9lbs+ babies - childbirth complications/recover time?

[PSL1990]

If you've had a 9lbs+ baby (congratulations!), what birth complications did you have that could have been related to size? And how was your recovery? Welcome honesty 😊

First 9lb 9oz @ 41 weeks born my emcs.
Second 8lb 11oz @ 38 weeks VBAC. Would have been 12lb if born at 41 weeks! I had to be cut. The healing was uncomfortable, I couldnt sit at the dinning room table for long and I couldn't sit up in bed to feed as it pulled on my stitches. Much easier recovery than emcs.

My 6 lb baby was certainly a lot more traumatic than my 9 1/2 lb baby during the birth, the first being forceps and the larger vanteuse, both epidurals following long induction process ... a lot of stitches on the 6 pounder but none on 9.5 pounder.

Felt quite weak after both and would recommend taking something like Floradix which is safe if you breast feed. Had quite severe after pains on the 9.5 pounder on the 2nd and 3rd days after birth.

@Selfsettling3 babies only gain about half a lb per week at the end of pregnancy so 3 weeks is only 1.5lbs not 3!

My 9lbs baby was the easiest by miles of my 3. Recovery, birth, everything was better

DS2 was 10lb 1oz, water birth with no complications. Minor tear that was borderline needing stitches (they did in the end). Tearing was worse with DS1 who was ‘only’ 8lb 6oz

Had 10lb baby 4 weeks ago. Slight tear with stitches but labour was 2.5 hours from first contraction, home birth with gas and air. It was fine! I felt fully recovered after 2 weeks.

9lbs 7oz here. Had a cord prolapse and a crash section as a result. No idea whether the size of the baby contributed though. The baby was fine and is now 5 and fabulous.

9 pounds, fourth degree tear. Stitched up like the bayeux tapestry and physiotherapy that was beyond mortifying. However, no lasting effects after a year or so

10lb baby. Tear but otherwise text book delivery.

However, retained placenta meant it all went to shit. Ignoring that, which could have happened to anyone, sex was uncomfortable for about 6 months but that could have been due to the surgery after the delivery.

My 8lb baby was a problem free pain relief free home birth.

My first baby was 9lb15. Induced labour at nearly 42w, normal delivery with gas and air. Bit of tearing but nothing too bad - I think I have my midwife to thank as she was very strict about when to push and when to pause.

He was born at 00.30 on Monday, we were discharged that night and at 10.00 Tuesday I was down the road at the local breastfeeding group with him (having walked there in the snow - I think I was still high on endorphins).

The only complication was some pain in my scar tissue but my GP prescribed some steroid cream which cured it completely after a couple of weeks.

Weight's a bit of a misnomer really, a short fat baby will have a bigger circumference than a long thin baby but might weigh less. And isn't it all about head size?

It also depends on the dimensions of your pelvis and how the baby presents.

9lb5 DS, episiotomy as his heart rate was dropping. I don't seem that different!

10lb 11oz. Vaginal birth. No issues or interventions, others than some tearing. No issues since either.

9.6lb first baby. I’m quite small. Dreadful long painful labour, waters broke, contractions started, all textbook but then stalled, given syntocinon to help progress, Then antibiotic drip as waters had been broken for too long so risk of infection was going up, then eventually asked for an epidural. Finally ended up with EMCS (nearly 2days after waters went, more than 24 hours after starting syntocinon and more than 20 hours after the IV antibiotics started and 10 after the epidural was sited) as baby was distressed and her heart rate was going funny and so was mine.

All fine in the end as she was a lovely big healthy bouncy baby but it was a horrible process.

10.3 lb. easy, straightforward, 4 hr labour. She was born in her sac. Small tear. 8.10 lb, 28 hour labour, episiotomy, bad tears. As I understand it it’s more to do with positioning than size

9lb 10z. Spent 2 hours pushing, very close to needing forceps but managed without in the end. They feared a cervical tear as I lost 3 pints of blood but after numbing my cervical area to examine me I was fine. No stitches required. No blood transfusion needed, just iron tablets for a fortnight. Was in the shower after an hour and had no discomfort when passing urine....but the fear was there

Just under 9lb home water birth, 3 hour labour. No complications or tears and healed quickly.

9.4lbs water birth in a midwifery-led unit born within 40 minutes of arriving. Baby got very squeezed on the way out, no intervention needed though and born within 15 minutes of pushing. No tears again amazingly but baby was very bruised after birth so I think it was a tough journey! Walking around and feeling normal within hours. Back to myself within days.

9.4 lbs - first baby (39 weeks)

Relatively easy labour. Build up was about 10 hours but not painful or too uncomfortable . Then 1.5 hours of active labour, really painful pushing pains but I suspect this is normal! Just gas and air for last hour.

I did not have any tears or grazing. Afterwards the midwives described my birth as fast and furious. They said often the bigger babies come out faster and a bit easier for mum as she’s not exhausted by a long active labour and pushing stage. Not sure how much truth there is in that

9lb 13 first baby, I think the biggest problem was that he was lying back to back and got stuck, plus I had sacroiliac hip dysfunction so couldn't gt into any positions that might have helped. His head got jammed and I didn't get past 6 inches dilation after 36 hours of labour so ended up with an emergency section. They had a bit of bother tugging him back up again but he was perfectly fine and so was I (borderline for a transfusion though). Went home on day 3. Had DS2 by planned section 13 months later so it didn't put me off too much :) (planned section as he was also lying back to back, I had same hip issues and he was expected to be big).

10lb5 emergency CS recovery was 10 days really.
10lb normal birth 3rd degree teR, okay after a few days

My 2nd DC WAS 9lb 5 oz - shoulder dystocia birth. Was awful and was offered counselling afterwards.

My physical recovery wasn't too bad though -same as with my 1st DC really (had 3rd degree tear with DC1)

First baby 7lb 11 second baby 9lb 8.... No difference both hurt coming out didn't even know how big 2nd one was untill he was born... No rips/tears or anything. Recovered the exactly same with my 2nd as I did with my 1st.

My first baby, a girl, was 2.5 weeks early at 5.15lb and a trouble free 8 hour labour. you can imagine my shock when my second (a boy) was 9lb3, again a standard delivery. I would have struggled if he had been my first I think. I had no stitches or tears but I was absolutely exhausted after pushing him out. Having had a tiny baby and a big baby I would say once they are born big babies are easier, my son fed so well (little daughter wouldn’t latch properly and lost loads of weight), he winded himself (burped by himself within a few hours of birth! 🤣) and generally I worried less as he was bigger. (Could have been as he was a second baby though!). Good luck and hope the labour is smooth as it can be and keep well rested xxx