Due May 2009 Hairy Mary!... We're on the final stretch!

[Belgianchocolates]

Thought I'd better start the new thread before it was too late. Here we go!

[chocolatebunnies]

Morning everyone,

So, after being on a high last night, the enormity of what lies ahead hit me at about 3am and I have been awake ever since.

At the scan, sonogrpher did all the checks etc,my LO is measuring 33weeks at 31.3weeks and currently weighs 4lb110z, I am now panicing and having huge anxiety attacks worrying about how much bigger this baby is going to be and what I should do, is it possible my dates are wrong? I am truly petrified of giving birth now, I thought I had dealt with my demons of first birth and that I could cope with birthing again, but now I'm not so sure, Madi caused alot of long standing damage as she entered the world ( the kind of damage that will require surgery after this one gets out ) I dont know what to do, I dont want to be even more damage, I can't do this

I'd like a large vodka and coke if the bar is still open (24 hour licensing and all that)

[pulapula]

chocbunnies- try not to worry. They can measure you again next week and double-check. I think even on those weights and dates, your LO might be 8-9lb max (they say they can gain 0.5lb per week in the latter stages) and i've had friends who have had 9lb+ babies with no tearing- one of them then went on to have a 7lb-er and a bad tear so size doesn't necessarily dictate "damage"- maybe belgianchocs can provide her really useful professional advice. If you did have long standing damage after your last delivery, then it might be worth discussing whether a cs might be better for you? This is why i had a cs for my second delivery.

[chocolatebunnies]

pula we did discuss me having a c-section right at the beginning at the pregnancy, but the midwife kinda talked me out of it, and i got myself all prepared for the homebirth i wanted, but now i dont know what to do, DP isnt being very supportive, he seems to relish in the thought that this baby will be as big as him (he was 10lb11oz)and is words this morning when i said i was going to ring my midwife 'you wanted to do this' not the most brightest thing to say to a tierd hormonal scared woman!

the sonographer marked on the graph of my 20week scan the measurements from last night and baby is hitting top line 97%?? she didnt think it was anything to worry about, but then shes not the one carrying such a lump!

how can i have such conflicting feelings, i hate pregnancy!

[bantam73]

Morning everyone

I went to see my MW yesterday, I asked her "do you have to measure me?" she promptly replied "yes!".
She wants us to have another growth scan at about 37/38 wks cos we've grow even more, 41 cm now at 34 wks.......

[FiKelly]

chocolatebunnies i can totally understand your worries. i've not had a scan since 20wks but my bump has been measuring large for weeks 29at 28wk appointment and 33 at 31+2wks i have to see mw next wk to be measured again. if over again i'll be sent for a growth scan. i was all decided on a vbac but faced with possible prospect of 10lber for my 1st natural delivery i'm now not so sure a vbac is a good idea. think we'll just have to leave our final decisions on what to do until baby size is confirmed nearer to our due dates...

[Belgianchocolates]

Morning everyone,

fi chocbunnies I don't know the ins and outs of your previous deliveries, so really speaking I can't give all that much information. However, I do want to reasure you that the size of the baby is only one 1 the many factors affecting the birth and I've seen plenty of good deliveries of bigger babies and plenty of difficult deliveries of smaller babies. The position of the baby has lots to do with the delivery too and whether the lo has decided to put his/her hand next to her face (this often causes tearing). Don't forget that estimated scan weights are not 100% accurate. They're usually +/- 10% and I've met plenty of people who were surprised at their average sized baby, because the scan has consistently measured big. fi the reason that you're not refered for growth scans is that research has shown that large for date babies don't have bad outcomes, but the small ones have. (Though Bantams referal is justified, because it's not a little bit large, but very large). If it's any reasurance: I'm measuring above the 90th line too and I'm not worried , but then both my previous babies were big and they were easy deliveries. Like many mws out there I am convinced that all women can have their babies naturally as long as they believe in themselves, no matter what size the baby is. True cephalopelvic disproportion is very very rare (i.e. baby too big for mum) and this would result in lack of progress rather than tearing. Sometimes if you've got a bigger baby and it looks like you're going to tear badly they'll offer an elective episiotomy. It's one of the few occasions where an epis can result in less damage than a tear.
fi I don't think your baby will be 10lbs though, don't compare the estimated weight and cms lines on your chart, it's misleading but they don't correspond. More than likely it'll be over average, but I think the 8-9lbs mark will be more realistic.
By the way chocbunnies lovely pics. Can't beleive you are hiding a larger than average baby in that tiny bump of yours!

