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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Can you talk to me about your big giant babies please

118 replies

DigOlBick · 09/10/2021 11:24

I’m having a giant baby and I’m actually quite terrified about it! I’m 34+4 and measuring 40 weeks. He was nearly 7 pounds at my last growth scan 2 weeks ago.

I’m exhausted, I can’t breath and I’m in a lot of pain. I’m hoping for an early induction but wondering if maybe a csection is the way to go.

Not sure what to do! Would just like to hear from some mums who birthday big whoppers and what it was like.

OP posts:

Samanabanana · 09/10/2021 11:55

First DC was 9lb 1 (and I am tiny!). Ended in emergency CS following a failed forceps delivery, wish I'd pushed for an elective. DC2 was also meant to be a whopper (docs and midwives all thought so!). Had an elective section (transverse) and baby was teeny tiny! I don't think you can go by growth scans/medical opinions on size as it's not an exact science, but I can say I'd never want to deliver a giant baby naturally

StCharlotte · 09/10/2021 11:56

Did no one else think this was going to he about useless husbands?

Good luck with the birth OP

whoknew23 · 09/10/2021 11:57

I was terrified at the idea of a csection ,but when you've failed to dilate enough, not allowed an epidural,been up for days with no food allowed had no sleep and a back to back baby a csection begins to sound really good , add in my BP kept spiking and I had some kind of infection .

Peakt · 09/10/2021 11:57

My first was 10lb 6. It wasn't the funniest experience of my life but I got her out eventually safe and sound.

I think if I'd known she was going to be that big I would have completely freaked out and seriously considered a section. But the growth scan predicted she'd be just under 9 pounds. I haven't trusted a growth scan since!

Merryoldgoat · 09/10/2021 11:57

My recovery was fine with both. Just don’t get constipated…

With the second I was walking around quite normally within a week. 1st was longer owing to the complications from induction.

The estimates are rubbbish.

DS1 - predicted 9lb 10oz - actual 11lb

DS2 - predicted 10lb 5oz - actual 9lb 6oz

Peakt · 09/10/2021 11:58

Should probably have added that while she was safe and sound, I had plenty of stitches and a more or less decimated pelvic floor...

ZenNudist · 09/10/2021 11:59

I think for some a tiny baby can cause trouble and yet huge babies can be born without a hitch.

My two were both 9lb9 and were born naturally. I had G&A for number 2 and nothing for number 1. Number 2 was a home birth.

It was fine. I tore with ds1 but nothing like that for ds2.

My friend had her 3rd dc at home. She was11lb +and no tearing no pain relief needed all good.

Second baby is easier than the first. (MW friend says "3rd children just fall out!!")

Also I agree that the growth measurements and scans and such can be inaccurate. Work colleague was supposedly having a huge baby and was like 8lb. Not huge.

I get offended when people say ouch about having big babies, even 8lb ones. A tiny tiny baby hurts as much for the woman but I reckon that my birth experience with big babies was much much much easier than many of the smaller babies I knew.

Also it's not so much the size of the baby but the size of the head, both of mine were 100th centile head size but no problems. I have narrow hips. The human body is designed to give birth. Don't worry!

TwinsandTrifle · 09/10/2021 11:59

Hello. Twins here, 1mth early, 13lbs of baby, I know how uncomfortable you are. What I would say, is that I can completely recommend the planned c section route. Yes it's an operation, but I think what gives some people a bad experience is the emergency side of it. It's quite different, knowing what's about to happen, planning around that, and I found the whole process very doable even with two newborns in tow.

I hope everything goes well for you, congratulations on your little one

TSSDNCOP · 09/10/2021 11:59

My consultant sent me in to have my baby induced on due date as he thought he would be big (I weighed 10,9 when I was born).

I have quite a set-to at the hospital with his registrar who said in his opinion the baby would only be 7.

DS was hauled out vaginally by the registrar and weighed in at 10,5.

The registrar demanded a re-weigh!

misskatamari · 09/10/2021 12:00

I honestly think position is a bigger consideration than size in how a labour goes. DD was 7lb2 - back to back and a nightmare! Ds was 10lb3 - home birth with gas an air, no stitches, much much easier labour. Honestly it was fine. He was born at 41 weeks exactly, as i didn't want to be induced/have a sweep etc. I trusted he'd arrive when he was ready and he did. I did hypnobirthing which i also think was a huge help in keeping calm etc.

LGY1 · 09/10/2021 12:01

My first was 9lbs 10
4 day labour (not going to say it was horrible, because it wasn’t) after 2 days on induction we gave up and went for a section.
To be honest I was relieved. I preferred a section to trying to push him out & all the unknown drama that could follow. I was expecting forceps as a minimum!

Only telling you because you asked - family history on my husbands side of whopper babies. My MIL was always planned in for a c section. Midwife at the time thought she knew better. Made her go through a vaginal delivery but baby got stuck in birth canal & died.

If you have the choice, I would go with c section all day long.

I wouldn’t say recovery was bad. Very stingy for a couple of days when you move but nothing off the scale. No sudden movements!
Just keep up with pain killers, don’t want for pain to come back before taking them again.

