Induction for big baby?

[Anyadvicewelcom]

Hello
just looking for any advice
my baby has measured > 97th centile for several weeks
I’m now 38 weeks pregnant
do you usually get recommended an induction early? If so when is best to go for it ?
many advice or experience would be much appreciated
not sure what to go for

one of mine was predicted to be on the 99th centipede, I was induced, they were 7lbs 14oz. Totally standard size.

another was measuring bang on average, no induction, they were 10lbs 6oz and born 72 hours after the scan that said they were totally standard

Have a read of the recent findings of the big baby trial, and the issue with scans not being a very good or accurate indicator of size of baby. I would also recommend looking at Dr Sarah Wickham's Instagram/website for more information to help you make an informed decision.

Growth scans etc aren't worth the tax we pay for them.
My dsis was just told she was measuring under for her whole third trimester and they were pushing her so hard for an induction from 38 weeks. Thank god she stood her ground. Her baby ended up being 10lbs and she has a fourth degree tear. MW said glibly 'lucky you didn't have an induction, he would have come quicker and it would have been even worse!'
Please don't be rushed or pressured into one, especially based on such dodgy science as babies size.

I had many growth scans. Baby was all over, bouncing 15th to 50th centile. One consultant wanted to induce at 37 weeks for IUGR, a second agreed with me that all else looked good (fluid, CTG, blood flow through cord) and was happy to leave be. 41 weeks on the dot growth scan showed 7lb baby. Less than 48 hours later I gave birth to a baby that was over 9lb. Very healthy, no placental issues visible at birth either.

You could be measuring big and have a big baby. You could be measuring big and have a normal sized one. You could measure small and have a big one 🤷‍♀️

I have a history of big babies and with my 3rd he was measuring 43 weeks (how’s that even possible) at 36 weeks, they said he was going to be about 12/13lbs I was induced at 39 weeks and he was my smallest baby… 8lbs 6oz

You'll get a lot of stories about how inaccurate the growth scans are, and its true, many are, but sometimes they are correct. When i went to my first growth scan, the midwife said they are rarely 100% accurate, but they are just one of their many ways of managing potential risks, so while there is a chance they are making a fuss over nothing, there's also a chance they aren't.

I have gestational diabetes and a large fibroid. It's likely they'll suggest an earlier induction for my 93rd percentile baby, and I've risk assessed it for myself and my circumstances that I'd accept induction around 38 weeks. To me, if it turns out they were wrong and baby is much smaller than anticipated, that's a lesser issue of assuming they are wrong and risking letting nature taking its course with gd and a fibroid then having complications as a result

But those are my circumstances. Just ask as many questions to make the best decision for your own circumstances.

“Sometimes they are correct….” Yeah, even a stopped clock tells the right time twice a day. In my personal small sample size survey of my own pregnancies, 100% of growth scans were wildly innacurate.

Hi - I was never measuring very big, didn't have any gestational diabetes or growth scans. I got to 41+5 and was induced and had a 10lb 1 baby! Was not expecting that at all! It was first baby.
The induction was fine, I had the pessary in at 10am, left hosp, started contractions at 5.30pm and he was born at 1.30am.
I had a second degree tear which I think was very lucky given his size and was pushing for 2.5 hours (they later told me if it had been quicker I probably would have had more damage). I did do a lot of perineal massage beforehand too which I'm sure helped.
I didn't have any pain relief other than a couple of tablets and gas and air and I won't lie the pushing stage was extremely painful but recovered fine and I didn't want a lot of drugs in my system!
I appreciate this isn't actually the advice you asked for but guess I'm trying to make you feel better about having a bigger baby and not having a really bad tear or c-section etc!

I'm in a group for gestational diabetes and most who are induced due to concerns for babies size, do end up having a large baby. So our anecdotal experiences tell us different things.

My 5th baby was estimated to be over the 99th centile. Induction was booked for 39+2. Got to hospital and found I was already 2-3cm dilated, so they gave me a sweep and sent me home around 4pm. Ended up in labour during the night and didn’t need induced ultimately. Which I’m glad of as baby was only 8lb 2. Not even our biggest baby.

The scans can be very inaccurate.

My last pregnancy the baby was measuring big for most of the time,then he was at the 115th percentile at 36 weeks. I chose an elective c section as I had some anxieties and when he arrived he was 10lbs 7oz at exactly 39 weeks so the scan was pretty accurate. I did read Sara Wickhams books before the c section decision - she is a midwife and has written a good book specifically about induction.

Yes, but that's because you're in a gestational diabetes group. Gestational diabetes almost always ends in a big baby, no need for a scan to tell you that.

In the absence of issues known to cause big babies there are studies showing scan alone is not sufficient to indicate induction for big baby.

If you read my post. I said i made my decision based on my circumstances of having gd and a fibroid to have more faith in the scans, and therefore be induced.

The only thing I encouraged is to not have 100% confidence that scans are wrong, but overall to do own assessment on what is best for her own circumstances.

Very reasonable suggestion

I had scans showing a big baby and was offered early induction but after discussion with midwife (and reading up a lot online) decided not to take it. The risks with a big baby are mainly to do with shoulder dystocia ie baby gets stuck coming out but from what I read altho there is a slightly higher risk of this with a larger baby the risk also increases with an early induction (so factors cancel each other out) and more importantly altho the risk of dystocia was slightly higher the outcomes were ultimately no different ie the baby has same chance of being fine. You can find more information if you Google. There's not a lot of evidence to support early induction basically (even tho it feels like it would make sense to do it?) which is why this big baby study is happening. With that said I'm a tall person and I think if I was small with a big baby I might have been more stressed about it. As it is baby came at 41 weeks, no problems with the delivery and he weighed 8lb 11 so not freakishly large.

I was the exact same in terms of measurements. Reluctantly agreed to induction at 38+2 and he was a perfectly normal 7lbs 14oz. That said, I had the most amazing birth and can’t relate to any of the scare stories I heard about inductions

I had a growth scan at 40 weeks and DD was estimated to be 3.4kg. She was born two days later weighing 3.25kg. So it was pretty accurate for me.

Large baby here - measured 8lb12oz at 36 week scan. Was induced at 39 weeks and she was 7lb7oz

@Giggsie wow really and how early did they induce you?
I asked yesterday about getting induced but they said no it’s not needed so started worrying that my baby is too big for a vaginal birth!
thanks for reply