Help - huge first baby dillema!

[dandycandyjellybean]

Ever since my first scan, the hospital have been predicting a big baby (they run in my family) but had to have a scan at 34 to check for low placenta (fine) and the consultant told me that my son was already 6+lb and that he thought that I would end up with a whopping 12lb-er!!! Wants me to go back at 38 weeks with a view to either induction or c section. He wasn't very confident about the success of early induction and was obviously more keen on the c section. Much as I don't fancy attempting to bring an enormous whopper naturally (scared of huge tear, incontinence and never wanting sex again due to agony), I am a carer for my disabled husband, and don't really want to start off my life as a new mum crippled by major abdo surgery. Anyone got any pearls of wisdom?

Cubby - look away now!

Mmmmm! Lots to think about. Thankyou everyone who's posted. I think that I'm erring towards leaving nature to take its course, but I'm seeing my midwife on Monday (she's been on holiday for the last couple of appointments and so I haven't been able to talk to her properly about it yet). She is really, really nice and I trust her a lot, so I'll be very interested to she what she has to say about it all. It strikes me that midwives tend not to have a lot of faith in these sizing scans, etc. The irony of it is that all along I have wanted a home birth, but because of a threatened low placenta it has been off the agenda. Now that is all clear, and everyone has been so encouraging about having even a 'whopper' naturally, I feel more keen to stick to my original plan. I'll keep you all posted!

Monkey, The epidural was topped up once but too late cos I couldn't even feel the need to push, I think that's why it took over an hour to deliver her head and had an episiotomy. Just avoided the dreaded forceps!! Thank god! Cubby, I hope I haven't scared you, the birth wasn't so bad, I just hated being induced as it was so restrictive. I didn't even get offered a c section! The best of luck to you

Hi Cubby, it is a real worry when midwives tell you its a big baby and I see how everyone has already mentioned that they are incredibly inaccurate. It sounds like a really good idea to have the late scan that you have planned as that's the best way to be surer. I was told that my second was going to big and all was fine, and I had him at home as planned. What I didnt know was that he was going to be 10lb 14oz!! I had him with gas and air and a bit of a tear but i was stitched fine, its healed fine and the kegels appear to be working! I just think that our bodies are incredible. Obviuosly its your decision - my own feeling would be to have the baby naturally if you can but I hope that the scan will hold the answer. Pushing a 10lb + is hard work but its not as rare as you think and the great thing is that big babies are often much more contented and sleep better (leaving you a little more time to recover!!). Best of luck and try not to worry too much.

my god they told me i was having a 10lb baby at least she was a petite 7lb 4

Had 3920gms baby at 38 weeks! - no probs. No pain relief - just stayed upright, went in bath & sat on a birth stool. LAbour only 90 mins. All a bit of a surprise. Think the thing for me was to let my body do the work & try to relax and let the process take over. No tears or probs after. Am having another big baby soon!! - could be from now as 38 weeks. Feel that I escaped alot last time. Hope this time goes ok. Sending you best wishes xxx

Scans are wildy inaccurate. From scans and fundal measurement I was repeatedly told that my baby was going to be in the top 99th weight percentile. 6 weeks ago and my DD weighed in just barely above average at 7lbs 14 ounces- take all estimates with a very big pinch of salt.

Lollyloo - can I CAT you? I have another question but don't want to alarm Cubby.

Doh! I always do that!

That request was from me BTW, not Carol f'ing Sarler!

My DS was 10lb and I tried to give birth naturally. After 17 hours it was apparent this was not going to happen. I was taken for a section and I recovered well. I was up and about albeit slowly within a day or so. My sister gave birth naturally a few months later to a much smaller baby and couldn't walk for 2 weeks due to problems with stitches etc. I think it's just your luck! Have you any family who can help you out during the first week?

one of my midwives had just come back from germany. she said 12lb babies are fairly normal there and they usually have normal births with no problems.

You can CAT me monkey, no probs, Not sure how it works though, never been Catted before!?

My cousin was told her baby was going to be well over ten pounds and she was naturally terrified being of small build herself but she went into labour naturally on time and her baby was born at a WHOPPING...... 6lb 2oz

They shouldn't even guess at the size of the baby from a scan at this late stage, its so incredibly inaccurate.

Often though bigger babies are actually born quite easily because they tend to only be able to fit into the pelvis the right way whereas a smaller baby can often get their hand in there too, or go in backwards or sideways and cause problems that way.
Serious tearing is actually quite rare when you give birth in an active position and have you thought about a water birth? The water softens and supports your skin and makes tearing less likely.
Have you been doing your perineal massage too? I did it religiously (well with hubbys help) for the last 6 weeks and I didn't have any pain or tearing in the areas we had massaged though I did have some small grazes higher up where we hadn't thought to do.

