Large baby and being pushed towards induction

[moonlight1705]

Has anyone else been told they've got a huge baby? I'm 38 weeks and had a scan today, baby is plotting off the chart and according to measurements already weighs 9lb7 with two weeks to go.

The consultant was really pushing for induction and I managed to get away with going to my community midwife next week for a couple of sweeps and back into hospital at 40 weeks exactly to book an induction.

Has anyone else gone through something like this? I'm terribly needle phobic so had my hopes pinned on a natural labour.

Are you very small? I had a 12 lb baby naturally, but I couldn't be described as petite!

Midwives were thinking he might be up to 10 lb but nobody suggested a caesarean. However he was my 3rd and I'd already delivered a biggish baby (DC1 was 9.5 lbs).

Is this your first?

I went two weeks over and was induced. Dd weighed in at 11lbs.
I had gas and air and a vaginal birth. I had a couple of stitches but nothing alarming.
Dd was and is fine - it took me a little longer to re over from but I was ok.

Try not to worry

You have choices you know, you say 'getting away with' a sweep and I know they push women to do this but you don't have to, I refused to have one because I don't believe there is much evidence they work and they hurt.
When do they want to induce you? The baby is still big now so it isn't, IMO, going to make much difference surely? I was told I had a 'huge' baby and they wanted to induce me, but I refused and she was 8lb 4, ask questions and read up on it-I hate the way hospitals push you to give birth with their interventions, you aren't overdue YET so don't be forced into something you feel is unnecessary.

Yes, that's precisely it - I feel pushed into doing something that I'm not comfortable with and I don't know enough to push back against them regarding medical advice. It is my first so obviously worried I'll get it wrong and need more help if I refuse sweeps.

I think its because I have a large BMI so they are thinking its going to be 'difficult' anyway. The main thing for me is that my family have always had large babies (I was a tiny one at 9lb7, my Dsis was 11lb13) so I think its genetic.

Just say no, or ask them to explain the reasoning behind it-I refused to be induced too and hen I finally saw an actual consultant when my waters had broke, she said thank goodness you refused as it wouldn't have done you any good-I ended p having a c section tough but that was for a separate reason.

Women have been aging larger babies for years and it doesn't always mean it'll be a problem , induction is intervention and intervention leads to increased chances of further interventions such as ventouse, forceps, c sections etc

Sorry for the typos-you get my drift hopefully

id say dont do it. A sweep, yeah, but not an induction. If theyre gonna induce you, they may as well just offer a c section now, as I think an induction will just set off a cycle of intervention that you might not even need, and those growth scans are notoriously unreliable anyway.

A big baby is not necessarily any harder to birth than any other baby

I had a sweep at 38 weeks which didn't work and was then induced at 39 weeks for baby measuring above 95th percentile at growth scans. Had 3 pessary tablets and waters broken, 7 and a half hours later the baby arrived with just gas and air. If I had to be induced again i wouldn't be overly concerned, not every induction is a bad one. However this was my 3rd baby so that may have been why breaking my waters was enough to kickstart the Labour.

If I was you I'd thoroughly research the drip as if you need to use this, it leads to more painful contractions, which in turn can lead to stronger pain relief, more interventions etc. If you're unsure ask for another appointment with your midwife to discuss everything in more detail beforehand and then you can make a decision. Best to be fully informed about pros and cons of both options

Thanks all for your advice - I think I will do the sweeps but see how the rest goes. I'm weirdly not scared of having a large baby as I know my mum had three with no problems (and no GD either). I suppose the reasoning is in regards to shoulder dystocia but there is an increased risk of that happening if induction happens so I'm confused.

My DH has been very supportive but is the type of person who bows down to professional medical advice and wants me to consider when I would do the induction as the consultants know best!

Just hoping that lots of long walks and sex will get things going quickly.

Just a quick reply my sister was induced with her first baby at 37 weeks (medical issue) but had previously been told the baby was big and induction might have to be considered at some point.
She had no problems at all and took the view that it took away all the doubts she might have had about when to go in to hospital etc. Her baby was born 12 hours after she had been given the pessary, she spent much of her time in the pool and delivered a healthy baby weighing an ounce off 9 lbs. As someone else said, no all inductions are problematic

Mine were 9:6, 10:2, 9:13 respectively. Refused induction with them all and had spontaneous labour at 42 weeks plus for each of them.
I think it’s important to understand your specific risks when making decisions rather than just blindly going along with policy. Induction leads to greater risk of assisted delivery and emergency section.
My last two were ‘good deliveries’ unproblematic and in Tesco two hours afterwards with last. My first was complicated by a severe shoulder dystocia and I probably should have been offered a section 36 hours earlier.
Have you considered elective section?

If you or the baby at not at risk, then I'd recommend not being induced. I was induced twice (same baby) and it was very unpleasant. 2 pessaries and 3 sets of gels. Ended up on a hormone drip. It was intrusive and painful. Lasted over a week in total... and I ended up with a section anyway. 5 days in, I saw a consultant who said she wouldn't have induced me but we were already 'following a path' so had to continue. Good luck!

Big babies are definitely genetic.

History of big babies in my family & I mentioned it at 12 wk apt to consultant who dismissed me & told me it was nonsense.

She came in & apologised to me the morning after I had 10lb 4 baby

I had early section on next baby as was measuring bigger & was 9lb 4 at 37 weeks. Was told if I'd gone to 42 weeks, he'd have been 11 pounder

I don’t know about big babies, but having had 2 normal deliveries, followed by an induction, my experience is that the pain from induction is farm less manageable.

Don’t let needles put you off what is best for you/ baby, but do research ‘cascade of intervention’.

I would like to talk to the midwife about the exact risks they are worried about - I know I don't have GD as I did do the test so what else could go wrong if they left me for another week after my due date?

The reason I am so reluctant to go down the induction route is that cascade of intervention. They are already more likely to recommend a medicalised birth due to my BMI but I've never been so healthy in my life or feel so ready to do it naturally.

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OP, I'm not expert but the risk of going over your due date is basically the deterioration of your placenta, so the risk does increase slightly, however it seems to me that clearly some women naturally give birth at 41/42 weeks as that is how their bodies work and hospitals don't like going over your due date.
I got tested for GD 3 or 4 times as they said my DD was big, I didn't have it and would Have refused any further.