Big baby...should I accept induction?

[Dorset555]

Hi all im 36+3 and I've been told my baby already weighs 7,2lbs. I've been checked and negative for GD and they are happy that the baby is not growing too fast, its just on the larger side - I think its 95th percentile.

At a growth scan yesterday they told me the midwife would discuss options with me as they want to minimise complications.
I feel like they are prepping me to accept an induction...I really would rather things happen naturally when my body is ready but I definitely don't want to do anything that's puts the baby at any increased risk. I've got a midwife appointment today and I just wondered if anyone had any thoughts/suggestions of questions to ask/experiences of a larger baby that they could share? I guess the whole pandemic just increases anxiety around most things!
Thank you all!

@Dorset555 Completely agree with @girlfrombackthen too OP! The most important thing is for you to feel well informed. Ask questions! Even on the day of my induction I delayed it to the afternoon because I wanted a chat with the doctor in charge of the ward before I agreed to go ahead with the process.
Not sure if it’s your thing or what your birth preferences are but even with an induction I found the Positive Birth Company’s online digital pack very useful and informative. A lot of people say they found it too geared towards a “natural” birth but It helped me feel more well informed about what was going on in my body and to feel confident at questioning the doctors and midwives.
And remember if you decide to go ahead with induction, YOU get to choose when you want to be induced. They pushed for me to induce at around 38 weeks but I felt more comfortable leaving it until nearer the 40 week stage so that’s what we did.
Good luck with whatever you decide 😊

@RWK29 Can I just ask for your experience re pelvis splitting post birth. Mine is literally on the way to separating at the front and I wonder how this is managed post delivery?
Sorry if it's too personal but I can't get much info online.

I have been in the same situation as you since 32 weeks when it started looking like baby was going to be big. This was confirmed by a scan at 36 and 3, where she was already weighing 7lb10 according to them... We don't yet know if this is accurate as I'm currently 38 and 2.

For me, the doctors did overplay the risk of shoulder dystocia, and I actually ended up semi-complaining about it (I was told it was a 50-50 risk, but it's far FAR less...). Also, I wasn't given the option of an induction, and the path I was being guided along was an elective c-section. In the end, like others have said, you'll never know what would have happened had you chosen another route, but for me, I just couldn't take the risk of her getting stuck. C-section was my LEAST preferred birth plan, and because of baby's size, it's become the plan.

I do feel for you, because once they get to that size it feels like there's not much that you can do about it! With our baby, my hunch is that she's smaller than they think but still quite big. I have very narrow hips and am getting pretty bad pelvic pain; I'm also not confident that her head is engaging as it's meant to - - last time she was measured as only 1/5 engaged. My bump, though not looking that big really, is so heavy I can barely turn over at night!

I don't know whether a c-section will prove to be the "best" option, and I'm scared about it, but all you can do is try to determine what you feel best about and then start thinking positively about it. In my antenatal group, at least half of the girls have ended up having emergency c-sections for various reasons, so this has calmed me a bit about the choice.

FWIW, I've been asked to take part in a Big Baby study, where the two options are elective c-section and 38 week induction. This tells me that even the doctors don't yet have enough data either way. Other than reading the evidence-based birth site, which is great, you just need to go with what you feel most okay with. I guess it's rare we get the births we hoped for, from what I've seen from friends and read here.

Good luck and report back - you're not alone in being in this conundrum! I think my baby's size is also due to being pretty much house-bound all year, though I've tried to exercise a bit. I wasn't overweight when we conceived but have put on more than I feel comfortable with. I wonder if Covid-era babies end up being statistically bigger...

@zippityzip Not too personal at all! I had no real pelvic problems during my pregnancy apart from what I imagine to be normal aches and pains but pelvis went at 39+2 completely randomly. Went to stand up off my chair to go and get ready for bed and physically couldn’t walk and was in horrific pain. Thankfully, a LOT of this pain went away immediately after delivery since the weight of the baby was no longer bearing down on my pelvis. My health visitor referred me to the maternity physio post-birth for a couple of sessions to do some basic exercises and I’ve been advised to keep doing those at home. Im 10 weeks post birth now and still have some pain and my pelvis feels pretty unstable. I was told that nothing would improve greatly while I continued to breastfeed as it keeps your hormone levels high which keeps your ligaments loose. My abdominal muscles also split which adds to the issue.

In my area you can only see physios through the maternity unit until you’re 6 weeks post-birth, then you’re out on the waiting list for normal physio (around 8 months in my area!). So if you feel you need it after birth then push for physio straight away! They should be able to let you see one in the hospital before you even leave with baby.

Hoping your pelvis holds out 🤞🏼🤞🏼 How much longer do you have to go?

@Mimiwish My hospital had signed up to take part in that study too 🙄🙄 I also complained as I felt that I was being railroaded down the route of induction or section just to be part of their trial!

You don't have to accept it if you're happy to carry over your due date. You do have increased risk of complications the longer you leave it and you may end up needing induction anyway.

