To ask about your experience of giving birth to a big baby?

[bgmama]

Hello, I am in the 37th week of pregnancy and my doctor is telling me that I am carrying a very big baby. This has been confirmed by ultrasounds, although I know they are not an exact science. I already have a child, which was born a few years ago without any complications and I was hoping it would be the same with this one. Can I ask how was your labour if your baby was big? Did you have any complications and did you have to be induced or have an EMCS due to the size of the baby? So far my doctor has a ‘wait and see‘ approach, which I am happy with, but I am also worried, as I would really like to avoid a c-section. I should add I don't live in the UK, so the care I receive is a bit different here. Also, did your baby turn out to be as big as expected when it was born, because I have heard that the scan can very often get it wrong.

My baby was predicted to be massive and they wanted to induce at 37 weeks. I refused as I wanted to see how it went and be as natural as it could be. But then I got to due date and nothing had happened and my legs were so tired so I reluctantly agreed to be induced at 40+2.

Induced with pessary at 3.30pm, contractions started at midnight, and my 9lb 9oz whopper of a son was born at 10.49am with just gas and air. Totally normal delivery and all the worry about him being so big made no difference at all. I'm glad I stuck out those last three weeks. He was ready, I was ready, it was a great birth.

My first was 9lb12 and although a long labour I didn't have any complications, assistance nor stitches.
The 2nd was 10lb 7 and the labour, much much faster. Again no assistance or stitches etc.. I did however, have a problem with delivering the placenta. It didn't want to come. I was jabbed a few times to try and make it. It did finally come away but I haemorrhaged quite badly and ended up needing a transfusion. It was explained - the bigger the baby, the bigger the placenta, the bigger the hole it leaves when it detaches so sometimes it doesn't close down as fast to prevent heavy bleeding.
My 3rd, I'd been unwell for most of my pregnancy so I'd been under a lot of observation. At 34 weeks I was told my baby was roughly 9lbs give or take a few oz's either side. I was a little worried as I didn't fancy trying to birth a 12lb plus!
I got induced at 40+ 5 (just popping my waters as my cervix was slightly open and the drip but not any pessary etc..) His labour lasted just short of 3 hours and was my worst but that was to do with the induction and the speed it happened. He was 10lb 15. Again, the same as his brothers, no issues but I did have a problem with something like SPD but afterwards. So just had to be careful how I manoeuvred my pelvis for a little while.
They are all adults now and I've had no later problems with my pelvic floor, prolapse etc. I do count myself very lucky when I hear what other poor women go through.

How big is big? My first baby was 9lb 9oz and an emcs after a long labour. DD2 was accurately predicted to be bigger. I agreed to have a c section at 39 weeks. Instead she came at 38 weeks and was 8lb 11oz. I had a vbac. I needed to be cut and I had retained placenta but this was probably caused by my scare tissue from my previous section.

My midwives kept saying I’d have a baby in proportion to me and I am short and thin.

He was 8.5 kg but more importantly had a 37cm head. In my firm opinion it is the size of the head that matters! They did say oh wow he’s bigger than we thought.

I had a natural birth but also a natural third degree tear to anus that was very nearly fourth degree (which could have led to permanent nasty toilet problems).

In retrospect I wish I had had a c-section. However I am not sure if my experience is relevant to you. I had a very quick first stage (the dilating) but a three hour second stage (the pushing) and I have since read that a long second stage makes tearing likely and that a c-section is usually done if it continues more than one hour.

I think what I am trying to say is don’t be too scared of a c section you may reach a point where it is the best option.

Congratulations on your baby the next year is going to be so fun!

My daughter was predicted to be over 9lbs, induced at 39 weeks due to her size and she was 8lbs 6. Induction was linked to me having gestational diabetes though and her large abdominal circumference so they were concerned about shoulder dystocia. Was offered induction or c section but induction date was sooner so chose that, ended up in theatre having forceps but it Was actually ok, had a tear which healed easily and was home the next day. There are a lot of horror stories about induction but less is said about all of the ones that are actually fine, that said, all they did for me was break my waters as stuff was already happening, did end up on the oxytocin drip as labour slowed down but this was quite a long way further down the line. I think ending up with forceps was more to do with the epidural than anything else but I’d still take it again in a heartbeat.

I had bump measurements, scans everything telling me I was having a big baby...pushed to a c section, scared with tales of shoulder dystocia... decided to go natural and had an 8lber.

My second baby was 10lb. It was a homebirth and tbh, the only bit that was worse than the other births was the crowning. The rest of labour was no worse than any other.
The crowning was harsh. I thought I was being split in two, but it turned out I didnt even tear. I had a great midwife and my birth partner (dp) really excelled himself and was brilliant and calm and supportive. If anything it was actually my favourite birth. I did go into shock afterwards though and couldnt stop shaking for about 10 minutes. Recovery was fine.
I know a few people who have had big babies and a lot of how well it goes is down to the people around you as much as you

I had growth scans throughout. Predicted a 6lb baby at 41 weeks. Dc was 9lb 5oz. Was induced too and honestly loved my labour. Gave birth naturally with only gas and air. 5 hours on the hormone drip with 20 minutes pushing.

