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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

Any positive stories birthing a big baby?

28 replies

Mammy99 · 18/05/2020 16:42

Ended up having an EMCS with my son 2 years ago, not due to size of baby but he was 8lb 8oz which was big for me. I'm 5ft1 so this was 88th centile.
Really keen for a VBAC, currently 39+4. Ended up having a scan today and baby measuring off the scale (for me), they think already over 9lb Shock
They said the scan may not be right but I'm really confused about what to do. Anyone else quite small but had a big baby?

OP posts:
Iwalkinmyclothing · 18/05/2020 16:45

Not me, but a v close friend- her biggest baby was by far the easiest to birth. He was 10lb 1oz and she is a very slender, petite woman. She said he was far easier than her 6lb something and 8lb something dc!

cinnabuns · 18/05/2020 16:47

Yes!! My DD2 was 9lb 8 here, only gas and air. I had a long early stage but that was more due to her position. Went from 5cm to fully in about 2 hours I think, had a 2nd degree year but healed very quickly and easily. I delivered her standing up - maybe gravity helped! Don't be scared of a big baby, I'd do it again tomorrow.

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 18/05/2020 16:47

My DD was 8lb 6oz so not much smaller than your DS. I had a very straight forward birth. I’m pregnant again and hoping not to have one much bigger than that.

MIL gave birth 5 times and said her 10lb baby was definitely the easiest.

Laurie01 · 18/05/2020 16:49

I'm 5ft4, size 10, my 2nd baby was 9lb3oz, (my first 8lb), was delivered really quickly, no problems x

keepingbees · 18/05/2020 16:50

Scans aren't accurate at predicting weight, I know quite a few people who were told they were having big babies and didn't.
I have 3 DC, all big. My biggest was 10lb and that was my nicest labour and a quick easy birth. A big baby doesn't mean more pain or problems, there are lots of factors which dictate how your labour will go.

DisappointingAvocado · 18/05/2020 16:51

Both babies were 8lb6 and positive births, I wouldn't say easy, but managed on gas and air and look back fondly on them. First in a MLU, second at home

HarrietM87 · 18/05/2020 16:52

Not me but my friend has 4 children - 3DDs and a DS (who was her 3rd child). She’s 5’4ish. All DDs were around 7/8lbs, her DS was 10lb something! His was the easiest labour apparently, even easier than the girl that same after him, so it wasn’t just that she had practice by then!

Original poster
Mammy99 · 18/05/2020 16:54

Thank you so much for reassuring stories I really want to keep a positive mindset to give VBAC a go-these message help!!
Just need this baby to get moving now Smile

OP posts:
PatchworkElmer · 18/05/2020 16:56

I had a scan for DS and they were predicting he’d be around 10lbs- he was 8lb8 and birth and it was absolutely fine. Just wanted to give an idea of how far out the scans can be in some cases!

ChanklyBore · 18/05/2020 17:01

I have three close friends that have had biggish babies, stories vary.

My biggest was only 8lb 9oz and fairly shot out, but to be fair I tend to consider anything in the 7-8lb mark average, Im average build, 5’6. Two close friends have tiny builds (around 5ft and slim hipped size 6-8 mark) and they have both had three babies, nearly all bigger than my biggest, it was a running joke between us. They always looked like they had swallowed beach balls, massively pregnant and slim everywhere else, where I just looked like I had eaten too many pies and was fat all over including my face. I think between them the smallest was 8.3 and the biggest 10.10, they had a mixture of normal births and some at home, nothing easy but nothing too traumatic for mother or baby.Another friend with a similar build to me, bit shorter, had a little one of 9.15 as a vbac. The largest baby I know personally was a little one of 11.10 born but her Mum is taller than me at 5’8, I’d still say that was a big baby though. She was all cheeks.

SingingSands · 18/05/2020 17:02

Another one here saying scans aren't the best gauge of birth weight. I had extra scans with my second baby as I had low BMI and he was expected to be around 5lbs. He was 8lb 7oz.

JustHereWithPopcorn · 18/05/2020 17:04

At my 38 week scan I was told they predicted the baby to be 9lb 2oz. He flew out in 15 minutes and ended up being 8lb 12!

RandomMess · 18/05/2020 17:23

I'm 5' and pre DC 6st 3oz with tiny hips.

DC1 7lb 6oz. DC2 10lb 6oz - it was fine 3&4 were all nearly 10lb too.

They kept telling me my baby wasn't big 😂 no stitches/tears or delivery assistance required despite being induced with the lot of them and have epidurals with the first 3.

NaturalCleaningParticles · 18/05/2020 17:25

I'm your height and had a 9lb-er with just gas and air and no complications or stitching at all. Was a fast labour and I stood upright/walked about/bounced on a ball - I think gravity helped.

keepingbees · 18/05/2020 19:43

I agree keeping upright and moving if you can will definitely help. With a VBAC they will want to monitor you closely but talk to them if you want to be mobile and not strapped to monitors on a bed. If you can make a plan that involves being able to safely move around it will probably improve your chances of a natural birth.

Original poster
Mammy99 · 18/05/2020 20:52

Thank you so much for all the replies! Great to hear other stories and positive VBAC experiences too Smile
I had heard a few tales of growth scans being off but not many of my friends have had to have them so good to know from others too that a growth scan isn’t necessarily the be all and end all!

OP posts:
SiaPR · 18/05/2020 20:58

What does this mean? he was 8lb 8oz which was big for me. I'm 5ft1 so this was 88th centile.

Simonfromharlow · 18/05/2020 21:06

My second baby was 10lb 11. My Labour was 1 hour 40 minutes and he came out much easier than the older one who was 8lb 12.

Simonfromharlow · 18/05/2020 21:08

I laboured on my knees and I think this helped him come out so easily!

mathanxiety · 18/05/2020 21:19

Scans can be way off. They told me DS might be 'as big as 8 lbs' - DD had been 7lbs 5. DS turned out to be 9lbs4.

Original poster
Mammy99 · 18/05/2020 21:56

@SiaPR the growth chart they give you is apparently personalised to your height and weight (didn’t actually know this with my first) so 8lb 8Oz for me was 88th percentile baby though for someone taller than me it might be more of a mid range baby I think :)

OP posts:
daisydalrymple · 18/05/2020 22:03

Dd was 9lb 9oz and 2nd stage lasted a couple of minutes. Whole labour was 7 hrs, but she was half the time of dc1 Grin
All three of mine have been back to back though, so that prolongs labour sometimes. Gas n air for me. I think gravity can definitely help with bigger babies in some labours.

mnahmnah · 18/05/2020 22:08

My second was 10lb 11oz. No issues pushing him out or afterwards.

@Simonfromharlow both my babies were the exact same weight as yours! Freaky. My labours were not as quick as yours though!!

Raaaa · 18/05/2020 22:33

I'm 5ft 2 and had a 9lb 3 baby with gas and air and pethidine and felt no pain when pushing - didn't get the ring of fire.
Can't remember the grade tears but I had the most minor one and healed fine.

Franticbutterfly · 18/05/2020 22:38

Dd1 was 8lb 5oz, dd2 10lb 4oz - attempted vbac ended up being physically impossible so have emcs (but wasn't stressful like the first one). Dd3 they wouldn't let me have a vbac, said she was going to be as big as her sister, she was 7lb 12oz, with a tiny head that I measured at the time as being the width of two standard hair ties. I'm sure I could've pushed that baby out. But all's well that ends well.