Big Baby | Mumsnet

carbmonster · 2009-09-08T14:49:40+00:00

My midwife is sending me for a scan because my tummy measures 41cm and I am 38 weeks pregnant. Plus I've put on a fair amount of weight. I do feel healthy though big and slow! Does anyone have any experience of big baby births? I am opting for a home water birth and they are concerned enough to have me scanned. Just be good to get your thoughts.

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SpawnChorus · 08/09/2009 15:52

DS was 10lb 9oz and his birth was waaaay easier than 8lb 10 DD. I think gravity + big baby can sometimes really help That said he did shoot out v fast and I did have a 2nd deg tear, but I think that could have been prevented if the 2nd stage had been better managed.

sorky · 08/09/2009 15:53

Don't worry just yet. Sometimes the way the baby is lying in utero can make you large for dates or even (in my case) small for dates. Sometimes it's they way the m/w measures, if she's different to the regular one you have.

Once scanned everything is usually fine, you're reassured and hwb is fine. Are they questioning GD?

I've had 4 (3 hwb's) and the 2 larger children were the easiest to birth.
In fact for me the little 7lb 8oz was the hardest, but she was also my first, so that could also be it.

cece · 08/09/2009 16:03

My 8lber was much harder to get out than my big boys. I've had an 11lb 4oz and 9lb 15oz, both were fine. Plus they arre great when they are out too.

hayes · 08/09/2009 16:06

I've had three big babies and the 10lb one was the much easiest birth, he really made himself be born and gave me loads of help. Good luck I'm sure all will go well.
ps he also slept through the night from 2 days old, fab baby

BerylCole · 08/09/2009 16:07

Exercise a wee bit of scepticism. I wasnt told I was having a big baby baby with my first. He was 10 lbs 2 oz. They told me no.2 was a whopper - 7lbs 2 oz.

nemo4 · 08/09/2009 20:17

My 10lb 7 DS was guessed to be 8lb, and my 8lb DD was guessed to be "big". (?!)
I actually ha sections with both of mine, but so do many people for smaller babies too.
Didn't Kirsty Allsop have an 11 lb 11 baby???

princessdaisyboo · 08/09/2009 20:48

hayes - cant believe ur baby slept from 2 days old, thats brilliant, keep putting my 10 month old still having night feed down to being a big baby!!

my dd was 8lb 2 they said she was going to be huge, dd was 10lb 3 and they never said he was big, both delivered naturally with g&a no stitches, first one was easier but i think that was because of water birth.
but both came out in a couple of pushes.
have heard many times big babies are easier to deliver and i think its true, good luck, just go with the flow and keep calm, fear makes it hurt more.

princessdaisyboo · 08/09/2009 20:48

hayes - cant believe ur baby slept from 2 days old, thats brilliant, keep putting my 10 month old still having night feed down to being a big baby!!

my dd was 8lb 2 they said she was going to be huge, dd was 10lb 3 and they never said he was big, both delivered naturally with g&a no stitches, first one was easier but i think that was because of water birth.
but both came out in a couple of pushes.
have heard many times big babies are easier to deliver and i think its true, good luck, just go with the flow and keep calm, fear makes it hurt more.

arolf · 08/09/2009 21:18

carbmonster - I had exactly the same as you - had the scan yesterday at 38+1, and estimate is 7 lb 7 oz - not huge, but not titchy either. just hope he is born soon so he doesn't grow a huge amount more!

pasturesnew · 08/09/2009 21:23

DS was 9lb 5oz and no bother coming out, I think because he was positioned well. I think the position of the baby is more important than their size, so would focus on that e.g. don't lie on your back, go swimming etc.

I was really struck when DS was born by how incredibly squishy he was, even big babies are quite small sausages really.

IME lots of friends have been freaked out by MWs commenting on baby's size and it doesn't seem to make any difference to the outcome, what will be will be.

Wishing you all the best for labour!

childrenchildreneverywhere · 10/09/2009 14:51

Guessing baby bump size before birth is a ridiulous inexact science, I'm sure your baby is a perfectly "normal" size, but even if you do have a big baby, it's perfectly possible to have a wonderfully easy natural birth, have a read of this site - particularly the page on the efficacy of growth scans: www.bigbaby.org.uk

marjean · 11/09/2009 13:18

Nobody picked up on my big (12lb120z) baby and I had a problem-free homebirth. My mws said if I'd have been in hospital and they'd have known, there would have been doctors hammering on the door. My point is, even if they suspect it is big, providing all else is well, it should have little impact on what happens next. I'd also highly recommend bigbaby.org. Good luck.

