Preemie Vs. Full-Term Births

[sarlusan]

So we have made it to 37 weeks for our first full-term birth!! Thanks everyone for all your support and encouragement the past several weeks while we were on bedrest, procardia, etc. I've been off bedrest for a week now and I can't believe I am still pregnant!!!!

So all this time is giving me more time to worry about the birth itself. This is really a "full-term" question, not a preemie question, but as a comparison for those of you who've done it both ways - is it really that much harder when they are a little bit bigger? My mom was really freaking me out last night about how I wouldn't be able to do it without medication, etc, etc (which is weird because she had all three of us, full-term, naturally). I have labored without pain medication twice now, once while fully catheterized & IVd, and my babies were 4.5 and 5.5 pounds which weren't exactly micro-preemies. So this baby might be a few pounds heavier. But is the birth really going to be that much more difficult?

Thanks again for everyone's support - we are so excited to be having our first full-term baby!!!

[waldenmommy]

Eh, probably not. I had a 5 pound, 11 ounce 37 weeker, a 6 pound, 15 ounce 40 weeker and a 6 pound, 8 ounce 35 weeker, in that order. Honestly, they all felt the same coming out and the ring of fire, pressure, feel like I am going to have a giant bm (sorry for the tmi!) all felt the same! Unless you are looking at a FREAKISHLY huge kid (like 15 pounds or something) or the baby gets in a funny position, I think it all kinda feels the same. Remember, the average woman's pelvis can birth a 13 pound baby!

Oh, and I had all mine without pain meds. My 35 weeker was the most interventions- IV, constant monitoring and pit- but yet the easiest labor. My 40 weeker was the most intense but she is the most intense kid (heh!) and was in an odd position.

[pauletoy]

All of my were about the same. Don't let the negativity get to you. Remember "What we fear, we create!"

Congrats on making it to 37 weeks.

[nigellas]

My doctor commented on how well I did during my 34 weekers (unmedicated) birth - I told her it probably had a lot to do with him being under 5 lbs. She said that it really didn't make a difference and that labor hurts the same regardless- Might come out a little faster, but the contractions and pushing are the same.
HTH

[surprisedmama]

My 3lb 7oz was way faster than my other two but it was also my third. I would expect a little longer of a pushing phase but if you have done it before you can do it again !

[sbrinton]

I think women's bodies can be more efficient with a bigger baby. My midwife friend describes bigger babies as being a little like fiber (helping things along), at least as long as mom can be active and not flat on her back.

For me, my most painful labor was with my 31 weeker because I had to be in bed and my water had been ruptered for almost 2 weeks. My most comfortable labor was with my 35 weeker. With our first, who was born at 38 weeks, I ended up with an epidural because the nurses freaked me out and told me my labor would last another 6 hours...but our son was born 15 minutes after the epidural was in. I tore a little bit with him, but he was also my first.

[justmama]

My hardest and most painful labor was my 4lb 33weeker. My 6lb 40weeker and my 5lb 34weeker were much easier and less painful.

[susienjay]

My worst delivery of my 5 was with my 3 pound 29 weeker. I'd been on hospital bedrest 4 days and had the pressure things on my legs to prevent blood clots. I was still on Mag (with catheter) up until about 5 minutes before I delivered when they finally realized it wasn't working anymore. I had gotten nubain but it wore off so I went through most of labor feeling it all and barely able to move. I had my younger son last year at just shy of 39 weeks. I was able to walk around with my son and it was so much better. He was 5 pounds more than his sister but the pushing time was about the same. The main difference I noticed when I started pushing was that he felt a lot bigger than my dd.

[mysticmomma]

position has a lot more to do with pain or ease of labor than size IME.

[FiveLittleMonkeys]

Out of the 4, my worst labor/delivery was with our 34 weeker, who weighed 4 lb, 14 oz. The others were 7 lb, 9 oz, 7 lb, 12 oz and 8 lb, 3 oz. I had the longest pushing phase with our preemie.

I don't know if it made a difference that she was #3 and there had been bigger babies before her, or if she was in a weird position.

[~bookcase~]

congratulations - that's wonderful news

i don't think size makes much difference. my biggest was 6lb6oz and smallest 3lb6oz - the most uncomfortable births vagina-wise were the two who came out in the sac. pressure city!

your body already knows how to birth