If you had a big baby , did you accept induction

[anonny55]

32 weeks and baby's on 91st centile weighing 5lb5oz

He's following the same line on growth chart as my 20 and 27w scan so have no faith that he's magically going to drop dramatically in his growth speed.

Ive been asked to think about my birth options as it'll be discussed with my consultant in 4 weeks time. Today she's let me know that if his growth follows in line with what he was today then induction would likely be recommended at 39 weeks. She said I can request an earlier induction than 39 weeks if that's my choice too. Otherwise an elective c section will be between 39-40 depending on when they have space. Obviously she said it's my choice and if id rather be left alone that's upto me.

I'm curious to know if you accepted an induction due to size, did everything work out? Do you regret it or happy with your choice?

I'm aware the weight is only an estimation and he could be smaller/bigger than his measurements on a scan.

Just to say both my DC had 99th centile measurements of head & abdomen. My wonderful midwife told me that as long as the head was measuring bigger / as big as the abdomen it was a good sign. That if I could get the head out then the rest would follow, whereas if the abdomen measured bigger there was more chance of shoulder dystocia.

If you are deciding on vaginal delivery, a few things can help with a big baby. Fetal positioning is really important, so I'd focus on spinning babies movements. My midwife had me doing at least 20 min of squats, side lunges, lunges and cat / cow every day for my second delivery. My first big baby was OP facing, and that was a lot harder than my second.

Perineal massage, and moisturizing with a safe oil help too. As does a warm cloth on the perineum when pushing. I had a second degree tear the second time, but that's only because my previous episiotomy scar re-opened. I've had friends push out 9lbers without tearing.

The position you give birth in also makes a big difference I think. I declined the epidural in favour of being more mobile second time around, and it really helped with a fast pushing stage. Hurts for sure, but a consultant told me 90% of epidural labours need assistance via kiwi cup in the hospital I delivered at.

I would also ask further about the risks of induction / section, to help make an informed decision. Induction is often recommended to avoid shoulder dystocia, but often leads to a cascade of interventions. Sections have their risks too, so it's really important to be informed and choose the option that feels right for you.

No matter how you choose to give birth, you'll have a beautiful baby at the end of it and be so proud of yourself. 💐

My last baby measured big all the way through pregnancy, born at 11lb 7 and I went into spontaneous labour 11 days past due date, with the threat of induction on the 12th day 😂 despite being big it was my easiest labour. Recovery was only slightly longer due to my coccyx being a bit bruised from the size. Good luck in whatever you decide!

@kc92 thanks so much for commenting.. what were the reasons you didn't accept a section or induction if you don't mind me asking?

It seems a lot of inductions for first timers has instrumental assistance or emcs especially if done before 40weeks!

Ive been looking at forcep experiences and healing process and it seems really quite awful..some even saying there elcs experience and healing was a lot nicer and healed faster/less pain afterwards!

I suppose I feel I NEED to chose between 1 or the other. I don't think I feel safe or prepared to just leave him to grow and grow and then go into labour myself. I'm far too scared of him getting stuck. Ultimately him arriving safely and unharmed is the most important so perhaps I just go for elcs. It seems the safest way for him and I'm sure the pain will be hard but it'll be a distant memory and I'll have my baby here safely. He's our pure miracle, he took over 4yrs to conceive so anything that risks him getting taken away from me even if it is just a risk and not guaranteed is freaking me out a lot thinking of all the things that could happen to him during an induction😖

My mums 1st baby nearly didn't make it as his heartbeat kept dropping rapidly so that ended in a crash section! Her 2nd baby 4 day labour and eventual ventouse and episiotomy which took ages to heal too! I know personally 4 people who've had inductions , 1st was at 41w , ventouse and episiotomy. 2nd person at 42w, baby was 9lb 3rd degree tear and rushed to theatre as was hemorrahging (clearly can't spell that)😂 , 3rd induced at 38w baby's heart rate dropping so after 4 days emcs and baby had to go to nicu (he was quite unwell, supposedly because his heart rate was dipping so low). 4th induced at 40w heart rate also dropped so emcs and didn't get baby out in time, he had a stroke when born and is half brain dead. I don't know anyone personally that's had a really positive induction which is worrying!

If this wasn't my first baby I don't think I'd be so worried about birthing him! It seems they fly out if there big and not the first baby 🤣

@anonny55 sorry to add another bad induction story to the thread when it sounds like you've heard lots of them, but for me induction wasn't great the first time. I got hyper stimulation of the uterus, which is fairly rare. This absolutely isn't the case for everyone and I know lots of people who've had brilliant inductions.

Your baby sounds so treasured already, and I can absolutely understand the pressure of wanting to choose the safest option for them. ❤️ For me, I was confident spontaneous labour (up to a certain gestation) was the right choice. I didn't find it hard to birth a big baby the first time, the problems for me were caused by the actual induction/epidural.

I am an absolute over-researcher, so I looked into stats of absolutely everything, like shoulder dystocia risk, the healing rate of these, the procedures they do if this occurs, the risks & benefits of c-sections for moms and babies, the different types of inductions my hospital offers, the rates of EMCS for inductions at my hospital, etc., I also wrote my birth plan to cover all eventualities - e.g. if I had to have an intervention, what were my preferences. This helped me have informed discussions with my care team.

Once you're in a hospital setting, your baby will be looked after so closely it's very rare for long-term adverse effects. Inductions usually have CTG, and in my hospital at least they are very cautious about any dips in the heart rate.

@kc92 I'm very greatful for all the honest experiences. I'd rather be prepared for real life possibilities if I were to take that route. I'm thinking of booking an elcs for 39 weeks and refusing induction tbh. If I were to go into labour myself before the section date I think I'd have more faith that my body's ready and can do it so I'd give it a go🤞🏽

Thanks for all your help 🥰

I had the opposite issue in that my midwife didn't think / care I was having a big baby & just told me I was normal for my dates (I absolutely wasn't.

I was only induced at 41 weeks as our hospital was closing & by time crossover completed properly, I'd have been over 42 weeks (mines an adult now)

I was completely terrified of shoulder dystopia as knew someone who's baby had a broken collar bone from similar delivery.

My baby was down as failure to progress & I ended up with CS. He was 10lbs 4

I was bigger on my second but I had to fight for earlier elective section. They wanted to leave him to 39 weeks. Second was 9lb 3 at 37.5 weeks. Doc says could've been over 11lb if I'd gone to term

Just take in all the medical advice as everyone wants a safety delivered baby & best outcome for you

Your fears are understandable after hearing so many first hand horror stories. People don’t tend to mention when things have gone smoothly. Don’t lose sight of the fact that inductions are performed quite routinely where a baby is measuring large for dates, or because they’re overdue and labour hasn’t started naturally. By definition, these babies will generally be larger than average birth weight and more at risk of getting stuck. That doesn’t mean that induction causes them to get stuck.

Also keep in mind that they can be way off with weight. I was told that my first DC was a ‘tiddler’ after my waters broke and I passed gallons of water. He was over 10lb. My 3rd was going to be a whopper and she was 7lb. They do get it wrong.

@anonny55 "What did they weigh? Any intervention? Down stairs heal fine and go back to normal? Weakened pelvic floor? Thanks for your experience"

9'9 and 10'6. No intervention either time. I was 37 and then 41. Needed a few stitches both times, but recovered well and quickly. Pelvic floor fine. I do think we hear more about the scary stories- when things go well people talk about it less!

@anonny55 my first was also fairly big at 9lb 1, but ended in an emergency section when I couldn't dilate past 4cm. Recovery from both aren't as bad as you'll probably be imagining, but definitely slightly easier with a vaginal. X