Big Baby Fears

[Waggamamma]

I'm 39+5wks. Routine mw appointment today on measuring my bump conversation went like this:

Midwife: what weight was your first baby?
Me:9lb 1oz
Midwife: Oh dear I'm sorry about that.
Me: why? do you think this one will be bigger?
Midwife: well there's certainly a whole lot of baby in there.

Aaaah now I have a total fear of birthing a massive baby, a difficult labour and horrific recovery (I was anxious anyway).

Anyone have any reassuring stories, expierence or advice?

I don't think labour is imminent I've had no signs of anything happening and ds was 12 days overdue.

Ah Wagga, try not to stress or worry.
The MW must've forgot to bring her tact to work today.

I started with a 9.12 baby and he was difficult and hard work to push out, my second 10.7 was much easier. I'm not joking/lying I honestly didn't push him until he was almost out, he was born with bloodshot eyes and a few burst blood vessels because of his quickness - the path to his freedom had already been made, so to speak, so it was much easier stretchier :)
10.15 ds3 was an induction so he wasn't quite ready to vacate but he wasn't too bad to push out.

Try to stay calm and not think about the size, the baby has to come to come out and we have zero control over how small/large they will grow.
I know that's probably not helpful and easy for me to say

My babies keep getting bigger, I'm on baby no.5 and really hoping for a smaller baby. 1st baby 9lb 5oz (2wks early) no.2 was 8lb 5oz (40wks) no.3 9lb 12 (40wks) no.5 10lb 6oz, (40wks) And that birth hurt! I was told she'd be a big one, that pregnancy was dreadful I suffered chronic SPD. But the birth went well, coped with just Gas n Air, routine episiotomy due to previous scarring. The pregnancy was the worst part. You will be perfectly fine Hun.

Thank you both, that's very reassuring to read. I'm definitely more prepared for labour this time so hopefully that will help. Ds was helped out with ventouse, I'd like to avoid that again if possible but it wasn't an awful labour just very long, I was tired and ds distressed.

Measuring can be VERY inaccurate and cause a lot of anxiety.

I posted from the opposite (a MW made me go for growth scans and speak to my consultant as my baby 'hadn't grown since 31 weeks' at 37) turned out to be a complete false alarm. Baby measures average, waters fine. Phew.

Since then every HCP has said that you really can't tell to more than 'a lb and a half either way' accuracy ... i.e. a big gap for error.

Agh I've been waiting for a thread like this! I'm 25 weeks and I've got diabetes again this time. at a growth scan on Monday they said he's 1lb15oz, his head is on 63rd centile, femur on 66th and tummy on 93rd!!! Jeeez! I'm terrified he's going to be a monster. DS1 was 2lb11oz, DS2 was 6lb6... I like little babies!!

Huge margin of error. I was told 9.13 and could be a pound heavier and they made me have elective cs as a result. She was 8.6.

Bigger babies can be easier to birth, tbh. I only know one mum who had issues (shoulder dystocia) with a big baby (10.13) but dd2 had sd at dead on 9lbs too, so it isn't just big babies.

Have fun!

I had a 10lb baby after a 2.5hr labour: she shot out!
Big does not mean difficult to birth, if they have a good lie and you have an 'adequate pelvis', as the midwives say. My first was almost 9lb and I had no problems with the size of that one, either. I am tall, but I do not look as if I could birth a hippo.
Good luck.

Thing is I'm measuring bang on 39wks and haven't had a growth scan, she just said it feels 'all baby' in there . I do have a large bump and baby has definitely had a growth spurt in last two weeks. I'm just going to try not to worry too much about it but the mw really lacked tact. It's the first time I've seen her.

If your first was late then that would account for a lot of the size (half a pound per week in the latter stages iirc)

My first was 9 13 and ended up a section, but that was to do with him being back to back really.

My 2nd was 8lb 3 and bump was the same.

My midwife with the first said that it was a fair sized baby, I asked how big and she said "oh about 8lbs" when I saw her afterwards and said she was a bit out, she said that she knew he was much bigger (she was nearing retirement) but took one look at my face and lowered the estimate :o

I got told my dd was going to be 9lb-10lb when I was induced. She was 6lb 13oz! Very inaccurate when measuring weight! And I was all baby (thanks to constant vomitting there was no "padding" around my bump").

Mine is measuring a few weeks bigger but my ds was 6lb 11.5oz so i'm not that worried. They reckon something more like upper end of 7lb... tbh it probably fucking hurts whatever size they are!

I wouldn't worry. I agree that big babies can be easier to birth.
Like you my first (boy) was 9lbs 1oz. I was 15 days over and was "scared" into having a section that I didn't want because consultant was worried about shoulder dystocia. I really regret having a section at 10cm. (laboured fast before planned section and wouldn't push out of fear :-( )
Had second baby (girl) naturally VBAC 8lbs 2oz at 41weeks
Then had twins.
But my last delivery was also a VBAC and baby (girl) was 9lbs 9oz.
They had no idea she was going to be "big" but laboured fairly fast 3 hours and pushed out no probs. waters broke as she came out (under high pressure v dramatic!)

Very hard to guess the weight - they even thought my twins would be 8lbs each but they were only 7lbs each in the end.

Big baby doesn't always mean horrific birth - a friend of mine had a 10lb baby last week in a birthing unit, no pain relief, not even had and air and no stitches or problems with delivery.
Definately a positive story!