Hello OP. I had two whoppers, one 10.5 lbs and one 10 lb.

The first one measured absolutely normal until my waters broke and then they told me that she was going to be very large. Cue lots of conversations about shoulder dystocia and/or the likelihood of an EMCS. Not what I wanted to be hearing at the time!!! As it turned out I had a simultaneous induction and epidural (I didn't go into labour after the waters breaking so had to be induced). She was born vaginally with no tears, cuts or stitches, just a small scratch where her fingernail got me on the way out :)

The second was a similar size and delivered the same way. No damage whatsoever.

If you decide to go for a vaginal birth then I highly recommend an epidural. My reason is that if there's any issue with getting a large baby out when it comes to the crunch, you will be a lot more comfortable.

I don't regret my births, but if I had my time again I think I would opt for an ELCS given their size. I've had no end of problems since the birth (prolapses, pelvic floor damage and lots of other nasties) which continue to affect my physical health. I think their size exacerbated this.

Good luck whatever you decide. Just remember that big babies are fabulous once they are out because they're easier to handle. And they look like cute little sumo wrestlers :)

DC1 was 8lb13oz, suspected 3rd degree tear (in the end not) but otherwise ok - c.12 hour labour with TENS and gas and air. DC2 10lb1oz, 4 hour labour, water birth with just gas and air, was a really positive experience.

Our NCT teacher showed us silhouettes of a 7lb and a 10lb baby. The biggest bit is the shoulders, and that was the same on both.

I knew someone really small who was expecting a big baby, and they said she'd be okay because her feet were quite large - apparently pelvis size and foot size are correlated!

I don't think scans are always reliable. Growth scan the day before my induction said baby would be plus 10lb. He was 6.13..,,,

We are made to give birth to all sizes!

DS was 3 weeks early and weighed 9lb 2oz. We had no idea, and no issues. Im only small myself, size 8-10, small feet (what ever that has to do with it cos they always ask). Other 2 were 1 week early and were over 8lb each. Again no issues.

No one mentioned dd might be big. She was 11lbs 2 and fell out if me like the massive pudding she was. On the bathroom floor.

Ds on the other hand was 8lbs 11 and awful. Rips and stitches all over. 23 he labour. Awful. Ds first. Ds second

It's fine.

With DC1 my scan at 34 weeks predicted he'd be 13.5 lbs, I was packed off for many tests. He was born weighing 9lbs at 39 weeks - just adding to previous voices that growth scans can be very misleading. Good luck!

I was told that head was going to be in 98th centile and that baby would be 9-10lb repeatedly at scans and appointments. Fortunately neither prediction was accurate and baby was 7lb 10 with a sizeable, but not ridiculous head 😁. However it made labour a very scary process and I was petrified for about the last month of pregnancy. Try not to pay too much heed. They’re not always right...

My babies were
7lb4
7lb10
10lb8
8lb10

The big bruiser was no different to the others delivered vaginally and back to back (as were 2 of the others) no intervention or stitches.
I felt a bit bruised afterwards and the after pains were the worst with him. I was back taking the others to school after a few days and felt ok but that was mainly because dh was a work but I did feel fine.
Big doesn't necessarily mean a bad delivery.

Oh and I was told to expect another large baby with my fourth around 11lb.

Home birth, baby a tad under 10lbs, wider than she was long, and out in 3 pushes. Quite a lot of stitching but only 2nd degree tears. Long term effects seem to be no worse than friends who had smaller babies, and much less bad than friends who had forceps etc.

Estimated big baby as DS was almost 2 weeks overdue. He ended up being only 7lbs though. However he is in 85 percentile for head circumference and I needed stitches.

My DS wasn't big, at 8lb 1oz, but he has a head with a large circumference. Which definitely hurt as he made his way out. He has a big head like his dad. (But DS is much, much nicer....)

Try not to panic, my first was 10lb 14 and it was ok. Labour seemed pretty standard for a first time baby, and I had him without any pain relief. (Unless you count the aspirin they insisted I needed afterwards) I did have a small tear, but bounced back much quicker than with my subsequent smaller babies. I think the most traumatic bit for me was that we couldn't manage to wedge DS into the little going home outfit we had for him and my precious first born went home in a hospital gown.

I honestly think it’s going to be different fo everyone , women’s different Bodies . The weight of the baby i guess doesn’t always account for like head or shoulder size .

I was small throughout all my pregnancy and they said I was having a small baby

He was 9lb 2 which tbf is not massively big but I ended up having an emergency c section and they said I’d never have got him out normally but I guess that was just based on me ?

Despite the whole big head stuck baby/ emergency section it was the best day of my life and Labour was no where near as awful as I expected At all so try not to worry !

Re scans etc, my bump measurent predicted 7lb 6oz. My growth scan predicted 7lb 6oz, and baby was born at exactly 7lb 6oz, so they do get it right sometimes.

I had two very pleasant planned sections though, which I would thoroughly reccomend.