question about 'large babies' having seen mw today...

[happynappies]

My dd was 9lb 3oz, and I had a difficult (32 hour - ventouse, shoulder dystocia, pph) labour. I'm now 12 weeks pg with #2, and had been preparing myself for a totally different birth experience - minimal intervention, doula, OFT... but feel a bit deflated having had my booking-in appt with mw today. She said as my dd was 'a good size' and as she got stuck and I had the pph her weight was at the limits of what my body could cope with, I'll have to have extra growth scans and be under consultant care. If it turns out that the SD was 'minor' when my notes are reviewed I may be ok to be booked into the mw-led unit which is on the same site as the consultant unit. So - as second babies are likely to be bigger, am I wasting my time even thinking about a natural delivery? She mentioned that I might have to be induced early if the growth scans indicate the baby is large. I don't want to be induced, having been on syntocin drip last time which landed me with an epidural - I want to avoid this at all costs. When I've discussed my labour/birth with other MNs I've been told that I did give birth to my dd, albeit with the 'help' of the ventouse, and I should trust my body again. I'm now frightened that I won't even get the chance to try. Anyone??

happynappies are you me?!

I am in same situation with no.2 now. DS was 10lbs 2lbs and I never even went into labour despite being 40+14. I was induced/syntocin/epidural/broke waters etc...sadly all ending in emergency CS. The surgeon said DS's head was too big for my pelvis which is quite narrow (stuck right above it) so he never even engaged.

This one is on 99th centile already- i'm 29 weeks measuring 32 and breech! Have decided to opt for an elective this time around as the induction (4 days of intensive pain and no sleep)and the surgery left me so ill afterwards. I'm terrified of going through a 'failed' induced labour again as i've never been in such a physical and mental state before and it took months to get well again after. I'm dreading having another CS but given that this one has been flagged up as being the same way i see it as my best option

I'm also 5'7 and DH is 6'7. I've always maintained that he is to blame for DS' size!

WheresTheAuPair - that sounds so similar. Apparently dd's head was 'high' all along - does that sound like her head was too big for my pelvis? I did go into labour naturally on my due date, but things slowed down when a mw panicked, thought dd was breech, and I was transferred to the consultant unit where my waters were broken when I'm sure I wasn't 'ready' as it was extremely painful. All downhill from there onwards!! I found the whole experience terrifying, exhausting, and it also took me months to get over it. I've always maintained that my dh is to blame too!! Good luck with your pregnancy and the CS - really good to hear from you!

Happynappies- tis a bit freaky isn't it! have just looked at your profile and your DD was born in Nov 06 too same as my DS- how funny

I looked massive with DS- people would actually gasp in shock at me in shops even weeksn before my due date
My hospital weren't at all bothered tho about my size or by DS even though his head was 'high' all along. They said that once labour began it would push his head down (which sadly never happened) No-one ever considered the possibility that it couldn't happen!
tbh I had such bad care there that I have transferred hospitals this time around. They were so busy that I never even saw the same midwife twice and was pretty much ignored for the 1st 4 days-except to give random meds and checks to. I was treated as a nuisance in the 'induction bay' as they were so understaffed- people were actually giving birth in the corridors and in triage! I had my care started and stopped as they said at points that if labour started to happen they had no midwives or rooms available anyway!!
Hoping that an elective CS will be better in a different hospital- I can't imagine it could possibly be worse than the experience I had last time. (in the end I removed my own catheter and drip as i got so fed up of blood and wee going all over the floor!!!- no buzzers worked and even the lights in the CS bay didn't work NEVER AGAIN!! Am still amazed that they don't have more fatalities in that hospital. I had to remind them that I still had my tube in my back from the spinal (2 days later) and had not had a blood clotting injection.

Oh yes and they forgot to discharge me with any painkillers I was so relieved to be let out that I didn't even think to ask either!!

all in all- i went in healthy (had fantastic pregnancy too) and came out a physical wreck. Luckily my DS was a perfect strapping lad because I don't know how I or they would have dealt with that.

