Happy birth stories from ladies who had BIG babies, please!

[Summergarden]

Hi,

I'm nearly 32 weeks, and midwife thought baby was feeling big at check up this week, plus I've put on quite a lot of weight, so she sent me for the GTT diabetes test. Thankfully the results are clear on that, but they scanned me that same day and baby looks like a whopper- measuring at almost 2 weeks ahead what it should be for both abdoninal circumference and femur bone length.

I still long for a natural birth if possible, really want to avoid a C section but they've warned that if I go to full term the baby will probably be 10lb.

Has anyone had a vaginal birth that wasn't too horrendous with a big baby?

I'm feeling guilty too that it's mostly my fault for taking the 'eating for two' adage a bit too literally, hence my almost 3 stone weight gain at 32 weeks, and it's my fault for growing this supersized baby:(

I'd love to hear any happy stories from women who have had good births with big babies, thanks. x

I was measured at 32 weeks and was told baby was 7ilb then - she was 9.1ilb and a VBAC not a problem

DD was 9lb 12oz and DS was 10lb 5oz. Both back to back labours. Both vaginal deliveries. DS was out in 2 pushes ! No pain relief with dd, gas & air with DS. No complications (although I did tear and need stitches both times).

And FWIW, I had hideous morning sickness throughout and barely ate a thing so don't go blaming yourself

My ds was 9lbs 12oz, and I only needed gas and air, no tears. I found hypnobirthing really good prep.

When I had a scan the day before DD was born, I was told she was going to be 10lb or so. she was 6lb 6oz. I was absolutely massive with her.

In any case, size of baby doesn't reflect on ease of delivery I don't think.

DS was quite big - 9lbish and I didn't even have a graze.

I was told my baby was going to be small. He was only 7lb 3 but I gave birth 4 weeks early. I think he'd have been massive if he'd been on time.

DS1 (3rd child) was 12lbs 3ozs and a perfectly normal vaginal delivery. It did hurt, but not much more than my other DCs fat porkers :o

I measured 5 weeks under with dd2 - had a 90 min labour and she was 8lb 8 oz. No stitches and has been a good sleeper fr
Day 1 (cause she's bigger) . I don't think your weight gain is a good thing to go off. I put on 3 stone with dd1 and she was 8,4. I out on 2.5 with dd2.
Just dont give birth on your back of you can help it

Many thanks for all your replies, they are very reassuring.

I was told both of mine would be HUGE - both turned out around the 9lb mark.

I had vaginal delivery with both and only tens machine and gas and air for pain relief.

Both were just a couple of pushes for delivery. The second I was on my knees holding the back of the bed and that made it vastly easier. Make it easier for yourself not the midwife.

I would just take advice as you go along from your health professionals.

DD2 was 10lb 11oz (she's very tall now as well as a chubster and is in some 2-3 clothes at 17mths) and I had the teeniest of grazes - so they told me; I wasn't aware of it at any point. Also a home birth (intentional) with two-hour labour although I wouldn't really recommend that bit as it was a bit of a shock.

Congratulations and good luck!

Oh yes the 'on your knees but with elbows supported on pillows or similar' is a great position - allows everything to open up.

First baby was 7lb 6oz and it hurt and I grazed

2nd was 10lb 6oz and yes it hurt whilst in labour but it was fine, no assistance etc etc

then 9lb 2oz and 9lb 10oz all absolutely fine, and I'm only 5'

I delivered the last 3 on all fours partly due to spd, but I think it's a much easier position anyway.

yup my 2nd one 9.5lb he was my easiest one, managed fine with just gas & air and compared to my others (7.5lb and 6lb) was an easier labour than both of them. i dont think being big babies necessarily makes it worse, imo other factors affect it more. good luck

Another one with an inaccurate growth scan story - DS2 was predicted to be huge - had growth scans 3 /4 weekly from 28 weeks and he was always weeks ahead on measurements, final growth scan at 37 weeks estimated 10lb 6. He arrived at 39 weeks weighing 8lb 10 - a decent weight but nowhere near what was predicted.

