Has anybody risked a vaginal birth after a huge baby?

[mumoftoby]

I am currently weighing up whether I want to stop at 2 children. My first weighed 8lbs 12ozs and my second 10lbs 14ozs. I am only 5'5" and have been told I am lucky to have had an uncomplicated natural birth with a baby that size. I have been told that with any subsequent pregnancies I would be safer to have a cs, possiby at 37 weeks.

I wouldn't trust scans to ascertain the size of future babes as with my second son I had scans at 35 weeks and 37 weeks and they never picked up that he was bigger than average. Would paying for a 4D scan in late pregnancy give me a more accurate idea of weight?

Has anybody got any experiences of this? I would really appreciate any feedback.

oh my goodness me, i don;t get the logic in that at all!!!

you have had two big babies , perfectly normally and without complication, thereby proving your body can safely grow and birth big babies, and yet you are being told you should have major abdominal surgery 3 weeks before your baby is due if you have another... despite current guidelines indicating c.s should be done electively at 39 weeks to minimise risk of breathing difficulties

growth scans do have a margin for error, as does palpation so there is no sure fire way of guaranteeing you will know how big your baby is in advance

but it sounds like your body knows perfectly well how to deliver larger babies

My mum had a 10lb 12oz baby vaginally in 1983. She was fine.

My 16 year old cousin had an 11lb 2oz baby vaginally in August 2007, she was also fine.

Message withdrawn

I am only 5'2 and I had a 9.9 and a 10.6. Both vaginally and without problems. Who told you that you would have problems? The issue was never raised with me - and I had the second one in 2.5 hours and I was 43!

Is the person who told you an onstetrician?

my dd was 8.11 back to back and got stuck after forceps and ventouse i finally had a c section , am 35 weeks pregnant with a baby that they think is bigger but i have been advised to try for a natural birth as i dilated well last time . i would hope it will work c section recovery is pretty awful!

By DD was nine and a half pounds despite arriving at 38 weeks and after I suffered from pre-eclampsia which restricts fetal growth. I am now 18 weeks pregnant with number two and nobody has suggseted I should worry about delivery.

My cousin has a 11lb 2oz baby at home with no complications despite being petite herself. She went on to have a second who was only 8lbs 12oz but was a much harder birth.

What Loula said, word for word.

I'm 5'8", babies were 8lb10, 9lb3, and 11lb. The last was the easiest and most gentle of the births. I didn't even need stitches - after two 2nd degree tears with the others.

I was also told that I would have problems delivering no3, and maintained that, on the contrary, I have proven my ability to deliver big babies. And I was right

I'm convinced that the ability to birth a baby is heavily influenced by the mum's self-confidence and belief in herself.

Go for it. Base your decision not on what someone obsessed with complications and trying to KYA themselves, but on what you want for your family.

What Loula said!

I am 5ft and have had 2 9lb plus babies. with no probelms tears or stitching, but both of mine have been small framed and small heads but very long.

I know three people with 10lb+ babies and they are all around 5"5, maybe 5"6. I don't remember them being told that.

Thanks everyone - the person who told me that is a consultant obstetrician who I know socially. So if I did get pregnant again I am not sure what the opinion would be at Liverpool Womens would be.

ooooh, that is my neck of the woods! i know who would be sympathetic to you having a normal birth, consultant wise.

also, if you are near enough, ormskirk hospital is usually supportive of 'normal' birth

my other advice would be, that it is your birth, your body , your choice , and you can make an informed choice to have a VB or a c.s, but you should only make that choice based on all the information, and not just scare tactics

how old was the obs who told you this BTW?

I have a friend who is 5ft 2.

Her first (ended up with EMCS after failure to progress and other problems) weighed in at just under 10lb

Her 2nd, VBAC was well over 10lb and was extremely quick and easy

My first was 10lb 4, I went on to have a 9lb 6 DD and another 10lb 4 boy. No problems.

But I'm tall.

Hey chill out!! don't be pushed into a CS. I had a 12lb 5oz baby (vaginally) at 42 weeks with only 3 stitches. I fully intend to have 2 more children and absolutely NO CS. I just won't argue next time when they suggest inducing me at 40 weeks!!! ha ha

My growth scans were spot on, they just didn't account for a very healthy placenta which kept feeding DS2 so he kept on growing after 40 weeks whereas normally growth would tail off as placenta deteriorates. I was told to expect 10-11 lb baby.

BTW DS1 was 9lb 2oz and I am only 5'6"

I am only 5'2" and size 10 - I notice that some of the other posters are what I would describe as more average height 5'5" or taller.

My first baby (I was 32) was unexpectedly quite large 9lb 11oz. Not picked up during pg but I only had a dating scan.

I had a long labour but eventually had a ventouse delivery.

Throughout 2nd pg (I was 36) everyone from the GP, various midwives and hospital doctors said the same thing. Basically if you had a safe delivery first time round even if the new baby is a couple of pounds heavier all will be fine. They were all very reassuring. Dd2 was only 8lb 4oz. As I am short lots of people thought I had had a big baby, but compared with dd1 she wasn't!

Thanks Lulumama. The obs is middle aged. My consultant at the womens was Siobhan Quemby - do you know what her view would be?

Thanks again.

i don;t but i can find out for you

my first was 10lb4oz and my second was 10lb5oz.

My second was born with no problems at all.

and i will just reiterate:

your body and your birth and your choice

it is really important that you know that you can make an informed choice of how you give birth. there is no medical reason to indicate a c.section.

bearing in mind you have had two straightforward pregnancies and births,there would be no need for consultant led care anyway.. unless something arose

www.aims.org.uk is a good site for informing you of your rights for your birth.

Also it doesn't follow that your next one will be massive either. I have had 4 babies, weighing 8lb12oz, 8lb4oz, 10lbs and 8lb 9oz. I only had stitches with the first (following episiotomy and forceps).

Lulu is a wise woman

i'm 5ft 2.

dd1 was a teeny 6lb 15

dd2 at 39 weeks was 9lb

dd3 induced at 38 weeks was 7lb 15

dd3 was induced early due to gestional diabetes.

am 20 weeks pregnant with #4, no mention of c-section but induction has been mentioned already at 38 weeks.

I had tears with all 3, dd1 actually the worst and was being sticthed up for 45mins. the other two were just grazes really and left to heal on their own.

you have proved you can birth a bigger baby, you'll be able to do it again