Tell me about birthing a large head

[fatfingeredfran]

Hi,

I'm approaching my due date with DC1, and growth scans show that baby is large all over. Baby is 95th percentile for head and body measurements. I'm a little nervous about the birth and my worst nightmare would be forceps.

Anyone who has birthed a large baby vaginally have any advice? I've heard so many horror stories

DD1 was 9 lbs 10 with a 91st centile head. No-one expected her to be that big, well except my Nan who said I was worryingly massive a month before she was born. I had a vaginal birth, no drugs, used the pool a bit, really straight forward. I had to have a few stitches (7 or 8?) and they really took an age to decide if I needed them or not because the midwife tore grazed me with her hand when she was checking me just before DD1 crowned.

Can I ask why your consultant said you were to be induced op?

DS' was 38cm which I think is 98th centile.i did need forceps and tore a fair bit (on top of episiotomy) but the forceps were due to position of his head (brow presentation) rather than size. Dd was only 34cm in comparison at 42w.

Meant to say DS was 7lb11oz so his head was rather large compared to his body for a long while

@InDubiousBattle I have GD

2 babies, 39 and 40cm heads. 1st was fine, flew out in couple of pushes at 10lb 2 (and chunky). 2nd was a bit slower to descend (I don't seem to engage before labour) head birthed fine but his gigantic solid shoulders gave me a small tear (he was 10lb 10). Heads sort of mould and squeeze out so not to worry too much if they are big :)