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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Big Babies

25 replies

jojo21 · 07/07/2003 15:21

i have been told that my baby will weigh in at about 9lbs! my mum was told i would be atleast 6lbs but i was only 4'9oz! im really scared because my friend who had an 8 pounder who is the same size as me had to have an emergency caesarean! she said your height determines the size of your pelvis and at 4'11 im guessing mine is really small! boo hoo ! i really don't want a caesarean and i especially dont want an episotomy! if anyone has ever had either or both please tell me which is worse!

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wickedstepmother · 07/07/2003 15:23

No c-section or episotomy here JoJo but I'm a 5'7" mum of a 7 pounder so no rael advice. Just wanted to say best of luck !!

SoupDragon · 07/07/2003 15:26

I had a 10lb-er with an episiotmy plus tear first time round but I'm 5'7. It wasn't too painful afterwards. It was b*** uncomfortable but not painful! I never felt the actual episiotomy at all.

It's not the weight of the baby as such, it's the size of its head that causes the problems. I think height is only an indication of your pelvis size, not a guaranteed way of telling. Also, they do get the estimated weight wrong sometimes.

Northerner · 07/07/2003 15:27

I had an episotomy - not v nice. My SIL has had both and said she recovered far quicker from her caesarean than her episotomy. If I was you I would try to stop worrying about what may or may not happen. At the end of the day what will be will be and the most important thing is that baby is delivered safely, and you are looked after. Good luck!

oliveoil · 07/07/2003 15:37

My dd was 9lb 10 and I had a caesarian BUT the midwives said it was nothing to do with her or my size that I had a section (I'm 5'11".....at the time I would have had my arms removed to make sure she was ok so if I were you, I wouldn't worry, what happens will happen, enjoy your pregnancy!

Firstbump · 07/07/2003 15:49

Dear JoJo,

I gather the estimated fetal weight was by ultrasound measurements the sonographers usually will quote between 15-20% out either way. I have been quoted 8lbs 13oz a week ago and I have a week to go! I would not stress yourself most babies fit out of the holes regardless of your height. If the baby was huge the SFH measurement by your midwife would be massive too and they would make referrals if they thought this is a problem.

Bossanova · 07/07/2003 16:50

I know somebody who is a tiny size (6-8ish and short) who had a 10 pounder. Don't worry, I agree that you would have been told if they thought there was a problem.

mears · 07/07/2003 16:55

Your height does not determine whether you will have a C/S or not. If the head of the baby is engaged, there is no reason not to expect that you will be able to deliver. Don't get hung up about it. Best to see what happens in labour - when the time comes you will be despaate to see your baby whichever way it emerges

I have delivered a 10lb baby of a mum who was 4'9 and delivered a friend whose baby was 12lb 2oz. She is 5'9. Relax jojo21

alibubbles · 07/07/2003 17:05

I had a 9.8 and a 9.12 a year apart, just gas and air, no other pain relief as I would have had to go to another hospital if I wanted an epidural. No stitches, no tear. I am 5'3 and at the time o conception weighed 8st 12, wish I did now!!

My first labour was 8 hours and the seccond 4 hours, I'd heard that big babies are easier as they are stronger, little ones get stuck, don't know how much truth in that Mears?

P.S. I weigh more now than I did when I was 9 months pregnant!!

fio2 · 07/07/2003 17:15

wow alibubbles you're a natural

Original poster

jojo21 · 07/07/2003 17:21

alibubbles- your a real soldier! the kind of woman your mum told you about! but im still thinking
aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!! i just dont wanna tear or be sliced and diced!

OP posts:

SoupDragon · 07/07/2003 18:04

Jojo21, by the time (IF) it comes to episiotomy etc, you won't care and it will all be fine

SoupDragon · 07/07/2003 18:05

(it can't have been that bad since after my 10lb-er I went on to have DS2 )

judetheobscure · 07/07/2003 18:35

My episiotomy was no problem - hardly felt it happening - and although slightly uncomfortable afterwards it was the least of the discomforts (all the others centred on breasts)
I then had three tears of varying degrees with the next three deliveries. But the main "indicator" of discomfort was not the degree of tear or episiotomy - I think it was the quality of the stitching, as with my last tear (2nd degree) which gave me no discomfort at all, a postnatal midwife commented on how good the stitches were.

Agree with the comments about inaccurate size estimates - I have a friend who was told she should expect a 9-10 lber and ended up with a just under 7lber

SueW · 07/07/2003 18:48

I have heard the recommendation that you should always ask for the most experienced stitcher available to sort you out after tears or episiotomy if stitches are needed.

Yes, people must practice but don't let it be one you

percy · 07/07/2003 19:38

jojo21 - I am 5'4 ish and had a 9lb baby - admittedly he was my second, but pushing him out was the easy part of my labour to be honest and I only tore a weeny bit. My mums best friend is shorter than you and had a 10lb baby with no pain relief for her first - so don't worry - you'll be fine!

Bobsmum · 07/07/2003 19:40

My friend's a midwife. Last year while she was on duty at a hospital in York, there was a 16lb baby delivered naturally.
I'm wincing at the thought, but it's obviously possible!

alibubbles · 07/07/2003 20:24

My 9.12 was supposed to be small for dates and I was scanned every other day as he was not moving, poor little blighter didn't have room to move!

