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

Original poster

"Big mams make big babies"

52 replies

captainshortie · 03/09/2018 20:40

Consultant said this to me at my first appointment with him, just wondering how true it is?

Just for a bit background... Im 5ft3, a size 22/24 and was 9lb7 born
My partner(not that i think it matters) is 6ft4, a xxl (doesnt look it) and was 10lb born.

Anyone had experience of this?

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BuggertheTabloids · 03/09/2018 21:30

Nope, don't buy that one. My BMI was 19 pre pregnancy, didn't gain excess weight in pregnancy and still had a 9lb baby. In the words of the current consultant, "no wonder that was tricky"!

DieAntword · 03/09/2018 21:31

BMI over 40 both pregnancies. Husband in 35-40 BMI range.

Baby 1 (also tried to control weight that time and was same weight day before giving birth as prepregnancy): 7lbs 12

Baby 2 (gained some weight but was back to prepregnancy weight after the birth): 9lbs 8

HopeGarden · 03/09/2018 21:31

It may be a general trend but it’s not a given.

My BMI was high in my pregnancies but I ate carefully and didn’t put on much weight.
All babies were small for their gestational age - although no one told me that DC1 & 2 had been considered small until I was pregnant with DC3 and asked why the consultant why I’d been put down as consultant led rather than midwife led. DC3 had his growth monitored frequently for the last trimester and ended up being induced because they were worried about his weight being too low.

SeptemberSun · 03/09/2018 21:34

I'm 5'2" and small framed and my Ds2 was 10lb 1oz.
No gestational diabetes or anything. My partner is 5'9" and as far as I know we were not born big. Ds2 was just simply a big baby.
IME it doesn't matter how big or small you are that will determine how big your baby will be.

HairyAntoinette · 03/09/2018 21:39

Interesting concept re: "baby fits the pelvis". I've always joked about my child-bearing hips... Alas a total body scan (idxa?) Revealed this was sadly not the case. BMI over 40 - largest baby was 7lbs. No weight gain during pregnancy. Medical staff desperate to test me for GD and palpable disappointment at negative results. 😁

Jowak1 · 03/09/2018 21:45

I was a size 12 and 14 before my first and second pregnancies respectively and my first child weighed 9lbs and my second child 10lb 5 ounces! I was checked fir diabetes and didn't have it. I was average size when born at 7lb 7 ounces and my husband was a tiny 4lb- not sure why I had such big babies

Hannahlouise4026 · 03/09/2018 22:24

First pregnancy I put on 4 stone making me over 15 stone at birth - baby was 7lb5oz at 40+5. Second baby put on minimal weigh - baby was 7lb2oz at 39+4 so not big

JustChooseSomeCrisps · 03/09/2018 22:29

People can give their weights and baby weights all they like but they are missing the point entirely.

Bigger women are more likely to make bigger babies because they are more likely to develop gestational diabetes. Whether that gets diagnosed or not is another matter.

There will be tiny women who make big babies, big women who make small babies and big women who make big babies and appear not to have had GD but that is by the by when there is a clear and proven link between overweight mothers and GD. Or big babies and GD.
Therein lies the link...

Floralnomad · 03/09/2018 22:29

I was size 8/10 , 5’7” and extremely fit when I was pregnant with my first , and dh was a thin 6’3” , baby was 10lb 4oz , so unless it’s based purely on parental height it wasn’t correct in our case .

SoleBizzz · 03/09/2018 22:30

I am 5'9" and weighed about 17 stone. My baby was 25 weeks and 1lb 11oz. Yep huge!

strawberryalarmclock · 03/09/2018 22:35

I'm 8 & 1/2 stone, my ds was 9lbs and such a huge chunky baby that the midwife was amazes I'd produced him!
I apparently also had a big but healthy placenta (others were called into to admire itGrin)

damekindness · 03/09/2018 22:37

5'5" and a scrawny size 10...last baby weighed over 11ibs. My dad was 13lb at birth so I'm guessing genetics was the driver for me.

