Freaking out about getting out massive babies and the pressure to lose weight

[dappymoo]

Well next week is the magical 37 week mark for me when anything is possible... although as it's my first am prepared for it to be ages yet!
However, my brain is totally freaking out and my body has suddenly gone weird- sick feeling, dodgy tum etc, not sure if the two are related due to anxiety etc...

Basically a friend had a near 11lb baby (eventually CS) last week which has set my mind racing about how the hell women push these out or cope with the size/ pain etc...I'm planning a homebirth and hate the thought of pushing for hours and hours with no progress... it must be unbearable...

Also totally paranoid about the state of mothers in my area who have recently given birth, and anyone I see with a tiny baby, I swear they are all stick thin! I wasn't thin before this (also not massive) but have put on 3 stone and have no idea how people lose it so quickly! I feel so worried about it already which is probably stupid.

You are at that uncomfy, exhausting stage of pregnancy where everything starts to pray on your mind. It's normal. You will feel better soon.

On the big babies front, don't fret. There is actually some evidence that bigger babies are easier to push out. They have gravity in their side after all! There is a home birth website with a section on birthing bigger babies which has some inspirational stories. It might be homebirth.org but I'm not 100% sure. My DD2 was 10lb 2oz and a pretty standard labour. No instruments etc.

Regarding your own weight I really doubt all the local mums are stick thin. Anyway, you may lose weight easily. I found breastfeeding was akin to having a portable liposuction machine. I put on 5 stone in my first pregnancy and lost it all, plus another stone, by the time DD1 was 8 months old. Along with the breastfeeding I walked alot pushing the pram. It was a great exercise and made me feel good too.

Good luck!

I'd say head circumfrence is FAR more important than how much baby weighs!!! My ante-natal teacher said her third and lightest baby was the hardest to birth cos of her gigantic head!!!

Dont even give the 'skinny mums' a second thought, you will be so in love with your newborn / setting into life as a Mother that you wont even care about your weight for a fair few months - you'll have much more important things to do like staring at your sleeping baby or sleeping yourself!! When bubs is 3 or 6 or 9mths old you will start to feel ready to do something about any extra weight that might still be there, dont fret about it before hand.

Maybe ask your ante-natal teacher or midwife etc for some recommendations on positive birthing experience books, something that will build up your inner confidence that your body is built to give birth and you need to believe in the process, believe in nature and believe in yourself (and gas&air / epidurals ;-). A lot of my VBAC friends have gone overboard with this type of literature as its really important to have a good mindset going into labour, positivity and confidence are your best birthing aids, best of luck xx

Thank you guys...
You're right Avocadoes, I am SO uncomfy and fed up all of a sudden, like to think I've done well up until now but it's like all of a sudden I can't take any more! And people have started the "ooh you look ready to pop" comments! I've only felt like this for two days and would be quite happy to pop already I think! (except that nothing is ready...oh to have energy to get stuff ready!)