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 could have written this a few months ago. I was in exactly the situation you are in, only I'm even smaller. I was considering requesting a C section - I have a very narrow frame and thought a vaginal birth was going to be a disaster, but on looking at the evidence I decided to stick with a vaginal birth. As it turned out, my baby arrived just over a week early and I had a very straightforward vaginal birth without any interventions (and without the epidural I had planned, but actually didn't need in the end, much to my surprise). As well as being early it perhaps helped that much of the baby's size came from length - the femur length measurement was very high but the head circumference less significantly above average. If I have another baby and it measures big, I'll plan for a vaginal birth again with much less trepidation.

Also the 'centile' is relative to you rather than absolute (at least this was the case at my trust). So my 96th centile baby was actually something like 68th centile in absolute terms. This doesn't mean there aren't risks, but I just found it helpful to know that it wasn't a baby that would be absolutely enormous for anyone.

8lb 3oz vbac. Fast birth and third degree tear. I have had a full recovery but it made me aware of how much can go wrong and how often it does - a lot of friends with smaller babies had more complications. I refused vbac for my next two, I went for ELCS. I would have had ELCS for first if I’d known what I know now. I originally booked for a homebirth 😂
good luck!

Two ten pound five ounces babies. One long, one fat. Both born vaginally, term plus six, no induction, no drugs, no interventions. I'm 5ft 5" and (was) a size 8-10. Active labour, water pool for contractions and birth.

1st baby 9lb 10oz!

Got to 9cm dilated, then obstructed labour as she couldn't fit, followed by emergency c section.

Would have preferred a planned section, but it wasn't too bad overall

Induction is associated with a higher risk of requiring intervention but definitely not "most of the time" .

My mum had my brother, who weighed 9 1/2 pounds, at home with zero pain relief, and claims it was no big deal.

She’s barely 5’4” and was a size 6-8 at the time.

Admittedly she is absolutely as tough as old boots and would probably perform an appendectomy on herself with a dinner knife to save herself the bother of a trip to A&E, so possibly not a great benchmark when it comes to pain thresholds.

My DS was 9lbs 1oz, 91st centile. He was my second and my first DS's birth was forceps. I had a growth scan on the Monday which showed him weighing 9lbs and he was born on the Thurs so it was very accurate.

I was booked in for a C-section on the Friday, advised by my consultant and midwife. Labour started naturally on the Thurs morning, was 5 hours in duration with 5 minutes pushing but he had shoulder dystocia and his head was born 4 minutes before his body. He was fine and they got him out safely but it was incredibly frightening at the time and I fear had I not had a midwife who had just refreshed her training or a consultant who happened to be passing my room then he would not have come out unharmed. Shoulder Dystocia can go south very quickly, and I think you may be at slightly higher risk with a larger baby (don't know the stats so look it up.) If you go for induction ask the questions around shoulder dystocia - what is the procedure if it happens, when did they last have training, what have the outcomes been in the unit etc.

Its such a hard decision and only you can make it. Educate yourself as much as possible so that you can advocate for yourself whatever you choose to do. Good luck, soon you'll have a baby in your arms and this turmoil you're in about what the safest way to deliver them will be all in the past ❤️

If he comes naturally, fine.

If he doesn't and they want to get the baby out, get a c section instead of an induction. I don't know anyone who has had a positive experience with an induction.

I'm the same height as you. My son was 10lbs and 2oz. He was born vaginally and wasn't induced. It was all fine and I'm sure you will be too. Word of advice, don't take newborn clothes to hospital, your baby will be too big. I learned that the hard way. I had no idea I was having enormo boy

Mine were 10lb 6, 10lb 8 and 10lb 13.5. I’m 5 ft 6 with wide hips, was induced every time because they were overdue. Stitches each time but no major damage.

1st- Nearly 10lbs. No pain relief just a few stitches but was in labour for 30 hours.
2nd- 11lbs!! I was measuring big so had a growth scan and was told he will be smaller than first born. Was in labour for 3 hours in total (from first contraction to born). Gave birth standing up and I think gravity definitely helped but I also listened to my body a lot more than I did with my first. Again just had a few stitches. He’s now a HUGE 9 month old 🤣

Go with what you feel most comfortable with. Scans can be inaccurate. Good luck with whatever you decide 💐

I’ve had two - the first was 10lbs 9, the second was 9lb. Gave birth to both vaginally with only gas and air. Had no tears, no stitches!
It is definitely possible and wishing you all the best of luck.