WaitroseCoffeeCostaCup · 03/09/2018 23:01

It seems to be linked to the size of the dad. Have seen loads of petite women with tall partners having enormous babies.

I think there's something in that actually. I'm very small and Husband 6'3 and broad and we've had super size babies! No one understood how that much baby fitted in Grin

NCPuffin · 03/09/2018 23:06

I'm pretty sure I read an academic paper that said mother's with a high BMI have bigger babies, and I don't think it's necessarily due to GD. My BMI is currently approaching 40 and my baby is said to be big, but I don't have GD. I also think the growth scans are quite inaccurate!

ty1996 · 04/09/2018 10:49

I had a large BMI when I had my first child and she was only 6lb 12 .. so I don't believe this to be true at all x

PhilomenaButterfly · 04/09/2018 10:52

I'm 5'2", DS2 was 9lb 2oz. Hmm The community MW had read my notes, arrived at our house and said "You're tiny!" Yes. I got friction burns.

PhilomenaButterfly · 04/09/2018 10:52

Sorry, *9lb 12oz.

IamMoana · 04/09/2018 10:58

I gained over 5 stone, am around 5.5. Didn't develop G.D. My daughter was just under 8lb born. I didn't step on a set of scales the entire pregnancy, looking back now I wish I had. Big mam but no big baby for me.

eeanne · 04/09/2018 10:58

I'm 5ft10 size 14/16, DH 6ft2, both our babies were born 6lb8oz. Smallest in the nursery each time! But within 6 months they were 90th percentile in height and 50-60th in weight. They became big but they didn't come out that way.

Cort9 · 04/09/2018 10:59

Hi sorry to post under this as it hasn’t got anything to do with this post I’m new on this but I was wondering if I could get some help I recently had a baby 2 months ago and I just had sex for the first time last night without protection I have had my normal period maybe just over a week ago am I at risk of getting pregnant again? I’m worried thanks

Tetri · 04/09/2018 11:02

I was 8 stone pre-pregnancy (5ft5), put on 2 stone and had a 9lbs9oz baby

Fatted · 04/09/2018 11:06

I was overweight in both pregnancies and had large babies. I'm only 5'2. Eldest was 9lbs and youngest was 8.5lbs at born 38 weeks. Both boys are very tall and slim now they're older. Neither of them are overweight and they have a sensible approach to food.

My sister is also short and underweight. Her son was also about 8.5lbs and now he's older is also very tall and slim for his age.

Maybe big babies just run in our family. Who knows?!

BurritoSquad · 04/09/2018 11:58

I don't think it's that true . I was born weighing 5lb4 and a size 10 at the beginning of my pregnancy with ds1 and he was born weighing 10lb12 at 41 weeks . Ds2 I was a 14/16 at the beginning of pregnancy and he was only 9lb10 .
Both of my girls where I was a size 8 at the beginning of the pregnancy weighed 8lb5 at 41 weeks and 8lb9 at 37 weeks so I think it just really differs !

HopeGarden · 04/09/2018 12:13

Cort9 you’ll probably get more responses to your question if you start your own thread. People tend to respond most to the original post that’s started the thread.
If you’re looking at one of the talk forums like the pregnancy one for example, www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy you should be able to see an “add thread” option at the bottom.

I don’t know how likely it is that you’re at risk of getting pregnant again I’m afraid.

WaxOnFeckOff · 04/09/2018 12:20

Cort you are very fertile after you give birth. I have two 13 months apart and was also breastfeeding when I got pregnant the 2nd time.

I'm almost 5'10, was a size 10 when I got pregnant first time and DS was 9lb 13. I was tested for gd and it was negative. I had a massive bump though. I was a 12ish when pregnant with DS2 and he was only 8'3. DSS are 18 and 17 and are 6'3 and 6'2.5. DS2 has a bigger frame but both are slim to skinny.