Baby scan predicts large baby - tell me your stories

[Elwynne]

I went for an in depth/long scan and the baby is healthy but apparently huge, on the 92% percentile at 24 weeks . I have to go and have a gestational diabetes test next week but I'm looking for some reassurance or your experiences of being told you are growing a gigantic baby. What happened next? Was your baby huge as predicted? Did it turn up early? Did downstairs ever recover?

@Bobbiepin no, unfortunately 7 KG not IBS... I’ve just looked again at the picture of the notes that I sent to my mum that day.

Dd was predicted to be on the 85th centile and estimated 6lbs 8ozs at 36 weeks. I was induced at 40+3 due to this, she was born at 40+4 weighing 7lbs 6lbs, so not huge by any means. So there's definitely margin for error.

The day before DS was born, the OB said he was big - his head was off the scale and he thought I was having an 8lb baby. Induction failed 3 times, so I had an ‘elective’ section. He was 10lb 11oz and 24 inches long.

I was measuring small so referred for a growth scan, though two midwives said from feeling the bump they thought the baby was average size. At the growth scan, in complete contradiction of the measuring tape, indicated a massive baby predicted 10 lb plus at term. The consultant who did the scan also felt the bump and said nah, average sized baby, going to be 7lb 8ish. And when she delivered him a couple of days before his due date, guess what? Average sized baby, almost exactly the weight she predicted. Consultant and midwives 1, measuring tape and scan nil.

Growth scans with my last baby predicted over 10lb at term, he was born 5 days late at 10lb 6oz. So accurate for me. This time I don't know what to think, she was measuring under 50th centile and about 7-8lb at term, until 36 weeks when she jumped to 90th centile and 10lb+ predicted term weight. I'm inclined to believe the earlier scans were wrong considering I've already had a 10lb+ baby but seeing consultant again Tuesday. My last birth was induced and had him in 3 hours, had a tear that required stitches but I was so out of it on gas and air I don't think I listened when they did the whole don't push breathe for his head 😅

They predicted I would give birth to a 99 centile baby... I gave birth to a 100 centile baby.... she was 8lb 10oz at 38 weeks. I still dread how big she would have been if I went over to 42 haha. I'm currently 23 weeks with DD2 so we'll see what happens this time

I don’t trust growth scans. I had a number of them in my first pregnancy. They told me my DD would be average. She was I m face below 5th percentile and 5lbs at birth.

DS was on the 98th centile from 24 weeks. I had two gestational diabetes tests. Both negative. He was on the 98th roughly when he was born at 37w6 at 9lb2.

His twin sister on the other hand wasn’t the predicted 8lb, but 5lb10. They said they’d measured her big due to taking an oblique angle across her abdomen.

I had gestational diabetes test and growth scan after measuring 3 weeks big for dates around 33 weeks. They predicted my DD would be 8lb8 which seemed fine to me as I weighed around that and my mum is 4 inches shorter than me.

Turns out the calculation was done wrong (I overheard this in the delivery room) but I never found out what the correct calculation should have been, the tone in the midwifes voice suggested it was out by quite a margin.

DD weighed 9lb 1/² Oz two days before her due date and had a 98 percentile head circumference. So I expect the head circumference measurement from the scan would have pushed the estimated weight up much higher even than what DD actually weighed (DD had very stumpy limbs at birth which kept her overall weight down).

I had a normal vaginal delivery with entonox and morphine (not going to lie... It bloody hurt), small 2nd degree tear, couple of stitches which healed up fine, out walking the dog as soon as I got home 24 hours later. 3 years on, slight prolapse (but I don't do my pelvic floor exercises enough) but with no real complications from it.

If they are big, you might pop early with little help (such as induction). You might have a tear though but tears might have happened anyway

Measured big all the way through, baby came naturally 2 weeks early weighing 7 lbs 2 oz

Scan predicted my first to be around 11lbs... she was born at 40+2 weighing 7lb 2oz.

I had a series of scans all saying she was huge (even one at 39.5 weeks) which all concurred with one another.

I don't believe the scans are overly accurate. They can chart growth, but I don't think accurate in predicting actual weight/ size.

I had DD four weeks ago and she was predicted to be a big baby. No GD. I ended up being induced at 40+6 (not really due to her being big) and the growth scan was only 30g out, she was 10lb 2oz.

I had a growth scan after suddenly measuring big at 38 weeks. Decided after the scan to wait until my due date and decide if I wanted to do anything then. I had another growth scan at 40+1 and decided after chatting to the consultant to book in for induction at 41 weeks. My trust offers induction at 41 weeks as there doesn't seem to be an adverse effect on interventions but there is a slight benefit to infant outcomes (INDEX and SWEPIS trials, evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-on-inducing-labor-for-going-past-your-due-date/). I was offered a c-section if I wanted one but the consultant was quite clear that scans are not accurate, in the end mine was though.