GirlsAreLOud · 11/09/2009 13:21

I second the positioning comment.

DD was just under 10 pounds and very problematic but that was because of her position (chin not to chest).

Concentrating on good positions is much better than worrying about size.

Babymakes4 · 11/09/2009 14:13

This is my specialist area (!?) having had 2 - 1 11lb 6oz and 110lb 6oz (witgh no diabetes - just a weird genetic quirk they told me!). The first time I was big for dates and kept mentioning how uncomfortable I felt and was ignored but finally had a late scan which predicted a large baby - it was accurate to the oz (even though everyone said it wouldn't be). I did full labour right up to the pushing and just couldn't push her out. I had an emergency section in the end.WIth my second I didn't want a scan and wanted a VBAC but, despite being 3.5cm dilated for 1 week, failed to start labour so had another section. She had felt much lighter to carry and I was measuring 40cm at term etc but she was back to back so probably would have seemed bigger the right way round! I read a lot about birthing big babies both times and read about lots of people who had very successful homebirths etc but I was very glad for mine and the girls' sake that we were prepared for all eventualities. Am sure your midwife will be able to give you guidance etc after your scan. And Kirstie Allsopp did have a 11lb 11oz baby (pre-Mnet she was the only other person I had heard of with a comparable sized baby!)

GirlsAreLOud · 11/09/2009 14:22

Wowsers yours were woppers babymakes4! (is the second weight a typo though?!)

Kirsty Allsop had a section with her first I think I recall. Her second was between 9 and 10 pounds I think.

I think it's genetic in DH's family, the big baby thing - no one in my family had a baby anywhere near DDs size, and I was only 6 pounds 14 so DD was almost 3 pounds bigger than me. DH's Auntie had two 10 pounders though (and she is pretty small ehrself too) so I think there is something in the genes (might account for DH being 6 ft 5 as well!)

thesecondcoming · 11/09/2009 15:51

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hayes · 11/09/2009 15:55

with my third I had a scan at 32 weeks and they guessed baby was 7lbs I was given a date for induction 2 weeks before my date and she was 9Lb 6 ..... so I guess she would have been nearer 11 by the time she came out

ShowOfHands · 11/09/2009 16:00

I had an average size baby, 7lbs and pushed for 6 hours with no baby to show for it. Lots of intervention and an em cs in the end. All down to position.

cairns · 11/09/2009 19:19

DS1 was 9lbs 8 and had an OK birth but his shoulder got stuck on the way out, although am convinced this was positioning. Was given no indication of his size.

DS2 was 10lbs 15ozs, was given growth scans but at 34wk scan they told me he was back to normal size so wasn;t given any extra monitoring, at term my tummy measured 47cm though!! Was induced but was relatively easy 3 hr labour with just G&A and small tear, no stuck shoulder either despite his size. Am convinced bigger doesn;t necessarily mean it will be more difficult. Midwife who meausred me at 47cm said she honestly thought I would have a CS. Am very glad I didn;t.

CarGirl · 11/09/2009 19:22

I was told my 10lb 6oz was small because I only measure 39cm at 42+2, my big babies were all straight forward and "easy" even though I am teeny tiny.

MummyElk · 11/09/2009 19:27

carb your post could have been me 18 months ago! exactly the same happened to me, i was sent for scan, they convinced me it was a whopper 10lb plus, i went for induction, had a horrible time...and out popped a healthy 8lb9 baby....
that said, she was my first and i wonder if she/my cervix wasn't quite ready, hence it not being a very fun induction. What I WOULD say is a hell of a lot of fluid also gushed out after which the midwife did say - hmm yes that could account for the big belly.... [thanks for telling me that NOW )!!!
So agree with everything said, plus stuff on position...
See the scan as a quick preview to seeing your babba, take everything they tell you into account and then Go Away And Think About It All. As people above have said, big babies don't have to be a nightmare (and they do sleep through quicker!!)

Original poster

carbmonster · 14/09/2009 13:55

Thank you for all these messages.
So the baby is 9lb 1.
I am not worried you know.
I am doing hypno birthing and have planned for a home birth with a water pool and have done everything to try and have a calm, stress free build up to the birth.
My first was really traumatic so I guess I am doing everything possible to avoid a bad experience.
Now I just need your thoughts on getting this bubba OUT before he goes on to be too big!

OP posts:

wishingchair · 14/09/2009 16:46

I had a 9lb 14 and nothing I did got her out any earlier, sorry Think they come out when they're ready. She was predicted to be 8lb. Glad I didn't know as think I would've panicked but instead had lovely waterbirth.

DD2 was then predicted to be massive based on size of me and DD1, but she was 8lb 11oz.