Big baby growers what advice were you given and what did you do?

[ILiveForNachos]

Hi,

First baby was 10lb 2oz (estimated
8lbs). This baby is expected to be bigger (bump size off the chart, although I know it can be wildly innacurate, extra scan booked at 36 weeks. Midwife guestimation is baby between 11-12.5lbs by the chart it would be 14lbs+ 😂!). I’m also nearly 40....

For those of you who knew you were having big babies, what advice were you given and what did you decide to do?

That’s good they’ve noticed , I know someone who had an 11.5lb baby who wasn’t predicted big. Although super painful she did it naturally and didn’t tear x

Really interesting thread - DS1 was 10lb8oz And I have extra scans this time plus a GTT (negative last time). I’ve been told they’d like baby out earlier than term if deemed to be large in which case I am seriously considering ELCS over induction.

One of mine was 11lb. All of my babies have been over the 75th centile. No GD. I have always been on consultant-lead care, because of a condition I have that has never had any effect on my ability to conceive, carry to term, or give birth. All my births have been SVD, supported by midwives, without a consultant in sight.

But for my biggest baby, the consultant (a different one to the other pregnancies) was resistant to signing me off for midwife-lead care. She deliberately tried to scare me "Your baby will have shoulder dystocia. Do you want to risk that?" She actually told me that my baby would get stuck, that I could not birth such a large baby by myself. This despite having already given birth to large, healthy babies by SVD.

Eventually the senior midwife intervened, and the consultant relented. 11lb DC was born completely naturally at 41w, supported only by my DH and one midwife. This DC was only one of mine to be born without any 'chemical' pain relief, and I barely tore at all.

I had an 11lb5 baby, at home at 42+1. That was my second ,first was a forceps after induction. She was 91st centile, 9lb14 and second was 98th so LGA. We had no idea he'd be an 11lber although I'm tallish. I had no pain relief and only a second degree teafwhich was stitched no bother on my living room floor.

This time, dc3, I've been consultabt lead but still planning a hb. Last scan at 36+6 showed a baby 'well above 95th centile'. Given my history and my consultant being very relaxed and woman lead, he's happy for my to have another hb as my pelvis is 'tried and tested'. I probably won't go to 42 weeks this time, for my own reasons, but hoping baby will arrive in the next few weeks, I'd be happy for a 10 and a half pounder this time 😂

A section hasn't even been mentioned by any mw, sonographer or consultant I've seen. It's not something I'd personally want but as far as I know you can request one and ask for a second opinion. Consultants vary so much ime, I know some at my hospital wouldn't dream of willingly agreeing to a woman having a hb, even a low risk one 🤷‍♀️ so I guess the same applies for a predicted LGA baby. Ask kk a local fb group maybe for a more laid back one 😜😂

Thanks again all.

@JellySlice and @TootyFrooty35 were they ok for you to go over your due date or did you have to argue for that? Last time mine was born at 41 weeks and I had to fight my corner to not have sweeps, be induced etc and wait and see if she came naturally.... Lots of 'increased still born rate/ more likely to need intervention' language used that was scary but I wanted as little intervention as possible so I listened to my gut and stuck to my guns.

My first was 11 pound 10 ounces I was having a c section anyway due to back issues. Growth scans had put baby at late nine pound maybe touching ten pounds. I was also diagnosed at 7 1/2 months with gestation diabetes

This time my bmi falls under the score to have regular scans and although tested I currently do not have GD. I'll probably be having a c section again due to ongoing back issues but at the moment I'm 23 weeks and in the dark about how baby is growing thus far.

Do mum's a second time round get another scan after 20 week scan does anyone know? X

My pro no intervention consultant with DC4 was happy for me to go to 42 weeks (at which point the home birth ship sailed) but very much did not want me to go beyond that due to still birth risk. The hospital policy is strict 7 days.

I asked about daily monitoring but as she truthfully said 23 hours between monitoring is just too long...

For every "I went 3 weeks over all was fine" there will be a Mum that regrets that decision - its not an exact science

The best thing about my final birth was that I just didn't care about the mythical perfect birth anymore I wanted a healthy and alive baby that didn't scream for 6 months with undiagnosed silent reflux. Suddenly a 3 day induced labour was put into perspective. Induction booked early on, I was so chilled in comparison, yeah baby will be late, yeah won't get home birth, yeah it's going to hurt but I just didn't mind as much anymore 🤷🏽‍♀️

TBH it didn't hurt that much, would have done it all again the following day!

With all of mine the consultants were happy for me to go to 41w before making any decisions about induction.

Thanks.

@onemorewish no one gets extra scans after the 20 week one unless there is deemed a medical reason. I’m having an extra one at 36 weeks but that is due to them wanting to check the size and if it’s as big as they think.....

My bump measured above the 90th centile but my son was only 8lb 8oz in the end, he’s a long baby though so that’s probably why my bump was so big. I wasn’t advised to have a CS and would have declined anyway. I ended up with a forceps delivery because he was back to back but it all healed fine and no problems since.

Thanks @ILiveForNachos because my Bmi was high in first pregnancy I had one every four weeks.

Seems weird this time not getting to see baby and check everything is ok...

Xx

DD was 9lb 7oz, tiny for this thread!

I had a GTT and growth scan right at the end of my pregnancy (already on mat leave), no one seemed to care before then. My bump was ENORMOUS but my GP didn't believe in fundal height measurements (fair enough tbh) - she did however ask if I was sure there was only one in there, and she wasn't joking.

