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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

big baby has anyone delivered a smaller baby than the scan suggested?? v.v.worried

43 replies

Pinkbump3 · 08/04/2009 20:27

I'm 38 weeks pg and have been constantly told im having "big baby" its scrawled all over my notes

this is my third and my other 2 dds where 9lbs13 and 8lbs13 so im used to big

but they have been sending me for growth scans and i had one today which says the baby is 9lbs10 today with 2 weeks to go!!

im worried sick as i had really bad tear and infection with my 9lbs13 dd but even when i was expecting her they never went on about her size in this way. They have predicted she will be 10 and a half pounds plus!

I spoke to the consultant and they are booking me in to be induced next wed if i dont go before (they swept my membranes on mon but obv still nothing)

has anyone had any experience with this? what did your baby weigh compared to the scan measurement?

i dont know if im posting in the right thread so i have posted in childbirth thread as well thanks x

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Pinkjenny · 09/04/2009 10:39

I had a 37 week scan because dd was breech. The consultant said to me, "This is a biiiiiig baby". She was 6lb 14.5oz.

MmeLindt · 09/04/2009 10:46

A friend was worried all through her pregnancy as she was told that her baby was big. He was a very normal just under 4kg baby (sorry, don't do imperial, think that is about 8lbs?)

As to induction, I have had two as I have never gone into labour spontaneously despite DD being 2 weeks late and with DS my waters broke but 24 hours later no contractions.

DD's birth was very gentle, they gradually upped the meds and when they saw that I was not progressing, they offered me an epidural before bumping them up further. I laboured a long time but with the epidural it was more than bearable. I said immediately after the birth that it was a wonderful experience and one that I would love to repeat.

With DS it was a very different story. We were in a different hospital, the midwife kept upping the meds, every 30 mins until I was really struggling after only 3 hours. With DD I had got along fine for 8 hours before they offered the epidural.

DS was born by Crash CS after getting into some distress. He was fine, but it took me some time to get over the traumatic birth.

My gynae was not present at the birth (she was not affiliated with a hospital) and when she read my notes she was horrified. In her opinion the CS was absolutely avoidable.

We always said that two children were enough for us, but after DS's birth I said that I would never have another baby as I was so traumatised.

I think that a well handled induction can still be a good birth experience. But a poorly handled one can be horrible.

Really, an induction should just be a wee push to get things started. Not bloody great shove that knocks you for six.

MmeLindt · 09/04/2009 10:50

Oh, and when I had DS there was a woman in the bed opposite. She came in pregnant, disappeared for 4 hours then reappeared with her baby. He was 5kg (that is about 11lbs if I have converted that right) and she had no tears, completely natural birth. In less than 4 hours.

mumnosbest · 09/04/2009 10:52

My big baby was only 6lb 8 but she was a month early

thisisyesterday · 09/04/2009 18:59

seeker, afaik there is no real link between big babies and diffcult labour.

although, it may be true that because people are scared witless by consultants telling them their babies are big and ending up with inductions that they do end up with more intervention. so overall I guess statistics COULD say that you have a more difficult time with a big baby. but I for one would question the reasons behind it iyswim???

i know a lovely lady who had an 11lb 12 baby at home with no pain relief! :D

i think that some people just have big babies, and it is certainly said that your body won't make a baby bigger than you can birth. That obv doesn't apply to women with GD and stuff.

I also think that actually the size/weight of the baby is fairly irrelevant. it's the head circumference and shoulders that are the issue (partic in regard to tearing) and it's totally possible to have something like a shoulder dystocia with a small baby as well as a large one

thisisyesterday · 09/04/2009 19:00

big baby website that a mumsnetter has created

thisisyesterday · 09/04/2009 19:00

this page def worth a read OP if you're still there!

Original poster

Pinkbump3 · 09/04/2009 21:20

Thank you all for the messages and the links im going to have a look at them in a min,

I have been out with friends today both who have 4 children and have births from natural to emergency section and induction so it was good to have a really good chat and ask loads of qs about their births.

