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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

large baby-CS?

66 replies

sanita · 22/12/2008 23:11

If it looks like i will be having large baby, do i get automatically offered CS or docs still will be pushing to deliver it naturally? What is considered to be large baby? Any comments, ladies? Thanks

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ConnorTraceptive · 22/12/2008 23:17

TBH doctors can be pretty innacurate at guessing sizes of babies, both mine were predicted to be average weight and came in at 10Lbs and 11Lbs. Both delivered naturally. I wasn't offered a CS with ds2 despite the fact I'd had a previously large baby.

MrsMattie · 22/12/2008 23:19

Big baby doesn't automatically mean difficult birth. I know several women who have had fairly straight forward, 'easy' births and delivered 10 lb + babies.

Dragonbrandybutter · 22/12/2008 23:31

hijack: how did you get on tonight mrsmattie?

seeker · 22/12/2008 23:31

I had a 10lb6 baby after 2 hours of labour and 7 minutes pushing. I've known people with tiny babies who've had horrible labours - so long as you're not very very tiny yourself there shouldn't be a problem.

MrsMattie · 23/12/2008 00:22

Crap!@Dragon. They sent me home. Got emergency appointment at walk in centre at 8am tomorrow, though. Thanks for asking

iwantitnow · 23/12/2008 06:41

If its your first you will be likely be told to try for a natural delivery as you may be able to . However, don't let them induce you because the baby might be big, induction is not fun if your baby is not ready and will often lead to an emcs and they may have got the weight wrong. I would just go for a natural delivery.

Big also is relative to your size. I'm being monitored carefully as DD didn't enter my pelvis at all after 24 hours of induced labour, I was told her head/shoulders were too big to be delivered naturally - 99th percentile head and weight. I'm pregnant with no.2 and similar statistics at the moment. They said they would offer me another C-section if estimated weight over 9lbs again. I'm having more scans at 34 and 38 weeks. I'm 5ft, tiny feet and normally a size 8. I would love a VBAC but this baby is measuring even bigger than the last, and our relative sizes plus the position my babies seem to lie means that I'm unlikely to go into labour naturally.

stripeywoollenhat · 31/12/2008 15:53

so i was told this morning that i should expect a tough time. i'm 38+1, the baby has engaged, i'm quite small - 5'2", small frame, size 4.5 feet and i'm told that lo is pretty big. the midwife basically told me i should expect ventouse/forceps, not to even imagine not having an epidural and that possibly i would need a section. obviously, i'm quite scared now. she also told me to start getting raspberry leaf tea down me immediately.

so i was obviously too freaked out to ask the appropriate questions and now i don't know what to do about things like when i should go to the hospital - we were planning to try and leave it as long as possible but now don't know if there's any point or even if it would be safe to do so.... any advice?

Lulumama · 31/12/2008 15:56

if the baby has engaged then that is really positive, the head can fit through your pelvis

an epidural will limit your options for mobility and make the interventiosn of a ventouse/forceps more likely

your best bet is to go in with an open mind and if you need more pain relief and assitance then fine, but don;t go in fearing the worst

i had a cleint recently who was told she was going ot have big problems birthing her huge baby, and to have an epidural and be prepared for an emergecny c.s

after a quick labour with only gas & air she pushed out a 9lb + baby with no intervention

there is a margin for error in assessing baby's size and telling you your birth will be hard without giving you any practical help is not good

any upright postion or all fours will open u p the pevlis more than lying on the bed immobile from an epidural

stripeywoollenhat · 31/12/2008 16:03

lulumama - thank you. i had really been hoping not to have an epidural in order to avoid an instrumental delivery - would much prefer to work with gravity rather than against it. going to try not to panic and hope baby will hold on for a few days and let me process the idea of a more medicalised delivery

TheBlonde · 31/12/2008 16:09

your mw sounds v negative
my mom was your size but shorter more like 5ft
I was >9lb and my bro was >10lb both natural

Good luck

PillockOnTheChristmastree · 31/12/2008 16:17

I'm not very big and was tiny when carrying my first child, didn't show until 7mths and then just looked like I had a football up my jumper! I had absolutely no idea that my baby was big but went on to give birth to a rather large 9lb 3, 99th percentile boy. I did that with no ventouse or forceps and after I'd had an epidural.
Because of that I wouldn't be worrying too much about anything your mw says!
The best thing you can do is be prepared, know what you want, make sure your birthing partner knows what you want, and don't be afraid to ask them why and if what they want to do is absolutely necessary

DECKmuppetWITHBOUGHSOFHOLLY · 31/12/2008 16:18

I am size 8 and ds 1 was 9lb 1oz he was ventouse as he became distressed

ds 2 was 1/2 oz off 10lbs and he got stuck, forceps and 3rd degree tear.

dc 3 I am asking for a c-section as I have now had an officially 'large' baby over 4.5kgs ( why a 9lb baby isn't considered a large baby for a size 8, 5'2 person is beyond me) apparently they will consider it.

I was concerned with the size od ds 2 as he always measured big for dates and I had growth scans every 4 weeks from 20 weeks so it wasn't as if they didn't know...

