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Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.

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Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.

Childbirth

Scans showing BIG BABY - help!!

26 replies

Galmum · 21/12/2006 09:47

I have had 2 scans in the last week. Both show a really big baby.
Estimated weight 8lbs at 34+4 !!!!!!!
Trying to stay cool but struggling! I am quite tall at 5ft 9, so it's not that surprising I suppose!
Any tips on having a big baby, especially encouraging it to arrive sooner rather than later. My ds was born at 39+2 at 7lbs 8, so hopefully I tend to cook on the shorter side.

OP posts:

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pantomimEdam · 21/12/2006 09:51

scans can be very inaccurate (+ or - 20 per cent is normal) although having two the same makes it more likely they are along the right lines, I suppose.

TinsellyRhino · 21/12/2006 09:53

you are quite tall and I was always told that helped, something about the pelvis being aomething....sorry no idea what but trying(and failing) to make you feel better

and it is true that they aren't totally accurate

TheBlonde · 21/12/2006 09:55

As Edam says scans can be way out
I was told DS would be well over 9lb (didn't worry me as I was big and my bro was over 10lb)
He was only 8lb despite being 2 weeks late

Try not to worry
Remember for birth it's the size of the head that matters!!

ComeOyeFaithfulVeneer · 21/12/2006 09:56

DS was born 2weeks early weighing in at 10lbs. I am only 5ft 5 (but my father is6ft 4). Nobody menioned anything about his size throughout pregnancy or labour and even the midwife was shocked when he was weighed. I delivered in theatre, prepped for a c section but only because when my waters broke there was a lot of meconium, nothing to do with his size, but in the endI delivered naturally.

hermykne · 21/12/2006 10:01

im 5ft 5/6 and my 2nd child was bron 11lb2, i am sure he was ready to come out 2wks prior to his delivery date but he wasnt overdue , bang on time according to my doc. but i think he agreed with me after the delivery!
it was the weight of him in the last 10 days that was agonising.
god i am laughing to myself thinking about it now - he really was huge. it was a c/s but a woman on the ward gave birth to an 11lb 6 a few hrs later, it was her 5th/6th child.

Galmum · 21/12/2006 17:30

Thanks ladies!!

I'm going to plan a campaign of activties to help the baby along and think positively about the birth, no matter how big the baby is! Got to say the head is big on scan, but in proportion with the rest of bubba, so we'll see.

I know the scans are only estimates but I'm inclined to agree - not only have I been scanned by a consultant and a professor within a week, but I can tell that the baby is big at the moment. My bump is huge, it weighs a ton and the baby feels big to me compared to my last pregnancy. Saying that who can tell how it will grow in the next few weeks - it may slow down and not end up that large! Planning to go for vb and do my best!

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asleep · 21/12/2006 17:47

DS was born natural delivery and was 11lb 1oz. midwife and DP couldn't believe it when he was weighed. i would have wanted a cs section if i had known beforehand! nobody ever mentioned he would be big. he's now 6.5 months and his weight is just above average.

NAB3 · 21/12/2006 17:52

Don't take the scans as gospel. Mine were all out, even hours before the birth. I doubt your body would grow a baby bigger than you could deliever!!

TuttiFrutti · 21/12/2006 17:59

Sorry, this isn't what you'll want to hear, but I disagree with NAB3: your body definitely can grow a baby which is too big for you to deliver.

Obviously some women do have successful vaginal deliveries of huge babies, but there are a lot of c-sections and assisted deliveries with 3rd/4th degree tears for this reason. My ds was 9lb 8 with a huge head circumference (more important than weight) and I was told if I had delivered him naturally I would have had a 4th degree tear and be "pooing out of the wrong hole". Sorry if TMI.

But Galmum, scans are notoriously inaccurate so your baby could be smaller than everyone thinks. Also, it's your second baby so the birth will be easier anyway.

COPPERfeelunderSantasTOP · 21/12/2006 18:00

I had 2 growth scans for dd, both showing that she was off the charts for abdomen size, big head etc. My bump was consistently 4-5wks bigger than it should've been and my 2 boys had both been big. Dd turned out to be just 8lbs 4oz and was just long and slim.

With ds2 I was induced early as he was going to be big, but the consultant said that the hospital no longer does this.

Galmum · 21/12/2006 20:45

I do know of a couple of people who have grown babies to big to deliver!! Probably does n't help. One friend is very petite and though her ds2 was n't really huge (he was compared to her!), she spent a couple of days in labour until they agreed he just was n't going to come out. DS1 had got a bit stuck on the way out, so she had previous history. The other person had an 11lb 11oz that also needed to come out the sunroof in the end !!

