What is classed as a big baby these days???

[Kimmie30]

Heyyy everyone.

Just got back from the midwife and expressed my concern after being absolutely frightened by a lady who did my 34 week growth scan at Babybond. She told me i was having a massive baby and surely i must be under consultant care!! Anyway the midwife seems totally unconcerned. She said from my bump measurements that she has been doing and from the hospitals 28 week growth scan my baby should be 9lb at 40 weeks. This i can just about cope with but the fact is i ALWAYS go overdue. So it is just going to get bigger!! This is 4th baby. DD 7lb 11ozs 41 wks. DS 9lb 12ozs 42 wks and DS 8lb 11ozs 41 wks (1st with new husband). I had severe shoulder dystocia and 3rd degree tear with DS that was 9lb 12ozs and they said it was down to his size not his position so i am really worried.
Midwife said that it is in my notes that i had previous shoulder dystocia so i shouldn't be worried but i am!!! She said there is no way she will do a sweep til i am 40+7 and the hospital will not do an induction til 41+12 at the earliest. If i do that long then i am looking at a 10lb baby!! Why will no health professional take notice of me or am i just making a mountain out of a mole hill???
I had to have counselling after DS birth as it really traumatised me and he was so poorly due to the birth. He also now has mild learning difficulties which they think might be due to lack of oxegen at birth.
Can i have some big baby birth stories pretty please? xxx

"I had to have counselling after DS birth as it really traumatised me and he was so poorly due to the birth. He also now has mild learning difficulties which they think might be due to lack of oxegen at birth"

OMG... this is awful. Im 39+ 3 weeks.

DC1 was tiddly at just 6lb, but this one, dc2, is a "whopper" and was already not far off 8lb a month ago. They retested me for diabetes she is so "Off the scale"

Despite dc1 being tiny she still got stuck and I ended up in theatre- yet they tell me not to worry about handling a "whopper". Im getting really stressed now

Sorry Im not helping at all but we are in the same boat... hopefully someone can reassure and advise us.... x

:-) yes we need reassurance xxx

DS1 was 7lb, born at 38wks and a hideous delivery. Really nasty bad as he was OP. I was told at 36wks that he was already 7.5lbs.

DS2 was 9lb6, born at 38 wks. Beautiful delivery (though I'm guessing the epidural had a lot to do with that ). He was predicted to be 9lb at 40wks.

The moral of the story? Big isn't always bad (though I'm not downplaying your past experiences). And predictions are really quite often very wrong.

Good luck ladies. Why not request an appointment with a consultant? They can always transfer you back to the community if you want?

I asked to see a consultant but the midwife said that they would only say the same as her so there was no point!! I was under consultant care with baby number 3 because of what happened with baby no 2 and i have to admit they were unconcerned then!! All tbey kept saying was that i had managed to deliver a big baby so i would be fine!! I obviously was fine and at 41 weeks he was born weighing 8lb 11ozs ( very long pushing stage though). This baby however is going to be 9lb before i even get to be overdue! Scary!!

Trying to be positive but finding it really hard :-( xxx

Big isn't always bad.

When they are over 4.5 kilos they do test their blood sugars after birth, so maybe that is the threshold for 'big'.

Two fo mine were over this at 11lb 4oz and 9lb 15oz. Both delivered fine. Hold on I will try and find a link to a good website.

Here

Hi I think over 4.5kg so 10 lbs is classed as being a big baby.

I had a growth scan at 34 weeks and baby's measurements for head, abdo and femur were all 38-39 weeks then with an estimated weight of 6lbs something plus or minus 15oz.

I was already booked in for an ELCS due to a previous traumatic birth but had I not been I would have been referred back to the consultant at that point. I would def push for this just in case, especially with the 3rd degree tear as a big baby can cause problems due to scar tissue being less stretchy iykwim. I know my hospital thought it best I not have a VD after my tear.

Incidentally my DD3 was 10lb 15.5 oz so very happy I had a section.

Hope this helps and good luck x

Refer back to consultant for discussing options not necessarily a c-section

The midwife cannot prevent you from seeing a consultant if you want to see one. Your previous 3rd degree tear means that you can request consideration for an ELCS.

However (and I can't lay my hands on where I read this) I think babies start to lose some weight if they are post-dates (or they gain weight more slowly than in the last few weeks of 'normal length' pregnancy) and like I said on your other thread, scans can be out by a pound or two :)

DD horrible birth, 8lbs 4oz, managed without forceps etc but was very close to EMCS (4 mins away to be precise!).

DS was 11 days late and weighed 11lbs 14oz, had no idea he would be that big, but the birth was relatively easy and quick. His weight helped him come out faster I think.

Please don't worry - there's no way of really knowing (Dr said on feeling my tummy a few hours before birth "oh he's not that big" - to be fair I just looked fat :o) and when it comes to babies, what will be will be, I think. You'll get through it and have your wonderful new baby :)

Thank you for your replies and thank you cece for that link :-) xxx