[bantam73]

Hi belgian

I agree with you about the sizing of a bump doesn't always mean you are going to have a large baby, I was told that it could be the way it's positioned {which in my case changes every other day} and the size of the placenta which can not be always seen/measured on a scan.

The main reasons for us having another growth scan is
1, We would like a home birth
2, my growth is not on a nice steady line when plotted on the chart, it's still rising a bit too high

[llareggub]

Hi folks! I thought my bump was looking quite neat until I met someone yesterday who is 38 weeks pregnant. I honestly thought she was 20 odd weeks, her bump was so tiny! She didn't even have the "waddle" that I swear I had at 8 weeks. Ho hum.

Off for a swim with DS this morning. We've found a pool belonging to a family who hire it out to a swim teacher, and it is heated to a very balmy 88 degrees! DS and I are very excited after our last disasterous swim at our gym, where it was freezing. The swim teacher is very lovely and I am hoping if it goes well she will teach DS to swim when he is a little older.

[Jennster]

Chocolate do you still have your navel ring in? If you haven't taken it out yet I'd think about it. Sorry to hear to hear you're so concerned about the size of the baby and the birth. Lots of sage advice here though.

[chocolatebunnies]

Thanks for the replies.

Am waiting to hear back from my midwife to see what she has to say on the whole thing.

Feeling realy odd, like maybe I need to cut back on what I eat, ridiculous huh, if I cut back on the amount of chocolate I put away, would this have any effect or will baby just take everything from what I do eat and so if its going to be big whatever I do is not going to change that belgian? jennster I do have them both still in, and intend to keep them in, I kept them in throughout whole pregnancy an labour last time and had no problems at all with them, have no problems with them yet. I think I was luck when I had them done as they've been put in in such a way that be pregnant doesnt effect them!

swimming sounds lovely, am very jealous llare

[emmabemmasmom]

Hi all!

I just wanted to pop in and say hi. I lurked around the last post as I am also due in May. My name never showed on the grand list however and I felt like maybe it was not my place to intrude.

DH told me to stop being silly and say hi, so 'hi'!

It would be very nice to be able to talk to other pregnant woman who are loving/hating being pregnant...and just for some general chat.

Thanks for reading!

[LoobyLou36]

morning all..

Have been to the diabetes clinic this morning so now have my blood glucose monitoring thing and a booklet on gd. The nurse I saw wasn't overly bothered about giving me any advice - just said as long as I follow a healthy balanced diet I shouldn't have any problems

Got to test twice more today and them 4 times tommorrow - before each meal and before bed. So we shall see.

Feel alot happier now that I can keep a check on things.

Quite good going to the hospital today as I know now where to go for the relaxation class I've got tommorrow afternoon.

[chocolatebunnies]

Righty, I have now heard back from my midwife, she said I have nothing to worry about at all, she said that babies at this stage have growth spurts and then platu out and then have another spurt, so chances are that baby has just had a spurt, she also said that the 3 lines on the graph are not accurate, she said most people believe that the middle line is average, when actually average is between the middle line and top line and as long as baby follows that trend then it will be fine.
She also put my mind at rest about the birth, she said that its alot to do with the position of the baby than the size, and that its easier to birth a bigger baby in the right position than a smaller one in a bad position (baby is currently as has been since 28 weeks been in the 'right' position) as long as we stay there we'll be ok!
So Im feeling a bit better about it now, sort of, think I am going to take it easy on the food front mind you.

Hello & Welcome to Emma

[pulapula]

chocbunnies- glad you are feeling much better. I agree that position is key- I think my complications with my DD were due to her being back-to-back.

My consultant did ask at the scan how big my babies were, and then said "so you tend to grow them big then!" as this one was heading for another 8lb+. I'm sure my diet has a lot to do with it (I eat what i like when i like and its mostly chocolate, cake and other highly calorific food) so you could always cut back on sugary snacks if that makes you feel better about things.

Another positive which came out of the scan on Sunday was that although i am down under another consultant at my NHS hospital, it was this consultant who did my last cs and did a really good job (no complications post-delivery and no problems this pg) and he said he was happy for me to tell the hospital at my 36week appointment that he will do my cs if i want him to, as i will probably get a junior doctor otherwise. Although junior docs need to practice to get the experience, i would feel much more confident if he were to do it again- I just hope they can schedule it in, as my appointment isnt til 1 May and the op would be 19 May.