I'm 5'3 and my first was 10lb10. Always measured large throughout but was negative for GD. Like a previous poster, workers came from other hospital departments to see the '3-month-old newborn'.

Ended up with emergency section as she wasn't for coming out after waters broke.

2nd was 8lb15 by elective section due to worries the same would happen again.

I hope you have a great birth experience whatever you decide.

Hi there very similar situation to you tall husband etc and very petite. My scans indicated a 7lb something baby ...My baby (my first one) was 9lbs! 99 th percentile for head. I pushed for over 2 hours it was tough, tiring!
I didn't get induced, labour started naturally and had a vaginal birth. Absolutely fine - I did need several stitches and the recovery afterwards was tough won't lie to you but after I would say 6 months I was 100% back to normal down in that area! Just go for it and trust your body that's what I did x

My first weighed 10lbs 7oz - I had no idea he was big but I was 10 days overdue. As head crowned, midwife said he looked fairly large... normal birth, no problems just a small episiotomy.

First baby went two weeks overdue, then induced. Had baby by emergency c section 2 days later (so 42+2) due to failure to progress. Baby was 10lb 15. I’d been warned they were large from 30wks but predicted 9lbs. No diabetes, tested both pregnancies. I’m 5’4 and OH is 5’9 so not big but both of us were also big babies. Recommended elective c section for second, born at 38 weeks at 9lb 2oz so prob would also have been over 10lb at term.

Second baby now adult and over 6’4, first quite average sized as an adult! C section recovery very straightforward both times, possibly easier second time as no 2 day induction beforehand.

Have you had a growth scan or are you just relying on bump measurement (fundal height)? I put on a ton of weight for each pregnancy but my babies were actually quite small. If you're worried about size... I'd recommend booking an induction. My OBG was happy to induce at 38 weeks onwards. If you go overdue, your baby will just keep growing in size. BW with the birth. x

My first was a big baby and labour was 3.5 hours from first twinge to baby. Really easy birth.

Agree that bump measurements are really inaccurate, I never measured beyond 35 weeks but baby on 99th percentile for weight and off the chart for height.

I seem to be one of few people with a really terrible ELCS (not for size) experience.

Please don’t worry too much about induction birth. Both mine had to be induced and actually first one was a breeze compared to second!!

if there’s one thing I’ve learned about giving birth is that every single one is different! You can’t plan it. You just have to take it as it comes and hope for the best.

Good luck op.

Huge baby predicted. Was only 8lbs. Think scans are not that reliable. After 4 sections though I can say that recovery was a breeze after each elective section ....such lovely experiences (1st was emergency so not a great experience) go with your gut...

My ds was 9Ib 12, two weeks early! I am 5ft 3. Dh is 5ft 10. Had a very easy vaginal birth really. Gas and air only. I did tear but didn't feel it and it was stitched up fine. For me personally, I wanted a vaginal birth if possible. Ds was adorable and didn't look 3 months old. He's 18 now and tall and very slim and pretty much always has been.

5'5 and 12lb babies. First ventouse but rest no assistance. Active labour helped with dc 2 and 3. Birth stool, hanging on rope thingy. Basically being upright and two mw controlling decent of baby.

Use pump for nipple stimulation with dc 2 and 3 (set intervals over an entire evening) and rotating on exercise ball. Labours came on quick next morning

Baby 1 was 9lb 12oz, induced which lasted 5 days, eventually was given an emergency c section. It was horrible.

Baby 2 was measuring big, I booked a planned c section. Best decision. Very calm and easy recovery compared to the first.

It's good to plan but things have a way of taking their own turns, so have plan A, but also have plan B, C, D, E etc.

I'm 5'3 and gave birth to two toddlers 🤣

Baby one rocked into the world weighing 10lb1 and baby two a strapping 10lb3.

Both delivered naturally, and apart from a couple of stitches after baby two, all was well - no stitches needed after my first, unbelievably 🤷‍♀️