average head circumference at birth

[bez]

Hi

Wasjsut wondering how big a babys head has to be to be called big?!

My son's head circumference was 37 cm. I'veust been talking to someone who was saying how painful crowning was because her baby had a big head, I asked what the measurement was and she said 36 cm, although her babywas a girl and I believe a boys average head size is bigger than a girls.

According to my maternity notes the average at 40 weeks is 34cms, no difference on the graph between girls and boys though. The top line (it doesn't say which percentile this is though?) is 37cm. Ds's was 37 as well and he was a generally big baby.

DS was 37cm too, which is big IMO. He was 8lb 10oz, so on 75th for weight and 91st (I think) for head size.

I don't think there's much connection between the size of the baby's head and what labour was like. Well, obviously, a truly huge head would make a difference, but the presentation of the head, the mum's position, the support she's receiving etc would surely make a greater difference. Dd's head was 75th centile, ds's was 25th centile, and I can't say there was any objective difference giving birth. In fact, ds (who was my first birth) weighed 8lb10 and the gynae was impressed that I had managed a first birth of that size without intervention,and despite having an epidural. She didn't consider his head size relevant.

DS was 38cm. Had his head measured every day until DH met the paediatrician in person - "aha" she said

My ds1 (now 11) had a head circumference of 39cm! No one ever said it was that big nor did it seem huge either as a baby or a toddler? He was 69 cm long and 9lb 5oz. He was my first baby and 10 days overdue when my waters broke without me being in labour (head not engaged). Labour started about 24 hrs after a sweep and I was in labour for about 12 hrs. I was fully dilated after 8 but after 4 hrs in the second stage and complete exhaustion I had a low forceps delivery. DS2 and DD were smaller 8lb 12 and 9lb 2 although both were 2 weeks late and induced. ds2 was posterior and tore me in half! dd was a face presentation but the best delivery of the lot (only a little tear).

My daughter was born last July and her head circ was 32.5cm, she was 6lb5oz. Long and very slim. I had 2 grazes and a tear by my urethra that they decided didn't need stitches. My perineum was intact too. I really hope any future babies are the same because I had a lovely calm waterbirds, caught her myself, they barely even touched me during the whole labour! X

My second had a circumference of 39cm which made him over the 99.6th centile. My head is massive too though. Three pushes and he came out. Had one stitch (after much debate from the midwives over whether or not it was needed). I stung a bit. Remember having the "Ring of fire" song in my head at the time.

My first was 36cm and my second was 38cm. Both caused tearing.

DS had a head circumference of 39cm, 69cm long and weighed 10lb 5oz

Ds was only 32, it was off the bottom of the

Off the bottom of the scale, but i was in labour for 24 hours and failed ventuese and ended up with forceps .
Poor devil had a cone shape head and black eye

First one 36cm a couple of grazes

Second one 35.5cm and one graze.

Small babies are more likely to cause tears as they put their hands and fingernails in front of their faces as they come out. Large headed babies only have one way to come out. So whilst a big head might be painful, so are the tears smaller babies can cause as they come out. Labour in general tends to be painful for most women regardless of the baby's size.

DD was 37.5cm, so roughly 99th centile. DS was 39cm, again 99th centile. Both were slightly above 50th centile for length and weight. DH has a massive head, so I guess they get it from him.

Both were born by CS, for other reasons, so can't help with tearing question. And having seen the size of their heads, I think perhaps the CS's were no bad thing!