Big baby help please.

[Esmerelda123]

Hey guys!

I’m 35 +4 weeks, and have been having growth scans due to BMI. Baby has twice been on the 50th percentile but last two scans has been pointing up. So today they measured and said she’s 7lb 5. Femur measuring at 40 weeks, head 38 weeks and tummy 36 weeks. I didn’t have my regular consultant, I had a rather rude Reg. She sat me down and immediately went into shoulder dystocia. She went into great detail rather bluntly. Telling me the 3 plans of this and the consequences for baby including paralysis and death. I was so shocked, I’m a qualified nurse in ICU and have had post partum haemorrhages in due to this and knew a bit about this but she put it to me so bluntly and kept cutting me off when I asked questions. There was no midwife with us which there has been in the past. She then said they would just see me in two weeks. And if baby still big they’d discuss induction. I asked would a c section be safer, she made a face and never replied.

I’m not a bit panicked. I’m only 5ft2 with no GD. Has anyone some positive birth tales of babies measuring around the same weeks? Xx

Oh and my midwife told me my bump was measuring 46 weeks at 38 weeks. That scared me.

I'd just eaten a shit ton of doughnuts clearly.

I am angry at myself for being browbeaten into an induction because it led to a very medical, long (50 hours) labour and ended with forceps, 2 x prolapse, 12 stitch slightly botched episiotomy and thrombosed piles. 8 months down the line and my day to day life is inhibited by birth injuries.

I honestly wouldn't have changed my labour or birth because my son is worth every stitch but the induction caused most of the stress. And ultimately I didn't need it.

OP its bad the doctor has left you feeling like this. You need to feel supported and she could have communicated the information much better.

FWIW I had a 10lb 6oz baby, with shoulder dystocia, and it was all fine. I was induced at 42 weeks, 5 hours to delivery. Baby was back to back but they didn't tell me that until afterwards. He had to be delivered quickly with a ventouse due to concerns over his heart rate and had shoulder dystocia on the way out, but the doctor sorted it easily with the McRoberts manoeuvre.

Looking it up, size of baby is only one of many varied risk factors for shoulder dystocia. Probably best if you chat through with your midwife.

Just a bit of reassurance OP, they are USELESS at predicting a big baby. Small yes. Big no. I was told ‘normal size’ And she was 10.05lbs. My friend was told ‘huge’ and he was 8lbs.

I think my growth scans with DS were pretty much spot on. He was 10lbs 10oz. I opted for an ELCS. However it really depends on you, I saw 2 consultants one was pushing for vaginal delivery, she was quite sure I would manage. Another agreed with my concerns. I don't know if I would have managed and I never will.

Another here who had big babies. None of mine had their birth weights predicted correctly, and I had plenty of extra scans for various reasons.

I'm shocked and not shocked by the way your consultant spoke to you, because I had exactly the same experience with one of mine. In the end I spoke to the senior midwife, expressing my frustration and distress, and she resolved the situation by speaking to the consultant privately.

I went one week overdue, and had a very good birth experience. Not exactly as I had hoped for (is it ever?!) but nothing like the consultant had predicted. It was a fairly quick, easy birth, and I did not need any stitches afterwards.

Is this your first? The baby my consultant was predicting to be too big for me to birth naturally was born 5kg, even bigger than she had predicted, but he was also my third, so my body knew what to do, and I believed in my ability to birth big babies.