Any experience with baby measuring too big?

[OneFluentTraybake]

Hey just looking for some advice, 3rd pregnancy and never had this issue before. Baby has always measured slightly ahead but at 33 weeks consultant appt he did a quick scan and said baby tummy is too big and overall weight was 5.5 pounds and asked me to do another diabetes test and growth scan at 36 weeks. Passed diabetes test again, and went for growth scan yesterday and baby now measuring 7.5 pounds and tummy is measuring way over the 97th percentile so off the charts basically. They've told me the risks and pros of induction and given me the option to book from 38 weeks. I wonder has anyone left induction till 40 weeks and regretted it due to increased risk of complications c section shoulder dystocia etc? Not sure what to do

Mine didn't get picked up beforehand but my son was 10lbs 13oz at 42 weeks! It was an awful labour and ended in emergency c section because his heart rate was dropping. To be honest, if his size had been picked up earlier I would absolutely have taken induction at the earliest possible date. He almost died at birth and was in the NICU with pneumonia and was very poorly so with big babies I personally don't think it's worth the risk but obviously go with what you feel is best for you x

It’s tricky as you don’t want to risk complications, but growth scans aren’t always accurate, plus a bigger baby doesn’t automatically mean problems.
I measured very similar to you, I wasn’t offered any intervention they just shrugged and said to expect a big baby well into the 9lbs. She was born naturally at 41 weeks weighing 10lbs, very quick and easy labour.
Obviously there’s no knowing how it will go, I would consider the size of your previous babies and how your births went with them. Then I would discuss all pros, cons and options with your midwife

I would read and listen to scientific information about induction and 'big' babies and make an informed decision.

This is an interesting article:
https://www.sarawickham.com/articles-2/induction-for-big-baby/

I also really liked the podcast episode by the Midwives Cauldron called "Induction of Labour from the Baby's Perspective"
They spend some time talking about big babies iirc (if not this one, they have other episodes on induction which it might have been in instead).

I found their podcast absolutely brilliant in helping me make decisions during my pregnancy.

DC2 was a “big” baby and I was offered an induction or c-section. Either way they said they wanted baby out by 40 weeks. I decided to go with the section at 39+4 (couldn’t chose the exact date but was given this by surgical team). It’s a very tricky one. I was lucky that my hospital has links to a very specialist scan facility (all NHS) and I trusted that the scans were accurate which helped inform my decision. If you have any doubt over the scan accuracy or want a second opinion, I would either ask for an extra scan before making your final decision or going privately. You need to feel very at peace with whatever decision you make.

With my second I had a growth scan at 39w after being diagnosed with obstetric cholestasis a few days prior. He measured 9lbs. When I spoke to the consultant they advised it wasn’t practice to induce solely for a ‘big baby’. I ended up have an induction around my due date due to the OC, he was 9lb1oz - the doctors/midwives on labour ward just discussed risks and prepared me for what could happen, but not in a scaremongering way, just to avoid having that conversation from scratch should it occur.
For what it’s worth my second induction was quicker and in some ways smoother than my first (which was at 42w). Fewer hormones, shorter overall duration etc.

My area also don't routinely induce for big babies without other complicating factors, as the evidence is a bit mixed (at least when I last looked, DD2 is 3 now) – induction is maybe a bit better for some risks, c-section a bit better for others, waiting to see if you go naturally for others. I think the evidence may shift a bit if baby is very, very large, predicted to be over ~5kg/11lb.

I had two unexpectedly large babies (yes, I had growth scans with the second – she somehow managed to always scan as slightly smaller than average), DD1 at 40 weeks and DD2 at 39 weeks. Neither birth was negatively affected by their size, even though I am on the small side. They did both manage a certain amount of drama in other ways though!

My first baby was born at 41 weeks,9 pounds 6 ounces and my second born at 38 weeks weighing 8 pounds, both were inductions my second was induced early due to fetal stress and being in hospital anyway due to unstable lie and risk of cord prolapse had I gone into labour at home. Both my inductions took 3 days,with horrible reactions to the gel, getting painful contractions but not progressive ones just overstimulated uterus for a full 24 hours broke my heart. I was hoping to go natural this time to experience what labour is like without gels and pitocin but also like the idea of a planned date to go in considering my kids at home and avoiding any upheaval for them if I was to go into labour during night etc. It's a tough decision, a c section terrifies me cause my daughter at home is very full on, has autism and needs a lot of care and I want to be strong enough to be as normal for her. So many have said those growth scans are nonsense but to be fair they were very accurate in my previous pregnancies! It's the stomach measuring so big, is that unusual? Feel so sorry for those women who get inductions and go through the pain and process of it only to end up with emergency sections anyway😬 it's a man's world🤣

My stomach measured 90 something percentile and my baby was 7lbs 7 so 50th percentile at 40+4.

I did decline all interventions including induction, sweeps, addition growth scans and consultant-led care (I was over 40 at birth so they tried to push everything onto me but that was my only risk factor), so I didn't have any scan based measurements to compare to.

To add, I'm not totally in the alternative, natural birth camp despite how it may come across. But I do think birth has become over medicalised at a population level. People are advised into interventions without being given all the information, time and space to make a fully informed decisions about what is actually best for them holistically.

I was told throughout pregnancy that my stomach was huge, baby was going to be huge, baby is too big for dates and so on. Had all the GD tests and was fine. Baby was born a few days after the due date at 8lbs. Hardly that big! So for me, it was inaccurate

I was in the same boat as @Gruffporcupine and had a 39 week induction for a big baby. Bump measured off charts. Had a 4 day horrendous labour which resulted in an instrumental (horrific) birth and a massive PPH. Long term issues as a result of the birth.

Baby was just under 9 pounds.

Baby 2 - was not going through that again. Then had growth scans and baby was measuring small. Tracking small all the way through so opted for 37 week induction as they were so worried (I had other health complications too).

Baby was just under 9 pounds.

It is far, far from an exact science!! There's a good 20-25% margin of error.

• 37 week section, not induction!

I was offered induction from 39 weeks with DD2, and the unexpectedly large size of her sister was one of the factors in discussions with the consultant (but also other factors). My decision was to induce around 40 weeks if no signs of labour (but DD2 arrived before then).

7.5 lbs at 36 weeks would typically mean about 9.5 lbs at 40 weeks, so big, but only a couple ounces bigger than your first. I can definitely see why in your situation – a history of two vaginal births but two long, unpleasant inductions, plus your children at home – , you'd look at waiting until about 40 week before induction, as long as there are no other concerns for you or baby. Even if you do end up with an induction, the more ready your body is, the better it usually goes. Maybe sweeps before that, depending on your feelings about those?

I'm one of those women who had several unproductive inductions followed by an emergency section! My bump measured ahead all the way through pregnancy with my son, they were convinced it was GD, even after every test came back negative. They offered induction or section and I chose induction. Growth scans were accurate for me and he was born at 39+3 at 9lbs 6oz. I now think he would have been one of those babies who came 2 weeks late and would have been an absolute giant!!!

Now on my second pregnancy and everything is the same - huge bump, 2 negative GTTs and yet they still want me to have another growth scans (I'm 37 weeks on Friday). This time round, I'm opting for a section because I want to remember the birth of my child and it seems the most likely way for me to achieve this. I can understand your reasons for wanting to avoid this, so I think I'd be avoiding an intervention until 42 weeks unless I knew I had really reliable help lined up at home for a couple of weeks!!