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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

33 weeks big baby, bring section forward?

48 replies

layla888 · 27/05/2015 12:29

Ive just totally had enough now I'm 33 weeks with a one & four year old boys to juggle. Midwife last week said the baby was measuring 3 weeks bigger so 36 weeks. I have never been this big I'm just fucking massive all over im bigger now than I was at full term with both my other boys. Just finding everything so difficult now like house work etc I'm exhausted from running around with the kids also. Suffering from awful pain on my pelvis that the midwife just shrugged off. I'm due to go in for an csection at 39 weeks, does anyone know if they would bring it forward if the baby is measuring big? Been cleared of diabetes too.

OP posts:

Racheyg · 27/05/2015 15:43

Hi op, totally feel for you. I've completely ballooned this pregnancy (all bump) can't sleep and find it difficult to waddle :)

I have been measuring 4 weeks ahead since 28 weeks a growth scans every 4 weeks. I'm booked for my csection tomorrow at 39+5, the consultant didn't want to move it earlier.

I hope things get better and help is on had. Wishing you well for your pregnancy xx

Original poster

layla888 · 27/05/2015 17:29

Thanks Rach you too x

OP posts:

BatteryPoweredHen · 27/05/2015 18:08

There is a substantial body of evidence that links early term birth (so after 37 weeks) to poorer outcomes in later life, especially IQ and academic achievement.

Unless there is a really, really good reason, I would try to hang on as long as you can.

BatteryPoweredHen · 27/05/2015 18:10

...annoyingly, I can;t seem to find the link to the study I read. Typical

BatteryPoweredHen · 27/05/2015 18:14

Aha - Found it!

AbbeyRoadCrossing · 27/05/2015 18:15

I couldn't find my links either BatteryPoweredHen which is annoying. The latest I read was that the NHS were considering calling weeks 37-38 early term to make this distinction clear, and 39-41 full term, 42+ overdue
It seems to be a common misunderstanding that early is better, I had DS at just turned 36 weeks and I get a 'lucky you' type comment almost every time it comes up in conversation

madwomanbackintheattic · 27/05/2015 18:22

Scans are notoriously unreliable at predicting size. I would ignore.
I ended up having to have a section because they said she was giant and I would be unable to birth naturally. She was 8lb 6oz. Pathetic. I ignored the scans after that and vbac bigger babies. She was nowhere near the up to 10lb 13oz they were telling me. There is no clinical reason to bring a section forward because of size alone - they give women sections on the basis of having big babies, so you have that covered!

My friend whose baby was that size carried to term and vb.

Is the reason why you are having a section tied up with your desire to get it over with? Ie is there anything else at play here other than being fed up of being a whale? Subconscious fear?

They definitely won't move the date because of predicted size alone. Sorry.

saturnvista · 27/05/2015 18:25

AbbeyRoadCrossing
I think you are wrong to imply that the issues that your child is facing are down to being 6 days pre-term. Many, many babies are born at this stage with no issue whatsoever.

saturnvista · 27/05/2015 18:27

BatteryPoweredHen
Tell that to my younger brother who was born two months early in early 1980s when medical technology was much less advanced. He went to Cambridge.

AbbeyRoadCrossing · 27/05/2015 18:31

saturn yes many have no problems, but some don't even survive. My son might well go to Cambridge (if he wants) who knows. The studies are based on hundreds of thousands of children though rather than one. My friend's 28 weeker is top of his class but give her the choice between 28 weeks and 39 I know for sure what she'd choose.
Why risk it if there is no medical reason to do so?

BatteryPoweredHen · 27/05/2015 18:48

This is a longitudinal study, published in the BMJ of not far off 20,000 infants, yet you still find the individual case of your brother more convincing 'evidence'?

The plural of anecdote is not data.

saturnvista · 27/05/2015 20:22

I had a medical condition that made an early c-section a possibility - in the end it was 38+6. If we'd gone private, it would have happened. In all the research I've done since on women with this condition and the many babies who have had to be delivered a little early, I've never come across anyone who looks at their child and regrets it. Yes it's anecdotal. I'm also aware that there have also been medical experts recently who have come out and said that the womb is not always the safest place to be when the baby is very close to full-term.

saturnvista · 27/05/2015 20:24

happened earlier

GratefulHead · 27/05/2015 20:24

Many babies will be born early and have no problems, however studies of thousands of babies born early show them to be much more at risk of serious illness, long term health problems or death.