It does make me feel better though that you can have big scans and end up with a long, skinny one! To be fair the consultants are not predicting a birth weight...yes I'm big now but who's to say how it will grow in the meantime. I'm also taking heart from the fact that lots of people often don't know they're having a big one till afterwards.

Atleast it's my second!!

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DingdongMegaLegsonhigh · 21/12/2006 20:58

I am tall and I have had 4 big babies, DS1 10lbs 10, DS2 9lbs, DS3 10lbs 15ozs (ow!) and DS4 9lb3 (although he was a cs but not due to his size) I had a small tear that required stitches with ds1 but didn't need stitches after ds2 and 3.

I don't know what I did but I just kind of breathed them out, can't really describe it, I never actually physically pushed I just let the contractions ease them out. This probably sounds like bolleaux but it's hard to expalin.

lulumama · 21/12/2006 21:00

not bollueax...some research shows the expulsive efforts of the uterus as it contracts is enough to birth the baby while you concentrate on keeping relaxed ! as it were!

scans can really be inaccurate..and your body, as NAB says, tends to make babies it can deliver!

im sure a mnetter delivered an 11 lb baby recently , vaginally....

DingdongMegaLegsonhigh · 21/12/2006 21:08

I remember the 11 pounder, had a quick look at the birth announcements but couldn't see it. it was quite recent.

I found that when I delivered my boys I kind of zoned out, with ds3 I could feel he was enormous and just completely shut myself off to the mw saying" Come on Mummy, have your baby, come on mummy, have your baby"

asleep · 21/12/2006 21:10

oh that would be me then? i used to be lilacbump.

lulumama · 21/12/2006 21:11

yes..and prettycandles too !

DingdongMegaLegsonhigh · 21/12/2006 21:12

I was an ounce off the 11 pounder club

Galmum · 21/12/2006 21:14

Thanks both

Dingdong (you are amazing!)and Lulumama - I can't tell you how much better I feel! My sister's biggest was 9lb 10 - so I do know it can be done, but it helps to hear about some other people as well. I now feel like getting back into my breathing exercises, hypnobirthing CD and book. Have been going to pregnancy yoga classes since 16 weeks.

I know I'm extra nervous because of how special this baby is and what a difficult time it is for me and dh. Our gorgeous ds1 died this June aged 3 of cancer, 2 years after he was diagnosed. I was 7/8 weeks pregnant when he died and it was so important that we were able to tell him about the little baby brother and sister. It feels like this baby is blessed and I just so want everything to be ok - if the baby has made it through the worst time in my life, then I'm going to do my best to push bubba out! It explains why I'm a bit nervous.

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asleep · 21/12/2006 21:15

really?! just found her birth announcement! i used to be on the ttc threads with her IIRC.

asleep · 21/12/2006 21:17

aww galmum, i wish you all the best.

bctmum · 21/12/2006 21:18

my lo was big - just let your body do the work - be in the best position for the birth & labour.

lulumama · 21/12/2006 21:21

Galmum...so sorry you lost your precious little one

i can see why you want this all to go so well...

try reading Ina May;s guide to childbirth and Spiritual midwifery...which remind us that birth is a natural physiological process , that is achievable!

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DingdongMegaLegsonhigh · 21/12/2006 21:23

Oh Galmum - so sorry to hear about your dear little DS. How terrible for you and your DH, but this new baby will bring you such joy and be so, so special. It's an emotional time anyway but you have so much more to cope with.

The yoga and hypno birth stuff sounds excellent, do as much as you can to make it a positive experience.

You are in my prayers and I'll keep an eye out for your birth announcement.

Harry2007 · 21/12/2006 22:13

Hi Galmum - very sorry to hear about your lo.

Congrats on the pregnancy though. Funnily enough, I'm 34+4 today and have also been told that I'm having a big baby. I was last scanned at 32 weeks and told that he was 5lbs 5, which is nothing compared to yours! I'm booked in for a CS at 38 weeks (or sooner!)due to severe SPD so I don't have huge reservations about his size but I have to admit, before I was booked in for the CS, I was very nervous with this being my first baby and with a very large head circumference!

I'll be very interested to know wther your scan was correct with regards to the weight - I'll let you know whether mine was right too - I wonder which one of us will have our baby first!

Galmum · 22/12/2006 12:15

Thanks for kind messages - glad to see you're on the Jan thread Harry2007.

I'm due the day before you - 27th Jan. I have a feeling that they're not going to let me get that far. I've another growth scan in 2 weeks - staying cool and not discussing induction until then. In the meantime I'm going to start "operation get ready for baby".

PS I think I'm 1/5 engaged - hopefully that is a good sign. Atleast the baby is head down and in an ok position.

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