Up until the last few weeks the only impact of her size was that they moved my due date forward 8 days at my 20 week scan even though I was convinced of my dates. Because of her size, they decided to induce me at about 41 weeks by the new dates. Before they started the induction they did another growth scan which predicted 10lbs (I'm small at 5'2") and so they said it was up to me whether to have ELCS or induction. I just wanted them to tell me what to do, I didn't mind the idea of a section, and didn't feel qualified to decide.

Went ahead with induction but never got more than 2cm - had loads of contractions but could hardly feel them. It was likely because her head (>99.6th percentile) was too big to descend far enough to put pressure on. I had an EMCS and it was a lovely, very relaxed experience. If I have another, I'm hoping for ELCS. I like the certainty!

@randommess I can identify with your feelings this time. After my first being induced I was DETERMINED second time thwt my body would be allowed to spontaneously labour and I really wanted a home birth. I got my dream but this time I'm defmore relaxed about the prospect of induction as I know my body is capable now. I feel like I had soenthing to prove to myself, I lacked confidence in my body. I don't have that now so a nudge into labour doesn't bt seem so bad. But I totally get why women don't want intervention.

I've been consultant led this time due to ds size but my consultant is very laid back. Last time i just stated that I wasn't interested in induction until 42 weeks at the earliest and that was respected. My mw was very understanding of my reasons and as it happens the recommendation then was induction at term plus 10 but dependent on how busy they were. Now it's term plus 7 but again it's about risk management so it isn't an automatic that everyone would get to go in at 40+7. As for hb post dates, they don't relly have the place to say they won't attend as they have a duty of care to you but youd probably need to either speak to a groovy laid back consultant or the supervisor or head of midwifery at your hospital. No one can say you must so this or that, it's recommendations they're re giving.

My consultant and mw have stated that, for me, it isn't the big baby OR the post dates as to why they are happy for me to go for induction anytime I want. It's the two together. I think this time my limit will be 41 weeks, a little bit because of baby's size, a bit because of post dates worries and anxiety plus I have two other kids to consider. We also don't have family support locally so need my parents to help, and they're 1.5 hr drive away. So in away, being able to plan is something that does appeal. And tbh I want my baby in my arms, ideally here at home but I'm definitely less idealistic this time.

As for extra scans they'll do them if there's a query as to baby's size so big or small. A one off scan at a late gestation is generally pointless so they like serial ones to build a picture. Mine have gone, 50th to 91st to 98th centile. I'd say the 50th one was an underestimate. I had one with my son 48 hours before he was born... 9lb5 sad the guess. He was 11lb5 😂
I've had a gtt too and also monitored my own sugars and I definitely don't have GDM. I just make big babies. I expect I also have a mahoosive juicy placenta in there too, giving baby lots of calories 😂

Do you know head size? I'd say that's really important to know too.
My ds1 measured over 90th centile on his head measurement. They actually thought he was breech as without a scan couldn't figure out the difference between head & bum. Will not go into the gory details of labour but I'd definitely say head size & not just baby size is very important. In hind sight a planned c section would have been a much better course of action.

I got forced into trying for a vbac unfortunately.

My consultant agreed that a c-section was provably best considering how large my babies abdomen was compared to her head (for the person above who claimed that if a babies head can get through then the rest of them can, that isn't true unfortunately, read about shoulder dystocia) but couldn't fit me in for an elective, they were so booked up!

Anyway, it all went very wrong and ended in a particularly complex c-section. I really wish I had insisted in a c-section date sooner!

Nah i had a 9lb 6 with just morphine. Didnt need stitches and labour took 3 hours in total from induction.

People tried to scare me into thinking all sorts and getting a c section. now expecting my next big baby and not going to change anything. Was nice being able to be back to normal straight after giving birth. even went to a chinese restaurant the next night.

My consultant wants me to be induced at 39 weeks due to baby tracking off the chart now (8.5lbs at 36 week scan, had scans every 2 weeks due to risk factors) no GD, just an enormous baby. I've no Idea what to do!!

@anothertempusername I feel you. I haven’t even had that chat yet but I know it’s coming which is why I’m trying to prepare.

I think from gathering evidence (and I’m very grateful for all the comments on here) I want them to let me go to 40 weeks and hope for spontaneous and then if baby isn’t here opt for an ELCS maybe......

The annoying thing is that measurements, even scans, are so notoriously inaccurate that you never really know. Last baby was predicted to be 8lbs and she was 10lb2. If their measurements were accurately right this one is set to be 14lb 4 but I don’t believe that for a minute!

My baby's where 8lb 3oz , 7lb 15oz and my son was 9lb I thought was classed as big?

@helsvamp most people would still count them as big too! At my hospital a macrosomic baby, or medically ‘big’ baby is one that is over over 4.5kgs (9.9lbs) though.

I wasn't given any advice with any of my 3. I expressed concern about the last one given the previous two and was just met with grins!

My 3rd was a surprise whopper (11.2) at 42+2. I had planned a home water birth, but he is v broad shouldered and had severe shoulder dystocia, which was scary at home with no pain relief. The midwife did internal manoeuvres to get him out. For my 4th I had an ELCS with no argument from midwife or consultant. He was 9.6 at 39 wks. Recovering from an ELCS was a doddle for me, in comparison to the previous birth and I was v pleased that I'd chosen that.