So maybe the bulk of these babies will be fine....and some will go to Cambridge.
Some will get infections but recover and be fine
Some will get infections and have long term health issues.
Some will have bleeds to the brain and have ongoing health and development issues.
Some will die.

The chances of the more worrying issues are higher the earlier a baby is born.
This is why steroids are given if a woman is in early/prem labour...to help mature the baby's lungs

It's why the babies are admitted to the special care baby unit...which is highly specialised.
It's why babies are.only delivered electively if the life of the mother or baby are at risk if the baby is not delivered.

But this all takes things away from the OP.

As an ex MW I can say categorically I would not have brushed off her pelvic pain.....it sounds like agony and she sounds in need of a physio assessment.

saturnvista · 27/05/2015 20:25

happened earlier

GratefulHead · 27/05/2015 20:27

You are right saturn, it isn't always the safest place to be close to term....but that's why we have antenatal care. This is designed to pick up the babies who would be better off in the cot rather than the womb.
38+6 is great...virtually full term...the closer you are to full term, the less likey the baby is to have issues. It CAN happen but is much less likely

GratefulHead · 27/05/2015 20:30

Anyway.....back to you OP. Hope all works out for you, pelvic pain is horrible...bitter experience of it here. Thank god I will have no more children,

AbbeyRoadCrossing · 27/05/2015 20:34

Agree the OP needs to see the consultant or another professional to get assessed. If it's so bad they need to deliver earlier then that would be a medical reason. They won't do it at 33 weeks though unless there's a danger to life. I know pain must be awful, and hopefully they can help the OP manage it, but a section that early isn't the best solution.
My comments were in reference to the original post that a 33 weeker than measures big actually being a 36 weeker (size wise maybe, developmentally no) and why gestation is important not just size.

Halleberry · 27/05/2015 21:32

So is it of the opinion that had I waited 5 more days my baby girl could have been anymore perfectly healthy than she already is??

Iammad · 27/05/2015 22:20

My youngest was born at 38 weeks exactly due to high BP and having serious problems with my iron.
I was measuring sometimes up to 6 weeks bigger.
He was born at 7lb1, he was absolutely healthy but did have pre longed jaundice.
Imo I would keep baby safely In side as close to due date was possible.

GratefulHead · 27/05/2015 22:42

Absolutely not Halle, some babies will do well even if they are born slightly or even "very" early. My friend has a DS born at 24 weeks who is now 8 and you wouldn't know he'd been that early....but his twin sister died within a week. Fact is most babies born at that gestation will die or have long term health and development issues.

To be clear, we are talking of babies born extra early....pre 37 weeks. Many will be fine,...and more likely to be fine the closer to that 37 week period they are, some won't be okay, they will have problems with breathing and may need intensive support which may or may not lead to longer term problems and some will die. The earlier a baby is born the higher the risk of a poor outcome that's all. This is why consultants will not deliver babies early on request just because the Mum has "had enough", they deliver enough early babies to save the life of either Mum or baby and they know the risks.

If a consultant delivered a baby early on request and that baby died or was left with long term health issues as a result the Mum could rightly sue the doctor for not warning her of the risks. Even if a?are of the risks another way has to be found to make the pregnancy more comfortable rather than take the risk of delivering a baby early.

Statistics are now kept on babies who die within a year of birth, I haven't looked at them for a while but prematurity was a big contributing factor last time I looked at them.

Halleberry · 27/05/2015 22:56

I won't be looking at those stats I had my baby girl at 38+2 on advice from my psychiatrist to the specialist because of the severity of my declining mental health (I was very very ill
Mentally during my pregnancy) and at my last app with the pre natal psych specialist it was advised that for my own sanity I had my baby as quickly as safely possible. They did suggest waiting until 39 weeks but I was so desperate they compromised. I actually made a thread on here after my section was booked asking if Id made the right choice and for advice on babies born at 38 weeks and I had a massive response - not one story of anything bad happening to any of the women who had their babies at 38 weeks xx

GratefulHead · 28/05/2015 00:16

That's brilliant Halle, yes sometimes babies have to be delivered early. I know they have revised things to 38+ weeks or so now. When I was a midwife we considered every baby over 37 weeks as "term"

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