Positive big baby vaginal birth stories

[SophieRules]

My baby is 90th percentile plus and I’m overdue. I’m going to have any induction soon, although I’m not overly optimistic as my cervix remains closed. Constant comments are being made about me having a big baby but equally I don’t think a c section is a small thing and so I will attempt vaginally before resorting to that. Please could I have some positive stories about big baby vaginal (ideally first baby) as being anxious isn’t going to help me.

Big babies are anecdotally easier as they apply more pressure to the cervix and you dilate more easily.

remember it’s not the size of the baby, it’s the head circumference- and babies have soft skull bones- there’s not much difference in skull sizes between babies, regardless of weight.

Take a look at the “Big Baby Trial” published by the Lancet recently.
The study was actually abandoned prior to completion because it wasn’t yielding the expected results.
The point of the study was to look at the correlation between women carrying suspected “big babies” (over 90th percentile) and shoulder dystocia.
Some of the women were induced at 38 weeks and some of them left to go into labour spontaneously - the expectation was that there would be higher instances of shoulder dystocia in the spontaneous labour group…..and that didn’t happen 🫠 The difference was so minuscule, they stopped collecting data.
The most telling result from the study though was that 58-60% of the women who had been told they were having a “big baby” actually gave birth to babies who were perfectly within the normal weight range for gestational age 🤷🏻‍♀️ That’s a massive percentage.

Anecdotally, my best friend gave birth to a big baby (10lb 12oz at birth) a couple of years ago. Her baby was born at home, in water, in a totally textbook labour and delivery.

My first 3 babies were 'big' 1st 9lb 15.5oz 2nd 9lb 13oz and 3rd 9lb 3oz. 1st 2 were normal vaginal deliveries just using gas and air 4hrs and 2 hrs total. 3rd, I was induced (pessary and ARM) again NVD just gas and air, 1.5 hrs from 5cm to delivery.
4th I was induced again (balloon catheter) she was by far the most difficult/painful birth for me and longest albeit only 5 hrs. She was 7lb 7oz.

9lb 4pm first baby. No injuries. Recovered well. No stitches. Long labour but well managed.

My baby was scanning at anywhere between the 88th and 97th percentile in the run up to his birth. I had chats about early induction etc. Didn't do it and he came at 41 weeks of his own accord. It was a long slow labour but I think more to do with his position than his size - he was 8lb 11 in the end so more like 75th centile. No shoulder dystocia and I had minimal tearing and recovered well, much better than friends who had much smaller babies!