Poll - how big was your baby and how hard was your labour?

[beartime]

I've been reading the Gentle Birth posts about dieting leading to a smaller baby which means an easier labour, so wanted to see if this is really true. Also should take into account if the baby was healthy or not afterwards - because maybe small means less healthy?

So can you give your baby weight, length of labour, any complications and health of baby?

Mine was 8lb 7oz, 17hrs from first twinge, got cord stuck round his neck which led to episiotomy and ventouse, very healthy. Also tore.

oh - all fed well too.

Well Miaou maybe it being your 2nd and 3rd helped?

beartime - think it's around 11 pounds

ds1 - 12 hours from waters breaking to stitches. 8lb 5 1/2 oz three weeks early

ds2 - Induced, 9 hours, then whipped into theatre for placenta removal. 10 lb 14 oz

ds3 - About to be induced, transverse lie, so CS instead. 10 lb 6 oz two weeks early.

yikes - 11 lbs in 10 mins?

Baby 1 - 8lb 7oz - 18 hrs - then c-section - healthy

Baby 2 - 8lb 10oz - 9hrs - then c-section - baby ended up on antibiotics as had slight breathing probs, then at 10 weeks admitted to hosp with bronchoilitis, rsv and rotavirus

I gained between 1 1/2 - 2 stone each pregnancy though 2nd time I had polyhydromnosis (too much amniotic fluid) so I think thats why lo ended up unwell!!

I may be totally wrong but from the lambing point of view if theres a problem during labour a vet has to be called and if interventions are unsuccessful the ewe is lost anyway probably the lamb too and those situations would have financial implications on farmers i guess?!

I guess what I mean is that there are very practical reasons for a farmer wanting small lambs that don't really apply to humans. ( Well i don't think so anyway!)

babies all healthy.

Well L&Smum if a small baby reduced my chance of walking around with my bum sticking out for weeks and not being able to sit down I might go for it

I guess to get a really accurate poll you'd have to take into account which centile the baby was on, how much weight the mother put on, how long the baby was etc. oh, and if they gave birth early or late maybe too!

ds1 - 6lb 10 1/2oz - 8 hours, no pain, no pain relief, 1day overdue and no health probs except heart murmur for 1st few months cos valves hadn't closed properly yet.

ds2 - 8lb - 1hr 45mins, again no pain or pain relief and very healthy little boy, 8 days overdue

my 2nd was obviously easier but almost 1 1/2lb bigger, so smaller doesn't necessarily mean easier

DD was 10 lbs., 38 hours of labour, epidural at 31 hours, had some 3rd degree tears, but she was incredibly healthy and sturdy!

I had gained 20 lbs. total for the pregnancy.

Ds - 8lbs 14 oz (12 days late) induced - labour was about 5 hours, no pain relief - 3rd degree tear - baby is healthy and very alert when he came out!

Beartime - All I could think was thank goodness I wasn't at the supermarket!!

No 1 - 8 lbs. Induced Weds 9 pm born Fri lunchtime. Had to have drip to bring back contractions which disappeared at pushing stage. Born healthy. Not a good feeder.

No 2 - 11lb and 4 oz. Official time 6 hours 45 mins. Heart beat kept lowering due to cord around neck. Lots of docs in room but once checked over was fine and a very good feeder!

DD
10lbs, 17hrs established labour, meconium in waters,cervix got stuck at 9.5,DD got stuck, episiotomy and ventouse (twice)and shoulder dystocia.

Ds
10lbs, 5hrs labour, meconium in waters,cervix got stuck at 9.5, episiotomy and straightforward delivery

Ds - 7lb 14ozs - 16hrs from first twinge, gas & air petherdine & epidural,episiotomy & stitches, baby very healthy

Dd - 7lb 14ozs - 7hrs from first twinge, gas & air baby also very healthy

Not going to push my luck & try for a 3rd, 2 is more than enough for me i think, but never say never

Ds1- 4 days overdue 18 hrs 7lb 12oz, only gas & air.
Ds2- Born 52 minutes into 34th week, 4lb 14 oz, induced 3 hrs a couple of puff on gas & air!

Ds1 did'nt take to bf but ds2 did amazingly well (considering he had to teach himself to suck).

DS 7lbs 15.5oz - 17hrs from first twinge. Easy birth, no drugs. 2nd degree tear. Put on 3st.

6lb or there abouts, very quick, and very painful. My theory (haven't read the whole post) is that the quicker they come, the more it hurts. But I've only done it twice, so that theory may be rubbish.

dd1 - 6lb 1/2 oz, dd2 9 lb 7oz.

Neither were painful during delivery but then c-sections are like that - somewhat painful post surgery for a few days.

I suppose I might be evidence for the dieting theory (but please don't try it)

I was still at my pre-pregnancy weight when gave birth because had lost so much through vomiting with morning sickness (was a stone or so lighter afterwards when all settled down).

DD was 6lb 4oz, labour was 6hrs and very easy. Did tear because she had a 95 centile head, though.

She was jaundiced for a couple of days but otherwise healthy.

Ds 9lbs 8oz with biggest head circumference hospital had seen for a month. 23 hours labour then c-section.

DS ... 10lbs 1/2 oz ... 55 hour labour from first contraction ... little progress despite strong contractions 3 minutes part in the last 40 hours ... epidural ... syntocinon drip ... emergency c/s.

DD ... 10lbs 10oz ... induced at 40+3 ... induced a second time after nothing happened after 8 hours ... 12 hours of minor contractions ... pethidine to help me sleep ... c/s decided on but wasn't an 'emergency' so had to wait another 7 hours (monitored often) before c/s was done.

Both children very very healthy ... but DS had a condition called Pyloric Stenosis that meant at 3 weeks he started projectile vomitting and losing weight at an alarming rate. He needed an operation at 4 weeks to sort it ...

The 'dieting leading to a smaller baby' is interesting ... I am normally slim but put on 4 stone when pg with DS and 4.5 stone with DD ... did that weight gain contribute to my humungous babies I wonder?

My ds was three weeks early, he was on the 50th centile for every scan, so probably would have been around the 7lb mark. As is was 5lbs 8oz.
I had quite an easy labour in terms of pain and once it got going the actual labour was quick.
He is very healthy, 17 months and has had two proper colds.
Another friend had her little girl a month after me, she had pre-eclampsia and the cord was wound around her daughter's neck and tummy. The baby was just under 6lbs and born by caesearian (sp?) should have just written 'section'. So not easy The baby is now HUUUUGE at 15 months.
On the other hand my other friend's little boy was 6lbs 8oz, quick delivery, gas and air, fairly straightforward and he is a healthy little boy now
Another friend has two girls, the first was around 7lbs, don't remember how many ounces, it was a water birth and was a good reasonably fast birth. Her second daughter was 10lbs (she ate a lot ) and the labour was not easy, started off in the water, nothing, eventually after a long time had to have an epidural, morphine the works.
Both of her daughters are healthy.
Another friend, who is overweight, contracted gestational diabetes and so her baby was too big to be delivered, she laboured for ages and nothing, so she ended up with a section. Her little boy was just under 10lbs, he is a healthy boy.
Also related to small and large babies: from what I have a bigger baby is at more risk of dislocation of limbs and puts the mother at greater risk during labour.
A key issue in health is how the baby is treated after it's born I reckon. All of the women bar two of the ones I have mentioned breast-fed for at least 6 months, and that makes a difference to how healthy a baby is, as it's immune system is supported by the mother.
The very large baby was breastfed for a couple of months then bottle fed and weaned at just under 4 months and she can't crawl or stand at 15 months, her parents think she is too heavy. However, she can say Balamory.