Induction for big baby?

[TalkingIntoTheEther]

Hi,

I'm looking for experiences of women who were told they were likely having a big baby. I had a growth scan at 36+3 (ironically because my bumb was measuring small) yesterday and was told estimated fetal weight is 8lb7/3.8kg which seems to be 97th centile. Dr is suggesting induction at 39-40 weeks. If you were measuring big before the birth -

1. at what gestation did you give birth?
2. was it spontaneous or induced/CS?
3. how much did your baby weigh when he/she was born?

I didn't have any growth scans with DC1 who came spontaneously at 40+6 weighing 8lb4, which is big but not huge, and am feeling a bit frazzled by it all right now. Due to see my midwife in 2 weeks to discuss so trying to pass the time by reading others' anecdotes

TIA!

Hi @TalkingIntoTheEther I'm currently 36 weeks with second DS. First one was 9,13 and they decided to induce me at 41 weeks as thought he was measuring big (by sight, not scan....ordinarily would have been 42 weeks induction apparently!) Had a pretty terrible birth with episiotomy/forceps/haemorrhage....so this time I've seen consultant and requested a growth scan as I'm panicking but he explained that growth scans are only 15-20% accurate and more useful in spotting smaller babies rather than large. He also said that even if baby was measuring larger that he wouldn't suggest induction purely for that reason as a big baby isn't reason to induce. He did say if I wanted a CS he'd be happy to book me in for one to stop me worrying but I really want to avoid that if poss!
I also know quite a few friends who've measured large on growth scan but then ended up being totally 'normal' size 7/8lbs.
Anyway long story short I'm just hanging on in there and letting nature do its thing and hoping for the best.....surely it's got to be easier second time!!😳😳😳 Good luck to you too xx

I had induction at 39 weeks with my first because she was supposedly measuring towards 11 pound. She weighed 7 pound 11 at birth. Born by forceps as I had epidural a couple of days into labour when I just couldn't take it anymore. Then I couldn't feel to push. It was a whole ordeal and I swore I'd never get induced again.

This is interesting if you are up for acres of research, especially the bit about 'suspected big babies'. Basically there was a study that showed that care providers thinking the baby is big resulted in a lot more complications for mother (mostly from more interventions) regardless of actual size or compared to big, but unsuspected, babies.
evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-for-induction-or-c-section-for-big-baby/

Im a bit confused by the NICE guidelines which say "induction shouldn't be suggested for suspected Large for Gestinal Age babies", but is it considered 'suspected' if they are estimating based on ultrasound measurements? I know the measurements are notoriously innacurate, but just wondered if it was considered 'confirmed' for diagnostic purposes....

This is a question I will ask the midwife by the way, unfortunately I'm not seeing her for 2 weeks though.

I had forceps with DC1 pony and the recovery was tough, would really like to avoid this time if possible.

oh thanks brightbird, will have a read through in a bit. I read a Cochrane systematic review about induction outcomes that was helpful but pretty limited in scope (well, in relation to my own questions).

I had three growth scans with first baby in weeks 35-40 which showed him to be 8lb, 9 lb something and final one 10lb 10. I have diet controlled diabetes so I panicked thinking I hadn’t controlled it well. After a three day induction, ventouse and EMCS he was born at 7lb 12oz. Second baby I declined all scans although my bump was HUGE- 8lb 5oz at 42 weeks. Am currently 37 weeks with third and bump is measuring big again. Had a scan today which put him between 90th-95th percentile but honestly just will not believe it until I see it! Scans have a margin of error ( I think 10-20% each way) and the later on in pregnancy the more inaccurate. And finally- if you do fall in to the margin of error, then I remember the stats being overwhelmingly in favour of OVER estimating rather than under. I wait with great anticipation about this one and his weight......

