What would you do?

[OatcakeCravings]

In a nutshell my baby is measuring very large - at last scan was measuring 37 weeks when I was 32 weeks pregnant. I have to go and see the consultant in 3 weeks and have another scan and discuss birth options. The baby is currently breech and I will have a C section booked in automatically if I am breech at 36 weeks but if he has turned we are then going to decide if I want a C section due to babys size.

I'm in a dilema, if I have to make a choice I would prefer not to have a C section but I think that I would rather have a planned one than an emergency one. So I was thinking of asking for a C section if the consultant thinks that my risk of having an emergency one is higher than normal due to babys size.

What do you all think? It seems sensible to me but heck I'm 33 weeks pregnant!!!

Hi, didn't want to leave your post unanswered. I can't tell you what you should do but I think that emergency C sections are rarely a real "emergency" if you know what I mean. You will be monitored and they'll give you warnings if the baby is not doing what it should be (!) rather than being raced through in a life or death situation. Well thats how I understand things.

If you want to try doing it naturally then try. Something that really helped me was just finding some calm time at least once a day - even on the loo or the bus or whatever - and picture the birth day and tell yourself calmly that its ok if you have to have a c section. just to kind of prepare yourself mentally for it.

There was one point that the doctors were told to start preparing for me to have a c section and because I had been assuring myself that it would be ok I wasn't upset or panicked my it all. I dunno. I just think sometimes doctors get sizes wrong and there's no reason you shouldn't at least try.

good luck!

I would personally almost always try for a natural delivery first. A CS is a major op and I would do my best to avoid that. I have a friend who is 5'4", size 8 and had a 10.8lb baby naturally, no stitches. It's totally possible. She had no idea her wee boy would be so big and actually, she was fairly 'neat' when pregnant.

Oh, and you can have a natural breech delivery should you want one

Go for the section - I have had 2 maternal request electives and both were really calm, lovely experiences. Don't be put off by people telling you you won't be able to drive for 10 years or lift baby until they are teenagers recovery was in my case a matter of days and without a great deal of pain relief.

I actually found breastfeeding much more painful than sections.

Best of luck.

Find out the chances of you actually having a natural delivery.
Dd1 was an emcs and Dd2 measured very big. I was given the choice. Sat down the night before consultant meeting and made a huge list of questions (I highly recommend this as your brain tends to go blank when actually sat there!) asking what would happen if...?
By the time I'd had all my questions answered it was obvious that at the slightest sign of a problem they're do another emcs (due to extreme nature of last labour / birth). I decided I really didn't want another emcs and it was quite traumatic. Elcs was a completely different matter, much calmer and I was aware of what was going on throughout.
In the end, go with your gut feeling as only then will you be happy. Good luck

I had a section last time, classed as emergency but wasn't, failed induction and was a very poitive experience. They talked through the options this time and have gone for another section as didn't want to be tied to a bed monitored and other reasons. Talk to your consultant as Honor says

I just gave birth vaginally to a 12 lb 5oz baby . He was breech at 32 weeks but turned by 36 weeks.

Make sure you to speak to at least two midwives as well to get a few opinions. I had a really straight forward birth. DS's shoulders got a bit stuck but it was fine. Total labour was 5 hours 10 mins and I had 3 stitches in my perineum. That was 4 days ago I walked 2 miles yesterday!!

Firstly, women whose bodies produce big babies can generally deliver them.

Second, doctors are very bad at predicting a baby's weight through scans. I was told I was having a 7lbs, she was 9lb 4oz at 38 weeks. My SiL was told her baby would be around 10lbs. He was 8 and a bit.

Third, I gave birth to a 9lbs 4oz baby vaginally but the real problem was her head circumfrnce (99% centile). My midwife said that large heads are the real challenge in deliveries (but I still got her out eventually!)

There are loads of women on here who have had great natural births of HUGE babies. If that is the kind of birth you were hoping for then there is no need to abandon that dream because you might be having a big baby.

Good luck with whatever you decide .

I had same dilemma as you BTW. So much talk about whether or not I would be able to deliver naturally and I was terrified of emergency c section.

one other thing, keep really active, don't sit around if you can help it. Being fit will help you to cope with birth.

Nosnik - I am in awe

I agree on head circumference. DS was 7lb 15oz but was 91st+ centile for head circumference. He was crowning for a VERY long time and I really struggled to deliver him. DD was 75th centile head circumference and she was a doddle (though I was probably a bit baggier stretchier by then!)

Nosnik - crikey, well done you

I also had an em cs which wasn't really emergency at all - you're monitored and the situation is discussed all the way through the process (failed induction as DS was tied up in his cord, it turned out), but was all very calm. The only thing I would say about elective over emergency, is that at least with an elective, you won't have messed around for x number of hours and be exhausted before the baby arrives ...

I don't think scans are particularly accurate on size, I've never found them to be, but ask your consultant. It is head size that matters I think, so see if they can measure that on the scan.

Is this your first baby? My recovery was fine, the only pain was not being able to drive for six weeks, when I felt fine after two really - more of a pain not being able to drive if you have to ferry a toddler or older about.

What is your family history of baby size like? I might be up for another cs as they think my DS was large - 9lbs 10 - even though I keep telling them that in my family, he was pretty average!!

Up to you really - you always have the option of the em cs so you might like to try for a natural birth - though for breech, I did think that cs was standard these days.

Hmm - not much help, really, am I?!!

Have you heard of Optimal Foetal Positioning, might help to turn baby - look at www.spinningbabies.com - lots of scrubbing floors in the next few weeks!

Also, if you do have a cs, use a nice big fluffy pillow to rest the baby on for breastfeeding, to keep him/her off the scar - no pain.

Let us know how you get on!

CS is standard for breech these days, but it's still your choice.