Not allowed water birth due to potential 9lber, anyone else in this situation?

[Babycino81]

I am so pissed off (being a hormonal pain in the arse so feeling sorry for myself) as midwife told me today that I my most recent scan calculations indicate the baby is about 9lbs.

Has this happened to anyone else expecting their first baby? Is this common? Can someone please tell me I'm over reacting and being a complete an utter selfish spoilt bell end???

Seriously, they've said you can't have a water birth because you're expecting a 9lb baby?! That's utterly bizarre. Even if those measurements are accurate, which I sincerely doubt, I've never heard of any water birth risk to larger babies (and 9lb isn't even that big).

Personally I would be making a very big fuss, asking them to justify this policy with evidence.

This is a very inexact science. Often often wrong. Lets assume they are right. 9lbs is a big first baby. They might be thinking realistically that you won't manage a water birth. You don't know what you can manage as you are "untested" as it is your first - we were all in that position.

So I would keep an open mind about a water birth (in fact, about everything about your first birth!). However - there is no reason whatsoever for you not to labour in a birthing pool - ie use it for pain relief. Tell them you want it for pain relief and if everything is going very well and easily they may allow you to stay in it to birth. If things aren't going well or easily or you need additional pain relief or whatever - then you will presumably be happy to get out and take whatever assistance is offered to have a safe birth.

I've had 4 babies - 2 in hospital on dry land, 2 at home in water - and 2 of those were over 9lbs (one hospital birth, 2nd baby, 9.5 and one water birth, 4th baby, 9.3). There was no difference in my labours for my 9 pounders and my 8 pounder. There was a difference in my labour with my 7.8 baby - she was knackering and by far the hardest - because she was the first. First labour is harder, more exhausting and more draining mentally than subsequent labours. That's just the way it is. Water is a FANTASTIC pain reliever - really wonderful. I was amazed how effective it was.

So don't accept "not allowed" - insist that you keep all your options open until the midwives can base their advice on the facts when you are in labour instead of guesswork when you are not.

Agree entirely with the poster above - what is their reasoning? Have never heard of this before and scan calculations of birth weights are sometimes inaccurate.

Sorry to hear this has happened to you, sounds v stressful - you're definitely not being a selfish spoilt bellend! Speak to your midwife tomorrow, all the best with the birth.

Why have you had extra scans? Are there other reasons you might be high risk?

Can't think of anywhere I'd rather be with a 9lber!

Well my dc3 was 11lb, born underwater, and by far the easiest and least damaging of the three. Partly this was no doubt due to him being my third, but bring upright in water made the most enormous difference to me.

Estimating a baby's birth weight from scans is very unreliable, unless you have a series of growth scans, in which case they can be quite accurate. They certainly did not get dc3's weight right (predicted to be big, but not that big!)

I'm sorry, but saying you can't have a water birth because you're going to have big baby is utterly daft. If they think birthing a big baby is harder (which it is not necessarily) then quite the reverse you need the extra support and manoeuvrability that water will give you to help you get into the best possible position to let gravity and relaxation help you.

Why? What is their reasoning? Are there any complicating circumstances? Do you have GD?

Ooh I hate knee-jerk reactions like from HCP. I had "you can't have a home birth because you're going to have a big baby".

"Can someone please tell me I'm over reacting and being a complete an utter selfish spoilt bell end???"

No. Because you're not.

I wasn't banned for water birth with my expected 10lb first baby - but ended up with meconium in my waters which stopped it. He was 10lbs 5oz in the end - not bad for a week early.

9lb isn't even that big! Obviously, it's not tiny but it's not huge either. Estimates of baby weights can be so inaccurate - I was told my baby was going to be 10lb+ and she was a dainty 9lb 1oz. Definitely get a second opinion from another midwife or your doctor.

However, do bear in mind that sometimes a water birth just won't be possible for a wide range of reasons. So by all means fight to be allowed one in principle but don't set your heart on it.

How bizarre! I'd speak to the Supervisor of Midwives for a more measured response. Of course keep an open mind about how labour might go (I hated the pool when I had DC1 having gone to all the bother of setting it up at home!).