Nine pounds here, first baby, home birth with pool and tens, gas and air for stitches, but only because I was fed up and carried on pushing when crowning, because off my head with tiredness after v v long labour...should have listened to Doula. Who was ace by the way, if you're thinking of one I recommend heartily.

Stitches healed up quickly and DS had huge head, 98 centile so think that was the culprit, not the fact that he was long and heavy. He came out head, then body in 2 pushes, and swam into my arms.

:)

Good luck, I do think you grow a baby the right size for you to deliver in general.

I delivered dd1 vaginally no problems and she was 9lb5.

They said ds was going to be 10lb, he was 8lb2

Dd2 was apparently going to be 11lb, she was a tiny 7lb

DD1: 7lb 13 (8 days overdue) at home with long early labour. 90 minute 2nd stage. Delivered on hands and knees. G&A. One stitch.

DD2: 9lb 6oz (14 days overdue). Induced but only by ARM no other intervention. Delivered lying on my side. No G&A. Speed from ARM to delivery took everyone by surprise! No stitches .

Do what your body demands not what your self-consciousness or other people would prefer and you stand a good chance of a trauma-free outcome. Good luck!

Ds2 & 3 were 9 lb 11oz and 11 lb 2oz, both vaginal deliveries in water at home, both 2nd stages were approx 10 minutes, no tears with either but I did have grazes. Oh, and no pain relief with either.

Ds3 labour was longer than ds2 because he decided to turn posterior in labour, but the MW had me in a few positions to turn him. When he turned and descended it was then quite quick.

Neither had huge heads (thanks to dh I think, because he has a pea head!) and for each delivery I was on my knees with my arms draped over the pool - a great position for opening the pelvis.

Good luck and dont let people put the fear of God in you about big babies. I think head size, fetal and maternal position can all make a big difference in delivery outcomes. Try and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy and don't beat yourself up about the size of the baby, it is likely that you haven't done anything to cause this.

DD1 37+5 - 6lb 5.5oz

DS1 41 - 10lb 7.5oz

DD2 38 - 7lb 13

All VB (admittedly with lots of drugs . Tiny grazes only.

DS 8 lb 8 and dd 9 lb 8 and both were straight forward and gas& air only. Both at home in our bath, no grazing or stitches.

Dd had her shoulder stuck though but mw helped me with that ( after asking). She was a lovely fat budha looking baby! DS was long and thin

DS was 10lb 2oz. I had gas and air for the the last hour or two and had some stiches but nothing major.

I kept active and upright. also had a nice long warm up to labor and used an exersize ball everyday for a good few weeks before.

Fab, fab stories thanks hope they keep coming! Also it sounds as though there can be inaccuracies in their predictions, so perhaps it won't be as big as they think. Also on a positive, the head circumference measurement was only on the 65th centile, which should hopefully make it a bit easier.

The tips on birth positions have been especially useful- I feel pretty clueless about this and hope that the NCT classes I'm booked in for will teach me about it.

I've never heard of 'grazing' in birth- could someone explain please? I'm guessing it's a lesser version of tearing?

DS1 40wks 9lb
DS2 41wks 9lb 15oz
DS3 41wks + 4 10lb 11oz (born 10 weeks ago)

All born with just a bit of gas and air, and I only needed stitches for DS1.

I do sympathise as its quite scary to be told you're having a big baby, and three months ago I was worrying in just the same way despite having two big babies previously. (I would have worried even more if I'd known for sure how big ds3 was going to be).

I'd definately recommend trying to stay upright and active as well. I had to be monitored for DS3 but found marching on the spot whilst attached to the monitor really helped. Best of luck!

well ds4 was 10lb 13oz, had him in the birth pool in under an hour :) veyr easy birth, no stitched required :)

my other boys were 9lb + and again all natural births, the scans are often wrong btw, mine were predicted to be small!

and then dd who they said would be big was a teeny tiny 8lb exactly, all 2wks late :)