Baby measuring above 97th percentile at 35 weeks... Could I have advice on C section?

[Gracie95]

Hey everyone,

After midwife appointment where my fundal height skyrocketed above the 97th percentile I was referred for and have just had a growth scan. It looks like baby girl is measuring about 40 weeks on everything and I am 35 +3days currently.

Doctor told me the scan would have been very accurate and they are certain my baby is big. It's my first baby. I had a gestational diabetes test 2 weeks ago which was apparently JUST under the threshold for me having gestational diabetes so I am getting re-tested tomorrow. My baby is also still breech. They are planning to scan me again next week to see if she turned and if she hasn't they are going to offer turning her which they have told me has a 50% success rate.

The doctor also mentioned that I could end up having a C-section at 39 weeks if I wanted and now this option doesn't sound like a bad idea considering everything... I'm just nervous. It might also be worth noting both my mum and my husbands mum were induced due to late babies and did not dilate. Both of their first babies ended in emergency C-sections, me almost dying and going into distress. Does this increase my risk of an issue?

I'm also not sure if I want to mess with her by them trying to flip her if she is breech and instead opt for a C-section and leave her as she is.

Could anyone offer me some advice or insights into how theirs went if they had big babies and what they ended up doing? Thank you. :)

Hello. Scans are NOT accurate, they can be very variable. From about 25 weeks I was told I was having a big baby, continual growth scans always saying baby was in 95th centile and would be 8/9lbs. I had the GD test - negative then retested again very late in pregnancy was just borderline positive so ended up pressured into induction at 39 weeks which then did not work, ended up with infection and resulted in emergency c section. In the end baby was only 7lbs - no where near as big as predicted!

It's hard if it's your first baby but if you don't have GD then it's unlikely you would grow a baby too big to birth and people can birth big babies. I personally would steer clear of induction and either trust your instincts on whether to go full term and try vaginal or opt for elective c section. Also personally wouldn't go for the turning procedure as success rate isn't great and can lead to complications (a friend recently had to have an emergency c section after having one as placenta came away - I believe this is rare but a possibility).
Try to follow your gut instinct with what feels right for you. Would also ask drs to feel your stomach and say whether baby feels big - on the day I had my daughter a consultant felt my tummy and said 'that baby isn't big' and the midwife had said similar - turns out they were more accurate than the scans!

My baby was born on the 99.6th centile - this was predicted from 20 weeks onwards. Yes scans are often wrong - and they were in my case - DS was way over 1lb heavier than they had expected.

I was induced slightly earlier but it took five days and ended with an emergency c-section because he just had a giant head 😅 I really really wish I'd just opted for a c-section from the start.

DS was also breech for a while - I did my reading on that and I wasn't up for them trying to turn him but luckily flipped on his own.

I had an 11lber and my bump was HUGE but I was never flagged up for a growth scan. I had a water birth with just gas and air - completely manageable and by far a better experience than with my 8.8lber! Many of my friends have had growth scans and they've all been wildly out. You absolutely do what feels best for you.

Hi OP, my DC2 was a big baby. I was relentless tested for GD but came back negative every time. Everyone told me my scans were likely incorrect but I was pretty trusting of the medical staff. Turned out DC2 was a big baby, and came via ELCS weighing 9lb 15oz!

I would advise in your situation to consider a c-section above trying to turn a breech baby, unless you have your heart set on a vaginal birth (and there is nothing wrong with that if you do!)

Our daughter was but was only 8.7 lbs.

My growth scan was absolutely precisely right, down to the ounce. I know other people have had more variation though.