I've had a few larger babies. Our 2nd was 10lb 12oz at 40+5. I was examined at 39+6 and was 1cm dilated at that point, only got to 5cm by 40+4 and they made me wait over 24hours before they broke my waters (arrived 2hrs 19mins after waters broken). They should have brought him earlier as he had meconium in his waters, slow labor is a killer too. Our 3rd was much better 9lb 10oz, 2 days labor. They had to break my waters and she came 11mins after they did it. Our twins we're 8lb 5oz & 8lb 11oz, breech & transverse so ended up with a cesarean at 38wk. Our eldest was an average 7lb 7oz at 39+6, had a full induction which took 3 days, ended up with epidural and ventouse delivery as she was distressed (cord round neck).
I think bigger babies we're easier tbh although pregnancy was more uncomfortable toward the end.

I had induction at 38+2 with my second. Very glad I did because he needed a ventouse then. He was 8lbs exactly so not huge but would probably have been large if we'd gone to 42 weeks! Did have chunky shoulders and fairly short legs (still does...).

I was probably more keen as my first came spontaneously at 38+3 and was a ventouse despite being a lanky 6.13 so didn't fancy a bigger child (he'd measured 90th from 20 weeks to 32 before heading up to 95th plus) at a later gestation.

Induction was very similar pattern to my spontaneous labour as well. Only needed the gel stuff.

@RWK29 - oh wow! How interesting! Yes, I can imagine... I wonder what the results of the study will show... I feel like lots of people struggle to know what the right thing to do is when you're predicted a 'big baby' - but the most interesting stat to me is that often it's the PREDICTION of a big baby (and subsequent interventions) that lead to the issues! How ironic!
Thanks for sharing about your pelvis - this is something I'm watching out for. I'm pretty sure my abs are also in a bad way - get lots of tugging/pain around them and it hurts to laugh, which isn't great when we're told to watch lots of comedy in the lead up to birth!

I've had two big babies previously 9lbs+ and this one looks similar so following with interest.
I've never been induced or had c-sections but I think the consultant is leaning towards it now. I'll find out in a few weeks as I'm 29 weeks now.
Thanks for sharing @RWK29 it's interesting. I'm struggling with the pains of PGP, I always thought I would refuse an induction but to be honest I'm in pain all the time now I would probably jump at the chance.

I've never posted on here before but I felt compelled to respond to you.
At 38.5 weeks I was told my baby was measuring big c. 9lbs and I should be induced. So a couple of days later I went into hospital.
4 days after the induction using multiple gel insertions, I was dilated 0.5cm. So they put me on the drip. 24 hours later I was dilated, but just couldn't push my baby out and they had to use forceps.
She was 7lbs13 not big at all.

By this time I had been in hospital for 5 days, and was exhausted. Physically the forceps caused me and my DD long term physical pain. My DD had dreadful rings/bruises/lumps on her head and face. I felt terribly guilty and still lose sleep over how much pain she was in

In hindsight she was no way ready to come out and my body wasn't ready either. I wish I had pushed back and waited for things to kick off naturally. If I have another baby I would almost certainly elect a c section as it was such an awful experience. Even the internal examinations became terribly painful throughout the 4 days before the drip.

Go with your gut, and of course everyone is different. I would strongly advise against forceps though under any circumstance.

Good luck, whatever happens as long as your baby is healthy it will all be worth it!

As many others have said, growth scans can be nonsense. I agree. I was induced earlier because of previous shoulder dystocia and the fact that was 38 weeks they expected my baby to be around 9lb (heavier than my baby with shoulder dystocia).

This baby was almost 10lb! So yes, scans can be wrong - in either direction!! I was glad I didn't go to 42 weeks that's for sure.

(My induction took 5 days after a couple of sweeps and I ended up with a c-section because he didn't come down low enough, he was 99.6th centile).

I wouldn't because I have big babies despite being tiny and the ones they induced early nearly failed whereas the ones at 42+3 and 42 were ok.

If the head is that massive I would possibly consider at 40-41 weeks but if baby is tall I wouldn't at all.

I have to add though - the size of the baby isn't always a good predictor of shoulder dystocia risk. It can be because of the position of the baby and an assisted/instrumental delivery increases the risk (and the chances of an assisted delivery are higher with induction...)

I had an unexpectedly big baby - 9lb 2oz on my due date - despite measuring on the 50th percentile my entire pregnancy. I had growth scans up to 38 weeks for reduced movements but they also put baby on the 50th percentile so we're obviously out.

I am now pregnant again. I declined induction last time for reduced movements and will do so again this time if it is suggested based solely on size. As others have mentioned the NICE guidelines state a suspected big baby alone is not a reason for induction. Have they given any other reasons why induction is suggested? Any diabetes or anything?

Worth noting that I had the easiest labour, birth and recovery out of my group of 5 mum friends and my baby was the biggest by over 1lb. I had no intervention/assistance or pain relief. Trust your instinct!

Wow ladies thanks so much for all the comments I guess its a really common thing and dilemma...everyone's experience is so different and no one will ever know how it would have been if you'd gone down another path...so confusing!!
So I had my midwife appointment and she was super relaxed about it and didn't feel the need for any chat about induction or csection at the moment.. I think I totally jumped the gun based on the way the sonographer was talking. But I guess that's the problem everyone has their opinion. But I feel relaxed at the idea of reassessing if the baby hasn't made an appearance by the due date.
I really really appreciate all the comments its so reassuring to know everyone has the same concerns x

Only you can decide. Growth scans showed that DS was big and I would happily have been induced. In the end after weighing up all the pros and cons I actually decided to have an ELCS. DS was 10lbs 10oz at 39 weeks exactly and I'm glad I went for the section.