I have decided that if i dont go by tues when im due to see mw that i would like to wait and try natural labour as i have gone by myself before and well i guess just deal with her size when the time comes, i think my mw will be on my side.And the sonographer was not concerned with her head or abdomen size as he said she was in perfect porpotion (sp!)

On the plus side i am having loads of pains today so i hope things are moving by theself {fingers crossed} thanks for all your messages and i will let you know what the outcome is!

OP posts:

jerichomum · 09/04/2009 21:28

I ended up accepting the (ill-informed) advice to have an elective c-section as at 40 weeks the hospital reckoned my baby was going to be 10lb 8oz after a scan. My daughter (my first) turned out to be 8lb 12oz. After that I had 3 homebirths - I was very put off by this poor medical advice and didn't want to go to hospital again - and had my last baby at home with no tearing or difficulty, and he did weigh 10lb 3oz. So much for scans AND medical advice!

Good luck with whatever you decide to do! It's so stressful at the end of pregnancy when you're being pressurised.

LittleMonkeysMummy · 09/04/2009 21:50

I was told from the start that my DD was a big baby and had fortnightly growth scans from about 24 weeks. At 36 weeks I was told she was at least 10lbs then. She arrived 4 days late (40+4) weighing in at a whopping 6lb 11oz

Cazzaben · 09/04/2009 22:51

I was told to expect a 10lb baby with my first...

He came out at 5lb 8oz...

Quite a huge difference there...
My second I was told I would have a 10lb+ with regular scans and he came out at 8lb 8oz... So no I dont think the scan are always right...

ib · 09/04/2009 22:59

I was told ds would be huge - he was born just before his due date and was 7lb7.

thisisyesterday · 10/04/2009 19:21

pinkbump, the main thing in your favour IMO is that you have already delivered 2 biggish babies with no probs. I know you had the tearing with the first, but in terms of getting stuck and things liek that there were no problems were there?
so your body CAN do it

Original poster

Pinkbump3 · 10/04/2009 20:24

yes your right i have delivered big babies so not worried about baby being "stuck" just tearing badly as i can still feel the moment i tore and the pain and stitches getting done

Thanks for the messages with your scan and baby weight results everyone it really does help,i cant believe how much the scan measurements have been out on some of the occasions!

Although i wont have any wishful thinking on my baby being small as i have had 2 bigger babies but hopefully shes not the 11lbs plus that my mind is sure i'm having!

on the brighter side i am feeling more positive about it all today, i unpacked and re-packed my hospital bag and sorted out first outfit ( 0-3months size of course!)for baby etc so got a little excitement going on

OP posts:

thisisyesterday · 10/04/2009 20:26

perhaps do some reasrch into ways of preventing tearing?
perineal massage is supposed to help, and so is waterbirth if that's an option you'd consider?
a good midwife should also be able to help deliver with you intact where possible so make sure they know you're worried about it when you arrive at hosp

katlokna · 13/04/2009 13:43

I had a scan in the delivery suite that put my DS at about 7 and a half pounds. he was born about 6 hours later via c-section weighing 4lbs 11 and a half ozs. They can definately go a bit wrong.

Original poster

Pinkbump3 · 22/04/2009 21:31

Hi just thought i'd post the outcome of my "big baby".

I went for the induction on wed the 15th after talking things over with dp and mw we decided it would be for the best.
After i shot of pessary my waters ruptured spontainously (sp!) they estimated 3ltrs ! all very embarassing as i was on a ward at the time and was stripped and made to stand on a pile of blankets off the bed, while they mopped up around me

Anyway i think the water magnified the scan as my beautiful daughter Fern was born weighing 9lbs 8oz and still tiny and perfect in proportion! and there was no tearing there was the burning ring of fire! lol but i listened to the mw and breathed panted and pushed when told so i think it really saved me! So thats that and now we have 3 dds we are sooo in love with our new baby obviously she is the most beautiful baby ever!
Just about to post a piccy to prove!lol

i will post the whole birth story on the right thread. But just wanted to say a huge thanks to all who shared the experiences with me and who took the time to answer my threads! x

OP posts:

thisisyesterday · 22/04/2009 21:35

congratulations pinkbump, what a lovely outcome

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