Anyone had an estimated big baby that turned out to be smaller??

[HE96x]

Went for a growth scan today at 38+6 .. baby 99th centile 🫣 in particular a large head but all measurements large. Currently estimated 9lb 1. Been advised to have a c section due to the risks of shoulder dystocia and/or an assisted birth which I have accepted. Nervous about the large size and deflated about the section but my priority is for him to be here safely. Just wondered if anyone else had been in my position and had a smaller baby? Perhaps where the growth scan was inaccurate. My bump is big and is 'all baby' so I do think he will be big but praying he's not as large as anticipated.

Yes. Was told she'd be big. It was all water and she barely scraped 7lb.

Mine was estimated to be 8 pounds something, ended up being over 9 pounds.

I was predicted large, and she was - nearly 11lb, but the easiest by far to deliver. It is well worth listening to the midwives and consultants though, and c-sections aren’t that bad.

No, I was told I had a big baby (9lb) and had an even bigger one (11lb4!!!) but had a completely natural birth and I'm not especially big myself. Obviously I don't know your specific medical situation but I wouldn't have thought a C-section is a foregone conclusion.

Was told 9-10 pounds came out smack on 8lb

Scan day I was induced said 12lb 10oz.. she was 9lb 9oz

My second. They even rescanned for twins. It was all amniotic fluid and a big head. Which runs in the family. 8lbs.

My younger one was measuring 95th centile consistently, weighed 8lbs when born at 38+2 but had (and has always had) pretty substantial shoulders, which I would not have liked any bigger... I was induced at 38 + 1 as combination of measuring big, previous child needing a ventouse at 9th centile and some reduced movements meant we went for induction with a relatively low threshold for C-section. As it turned out labour was more or less the same as for older child except I didn't spend most of it in the car... Needed an "easy" ventouse and episiotomy (child one I tore) but definitely felt the shoulders more than the head ..

I've had it go both ways! First was estimated to be 8lbs+ at full term. Delivered at 41wks 7lbs3oz.
2nd was estimated to be about 8lbs at 37wks. Everyone told me to take that with a pinch of salt given my 1st smaller baby for a week late. Had an induction resulting in EMCS 39+6.. 9lbs10oz 😅 I was glad he came out the sunroof in the end!

I had the opposite. I was told DS2 was going to be small by the midwives and consultants. My GP disagreed. Even at 36 weeks they said I’d be lucky if he was 6lb. He was born at 37weeks weighing 8lb, 60cm long with a 38cm head. I’m so glad he didn’t go 3, or more weeks.

They told DDIL DGS was measuring big and had her booked in to discuss a section because she’s only 4f 11. He came dead on 37weeks weighing 6lb13. She did end up with an emergency section because he was in a funny position.

Basically this.

I was predicted a huge baby. He actually came out on the 9th percentile. Friend of mine was induced at 38 weeks because they anticipated her baby would reach 10lbs if they went to term, he was 6lbs 2. Feels like a stretch he was gonna get to 10 in the remaining time!!

Was told i was having a big baby first time, 7lb 4 at 41+2. Second time was told he would be small, and he was but he was born early. Would have been around 8lbs at term. I dont know anyone who has had accurate growth scans xx

I was told that my baby would be 'at least 9lbs'. She actually weighed 6lbs 10! Quite a difference.

First baby was 9lb.
Second baby was measuring big so agreed to induction, they were talking about 10lbs + He was 8lbs 7oz so nothing like I was expecting by big. In fairness, he is exceptionally tall and had a big head so I guess they use those to estimate weight. I don't regret the induction though. It all went smoothly.

My estimated 9 pounder was 7lbs 1 oz. And he was 14 days overdue by the time he was dragged out.

I did.

Ds2 estimated 9.5 lb baby, but I was in a car crash at 8 months and changed things. I lost a stone in last month and He delivered at 8.5 lb.

My advice is :believe them, they know what they are doing. Follow the docs advice.

From people I know and stories I've read on here it seems commonly,

If you are told expect a big baby, they usually come out a lot less smaller than expected but if you're told expect a small baby they come out bigger.

I was told baby was weighing 6lb a day before I had him and he was 8lb 6oz.

My mum was told my sister was roughly 8lb and she was 11lb 11oz.

My 97th percentile bump was a 33rd percentile baby.

My 5th percentile growth scan was a 30th percentile baby.

I let labour start spontaneously with both and I’m so glad I did. Trust your body and your baby.

Had a couple of friends who were told they're babies would be big and they weren't. I had no warning and my first was just under 10 lbs!

I was told on all 3 of mine that they were to be 11lbs and they were all between 8 and 9 lbs.

Apparently size estimates at the later stages of pregnancy are fairly inaccurate. Also sections aren't usually offered on based on size and 9lbs isn't really considered outsized anyway. Any other reasons given for a section?

The plan was for a vaginal birth on all of mine. Unfortunately I had a section, a vaginal birth and an emergency section.

This was more about the way the babies were positioned than the size. Is your baby in a poor position? Mine were all breech for ages and then two went into an unstable lie. Only one behaved perfectly 🤣 my favourite of course.

They're almost always wrong with the growth scans. I don't know why they bother. My friend and I were both told babies were measuring small and they were normal sized - mine was over 9lbs. My friend had special care waiting for this tiny baby - predicted as less than 5lbs. She was between 7&8lbs, so completely normal.

The only thing I would say is that my normal size baby they expected a giant grew into a huge man prop forward sized. Big head, shoulders, thighs.

I was expecting my first to be an 8 pounder.
Eventually born at 42+4 after a 4 day unproductive labour weighing under 5lb. It was a big surprise. All sorts of tests were organised and IUGR was bandied about. It just turned out that MIL's family's tiny genes were more powerful than FIL's or my family tall or average ones.
Hugged the 0.4 centile throughout childhood and is now a below average height adult.

We were told my daughter was measuring 7lb 9 at 36 weeks and would be over 10lb at term.

That info was used to basically force me into a c section on medical grounds at 40 weeks.

She was 7lb 3.

I'm still salty about the very much unwanted section.

Yes. I was told my first would be AT LEAST 10lbs and I had growth scans every week until I gave birth.
She was born at 39 weeks and weighed 7lbs. She was so small that newborn clothes swamped her.