'Big baby' birth stories please

[fr4zzledmum]

I'm 36+3 with my 2nd and have been umming and aahhhing between an ELCS or not. Currently have a date booked in (39 weeks), and consultant has been great about whichever option I choose. He has been encouraging consideration of induction at 39 weeks instead too.

Baby had been measuring just over 97th centile for last two growth scans, then today is measuring 97th, estimated weight at 39weeks 9.5lbs.

I had a spontaneous vaginal birth with my first at 40+3, who was 7lb 10oz. I only had a labial graze that required no stitching.

Just wondering if I could hear some birth stories of people with 9lb+ babies, specifically whether you tore, and if you had much intervention during labour (i.e. forceps, ventouse etc.). I have stated I wouldn't be willing for forceps use and would ask for an EMCS at that stage.

Congrats on your baby! I had a 9lb 8oz baby boy, born vaginally at 41 weeks. We had an induction as the Drs were concerned over his size.

Induction had a few adverse reactions but the epidural & gas & air stopped it from being painful. I had an episiotomy & kiwi cup assisted delivery that was very straight forward. This wasn't because of his size, but because of my reaction to the induction meant he needed to get out asap. (Adverse reactions are really rare apparently.)

I was up and walking within a few hours and recovered much easier than I think I would have from a CS.

I'm currently due with another giant baby boy in a few weeks and planning to have a spontaneous vaginal delivery this time all going well. I think I would have been fine delivering on my own, and the only issues with my labour were due to my body not liking the induction.

I've been focusing on eating healthy and doing positioning exercises to make the birth easier. I've also been trying reflexology - not sure if this will make a difference but is super relaxing.

My mum had 5 babies over 9lb and she's a tiny woman so I think if you don't have gestational diabetes it's very rare to grow a baby you can't birth.

My second was 9lb 1oz, i had her at home with no intervention and a slight tear that didn't need stitches. It was the easiest birth out the two of them.

My second was 10lb2 spontaneous vaginal birth. Yes I tore but less than with my first who was 8lb5. She came at 41 weeks. I declined induction and c-section. Had no assistance and she was born very quickly. Within minutes of arriving at hospital

First was spontaneous 11lb baby and 2nd was 9lb both totally fine births. They say the bigger the baby the easier the birth can be. Good luck

First was an unexpected 9lb 11oz at 40+1- tiny tear/graze, had epidural in place due to length of labour but otherwise normal vaginal birth (haemmoraged quite badly after but not related to size), second was 9lb- no tear or anything. I think I have a very stretchy vagina.

9lb 12, 20 minute labour, no drugs, laughed all the way through (possibly with shock - first labour was a very hard 26 hours!). I could have jogged home soon afterwards I felt so well.

My DD was 9lb 2oz born at 40 weeks, I was induced for reduced movements and it did end up in forceps but she was back to back which I think made it more difficult. Perhaps if I could’ve been mobile during labour things may have been different. I’m pregnant now and almost 42 weeks, dreading how big this one will be!

My 4th was 9lb 8. Vaginal delivery with no interventions or drugs.
I tore on my first who was 7lb4 and tore along the scar on subsequent births.

My second baby was 11lb4oz, and I had a far easier birth with him than ds1 - completely natural birth, no tears, no stitches, no intervention.

What helped? I was in a midwife led birthing centre rather than hospital. The midwives were incredible.

He was also 11 days overdue and I refused induction at 10 days.

9lb 4oz 2nd baby here.
Induced at 41 weeks, Labour started after 24 hours, lasted 2 hours. No tears / cuts etc. However, a sudden PPH about 2 hours after delivery which required emergency surgery and multiple blood transfusions in ICU!

My second baby was 9 and a half pounds (first baby was 8 pounds) and i had a very manageable 4 hr labour with no pain relief. I had an episiotomy as his heart dipped when he shot through my pelvis a bit too quickly but a very good experience.

My 2nd was 10lb 1. I was induced as was 13 days late but that was the only intervention.

Had a graze but no tear. It was my easiest, least painful birth, had gas and air and pushing was much faster than with my others.

Good luck OP!

My BFF who is 5'1 had 4 home births all her babies were 9lbs - 11lbs. Loooooong labours but all natural a doula and Midwife. She needed stitchs with all 4 but no complications beyound that for her and the kids. Oldest is 10 and the youngest is 3.