Weegle · 31/12/2008 16:45

DS was estimated at 8lb 8oz at only 36 weeks (scan). I went 2 weeks overdue and was induced. DS was born at 42+1 weighing a whopping 12lb 12oz. He was a EMCS after a difficult labour. He never would have come through my pelvis but that wasn't so much due to his size as an undiagnosed rheumatic problem. however, I do wish someone had actually pointed out to me after that scan just HOW huge DS was proving to be and that maybe waiting till he got even bigger was not the best plan, but then hindsight is a wonderful thing and my pelvis was more of a problem than DS' size and no-one knew about that at the time. Any future baby will be a CS though.

MrsSeanBean · 31/12/2008 16:48

I had 24hr labour, epidural, drips, and eventually a CS. My ds was 10lb 14oz, I never fully dilated. I could have opted for an elective cs before labour as they knew he was large but I was encouraged to (and wanted to I suppose) try a natural birth. I was annoyed it took so long for the cs though, I was pushed to the bottom as ds heart was ok and obviously there were more presisng cases, which I can understand but you are not very understanding when epidural is wearing off and you are constantly vomiting bile and unable to keep even water down

DECKmuppetWITHBOUGHSOFHOLLY · 31/12/2008 16:54

I am really annoyed how some aythorities will let you elct for a c-section if you're carrying a large baby and some don;t. I wasn't given that option more of a 'Oh well, we'll see how it goes and if it goes okay at least we've saved ourselves some monsy of are 1 point neareer a target'. They'd rather mop up the mess later rather than [revent anything....

I am nervous about asking for a c-section after 2 difficult births a large baby that got stuck resulting in forceps in theatre and a 3rd degree tear. When will they accept my body grows babies it can't deliver!!!!!

rolereversal · 31/12/2008 16:55

I would agree they not very good at predicting weights. was warned all way through 2nd pregnancy that baby was big, and if I went over term they would do a cs. He was my smallest at 8lb 8oz.

3rd pregnancy was supposed to be average size, no special measures mentioned, even though I went 12 days over. He was 10lb 15oz and was the best birth of all 3, took about 12 hours but only had gas and air and can look back on it without crying

1st was 9lb 3oz, and a bloody horrendous birth, dont know how I managed to do it again!!!

MrsSeanBean · 31/12/2008 16:58

I was told I will be having a CS for any future births, which i wouldn't argue with. What worries me is that the remark might have been an 'off the cuff' one from the dr at the time rather than a definite fact. If they change their minds and tell me I can't have an elective CS next time I will kick up a stink and go down the phsycological route if I have to.

CarGirl · 31/12/2008 17:00

I'm 5'1" (max) with size 3 feet, although my first was only 7lb6oz my next was 10lb6oz and it was unassisted and completely fine. I was told categorically that I was not having a big baby despite looking like a huge whale.

TBH I think the only thing that matters is the size of their hides and shoulders and whether you have an unusually shaped/sized pelvis none of which they know before they deliver your first.

CoteDAzur · 31/12/2008 17:10

sanita - A newborn over 4 kgs (almost 9 pounds) is considered a large baby. This is called "macrosomia" and is a perfectly valid indication for cesarean section.

DD was diagnosed as a 4 kg baby in last ultrasound scan in the 9th month. I had a pelvis scan, and doctor fooled me into thinking that baby could pass through pelvis, so it was a-OK.

What they didn't say was that clearing the bones does not mean your flesh will not suffer. I got an episiotomy the size of which you would not believe, and the first three weeks of DD's life were sheer hell. It took me about a year to feel human again.

This time, I have a deal with obstetrician - I will do my best not to put on excessive weight, and if baby is still macrosomic, I get a c-section. (19 weeks and +3 kgs, so doing good so far )

CoteDAzur · 31/12/2008 17:12

By the way "they" can be very good at predicting newborn weight - doctor said 4 kg and DD was born 4 kg 10g.

DECKmuppetWITHBOUGHSOFHOLLY · 31/12/2008 17:14

cote - no a baby 4.5kgs or over is considered a large baby. According to my health authority as I have to go for a gtt and that is the reason given.

DECKmuppetWITHBOUGHSOFHOLLY · 31/12/2008 17:16

Mrs Sean - I tried the psychological route with ds 1 and was told that having a bad birth does not influence PND and that it isn't a reason to have a c-section. My psychologist writing a letter wasn't an influence either.

CoteDAzur · 31/12/2008 17:17

Look up the word "Macrosomia" and you will see that it applies to babies over 4 kgs.

SummatAnNowt · 31/12/2008 17:18

ds was going to be large, they estimated 10 lbs, and my doc said they don't know what a woman's body will do until she's in labour and I didn't disagree as I am all for natural births and assumed my body could do it.

As it happens ds was actually 12lb 4oz and I ended up with a c-section because they discovered after two hours of pushing that his head was tilted and there was no way he was coming down. I'd been induced at 41+3 due to signs of pre-eclampsia.

kayzr · 31/12/2008 17:26

My DS2 was 10lb 5oz and I had a natural delivery at home with my tens machine and a some gas and air. Which ran out just as I was about to push.

No one knew he would be a big baby so not sure if they are good on weights but then again my HV said its impossible to predict a babies weight by scans etc.

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