Babies on the 90+ centile - your experiences

[sarahloumadam]

My 6 wk bf baby is mahoosive. He currently weighs 13lbs 6. Neither me or his dad are particulary tall or large. He is happy and healthy so I am not complaining but I wondered if his growth will slow down? Any similar experiences? His size was brought home to me yesterday when I went to the first post-natal group and he dwarfed all the other babies, some of whom were much older than him!

This thread has made me feel so much better. My beautiful wee girl is 2.5yrs and in5-6 years clothes and size 11 shoes and size 10 hats - she is thriving but I do worry about her being bullied in later life due to being taller etc. Agree with added expense due to their size in terms of clothes and shoes. I worry a lot bout what size of school uniform I will be buying - size 9/10 maybe!!

so glad to see this thread! As I'm carrying a large baby - 97 percentile estimated-weight at 32/33 weeks.

For all the mummies with big babies at birth, how did you deliver? Do I have to mentally prepare for Cesarean?

Also I heard, there is an upward bias between estimated weight and actual birth weight. Any experiences?

I haven't read the whole thread, but, here are my 3.

Ds1 - born 9lb12, 98th centile, shot down to 50th by 2 weeks old, slipped down to 9th centile, currently somewhere just above the 25th for weight, just under 50th for height. He is 6.6 and weighs 3stone3. (and is very skinny!) He was induced labour, born naturally, although I had an epidural. 2nd degree tear with him which was stitched (ow).

Dd - born 10lb0, 99.8th centile, she went down to the 50th, stayed there, and is now about 75th for height and somwhere between 75th and 91st for weight, she is slim but solid iyswim!. She was born at home, 14 days late, no stitches, no pain relief! She is 4.5, and weighs about 3 stone (possibly a bit over - similar to ds1 anyway!)

Ds2 - born 10lb2, 99.8th centile, slipped down the centiles, reached a low of 2nd centile, has picked up a bit and is now between the 9th and the 25th. He is 20 months and weighs about 24lb. Again born at home, no pain relief or stitches!

Ds2 also has tiny tiny feet now - he is a size 3 at 20 months. Mine (with the possible exception of dd) are good examples of how birth weight does not correlate to final size!

Ds was born 6lb 5oz at 35 weeks - over 10lb by his due date, and trundled along the 99.8th percentile for quite a while, before settling for the 91st till the last time I had him weighed officially. Is 98th for height.
Dh is 6'2" and I'm 5'10", so its not suprising. I was 10lb 6oz and my brother was 10lb 11oz, and mum had no pain relief and very short labours with both of us, so I reckoned that as we are v v similar I'd be OK.

barbebabie, I had my DS (9lbs6oz) vaginally. I had a small tear and 3 stitches, but it healed quickly and easily

His head is pretty massive and it took 2 hours of pushing to get him out, but it most certainly is possible to birth a big 'un naturally (as opposed to c-section).

I don't think that a baby's size really has a big bearing on needing a c-section; most of the people I know who had a CS has a baby who was in a funny position/failed induction/breech baby.

I have read on MN and elsewhere that growth scans can be inaccurate by quite a lot - one girl I know was told to expect a 10lb-er, but had a perfectly normal 8lb 6oz girl!

barbebabie, I had my DS (9lbs6oz) vaginally. I had a small tear and 3 stitches, but it healed quickly and easily

His head is pretty massive and it took 2 hours of pushing to get him out, but it most certainly is possible to birth a big 'un naturally (as opposed to c-section).

I don't think that a baby's size really has a big bearing on needing a c-section; most of the people I know who had a CS has a baby who was in a funny position/failed induction/breech baby.

I have read on MN and elsewhere that growth scans can be inaccurate by quite a lot - one girl I know was told to expect a 10lb-er, but had a perfectly normal 8lb 6oz girl!

By which I don't mean to suggest 10lb+ is 'abnormal' - perhaps I should have said 'average', sorry!

Interesting to hear about scans and estimated birth weights. I was never told by MWs / doctors etc that I was measuring big for dates, so I was very surprised to have a 10 lb 2 oz baby (he was very long, too ! I did have a c-section , but after a failed induction, not because he was a big baby. However, the surgeon did say as he lifted him out 'My God, he is huge! He looks like a toddler! Be happy you didn't have to push him out.' And I could kind of see his point when I held him for the first time. He was a very big baby!

LoveAngel, same here - no idea until he came out that I would produce such a big baby! I even had a scan at 36 weeks to check presentation, but nothing was said!

This was probably a good thing, as I was scared enough anyway

oh
had DS weighed yesterday for the first time in ages and he has dropped below the 50th centile for weight (has only just double birthweight at 10 months but then he was 10lb 5). Still well above the 91st for length. Am slightly nonplussed, but they're not worried so I supposed I'm not either. He is quite active and couldn't physically eat any more. But I can't help thinking it's a bit odd. DD is above 91st for weight and height.

so my experience has changed somewhat since I first posted on this thread

ds was born 9lb 3 and by his 6 week check he was 16lb 3 - there was a woman there with her 6 month old who didn't weight that much....he's 6 next week and isn't fat at all - trouser are always falling down
!!!!!!!

My HV at the time alwaays just said 'he's a big, contented well looking babe' - she loved him and never ever implied he was fat (he looked like a little budda them too!) - shame she retired - i've had 3 more and they were all rubbish

oh and estimated weights aren't always accurate....DS was 9lb 3 at 41 weeks exactly - emergency c/s due to failure to prgross and heart deceleration sp???

DD was contant inide at 40 plus 12 - they all said oh this one is bigger (I said no it's not but who listens to the mum) consultant insisted definately bigger must have another c/s.......dd was born 8lb 1 - my guess going into theatre was 8lb - dh said 9.5 lb and
w said about 10.5 ----so barbiebabe don't worry yourself - they don't know everything!!

Can anyone point me in the direction of height/weight charts for older children?

My DD has just turned 7. She is the third tallest in her class at school and has always needed clothes a year older than her age group. I have just bought her a load of tights and vests in M&S for 9-10 years because they appear not to do 8-9 years (?). The crotch of tights 7-8 years reach up to just above her knees!

She is not in the least bit fat, but not skinny either, am just curious now as to where she is on the centile charts. (she was 9lb 2oz at birth at 40 weeks + 5 days).

TIA.

daphne, I was looking here