I measured very big throughout my pregnancy and they had said they wanted to induce me early. They then faffed about and delayed booking it, I was eventually brought in for induction nearly 2 weeks late, ended up having an EMCS and giving birth to my 11lb chunker. For a bit of perspective, my growth scan was spot on, he was as massive as they said, however I also have a friend that was predicted a 10lb baby and he was 7lbs. I also have a friend that gave birth to a 10.6lb naturally with no problems.
I'm currently 26weeks pregnant and having a planned CS, as I can already tell this is another monster baby and my induction did not go to plan, however don't feel pressured into anything just because you're predicted a big one, it might be completely wrong, and if it's right you can still do it naturally with no problems x

People seem to be endlessly told their babies will be big when they turn out to be average sized. Under 9lb 9oz doesnt count as a big baby requiring intervention and when I had a growth scan with dc1 I was told that with no other factors they wouldn't induce early for a baby measuring under 10lb.

DC1 was 9lb 2 but at nearly 42 weeks - she was a section birth but not due to size - I just didn't dilate despite waters going naturally and attempted induction 24 hours after waters went failed.

Dc2 was estimated 8lb 7 at 35 weeks (scan) and was a planned caesarean at 38 weeks because of the circumstances of dc1s birth plus his size... Except that he was only 8lb 7oz at birth - he should have been 10lb by then according to the obstetrician!

I was induced at 40wks with DC4. Previous babies had been 8lb11, 8lb15 and 9lb10, all born around 42wks. I thought he would be around 10.5lb at 42wks.

I measured 2wks ahead on fundal height all through, and routine growth scan at 37wks predicted to be nearly 9lb. I was offered induction because I was likely to go to 42wks again by which point he was predicted to be over 11.5lb.

DH and I accepted induction for a number of reasons, my age (40), the medication I was on, and likelihood of being induced 2 weeks later anyway. Size wasnt really a worry as I've birthed big babies before.

The birth was fine, he was only 9lb5, so even at 42wks would likely have only been 10lb5ish. He did have positional talipes where he was so long and squashed inside me.

I had a TINY bump for DD1 (couldn't tell I was pregnant) and was sent for scan at 36 weeks. The scan measured her as very very large, and I was told she'd be over 10lb at 40 weeks, and encouraged to have an induction.

I declined because I decided I'd rather a fully cooked baby who's labour stalled because she was too big for me, resulting in a section, than an undercooked baby but a VD. She came at 40+2, very easy labour, no pain relief needed, not even a graze for me, discharged in 6 hours, weighing 7lb 14.

She's always been long, though (Dad is 6'5) and I reckon this threw off the measurements. Realistically though, it's the head circumference that matters most!

DS was born at 40+12 (was induced at 40+10) he was 10lbs 12. I'd suffered badly with SPD in both pregnancies so I put a case into the health board to be induced on my due date when DD was born. It was allowed. She was born at 40+4 and I'm glad I had her induced. She was 8lbs 14.

No one suspected I was having a big baby and both were vaginal deliveries.
First baby Labour was 7 hours, second was 3 hours!

I was estimated at 7lb 5 last week at 36 +4. Booked in to have another scan at 38 +4 at my request because the consultant wanted to book me in for induction at 39 weeks. I would prefer to make extra sure the baby is still huge and didn’t have a bit of a growth spurt just before the last scan!

I asked for another scan in 2 weeks too cat for the same reason and the Dr said no, said that if there's a reduction in growth that would indicate a need to induce because of poor growth! But then she also said it was about managing resources so it didn't really convince me there was no benefit.

Sorry I didn’t read the full thread before I responded and saw you mentioned that after. I get the impression that they are willing to do the second scan more for my peace of mind than theirs as I wasn’t willing to be induced early without it. It is also maybe a difference in area and policy too! Feels like such a difficult decision to make as I know there’s room for error with the scans but would rather be induced and not need further intervention than wait for a natural labour to only end up needing an emergency CS.

Scans late in pregnancy seem to be notoriously unreliable.

I was told to prepare for a 10lb:er after my 36 week scan yet my "natural birth" consultant was reluctant to induce (not the best decision because of pre eclampsia) and when she arrived 6 weeks later she was 8lb 6. Another friend was induced early because the baby was deemed tiny and would be less than 4 lbs - but after a rapid labour he arrived at 8lbs 2.

I don't know what it is in the water here but I know 3 women from my village who have given birth to absolutely huge babies: 11lbs 4oz, 12lb 13oz and 13lbs 7oz. All delivered vaginally!

