Predicted big baby

[gratitude2022]

Baby was measuring of the charts on fundal measurement, so sent for a scan at 36 weeks and baby measured 91st centile. At 38 week appointment fundal measurement suggest reduced growth so sent for another scan which showed baby around 80th centile and gaining 28g / day.

I'm 38+ 5 now and my bump feels firm and huge. I'm now anxious labour will hurt more with this 8lb plus baby bearing in mind I'm petite at 5'2 and size 8 with the smallest frame. My other 2 were 7lb 12 (overdue 10 days) and 6lb+ (2 days early).

Would love to hear other mums experiences.

Just to add had natural birth with gas and air and episiotomy with first as there was meconium in waters.

My MIL had 5 and she said her biggest (10lb 5oz) was much easier to push out and birth than her smallest (6lb 7oz).
Also the scans are 15% error margin usually so could actually be a lot smaller.
Main thing is movement in labour, knees in calf out and on your back is the hardest position to push a baby out.
You will be amazing.

@AHobbyaweek

My MIL had 5 and she said her biggest (10lb 5oz) was much easier to push out and birth than her smallest (6lb 7oz). Also the scans are 15% error margin usually so could actually be a lot smaller. Main thing is movement in labour, knees in calf out and on your back is the hardest position to push a baby out. You will be amazing.

Awww thank you so much for this! I have heard similar stories about bigger babies having more strength to push their way out. However I'm terrified of ecs or tearing. I'm planning another water birth with gas and air like dc2 but things can be so unpredictable on the day.

Having a 'big baby' alone is not necessarily a reason to worry. It can be easy to get pushed into various extra steps for a suspected 'big baby' so that might be something you want to think about to make a plan.
Water birth is great to reduce the likelihood of tearing and my 2nd was a water birth and no tears or grazes at all.
Have a look at the options for you and what you can do to increase your pelvic space and movement and you will be great.

@AHobbyaweek It can be easy to get pushed into various extra steps for a suspected 'big baby' so that might be something you want to think about to make a plan.

Ooh haven't even thought of this, what kind of things? I really want minimal / no intervention. I just worry not being able to advocate for myself on the day.

As others have said at this stage scans can't accurately predict size of baby. At a 36 wk growth scan I was told baby would be 7'9 he was 6'13.

With interventions they might try and convince you that due to 'big baby' you need to be induced early or that they 'won't let you' go over your dates. They can't do anything that you don't want. If you don't want intervention then you have the right to decline everything and anything and they can't say they can't care for you if you decline as it is their duty of care to care for you even if they don't agree with your choices.

You have done this before you and your body know how to do this and you will be amazing. Good luck

My heaviest was 10lbs 4! People use to tell me that bigger babies are easier to give birth to than smaller ones 🙄

I'm 5' and was 6st 3 pre kids with teeny hips.

DC2 was 10lb 6oz it was fine.

Kept telling me baby wasn't big even though I looked absolutely huge.

@jellybe thank you so much for your kind words, it's been 7 years since the last one so worry my body may have forgotten what to do 🥲

Been practicing hypnobirthing so need to really believe I can birth this baby but this has put unnecessary doubts in me. Did it play on your mind when they said you'd have a big baby? Increases my anxiety.

Could they prevent me from having a water birth due to this reason? I know it's not guaranteed anyway but would hate for this to be the reason. I wouldn't be surprised if the estimate is inaccurate as my bump was a lot bigger with dc1. However these last few weeks are being challenging due to feeling so heavy.

My 3 children were 8lb 11, 9lb & 9lb 9. I’m size 6-8, small frame. There was no indication that they would be big, and no real mention of them being big at all tbh. 2 x water births, 1 on dry land. No pain relief at all with any, no tears. All ok, thank goodness.

@RandomMess

I'm 5' and was 6st 3 pre kids with teeny hips.

DC2 was 10lb 6oz it was fine.

Kept telling me baby wasn't big even though I looked absolutely huge.

😳

Did you have a c section or vaginal delivery if you don't mind me asking? Was it more painful than dc1?

@Luckystar1

My 3 children were 8lb 11, 9lb & 9lb 9. I’m size 6-8, small frame. There was no indication that they would be big, and no real mention of them being big at all tbh. 2 x water births, 1 on dry land. No pain relief at all with any, no tears. All ok, thank goodness.

I would have felt more at ease not knowing tbh as it's below 97th so still within norm ranges but when compare them to 1&2 scares me even more.