In terms of the birth I think of it as a really positive experience even though it was what I didn't want (induction) and was worrying about (third degree tear) . Her head was engaged from 40 weeks so I don't think her size led to the induction, I think I would have just went overdue anyways. My Bishops score was very low when I went in but in the end I only needed the pessaries and she was born 12 hours after the first one. I had a third degree tear and I asked the midwife if I could have prevented it if I'd listened more to guidance during pushing etc but she said it probably would have happened no matter what just due to the size of her head. I was petrified of a tear in the run up to having her but I thought it was actually fine. Weeing and pooing afterwards was also fine.

I think I could have found her birth really difficult on the face of what happened (induction, mostly laboured by myself due to how quick it was and the covid restrictions and a tear) but looking back I actually enjoyed childbirth (never thought I'd be the person who said that) and I honestly want to relive the experience (I mean this in a rewind and play again way, I'd hope for a tear free birth with a second one because who wouldn't!).

I think try not to worry about size because the scans is most likely wrong. And then even if you do have a big baby then chances are you'll have a nice normal birth anyways. Then even if you don't and end up with a tear it might not actually be that bad.

My large baby was missed during checks. I was 10 days + late with my previous two who arrived without intervention. My 3rd they told me when I was 10 days overdue that they were worried he was big - predicted at 10 lb 6 . I had lost a baby prior and was anxious and opted for c section after two natural. Very happy i did as he was over 5kg at 11lb 4 and i value my sex life and general urinary performance , however the scans are inaccurate

My first born was on the top centile line for most of my pregnancy, GD negative, induced at 38 due to concerns over shoulder dystocia, failed induction so was CS but whilst classed as EMCS it wasn't, it was just listed that day so classed as one. Born 9lbs and very tall, he is 3 now and still huge, tallest in his class

I had scans where I was told I was leaking water, had a hugely large baby, signed up to the "big baby" initiative . She was a week early at 9lb2oz which isn't huge

I was told my baby was too small, so I got referred to the hospital. Who told me he was actually too big so I got tested for GD which was negative, then I was booked in for a c section because he was measuring at 11lbs. For him to actually come out 8lbs exactly. So I guess in my experience take it with a pinch of salt?

Please don't worry! My first was predicted to be HUGE. She was breech, I had very low LF and they said she was 10lbs at 36w. I had a section at 37w and she was 6lbs12. Certainly not the 10lbs I had been predicted. My second was a planned section at 39w. Again, she was predicted to be huge, I was measuring so big and said at 38w was already 9.5lbs. At 39w she came and was 7lbs10.

Told my DD2 was already measuring at 6lb at 34 weeks and they predicted her being 9-10lb by 40 weeks. She was 8lb 2oz when she was born at 40+2. 4oz lighter than her big sister.

A friend of mine was monitored regularly because her baby was measuring so small. They said she would be around 4lb full term. Induced at 38 weeks and gave birth to a perfectly healthy 6lb baby.

I didn’t have a late scan admittedly, but DS was predicted at 9lb or so. He was 11lb14oz (11 days late). He was jaundiced/low blood sugar but by far my easiest birth out of three. I clearly had GD but developed after I’d had the test which was clear.

My third baby (controlled GD) was meant to be tiny so they induced me in a panic, but she was about right for her gestation when she was born. Scans have a vast margin of error!

Mine's abdominal circumference was off the charts - I ended up having two GD tests because he kept measuring so massive! (And still didn't have GD.) I was induced a week early (that was planned from the beginning, nothing to do with his predicted size) and he was a perfectly manageable 8lb 4oz. He's actually always been a really long skinny baby ever since he was born, so goodness knows what he was up to in there...

Measured 8lb 13 at 36 weeks, with head circumference off the scale.
Freaked the fuck out.
Born at 38 (induction) at 7 lb 3. Still has a massive head.
I tore and had stitches (and forceps, episiotomy).
None of it was fun, but everything works now. The tearing wasn’t related to her birth weight, just one of those things.
Wouldn’t change her for the world.

I had similar. Baby was predicted to be large at 25 weeks. I did have GD and was able to control it through diet. I did reduce the amount I was eating a lot.
I was induced two weeks early due to baby's size / my size. Healthy baby born 7lb4oz.

Vaginal natural birth. A few stitches.

My ‘giant’ baby (predicted to be 10lb) was 7lb 3oz. The scans that suggested DD would be huge were very believable as DH is over a foot taller than me, but she turned out to be petite despite being very long.