13lb 7oz the horror!

I had a big baby but I think the doctors let me go too long. I knew exactly the date I had conceived as we were "not careful enough" on that particular date. On that basis, I calculated that I was due on 01 April but was induced despite having gone into spontaneous labour on 25th April. When my midwife suspected baby was big, she asked me my shoe size (5). Apparently there is some correlation between your foot size and how tall you are (I'm 5ft 9 so relatively small feet for my height) and the size of your pelvic opening. I ended up delivering by emergency c section after a 24 hour labour as she wouldn't even engage in to the pelvis after 24 hours. She was 11lbs at birth. However, if they had used my dates I would have been induced earlier and had a smaller baby (probably about 9.5lbs which is still big but more manageable!). Ask your midwife about the foot size/height thing and see what she says? My midwife said that she wished with hindsight that she had just booked me for elective c section as she knew I'd have trouble in that basis alone. Don't put too much faith in growth scans etc, it all works itself out in the end and you'll have a beautiful baby!

I was measuring big before birth - about the same as yours I guess. Nobody suggested needing an induction early. However, I went overdue. The day before my eventual induction was booked, at 41+5 I went into labour spontaneously. My baby boy was 9lbs10 and I laboured with no pain relief at all but then just couldn't push his head out so ended up having an episiotomy and ventouse to help him out. I would prefer not to repeat that experience... But I would still wait rather than get induced early. If his head wasn't so massive it would have been absolutely fine! I'm.pregnant again and will be asking them to tell me the head circumference rather than the weight. My boy's head circumference was estimated to be 98th percentile, and when he was born his head was the size of an average one month old, so no wonder I found him tricky to push out!

I don't think we'd discussed induction just because of size but also because of SPD and my worsening anxiety. I'm worried as well because I'm only 5ft tall with a low bump so it just feels like he/she's massive, both the midwife and growth scans seem to agree!

I had a suspected big baby. Induced at 40 weeks. It took four days for the induction to work and ended with a forceps delivery of a 10lb 2oz baby so none of it sounds ideal but honestly it was fine. I quite enjoyed the three days that nothing was happening as I didn’t feel obliged to do anything or speak to anyone! I just read books, went for walks round the grounds, watched tv, napped. Once things got going, labour was just over 24 hours which isn’t unusual for a first baby.

The NICE guidelines are what they are but ultimately the aim is to prevent shoulder dystocia which is more likely with a larger baby. This can be very serious, it can also be very quickly resolved with no ill effects. You might be better off reading up on the risk of this happening and assessing how you feel about that. Ultimately this is what led me to accept due date induction.

Remember as well you don’t need any guidelines or evidence to refuse an intervention, it’s totally up to you!

Hmm, I was never told anything regarding the expected size of baby. They let me go to 42 weeks and baby was 9lbs 9oz.

Both my DC measured huge (98 centile plus) all the way though pregnancy, they kept sending me for tests because they were convinced I had diabetes ( I didn't).

Drs said no medical reason to induce early, they would only do so if it was a tiny woman and they were worried she could not physically deliver a big baby.

DS1 arrived around his due date - 10lb, ventouse delivery but no issues.
DS2 induced 5 weeks early (medical issue unrelated to size!) - 8lb (dr reckoned he'd have been 10-11lb if went to term!

I was induced early (38+2) with my 2nd because he was measuring way bigger than my first, who'd needed a ventouse- and had come spontaneously at 38+2. Plus healed tear felt "tight" even when making the baby - so I was pushing for induction or c-section.

Add in a couple of episodes of reduced movements and consultant agreed easily enough to induction. Baby wasn't quite as big as predicted but still 8lb and long/big head - and needed a ventouse / epesiotomy like his big sister had...

Doubt I'd have managed much larger - couldn't get either around the kink in the birth canal without help - and tried all the positions before ending up with ventouse for both...

I've had several friends who have all been told they are measuring big at growth, to then be induced and have babies around the 7/8lb mark!! I had a humongous bump and went overdue by 6 days - my son was 11lb 2oz! Natural water birth with just gas and air, it was hard work but absolutely fine. I did tear in 3 places but then I also tore with my 8lb daughter.