Vaginal, small tear that needed one stitch but that was a nick from birth number one.

It was a painful labour but not particularly more painful than the others. All mine were induced. The actual delivery part was far easier than the first because it was so much quicker.

After pains were utterly horrific, lots of pain relief required for them!

@RandomMess I could deal with the after pains it's just long term effects I worry about. Thanks for sharing.

Agree with PP

For me, tearing with an almost 11lb baby was much easier than having an episiotomy with 9lb baby.

Labour, delivery and recovery all much easier with the bigger baby.

[quote gratitude2022]@jellybe thank you so much for your kind words, it's been 7 years since the last one so worry my body may have forgotten what to do 🥲

Been practicing hypnobirthing so need to really believe I can birth this baby but this has put unnecessary doubts in me. Did it play on your mind when they said you'd have a big baby? Increases my anxiety.

Could they prevent me from having a water birth due to this reason? I know it's not guaranteed anyway but would hate for this to be the reason. I wouldn't be surprised if the estimate is inaccurate as my bump was a lot bigger with dc1. However these last few weeks are being challenging due to feeling so heavy.[/quote]
They honestly can't prevent you from doing anything you want to do. They can recommend things etc. but at the end of the day this is your baby/ your birth. You might want to do some reading so you are prepared to argue for what you want/ your birth partner is prepared. Dr Sarah Wickham writes a lot about this ( I follow her on Instagram) she also has a blog I believe. Be prepared for the hospital to try to coerce you into what makes them feel in control rather than what you want. Have you thought about a home birth? Home birth midwives normally are much more in tune with what women want compared to OBs in a hospital setting.

Oh and I wasn't worried about him being big as though I'm small (5' 2) when I was born I was 8' 3 and my mum is smaller than me. I figured if she can do it so can I plus he was my third so I knew my body knew how to do it.

Give birth like a feminist by milli hill might also give you some power to get what you want and need.

Bigger babies are easier to birth in some generalised ways and pain experienced seems to vary across every labour and often has bog all to do with weight.

I had a 7lber and a 6lber, both of whom got ridiculously stuck and I had every intervention you're scared about right now. You can't predict what will happen, only research your options. I've had two emcs and the first was traumatic because I was scared and desperate for a natural delivery. Once I'd had some counselling and worked out that my fears were all based on some ideal over which I had no control, I entered the second labour accepting that what made a difference was good support and feeling informed. My second emcs was a joy from start to finish. They aren't scary at all. Fear of the unknown is what's scary.

My size 6 SIL has just had a 10lber and she breathed her out in a pool. Much easier than her 7lber apparently.

@ShowOfHands

How would you suggest on educating oneself incase of ecs? Terrified of this and you're right interventions, it's so unpredictable and it Is the unknown.

My 10lb baby was my easiest birth, not sure if it was gravity, me feeling more confident or luck. But whatever it was worked, he was born, no stitches, 3 pushes.
I’m the same height and general size as you OP.

Hospital were keen for me to have a section but I’m glad o didn’t even consider it.

My first was very small, my second was large (for me they said), and tbh, labour and even the delivery felt very very similar, there was a little more pain with the episiotomy with my second but until that and even after, it felt very similar.

@Frolicinameadow

My 10lb baby was my easiest birth, not sure if it was gravity, me feeling more confident or luck. But whatever it was worked, he was born, no stitches, 3 pushes. I’m the same height and general size as you OP.

Hospital were keen for me to have a section but I’m glad o didn’t even consider it.

Was it your first baby? I wish I was as confident. Where did baby measure on the charts? I'm 38+4 each additional day baby is getting bigger 🥲 I honestly don't want to be coerced or pressured into anything and don't know if I'll be in the right state of mind to decline unnecessary interventions.

I’m 5ft and my booking weight was 49kg (about 7.5 stone). I had numerous growth scans all of which said baby would be about 6lb 10 - 7lbs. She was 8lbs 6! I’d take the growth scans with a pinch of salt.

@gratitude2022 I’m the same frame as you and mine was 11lb 7oz. Was expecting a 9-9 1/2 pounder. Everyone says growth scans can be out but bear in mind they can be out the other way as well!

@ricketybeauty did you manage to birth baby without much interventions? My biggest was 7lb14 which isn't small for our frame, that was the first so longer and a lot more intense but possibly due to the panic and not having a clue with it being first.

My bump was a lot bigger with first dc so would be interesting to see if this baby actually measures same or bigger.