To ask anyone who’s had a large baby…

[birthplanning]

To advise me on birth?

Bump consistently measuring above the 97th centile. DH is 6ft plus, and was nearly 10lbs when he was born at 40 weeks exactly. I am 5ft 2 and petite build. I’m mid 20s and pregnancy has been touch wood straightforward and low risk.

I’ve done some reading and I am conflicted on what to do. I definitely don’t want to be induced unless there is a strong medical indication for it, as I know it leads to intervention most of the time. In the ideal I’d like a no-interventions birth but know the odds for that as a first time mum are stacked against me anyway, certainly in the current maternity care crisis.

I am not against a caesarean at all, in fact see there are lots of positives to it and although recovery may be harder it offers an element of predictability. I would just be worried about recovery, as DH only has 2 weeks off work. That being said I do not need to drive and can walk 2 minutes to the local supermarket and a nice country park. Also concerned about the increased risks to future pregnancies although we are leaning towards just having the one baby anyway, in any event we aren’t planning for a whole brood!

I wondered if anyone who has had a bigger baby (either ELCS or vaginal birth) could share their experience and whether you’d recommend being induced/going for a planned section, or just having a go ‘naturally’

Many thanks in advance!

I am 5'4 and had a 9.3 ds. Looked like a 3 month old. Very easy birth and no stitches....
Ime scan weights aren't reliable..

My babies weren't particularly large but I've had both types of delivery and recovered quicker from my ELCS and was in hospital for fewer days than my vaginal delivery with third degree tear.

Depends what number baby.
baby 1 was just under 8lb and was slow going
baby 2 was 10lb1 and nobody had raised any concerns about his size. At birth the midwives all came to see ‘the enormous baby’ but there was no difference really with his birth - if anything it was shorter and easier. Both were epidurals, though. No terrible tears or anything.
the next one everyone was really worried about his size and I was induced ‘early’ to stop him being too big but in the end he was ‘only’ 9lb.
all vaginal births, all epidurals.

I'm 4' 11" and my second child was vbac. Baby was 9lb and around 75th centile except for his 95 centile head and he presented sideways. I got him out by myself with a ventouse hold in between the last two contractions and then had 33stitches under GA and some physio.
If I was to do it again I would, but would do perineal massage beforehand and get the sodding birthing stool set up rather than thinking "no one has their babies on the EDD"
My first was an 8lb 50th centile section and the recovery was fuckin hellish. Never want to go through that again.

Scan weights aren't particularly reliable. I had an almost 10lb baby but I was only induced because of blood pressure issues. IMO women have been having babies for thousands of years - unless you have a medical need for induction or caesarean, give it a go naturally. It's great to think about a birthing plan, but generally it's going to go out of the window anyway!

I had a 10 pound 1 ounce baby at home with no pain relief and it was fine.

However he was my 3rd so that made things much easier. Agreed that growth scans are not that reliable as he was never picked up as a ginormous baby!

My first was 9lbs, arrived on due date.. sponateous, easy labour and birth.

Second measured 2 weeks above the entire time, growth scan measured him at 8lbs at 36 weeks. I was induced and it was awful - baby arrived eventually at 37+5 and was 7lbs11.

My son weighed 9lb 13oz.

Told at 6 months he was consistently measuring a month further on than he was, so I had to get a check to be sure I didn't have gestational diabetes as my dates were 100% accurate as an ICSI patient.

Consultant put me down for a planned section at 39 weeks, due to genuine concerns he'd get stuck in the birth canal.

He was 95 percentile for length and weight for as long as they were measuring but is absolutely average in terms of height and weight now.

I've got 4 kids. I'm 5'4''

Eldest: 6.5 lb
No.2: 9.10 !!!
No.3: 7.5
No.4: 7.2

All girls. No idea what happened with DD2 😅 But all 4 births were back labours so v painful, but apart from that all were natural and my body did go back to normal after DD2 ...

The midwives were betting DD2 was going to be a boy because of her size and her slow heart beat. None of the newborn clothes from DD1 fitted her and she went straight into 3/4 months.

Should add no pain relief for either, but the first labour was significantly easier!

I think I win this.

Baby 1 = 9lb 9oz. Induced as they knew he was big. I refused to be induced any earlier than 40 weeks. 9 hours after the pessary went in I started having contractions and he was born vaginally totally fine 10 hours later. Needed stitches but totally fine.

Baby 2 = 10lb 7oz. Induced again at 41 weeks. Vaginally with only gas and air, no stitches needed. Birth worst than the first one but still totally fine and manageable.

Have you had a growth scan or just a bump measurement? My bump measured big for ages but DS was less than 6lb when born.

