Small ladies giving birth to big babies!

[Loulouhels]

Hi I was hoping someone can give me their experiences of having big babies when they themselves are classed as small.

I have posted a couple of timnes regarding being big for dates and then results of my growth scan.

I am currently 38+5 with my first baby and due to measuring big had a growth scan last Saturday which showed the baby to be measuring over the 97th Centile on all measurements with an estimated weight at the time of 8 and a half pounds.

The midwife booked me in to see a top consultant at the hospital, to discuss delivery options. I thought I would be discussing early induction or a planned section as she led me to beleive but I saw the consultant yesterday and he said there would be no way he would plan a section for just because I am having a big baby and there is no reason my I shouldn't be able to have a vaginal delivery just because I am short. (5ft) apparently it all depends on how the baby's head is positioned when it comes through the birth canal which will determine how difficult it will be.

This has pleased me (I think) because I didn't want to have a section. I know it could possibly end up as one depending on the birth but I am glad I am going to experience some sort of labour.

Sorry for the long winded post but I just wondered what others experience of large babies were and how the birth went for you.

well i wear size 3 or 4 shoes and gave birth to my almost 11lb baby fine, and gravity def helps with big babies

another one that thinks growth scans are rubbish, had them with ds1 and ds2 as i have small bumps in preg and they were worried that babies were small, predicted 6--7lb and they were 9lb 3oz and 9lb 5oz, they tried to say the same with ds3 and ds4 but i ignored them, small my arse, yes my bump measured small with ds4 but he was 10lb 13oz and i had loads of fluid as well, midwife was amazed as i am small, said she didnt know where it had all been!

Everyone on here always says size doesn't matter.

I found a study that said that the biggest indicator for a forceps delivery in a first-time mother is the baby weighing over 9 pounds.

Anecdotally, I know 6 women who had babies of 9 pounds and over (including me) in the last 2 years. 5 of us had forceps and one had ventouse.

I'm not saying this to scare you - you are quite right that the baby's head position is really important. If I had known that I had an increased chance of a forceps delivery I would have spent a lot of time on optimal foetal positioning. It's worth gooling it and looking at the spinning babies website for advice on this.

withorwithoutyou, did that study take into account the positions the mothers were birthing in, the incidence of epidurals or other drugs that can intefere in the normal progress of labour and how long the women were allowed to push for? all these things can influence whether a woman has forcep, ventouse or episiotomy with delivery.

the only one of mine that i struggled to push out was my first ds, who was the SMALLEST, but i had had a three day labour, an epidural etc and was flat on my back, so ended up pushing for three hours and had an episiotomy.

the other three where i remained upright, had no pain relief other than gas and air and delivered kneeling, or squatting i delivered fine.

i do agree that POSITION makes a difference with regards to birth, it can be much harder if a baby is back to back, my ds2 was back to back in labour, but i spent the first few hours of my labour on all fours in a bath and luckily he turned, the labour then speeded up and he was delivered quickly kneeling up.

if you google optimal foetal positioning you can find lots of useful info, but they generally recomend NOT lounging on sofas etc, birth balls are good, as is spending time on all fours.

Yes it did take into account other factors 4madboys.

I think epidural use was 2nd biggest factor, can't remember what the third and fourth were. Will try to find it.

Actually, being back to back might have been a stronger factor than epidural thinking about it.

iam 5 foot..I had my first 8lb 13,but needed forceps to help him out..no2 was 9lb 2,and needed no help 3 pushes and he was out..no3 was 8lb 5oz,again no help and no4 was 8lb 10 and i needed forceps again..so every time was different..

What's considered a small lady? I'm 5 ft 4 inches and was originally a size 10-12. I had a scan at 32 weeks and baby was 5 pounds and was measuring 38 weeks. A little scared so anyone who's ahead of me (34 weeks now) please come back here and post your experiences!

I am 5ft 3 and very petite (bmi usually 19), and I was measuring big but under the 90th centile during pregnancy, but when baby was born he was 8 lbs 12 oz!! They were all shocked, but I had a vaginal delivery with no pain medication and I had a water birth - I did have a second degree labia tear that required stitches, but because his hand was up like superman as he was being born... my perineum was fine. I had a feeling he was going to be big as I had HORRIFIC pgp/SPD from week 20 of pregnancy and he felt soooo big inside me and I seemed to be way more uncomfortable at the end of pregnancy than other mamas I've known. Baby's dad is not big either - 5 ft 11 so I have no idea why baby is so huge! I didn't have any gestational diabetes or anything but I did put on the upper limit of recommended weight. Who knows! I wouldn't worry though, I have nothing to compare it to but having a big baby even if you're small is manageable.