[pulapula]

loobyloo- I can't believe the service you are getting for your GD. Surely its not enough to just say to follow a healthy balanced diet . Good job there are others on here you can advise on foods to avoid etc.

[LoobyLou36]

I know pula I was a bit at her advice. the nurse just said I had to be "sensible" which I thought I already was being

[FiKelly]

Thanks everyone for the reassurance... my fears of a 10lber come from my brain going into hyper drive in the wee small hours & in a strange way i am hoping i'm still measuring large for wks at my mw app next week as i'd love a late scan for free

I'm still doing my natal hypnotherapy and hoping for a well positioned LO for a good VBAC (so far so good on that one from what mw can feel).

[FiKelly]

Hi to emma too

[CoteDAzur]

chocbunnies - DD was a big baby (over 4 kgs). Lessons I learned from that pregnancy & birth:

When doctor/midwife says "No problem, you can birth this baby", they mean "We will cut you up so he can come out".

If you will have so many stitches and such a big cut, please trust me, you'd rather have it on your belly where it's easy to keep clean & dry and not in your delicate bits that are so close to all the dirty 'plumbing'.

Seriously, if you are offered a c-section, take it. You don't get a medal for having birthed a big baby and your body takes a very long time putting the pieces back together. I only (!) had the huge episiotomy to deal with. One friend had a big baby and now has incontinence problems. Another has prolapse. C-section is 'major surgery' and all that but everyone I know who has had one has snapped back into their previous selves within weeks. If your next scan shows a big baby, do consider a c-section.

In the meanwhile, go easy on sugars (incl. fruits, cakes, chocolate) and slow sugars (carbohydrates - pasta, rice, bread, etc) if you want to increase your chances of a less chubby baby.

I'm in the same boat, by the way. I've been very careful with what I eat this pregnancy and put on only 8 kgs in 7 months. Yet we saw last scan that this baby is a little bit bigger than DD was at this stage. We will see how big he gets. If he is significantly over 4 kgs, doctor has agreed that I have suffered enough and will give me a c-section.

[Blottedcopybook]

I also had two big 4kg+ babies - eldest was 5.53kg (12lb 3oz) and second was 4.17kg (9lb 3oz). My last baby was 3.26kg (7lb 3oz) delivered at 37w3d. I can promise you that I have no problems with my continence other than when I need to go, I really need to go.

I needed an episiotomy and therefore stitches with #1 because he had a shoulder dystocia - nothing we could have predicted and nothing that we could have done anything about. Son was born healthy and I healed quickly. With #2 I had a mild abrasion, no stitches and I drove myself home (half hour drive) eight hours after I delivered him. Daughter was born at 5.34am and I again drove myself home within hours of her birth.

A c-section is major abdominal surgery and will inhibit what you can do for weeks immediately following the birth. By all means consider it, but please speak to other women who have birthed big babies naturally because certainly from my experience I would far prefer to have another vaginal delivery and be able to drive, walk about and pick my baby up without needing someone at my beck and call.

[Belgianchocolates]

cote I'm sorry, but I find what you have said is not very nice. Honestly, I've seen 11 pounders being born without any tears. That cutting up comment was just not necessary and is pure scaremongering. What happened to you wont necessarily happen to other people. You have clearly lost faith in both your own body and the staff caring for you.
A C/S isn't necessarily as easy as you think. I can see the aftermath of c/s's all the time and I'd do anything to avoid one. Women are in so much pain afterwards and no they don't always snap back straightaway. + If you've got other dcs to look after really you'll need lots of help to care for them after a c/s.

[Belgianchocolates]

x post there Blotted. But I'm so happy you're able to share your experience of birthing bigger babies and show people that it is not always some sort of horror movie event. The amount of pushing you do can do more to your continence than the size of your baby too, it's so much more complicated than that.

[CoteDAzur]

"not very nice", is it?

Excuse me for trying to spare my horrid experience to another human being.

That big babies have a significantly higher chance of shoulder dystocia is fact. That you have a much higher chance of episiotomy with a big baby, especially so midwife can maneuver baby to avoid shoulder dystocia is also fact.

How about we all say what we want to say (this being a free forum and all) and nobody judges each other for sharing their experience and giving advice accordingly?