5.8lb @ 33+1 HELP!!

[AimeeLou84]

So today I had a growth scan as I have GD and Polyhydramnios. Currently on Metaformin.
Today baby is measuring 5.77lb and I’ve now been put on blood thinning injections and insulin injections. The consultant has scared the life out of me saying I can choose to be induced at 38 weeks or have c section at 39 weeks. Risks of baby getting stuck due to shoulders being wider and bigger in bigger babies - can cause the baby to be paralysed. Has anyone been in this position or can offer some advice or tell me not to panic. This is my first baby and now I’m worried whether something is going to happen to her. She’s gained 1lb in 2 weeks and they’ve made me feel like anything over a 7lb baby is massive! Sorry for the long message I’m just in a state now!

You’ve got a few weeks to decide and even if you decide to have an induction you can change your mind at any point. You’ll have lots of growth scans so will know nearer the time what the weight is likely to be. I would personally choose a section if I knew she was going to be very big due to complications. It’ll be easier to manage the birth and have people waiting to help her if she needs it.
But you have plenty of time and can change your mind at any point.

Honestly OP my advice would be take it all with a pinch of salt and try not to worry too much. I had my baby 6 weeks ago and for the last 10 weeks of my pregnancy I was constantly told she was measuring huge, I would likely need a c section, had constant growth scans where I was being told to expect a 10lb+ baby and that she was measuring 4-5 weeks ahead! I didn’t buy any newborn size clothes because she was supposedly going to be this huge baby, she was born at 39 weeks 6 days and was only 7lb 14! X

@Mrsttcno1 now I had the opposite. Got told he was only measuring at 5lb so needed to be induced because he wasn't growing. I said no and 2 weeks later born naturally at 6lb 7oz. Go with what you feel is right op

Ask them what research says about how accurate that estimate is likely to be?

Thank you all for your comments!! I think I’m going to wait for my scan in 3 weeks and decide then. I’m leaning towards induction if she’s 8lb or less. They weren’t really helpful just scared the life out of me. All your comments are appreciated thank you so much!

Honestly, scans are terribly inaccurate for predicting baby weight. I was in the same situation as you with my daughter - 'huge baby' due to GD - honestly expected a 10lb baby. I had her via c section and she was 6lb 3oz.
Suffice to say this time around (also GD and on insulin) they will not be able to talk me around so easily and I'm actually on growth monitoring as my first was classed as small. You couldn't make it up. I will be asking questions about the health of my baby though. Specifically about the tummy measurement (rather than weight) and health of placenta which will inform any decisions about early intervention.

Try and stay calm. They ruined the end of my pregnancy and birth experience for my first with all their scare mongering. Trust your instincts.

Would second taking the scans with a pinch of salt..I had a growth scan at 32 weeks baby on 12th centile and they were a bit worried as small..had another at 35 weeks and jumped to 38th centile so they started talking about accelerated growth and induction. I'm waiting for another scan at 38 weeks before making a decision. I'm 5ft 1 so highly doubt I'll have a massive baby and surely they grow at different rates anyway. My nephew was measuring over 10lb and was 7lb 8 so they are not always accurate.

The stats on SD are 52:48 for bigger:smaller babies, so basically the risk of a bigger baby getting stuck is only marginally higher than a smaller baby getting stuck. Midwives have lots of techniques also. My 10lbs 6oz baby had SD and I didn’t even find out until my discharge notes because the midwife just handled it so swiftly.

As someone who has had a section (9lb baby) and a VBAC (10lbs 6oz) baby I absolutely disagree.

Vaginal delivery was a better experience, baby was able to feed properly sooner, and recovery was so much easier and quicker.

What are your glucose levels like, OP?

If they're above target it's likely baby will grow at an accelerated rate.

Remember OP your options aren't just 'induction or c-section'. You can choose to wait for natural delivery, have sweeps, induce later etc etc its entirely up to you. Collect all the medical advice you need but also take things like growth scans with a pinch of salt too. Also, my daughter was a 8lb 7oz vaginal birth, so I wouldn't consider anything over 7lbs particularly big. I'd consider more your current health and babies current health - if you're both doing ok, then you have time and more options than originally presented with.

Ps with polyhydraminos & GDM on insulin, yours is a high risk pregnancy, OP.

I'd not be taking medical advice from the internet.

The NICE guidance is a better option.

This, it isn’t just a case of saying if you want it hard enough you’ll have a lovely home birth and they’ll get the size wrong. I think a lot of posters have skipped over that part.