Wow reading that back I didn't realise I still feel so angry about it! nearly 2 years on and its still fresh in my mind!

xx

I'd be amazed to hear of any first time mum who could push out a 9lbs 3oz baby without problems while lying on her back with her legs in stirrups and with the added disadvantage of an epidural. I speak as someone whose had two babies over 9lbs (including my first who was 9lbs 6oz) and one that was nearly 11lbs.

My advice: eat very sensibly in this pregnancy. Cut down on refined carbohydrates, eat lots of proteins and green vegetables. Exercise. Then get an independent midwife or doula to support you in labour to stay upright and to have an ACTIVE birth. 9lbs 3oz is really not THAT big for a healthy woman of above average height, and you managed to get her out despite having everything going against you. I'm sure your pelvis is more than adequate to deliver another even larger baby - if that's what you get this time - and that you should try to think about the birth with confidence.

Good luck!

Thanks for your advice Tbb - I am exercising and eating healthily, and have made enquiries about a doula... Last time I couldn't exercise at all - I could barely move for the last two months because of SPD, which my midwife failed to recognise (this mistake has since been acknowledged following a formal complaint about my care). I know 9lb 3oz isn't that big, and know plenty of people who have had bigger babies, but the fact is the mw who I'm dealing with thinks that my body cannot give birth to a baby who is any bigger, because I had shoulder dystocia last time. The consultant will no doubt be equally cautious, so my ideas about a natural delivery and trusting my body etc may well go by the by.

wherestheaupair - I am horrified to hear about your stay in that awful hospital - it sounds truly awful! Am sure that this time around things will be VERY different. Compared to your experiences my aren't too bad - the general level of care in my hospital was good, but the fact that they didn't know I had SPD and tried to make me walk when I literally couldn't (after my legs had been in stirrups for over an hour) meant that I was in a terrible state! They 'forgot' my painkillers too - well apparently a mw came around at visiting time and asked if I was 'alright' and I'd said 'yes' which she took to mean I didn't need my mega-strength painkiller. They also discharged me without painkillers and I ended up waiting in the GP surgery for over an hour the following day, hobbling on my crutches, sobbing, while dd screamed at home with dh waiting for me to bf!! When I finally saw the GP he was pretty shocked that I couldn't move - he wanted me to lie on the bed so he could examine me but I couldn't! Anyway, I thought I was feeling much more positive about this birth - I'll keep trying, and hope that you can too. When is your baby due? Perhaps we should stay in touch?! Best of luck

ds2 11lb11oz, water birth at home half tank gas and air, full shoulder dystocia, midwife experienced and had me well rehearsed on this likelihood, resolved it on the fourth manouver, hospital consultant post birth (baby milkd janudice) said would not have had such good outcome in hospital, would have gone to forceps PDQ as skills not as abundant in hossie MW. lovely birth all round, minimal interventions.

Happynappies- i can't imagine anywhere else in a hospital where people would be so lax about painrelief and care. My DH's friend recently had his appendix out and was told to rest in his hospital bed for 4 days and had fantastic care from the nurses...AND mega painrelief for 2 months after. Only in a maternity ward are you just expected to just get on with it and look after your newborn!

I developed mastitis the week after being discharged and despite being in agony from the CS (and still no pain relief!) the doctors in my area don't do call outs except with elderly patients- so in I hobbled...and then the doctor said i had flu and said it was unlikely that I had any breast problems because I had a fever! that meant i had to go back the next day and insist on showing him my boob (which by then was red and swollen) to which he didn't know what is was- he called in a 2nd opinion and the nurse then diagnosed mastistis
I've since moved areas and thankfully the healthcare has been infinitely better.

Lol reading this back I don't know why I didn't go to the papers with my tale of woe! I guess at the time I was too unwell to even think straight.

DS2 is due 30th October but i'm going in next month to get the date of the CS booked for a few weeks before that. I'd love to stay in touch as there are so many funny co-incidences! CAT me or email at beattie.nicola at ntlworld.com

wherestheaupair - have emailed you, thanks for the address!!