Thats amazing. Did they keep you moving and helped you between pushes etc.
I am also staying at my local midwife led centre. Did with DS1 and well with DS2 due any day now

#1 9lb 7oz, failed induction at 41 weeks, very calm EMCS, all good.

#2 9lb 12oz, ELCS was the plan anyway but she was transverse so no option. Combination of size and position caused a few issues in the surgery for us both but once we were in recovery all was good.

Personally I'd choose the ELCS for the predictability but given you've already had a natural delivery it's surely more likely.

Dc3 was 10lb 8 normal vaginal delivery no intervention, no tears or stitches. No different at all to be two previous 7 pounders.

After birth I felt quite bruised for about a week and the after pains were bad for about 3 days.

3rd baby 9lb 4, after 2 7lb babies.

Labour was much longer/harder but not more painful. Felt like I was pushing for ages, crowning stage seemed to go on forever, but was my only baby that I didn’t need any stitches for, after tearing badly with the previous 2.

as others have said, I did have PPH after delivery, along with some placenta issues, but I don’t know if that is related xx

I had big babies 9 10 and 9 14 and both were induced and led to complications.

I was so determined not to have a planned c section that looking back I really wished I had. If I was pregnant again I'd try to go to term naturally but if it was induction of c section if far rather a planned calm c section than the increasing interventions forceps/emcs/PPH

I tore badly with ds1 and he was only 6lb. In comparison to other babies on this thread he was tiny. So you can never tell!

First baby was 9.5lbs and I was induced at 41 weeks, epidural and episiotomy, 22 stitches as baby got distressed during induction so forceps were needed in the end.

Second baby, 11lbs, massive head that got a bit stuck, 42 weeks but waters broke naturally, not much pain relief despite long labour, but felt a more natural process, no tears or stitches and was home very soon after birth.

Good luck lass

My first was 7lb1oz, 8 hour labour, second degree tear, PPH. My second was just a dude over 9lb, 8.5 hour labour (from first contraction), 2 minutes active pushing and no tear. Oh and born in his waters!

Two 10lb plus, two 9lb plus, one 8lb 15oz all normal deliveries. The last one was induced at 43 weeks., others more or less on due dates.

Having been through an attempted natural birth and a planned caesarean solely due to size of baby, I would have to recommend caesarean.

My first was 9lbs 4oz and I went into labour naturally at 40+3, but after 36 hours my contractions were still 6 minutes apart and I was only 3cm, so I had the drip for augmentation and an epidural at that point as was exhausted and knew augmentation could make it even more painful. Baby was back to back but it all then went ok until it was time to push when they then tried to turn him manually (horrendous, hand inside turning like a washing machine) then he got distressed and they had to use ventouse, didn’t work, then forceps, didn’t work. It then wound up being a category 1 caesarean with a pretty bad recovery - I was in a lot of pain for the full first week and only really felt normal again after 3 weeks.

Baby 2 I was considering a VBAC but was very undecided as I did not want to undergo the full cascade of interventions again, but then at 35 weeks my measurements suddenly got big and a scan suggested baby was 97th percentile. So I went for a planned caesarean and the experience and recovery were so much better. And the scan was totally accurate, baby was 10lb on his due date.

While scans can be inaccurate, they are accurate more than not or the NHS wouldn’t use them, and if it’s been consistent that increases the probability of it being accurate.

And in terms of recovery, at least with a planned caesarean you know you’ll have a few days of being almost bed bound, then a few days of shuffling about whereas with a natural birth there are so many unknowns - I have friends who have had bad tears who said it was much worse recovery than the planned caesarean they had for a later birth. And my emergency recovery was much worse than my planned one. Certainly after two weeks you should definitely be physically capable of looking after a baby alone when your DH goes back to work.

One thing I did second time was make it clear that if I went into labour naturally before the schedule caesarean date that I wanted no interventions but to go straight to caesarean if anything didn’t go smoothly - this could be something you could consider making clear in your birth plan, as in hindsight the augmentation, manual turning attempt and attempted forceps and ventouse were pretty traumatic and ended up in a rough rapid caesarean anyway with a worse recovery than if we’d gone straight to a more slow one with no interventions first.

Two 10lb babies, one was 98% for length and the other over the 100, both huge babies. I was induced for both, first was epidural and out next day with slight graze and the second was gas and air out later that day. Labour was fine for both, no dramas etc.