the hospital and was told it was because of “previous big baby”. My son was 7lb 12...

I have no history of GD (I had the test last time because of extra water), I have a BMI of 20.7, I’ve gained no weight so far and have no reason to think I’d have it.

I also hate blood tests and have HG so I’ll probably end up being sick.

Is it just me or is this a really strange reason to refer someone?

OP posts:
Melamin · 08/08/2018 15:26

No change there - It is hard work negotiating maternity services - I just ended up with lots of scans - the rest of it was pretty irrelevant - my community midwife said 'twins! how wonderful. I wish I had been the one to find that out!' the first time I saw her, then again the second time I saw her Hmm I never got the promised advice on what to expect at the birth either.

Hyperemesis thread sounds a good plan.

wheezing · 08/08/2018 15:28

I thought average these days was upper 7lbs? So no, not big.

Original poster
MrSpock · 08/08/2018 15:31

melamin I asked mine some questions about twin pregnancies and she said “I don’t know! We don’t deal with lots of twins!”

Nice and helpful.

OP posts:
LeighaJ · 08/08/2018 15:33

"MrSpock

I’ll be speaking to them. I’ve had disjointed care, with recurrent loss dealing with me for 12 weeks, late booking at community and my hospital being out of area. No one talks to each other..."

I remember at my first scan (at 10 weeks) the sonographer looked down at my notes then at me and said "You're not supposed to be here." Then something about not being 12 weeks along yet.

We explained the reason we had to have an early scan and she noted that hadn't been put in the notes and grumbled "No one tells anyone anything around here." Then she apologised to us.

The disjointed care does leave something to be desired. It got better over time though because I learned to double check that they wrote everything important in my notes. Grin

AnneWiddecombesHandbag · 08/08/2018 15:33

No not big but I don't know if they base it in your build etc.

I had an 8lb 12 for my first and they didn't do any extra checks or anything. Although maybe they should have as ds2 was almost 11lbs.

olderthanyouthink · 08/08/2018 15:35

I had the test at St Thomas' last week, drink was a cheap tasting orange flavoured Luke warm thing in a squeezy packet. Wasn't nice and made me feel a bit ill but then I wasn't in a good place because I have a severe needle phobia.

My risk factor is ethnicity Sad

DrWhy · 08/08/2018 15:37

I’m 5ft7, BMI 25, 37 and previous baby was 9lb6oz - I haven’t had to have a GTT as previous baby was under 10lb which is the cut off they use here.
They either have a different cut off in your area on one of the risk factors or there has been a mistake, I’d just call your midwife and query it. If there’s been a mix up then someone who should be getting the test won’t be.

Original poster
MrSpock · 08/08/2018 15:37

I have a phobia of needles too. I can give myself injections but anyone else attempting to stab me terrifies me.

OP posts:
calpolsupernova · 08/08/2018 15:53

No diabetes pregnant or otherwise for me and my DD was 11.2lb and I was a size 10. Sometimes babies are just big babies.

Eliza9917 · 08/08/2018 16:24

7lb+ seems big to me, but then the biggest baby in my family was 4lb something.

Going by normal standards, a 7lb baby is pretty normal isn't it, and even becoming small as the average for babies is getting so big now. I also thought the official classification for a big bay was +9lb.

IceCreamFace · 08/08/2018 16:50

Surely everyone has a GD test? Why would you not want to? I have no history of diabetes, was very healthy, BMI of 19.9, kept exercising and eating healthily during pregnancy and developed GD. (Most people who get it have no history of diabetes). I think everyone should be tested - it was standard in both countries I had pregnancies in.

Original poster
MrSpock · 08/08/2018 16:54

It’s not standard here. It’s only done if you’re at risk.

OP posts:
RaspberryRipple1963 · 08/08/2018 17:34

No,I don't think that 7lb 12oz constitutes a particularly big baby,it is just a healthy weight. I think society's and the medical profession's idea of what is a 'big' baby is somewhat different to what it was years ago. When I was born (in 1963) my DM was told on my arrival that I was 'huge'. I was 8lb 10oz! The midwife who delivered me said that I was the size of a 6 week old baby. Hmm Mind you,after my brother,born 5 years previously,weighing 5 lbs 14oz,I suppose it was a bit of a surprise to my DM! When my own DD was born in 1983,I was told that at 7lb 7oz,she was 'a good weight' but totally 'average'. I read somewhere a couple of months ago that the medical profession's definition of a big baby nowadays,is 9 lbs 13oz and over.

BunsOfAnarchy · 08/08/2018 17:44

I was given one as a standard due to being of ethnic minority. I otherwise wouldnt have needed it as my pregnancy posed no risks

PrimalLass · 08/08/2018 18:10

90th centile they will definitely say he's a big baby. It just goes to show how many calories the baby is getting in the womb, and mothers with GD tend to grow big babies in utero because of all the extra sugar I think

Ds was 10lb12 at 40+11. They tested but I had no GD but I did have lots of extra fluid. I wasn't eating excessively. He's now more like 70th centile at 13. Very slim.

fieryginger · 08/08/2018 18:12

Average size. Not big.

PrimalLass · 08/08/2018 18:13

I had to have a GTT this time because of the excess fluid I had last time. I expect that's the reason why rather than your previous big baby who wasn't actually big

I had the big baby AND all the fluid. You can imagine the size of me.

Original poster
MrSpock · 08/08/2018 18:15

Despite me having excess fluid I never had a bump bigger than a 6 month looking bump! Confused

OP posts:
YouBoggleMyMind · 08/08/2018 18:17

I had a 7lb 12oz baby and that was on the 50th centile for weight! Not large at all!!

grace7 · 08/08/2018 18:19

That's really weird, my son was 7lbs14 and the midwives called it a "good weight", he was 1 week overdue. I'm tiny and my bump was quite discreet so everyone was surprised that he wasn't smaller but nobody ever said he was big. It's pretty average I'm sure?

Original poster
MrSpock · 08/08/2018 18:20

I think it’s because I’m skinny and he was 38 weeks!

OP posts:
jaseyraex · 08/08/2018 18:48

Seems odd to test you if there's not any reason to or concerning factors. That sounds like an average sized baby to me. My first was 9lb 6oz and I've never been offered the test, it was briefly mentioned at a midwife appointment about four months ago and then never again! I've just had an 11lb 2oz monster arrive three weeks early, so maybe they should have done some sort of test Grin

I suppose it won't do any harm for you to go ahead with the test, will just be unpleasant for you.

Rachie1973 · 08/08/2018 19:10

They're doing a GTT test on my 16 year old simply because my own mother is a type 2 diabetic, and I had a 9lb 14oz baby, despite no GD showing.

She's not impressed, but it doing it all the same. I've not told her how revolting the drink is. I'll save that gem lol

Original poster
MrSpock · 08/08/2018 19:15

Rachie that seems bizarre too!

OP posts:
Rachie1973 · 08/08/2018 22:11

Sorry. Mother is a type 1 diabetic. Brainfarting