My DD was 10lb7 and I was induced on my due date as she was measuring 10lb10. This was only because my normal consultant was on holiday and the consultant filling in persuaded me to go for an induction (my normal midwife had advised to go for a c section if measuring over a certain size on my due date). Over 24 hours later and I ended up having an emergency CS anyway. I personally wish I had gone for an elective CS, to save myself the trauma. But everyone is different - my friend had a 10lb baby and gave birth in a pool at home on gas and air alone!
Don't worry too much about the CS recovery if you do decide to go that way, the first few days are tough but the key is to get moving ASAP.
Good luck 😊

I'm tallish, 5'8", medium build. Average size husband. Baby was nearly 9lb 6oz. Back to back. Shoulder distocia. I had a third degree tear and a blood transfusion.
It ruined the whole experience including the following 3-6 months.
Second one I had induced and it was so much better. Both came out at high speed (3 hours from arriving at hospital for #1 and same for #2).
I don't like putting people off "natural" births, but with your respective sizes, I would definitely go for a caesarian. You know the downsides.
I was always told it would be a doddle with my massive feet, and it was horrendous and I still feel cheated. (I have friends who couldn't have children and obviously I don't feel cheated compared with them. It's just when comparing with 5ft4 friends with 6ft husbands who walked out without so much as a tear.)

I was offered induction and 37 weeks due to large baby. I decided to wait as I was very keen for things to happen naturally. At 40+3 I went to hospital due to reduced movements and was found to have pregnancy induced hypertension. Baby was fine thankfully, but placenta was becoming less effective as time went on. I was given medication with good effect and doctor agreed to give me another day in case things progressed naturally and as long as I came in to be monitored again. Still no sign of baby coming the next day so I was booked for induction the following day. Induction was absolutely fine but I was gutted not to be able to use the pool but hey you've just got to go with the flow sometimes! DD was born at 40+6 by rotational forceps because she was back to back. She was 8lbs 15oz so a good size but not the 10+ pounder that scans were predicting. I'm sorry I don't have any advice for you but that's my experience. I hope all goes well whatever you decide xx

I had a VBAC with a baby 8lb 6oz and I am a small 4ft 11 with a very petite size 6 build pre-pregnancy. I had a small labial abrasion but that was all. I did perineal massage alternate days using the Frida mom tool for 4 weeks I believe.

Also to say got to 8cm dilated on MLBU, no problem had to go to delivery suite for delivery due to meconium in my waters but I didn't have any interventions to deliver. Used my tens machine, eventually gas and air and the pool briefly.

Im tall 5 10”. My first was 9lb 1, 17 hours long, difficult and painful labour (he was back to back though)

my second was 10lb 3, 4 hour labour and delivery very swift (25 mins after arriving at hospital)

I only had gas and air with both though.

I think first labour is naturally more difficult and because you don’t know what to expect it feels worse. I have heard that smaller babies are more difficult to deliver though so it may work in your favour that baby is big.

DS2 was 10lb 3. He was 2 weeks overdue so I had my waters broken and spent 22 hours in labour, but he wouldn't budge so I ended up having an emergency c section. I desperately didn't want another section, but when I saw the size of him I was quite glad I did.

Had an ELCS for DS3 (9lb 3) and it was my nicest birth by far. In hindsight I wish I'd done the same for DS2.

It seems I need to add:
Baby 1 born on due date. Gas and air, absolute agony. Water birth.
Second one, got induced 10 days early. Paracetamol only (not in UK). Lying on back, mucho agony but not torn to shreds as the baby's shoulders weren't stuck so zero panic.
Obviously it's all worth it but the bit where the baby's head is coming out is absolute agony and anyone who says otherwise is lying or forgetful.

First - 8lb 15oz
Second - 10lb
Third - 9lb 2oz

Scans were pretty accurate first and second time. Third, I didn't even measure big so it was a big shock that baby was 10lb.

First birth was horrendous. I was on my back a lot due to monitoring and baby didn't get into position.

Second and third were amazing labours and births. I stayed upright, used the ball and laboured in the bath until I was ready to push. Both times I gave birth on my side.

My advice - don't let them coach pushing unless absolutely necessary. 10cm doesn't mean push straight away. Get up and walk about if you can for a little bit first. Let the fetal reflex take over

I went 1 week over my EDD. They tried three lots of gel to induce me, without success. I went for an elective CS in the end. All very relaxed. I’m 5’3”. DS was 10.11 and 24 inches.

Oh, second one needed a significant tear stitched up but not a life changing scar.
We were walking the dogs 2 days later.

5ft 2.DD was 98th percentile the whole way in pregnancy. Predicted 10Ibs (her dad was too).

I had an emergency/elective c section. Planned but early due to pre eclampsia so she came 2 weeks early. She got stuck coming out a bit 😂and the consultant was adimant she was her first 10ib baby that month- she was 8.9! They made them re weigh her!

I had planned a c section for other reasons but they said she was always coming out that way. It was surreal when she was a little bit stuck but I had a spinal block so didn’t feel it obviously! Go with what you feel more comfortable with x

Converse was true for me. I’m 5’9”. DD, at just over 42 weeks was 8lb 10oz. There was no way she was ever going to come out of me without assistance. I was induced to speed up slow labour. She was (eventually) born via forceps and they commented that the shape of my pelvis was problematic and I’d never birth babies without assistance.

33 years ago it had been exactly the same for my mum when I was born. I mentioned it regularly to sonographers, midwives and consultants but apparently it’s impossible to check anything about a pelvis until you’re trying to push another person through one. So they let me plan a home birth that would actually have put us both at risk.