The scans with both of mine at 34 weeks were spot on. Had the same lady do both and she's doing some sort of research into getting them more accurate - something to do with the amount of fat on the baby as well as the bone measurements.

DD - was 9 1/2 lb had completely naturally. Was birth from hell. DS - 4 months ago 10 lb was induced a day early (wow!) to stop him getting too big. Had epidural sited before contrations started. 20 minutes of pushing only very minor tear and completely pain free. Would definately recommend an epidural if you go for the hospital option - having done it both ways no-one gives you a medal for putting up with the pain!

Good luck with your birth - from my experience the best thing about a bigger baby is that they seem to sleep through the night earlier and after the birth that is the most important thing ever!

What is all this 'no pain' with an epidural? My epidural helped substaintially with the pain of contractions but didn't touch the sides when it came to pushing him out (10lbs 4oz)! Am I only one to experience this?

yes

I don't believe it! It's a conspiracy!

Actually Monkey, your previous comment about "was there enough time for an epidural...?" only just!!! It half worked and there was definitely no time to have another. It kicked in as I started to push so that bit was like floating on a feather cushion for me even though I felt quite a lot...

One could say one could drive ones horse and cart through it

Don't worry - first dd was only 7lb 7oz but horrendous 26hour labour with terrible stitches (ended up with pelvic floor repair). second DD was 9lb 7oz - 20 minute labour. Could have jogged home straight after (well, maybe not!) No drugs with either (misguided first time round, no time second time round!).
Nature won't give you what you can't cope with!
good luck!

Hi - I had a 9lb 14oz baby delivered in the pool with gas and air ... I was size 10ish pre-preg(not any more!) and recovered fine. Did tear and need stitches but that was more to do with me pushing when I shouldn't have done than her size. Midwife thought she was going to be about 8lb a week before she was born so they do get it wrong.

Around the same time, midwife told me someone had a 13lb baby and was OK.

I've got friends who had much smaller babies and had a tough time so I don't think there's a direct correlation between size and difficult birth. My mum says big babies are stronger so help themselves out. Whether that's true, I don't know!

Hi,

I had a 10lb 11oz baby on breathing & a TENs machine. Had been told from the start she was going to be big.

I did antenatal yoga, kept upright & as mobile as I could & ended up with a 2nd degree tear but stiches weren't painful.

Was told afterwards that if I hadn't of given birth standing up would have probably ended up with a c-section.

Good luck!

My epi wasn't strong enough obviously..

Early induction is generally a bad idea with a suspected big baby -- doesn't improve outcomes at all, statistically (I have the articles saved somewhere).

I had a growth scan at 35 weeks predicting DS already 8 1/2 lbs and would be 10 1/2 or so at full term (so not sure why they are scaring you with claiming 12 lbs if yours is only measuring "over 6" atm).

What I wanted and fortunately tied in with the consultant's recommendation was to try for spontaneous vaginal delivery but to be aware that a c-section was now a higher likelihood than it was before. Also that if DS didn't engage and I got to 41-42 weeks to consider strongly an elective c-section as that would be an indication that my pelvis might be too small.

DS never did engage but my waters broke and labour started. Eventually I got to fully dilated but even with lots of pushing in different positions hejust wasn't coming down so I had the "emergency" c-section. He was 10lbs 5.5 oz in the end so just under their estimate.

I am glad I held out to try a natural delivery even though I ended up with a c-section. That said, if the next one is looking big then I may go for an elective c-section next time.

Just thought I would update you all. Have seen the midwife today, who was very reassuring. She was pretty confident that bub is fairly average size, and even seemed keen to consider my original plan of a home birth, (now low placenta is no longer an issue) so sure was she that this wasn't an unusually huge baby. Apparently the consultant I saw at my last appointment was a locum, whom none of the c/m/wives rated, but she raved about the chap I will be seeing at my next appointment. I feel so much better about everything, and am beside myself with excitement at even the slightest possibility that I might be able to have a home birth. I so desperately wanted it but have had to put it out of my mind since 20 wk scan because of possibility of low placenta, and then as soon as that was resolved, I had the 'huge baby - only option induction / c/s' crammed down my throat, I hadn't even really considered it again. The only slight downside was that my bp was through the roof for the first time 165/110. However she was brilliant and took it twice, and then gave me a hug, told me to chill out and sent me out to the waiting room for a bit before taking it again. It was 160/85, which she obviously didn't think was too much of a problem, as she doesn't want to see me until next week. So all round, a pretty good result!!! But thanks to everyone for all your messages of reassurance.