big bump=big baby?

[gillythekid]

People keep insisting on telling me how huge my baby must be, especially when I assure them that I'm not having twins. I'm only 32 weeks. My bump measured 32cm at my 30 week check and my midwife said that was fine. Does a big bump always mean a big baby? So want to get my HB but am scared they'll say no if baby is a whopper. Any experience of this anyone?

no it doesnt always mean big baby you might have excess water around the baby

I had excess fluid with both mine. With DD I measured 48 cm at 36 weeks

DS = 7lb15oz born at 37 weeks exactly
DD = 7lb10 1/2 oz born at 37+4

So no, not always big babies for big bumps!

I am a big bump who DOES have big babies but it is impossible to tell, everyone is right re the fluid, you just can't tell

tell them all to fark off ignorant sods

no i had the hugest bump ever all through pregnancy was told are you sure not having twins as i am one

always 4 cm over until near end pregnancy

people thought i was due at 5 mths

midwife when i was in labour due to bump size said 8 half lb +

7lb 1 oz my little boy was

nope

huge bump, 7lb4 boy

just ate too much

With DD i had a small bump and some people expressed surprise when I appeared with a baby. She was 8 lbs.

With DS I had an enormous bump. Had trouble fitting into car etc. People were gasping at the size of it. He was over 11 lbs.

I think the only way to have a slightly better idea is to get a growth scan and even they aren't 100% accurate.

I had huge bumps - DS1 9lb 4, DS2 9lb 6

Had enormous bump with DD1. She was 6lb 2oz. Have enormous bump this time too, I get plenty of comments on the size of it, but it's just because I'm short! I'm measuring just right every time.

Thanks ladies! I'm working on the assumption that it's mostly water and placenta, and baby is no more than 8lbs! I'm tall but still don't seem to be able to carry it off!

I had a massive bump with ds1 and was measuring 41cm at 35 weeks, so got sent for a grwoth scan, where it was predicted I would have a 10lb+ baby at term. As it was, I gave birth 8 days after my due date and ds1 weighed in at 8lb 1oz, but I managed to flood the room when they broke my waters, it actually cascaded over the sides of the bed and they were scrambling around for things to mop it all up with . I just turned 17 weeks today and my uterus already measured up to my belly button, so I am obviously going to carry big again, that's just my way (I'm a shortie, only 5ft 1)

I had huge bumps that were 'all baby' apparently, not much water at all.
9lb9.5 and 10lb12.5.

In late preg, ds2 turning was very uncomfortable indeed, so want an even bigger bump this time with a decent amount of water in it too! lol

Clearly big bump doesn't always equal big baby! But I've looked big for several weeks now - and I do have a fairly big baby. But my "measurements" 28 - 34 weeks were a bit random to tell truth. When I measured 44cm at 36 weeks (this week) they gave me a growth scan - all ok - just big baby and lots of liquid. They did recommend that I'd probably be better off in hospital low risk delivery ward than midwifery-run birth centre (anyone else had this advice?) - bit disappointed but would rather be told now than in labour and will prob ask for 2nd opinion on this next week too.

This is my fear really as I want a home birth. Will they insist I go into hospital if baby is deemed too big? As you can read here, the predictions are not always correct and I'd feel so cheated if I had to go in unnecessarily. I know I can use my hypnobirthing techniques in the hospital but I'll be so much more comfortable at home.

Gilly, are you aware of www.homebirth.org.uk? There are stories on there of women with big babies. It certainly does not mean you cannot have a home birth!

no I had a massive bump and my babe was 7 lb 4 and 5 days over. might mean your stomach muscles don't knit back together though, mine didn't now do pilates

Conversely I had relatively small bump for a 9lb 4oz baby.

They should not really induce you if they just think the baby is 'too big'.
Only very rarely will a baby grow too big to pass thru the mother's pelvis. The body knows how big it can manage, for want of a better phrase, i know what I mean!

Unless you have gestational diabetes, in which case the body can lose track of how large the baby is getting in relation to your pelvis, they should leave you be.

I was huge with Ds and he was only 7lb 13oz.
Was much smaller with Dd and she was 7lb 15oz, so I don't think it follows necessarily.

Not read all thread so might be repeating. Not neccessarily big baby, could be water, the way the baby is lying, extra weight gain. also if are short in the sense of the height of stomach there will be less room for baby so bump comes more out

Fundal height measuring with a tape measure is very subjective and unreliable.
For the record I had a 9lb baby and didn't have a big bump, everyone was very surprised. All I knew was he had a long spine as I could feel his bum in my ribcage when his head was engaged.

I had massive bump- and 10lbs 2oz baby! am pregnant again (with big bump for 18 weeks) and feel irrationally hacked off when people tell me how big i am (GRRRRR)... but maybe that's just my hormones....or annoying rude people? lol

Gilly - it also depends on what you are physically like. I'm quite thin and when not pregnant have a tiny waist. Consequently I look like I've eaten my birth ball from about 20 weeks onwards. Yet my daughter was under 8lbs.

Tis very bloody irritating to be asked by all and sundry 'how many have you got in there' constantly though

size of baby shouldn#t make much difference to delivery anyway, as head and shoulder size is often more or less the same - big babies are just longer, and possibly fatter

my bump with ds was vast - same as this one. Everyone including midwives said it was a big baby - he was under 9 lb. I just eat a lot, carry a lot of fluid, and my tummy sticks out a lot IMO