I wasn't that much of a soldier, there was no chance of any pain relief as by the time I was yelling for it my midwife told me I was ready to push! If you wanted guaranteed pain relief you had to book into Watford or Welwyn, giving birth in St Albans City was a very pleasant homely experience. I was also asked if I would like a home birth for the second, but not for me, the neigbours would have complained about the noise!

I was lucky, I had the same midwife for both births as when left the hospital I said to her I'll see you next year and when I became pregnant with DS the antenatal clinic contacted her and she phoned me and said of course I'll deliver the new one. She gave me all her roster duties, but said it didn't matter whether she was off duty as she'd still come in for me. So after my waters broke at home she met me and DH at the hospital, there was just midwife DH and me until 5 mins before DS appeared and she had to call someone else in (legal reasons I think)

My biggest fear was a cut as my sis had to go back in three months after the birth of her son and be cut open and have all the stitches and scar tissue removed as she'd had a real botch job, well it was a military hospital used to soldiers not women!
My midwife knew this and said she could count on one hand the number of episiotomies she had done in as many years.

I say trust your midwife, they know what they are doing, I never saw an SHO or consultant at all for either birth, when I was supposed to for one of my antenatal checks I'd been waiting three hours so got up and left!

manna · 07/07/2003 21:15

jo jo - I had a 10lb 3oz with just gas and air and a minor tear. the labour was 32 hrs, so I think slow is best for warming things up, as it were. the tear was fine, I certainly didn't feel it, and hardly noticed the couple of stitches. I am tall, but someone once told me the size of your pelvis is related to the size of your feet!

The two things I swear by after all that is plenty of perineum massage (yeuk, I know, but it works) and I had some pelvic realignment with a chiropractor who specialises in pregnancy, which really ensured the birth canal was as straight as possible. As you get bigger, there is a danger that the weight of the baby can put everything out of alignment as it pulls forward, and it's good to have the pelvis as straight as possible, apparently. It worked for me, anyway - good luck!

thirtysomething · 07/07/2003 22:17

jojo my 2nd baby was predicted to be enormous judging by all 3 scans and the midwife's estimations - by 34 weeks they were all predicting 9-10lbs at full term and I was very worried as I'm 5ft 1 and had difficulty getting my ds1 out (5lbs 7 oz) - even during the birth they were all tut-tutting about the size of the baby and (eventually!) out popped dd wighing in at 6lbs 14oz!!!! So they all got it wrong, although she has since gone on to be very tall and quite solid so maybe they were predicting her future growth pattern!

batgirl · 08/07/2003 01:09

Hi, I've been lurking for a while but have just plucked up the courage to subscribe in order to join in this discussion.

I've had 2 big babies (I'm about 5'3" DD was 9 1/2 lb - episiotomy & forceps - but tbh it was the bruising rather than the cut/stitches which caused me pain afterwards - and I healed very quickly.

Midwives warned me that DS (baby no.2) was going to be bigger and I was frightened and quite stressed about it. He was 10 lb and was born without stitch/tear/cut - I was kneeling and it was actually an easy birth.

For me the difference between the 2 births was huge & I would put it down, mainly, to having the confidence, second time round, to stay upright and make the midwife work round me!

Going back to the episiotomy - I would agree strongly with SueW that you should make sure that you get the best person to sew you up - my stitching is indifferent and has resulted in poo that looks as though it's been piped through an icing bag (apologies!!!).

An episiotomy is "horrible" - the indignity of stirrups! but I did heal much quicker than I would have done with a cs.

Goodluck whatever you decide to do.

bossykate · 08/07/2003 05:28

i thought the ease of delivery depended a lot more on the position of the baby and not the size?

Bron · 08/07/2003 12:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Linnet · 08/07/2003 22:41

I had an episotomy when my dd was born because of a forceps delivery. It all happened in the theatre and is all a bit hazy now. I was uncomfortable for a while afterwards, I felt I couldn't walk properly for about two weeks after the birth and sometimes the stitches felt tight but there have been no lasting problems. Also nobody gave me a predicted weight for my dd while I was pregnant, not sure if this is maybe a new thing that they do nowadays? but she weighed in at 6lbs 9oz and I'm 5'1, so she wasn't really big compared to some of the other babies mentioned here.

sharonE · 15/07/2003 17:18

I would try not to worry too much as I think it is difficult to be exact when guessing birth weights until they are out! My DS was estimated at 11.5lb and was just(!) 9lb 12 oz - I was scanned and told that the results can be 20% out either way.

With my DD, I was told during one appointment by midwife and doctor that my baby was 8lb and 10lb. (Midwife was closest!!)

2under2 · 15/07/2003 22:43

my dd was supposedly on the small side (opinion voiced by both GP and community midwife) - she was born without any problems, no tears or episiotomy, weighing 9lbs 10oz. I have a friend who was almost induced early because her son appeared so enormous on u/s - he was born at 40 weeks weighing 7lbs after a nasty labour and a horrible CS which made her unable to have more children. Really, I don't think size matters and nobody has much of a clue about it beforehand, anyway.

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