IWantT0BreakFree · 09/10/2021 12:04

@MrsArchchancellorRidcully

Trust your body. Half the battle is being positive. If you think the north will be difficult then it's likely will be. Was your first natural? No serious complications? Likely this one will do same. Trust yourself to do this.

If you are birthing in hospital then you are literally in the best place to deal with any issues. You could even home birth even in the circumstances. My first birth was horrendous and Dd was tiny.

This is so fucking offensive and harmful. "Positive thinking" does not create a safe birth. I struggled with PND after my first daughter which was in no small part down to this exact bullshit message being hammered into me by a hypnobirthing instructor. The flip side of course is that if you didn't think positively enough then you are at least partly to blame when your baby's birth goes wrong. I beat myself up for months thinking that if only I'd been more committed to the breathing exercises, done more "positive affirmations" etc then maybe my baby and I wouldn't have nearly died. In reality that's obviously absolute nonsense and I was not to blame for what happened. Nobody was.

Yes it's good to approach birth with positive thoughts, but that's because it's obviously a nicer experience in the run up if you're not terrified. Having positive thoughts is not "half the battle" when it comes to the actual labour and delivery going smoothly and safely.

Pinkyxx · 09/10/2021 12:07

Mine was 4lb 10 and my pelvic floor never recovered!! LOL

neeenor · 09/10/2021 12:14

Opposite issue but my 'tiny' baby that I was having growth scans for because only 4lbs was delivered at 38 weeks via section at 7lb5ozs turns out he was just fine all along.

helpthewhos · 09/10/2021 12:17

At one point DS2 had an estimated birth weight of over 11lb, I was told by a registrar I would have to have a c-section....then I had a late growth scan at 38 weeks and they told me he was small and would be about 6lb. I did say to the midwife this seemed to mean he hadn't grown much in weeks but she just looked at me like I was nuts and told me I had obviously eaten a lot in early pregnancy.

In the end he was 9lb after a feed at a few days early. Weight estimates from growth scans are ridiculously in accurate so I really wouldn't plan based on them.

ZenNudist · 09/10/2021 12:19

Your best indication is what happened with your first. It is likely to be quicker than that and is a good sign you don't need a section now if you had one last time.

FluffyTeddyBear · 09/10/2021 12:20

Unexpected 9.6lb baby got stuck sideways at 9cm so emcs. Was told thank god that happened as 100% should’ve dystocia and crash section (I have a small pelvis). I was in hospital two nights.

My friend had a big baby and refused c section as she didn’t want to stay in hospital. Baby got stuck, forceps, cut from here to there. In hospital for 5 nights.

Go for the section.

Pbbananabagel · 09/10/2021 12:24

If you are really worried about the getting stuck and feel like a c section is best for you then stick to your guns. Demand an appointment with a consultant and get it booked in. I have had an emergency section (due to massive baby) and then I had a planned section with my second (massive baby), the planned section was LIGHT YEARS better in terms of recovery, I was up and about a lot faster and felt so much more in charge of the whole thing. I have no idea why they allowed me to go two weeks overdue with my first when he was measuring big at 38wks, I had 3 rounds of induction pessaries and was having contractions for over 48hrs before they admitted defeat and moved to section.

Howshouldibehave · 09/10/2021 12:24

Growth scans are notoriously unreliable! Mine were 9lb-ers and born by CS. DN was 11lb and born naturally!

Gherkingreen · 09/10/2021 12:26

I had an 8lb 12 boy and a 9lb13 boy both late teens now).
Both induced at around 42 weeks, had gas and air. My first delivery was okay, not great but no big disasters thankfully, and my second delivery was a water birth which was brilliant, and much easier than the first one.

Amiwronghere · 09/10/2021 12:31

If you do nothing else @DigOlBick, ignore the absolute bs from @MrsArchchancellorRidcully, I beg you

No amount of positive thinking or trusting your body will help when a baby is literally too large to be birthed safely vaginally.
This is literally what used to kill women and babies before modern medicine.
I booked an elcs based on my sons estimated size, and two consultants telling me it would be catastrophic to try to birth him. He was born with a head circumference on the 100th percentile. I absolutely made the right choice. He could not have fitted. I dread to think what could have happened if I’d let myself listen to the scoffing midwives, who seemed to think an elcs was a cop out. I trusted the doctors, not them.

almahart · 09/10/2021 12:31

I had two babies over 10ibs.

Go for the c section, I wish I had

5thnonblonde · 09/10/2021 12:39

Mine were both small- 7lb and 5.5lb but just to say the smaller one was a harder delivery as she was essentially small enough to ball/curl up on her way out whereas my first was much more streamlined.

I’ve heard a fair few birth horror stories in my time but never a planned c section horror story or recovery one- my friends that have had planned c sections are all very pleased with the experience.

YouTubeAddict · 09/10/2021 14:52

My son was 10lb 4oz born at 42 weeks. Labour was 23 hours, pushing took 2.5 hours and needed a ventouse in the end. It was knackering but he came out in the end with a slightly funny shaped head and looking like a rugby player. He was the biggest baby the midwife had delivered in 15 years 😂

AuntieMarys · 09/10/2021 14:56

Mine was 11 and a half pounds. Natural, 2 weeks late, no pain relief. No stitches.

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