Thanks all for your comments. She’s all healthy and everything is looking good, placenta, blood flow etc just the scans from one week to the next are all over the place. I had severe poly at 36cm 4 weeks ago, 2 weeks later was 21cm, today it’s 25cm.
2 weeks ago her femur length was accelerating now it’s not. Her AC is just over the top line (they said due to my GD and Poly) and her HC is just below it. Yet on my notes from the scan it says ‘EFW plots on 92nd percentile LGA and demonstrates normal growth’
My UAPI and MCAPI are normal and have been throughout. She’s gone up 400g in 2 weeks which isn’t much? I’m happy to give birth in whatever way is safe for her and myself but when I asked the consultant what they suggested she literally said ‘I can’t give you a recommendation both have risks.’ Really needed to hear that and her real of a list of risks when it’s my first!

You might want to ask what percentage of women (first time mum's if that applies to you) are induced at 38 weeks and have unplanned Caesareans or forceps vaginal births. It will help you make a more informed decision about what you would be consenting to.

Thank you! I am a first time mum so I’m not sure what I should be asking they are just scaring me and piling me with so much info. Im starting blood thinning injections tonight and ive had to you tube how to do them as they wouldnt show me!

I've had four inductions and never needed forceps or nothing if that helps! Always just relied on gas and air.

At 38 weeks?

Also they generally are more likely to work after the first baby.

@Creepybookworm Yeah was okay. Was for reduced movements. Two was by the pessary and then I laboured and other 2 was by drip and broken waters. Would do it again if I could. This time baby is breach so think I'll be having my first c section. Dreading that tbh. Hoping she flips in time!

So many have said that growth scans can be so inaccurate, i had GD and was on insulin due to high fasting levels..

All the way through my pregnancy i was told baby was measuring big and was told to weigh up my options of c-section/induction.

I decided to wait it out and see how she was measuring towards the final scans, my 37 week scan estimated her to be 8lbs at that exact scan and induction was booked for 38+6..
My consultant checked me and i was already at 2cm dilated with waters bulging so the consultant more confident that id have a ‘successful’ induction as my body was already doing something.

I suffered with reduced movements a lot through pregnancy and in the final week was in maternity assessment four times so they brought my induction forward to 38+4..

I had a very positive induction, my glucose levels were stable throughout and from my waters breaking and the drip starting to birth was 8 hours.. i did need forceps but that was because baby was struggling to stay down and she started to show slight signs of distress with each contraction.

Baby girl was born weighing only 5lbs, my measurements were so far out..

I also started blood thinners at 34 weeks, my doctor didn’t show me how to do them either so had to google also! For me pinching an inch of skin and injecting in the middle worked and stopped much of the pain, also not rubbing after the injection because that can cause bruising- i also only did legs because i couldn’t bring myself to do my stomach!
I also found that not much information was given to me about my decisions and sort of relied on google which wasn’t the most helpful, everybody is so different but for me induction was the best option.. i just wanted her here safe and thankfully she was. I had a very fast recovery, my episiotomy cut healed fantastic and i have no lasting issues.. little girl is 14 months old now but i remember so clearly how scary it is to make the decision! X

Well I had one induction and would never have another.
Op it's your choice but a c section isn't as bad as I imagined. I opted for it with my second child after emcs and failed induction with first. Basically every lady on here will give a different answer!
It's probably best not to ask.

Ask if your hospital has a Birth Choices clinic or a Consultant Midwife. They will be able to give you the proper information without scaring you to help you make an informed decision.

Sounds like you went through the same scenario as me. Im going to try the blood thinners in my thigh as I need to inject my insulin into my stomach. The needle on that is tiny but the blood thinning injection is huge I am not putting that in my stomach. I’m not scared of needles at all but the thought of doing it to myself 😩 I’m swaying towards induction at the moment but definitely want to see what she is ‘weighing’ in 3 weeks time. It’s so strange because I’ve only put on 2kg this whole pregnancy and my tummy isn’t as big as other people at my gestation. I don’t know how I have a 5.8lb baby inside me lol x

I think I’m going to ask to speak to someone as the information today was all about the risks and just scared me tbh. Epidural worries me that’s the only reason a c section isn’t being jumped at right now

I had GD, was put on insulin and also ancient at 34.
I was told induction at 37 weeks or a c section at 38. They estimated dd would be 10lb plus if she wasn't delivered early.
I went for induction. 13 hrs in labour and forceps but only because she was back to back.
She weighed 8lb 6 and a half at bang on 3 weeks early.
She was a bit cold and went in a hot cot and had a little bit of jaundice but otherwise fine.
I do believe she would have been massive if she'd gone to term.