How big is big?

[ChetMC]

milansmommy's thread about birthing big babies got me wondering about how large a newborn has to be before it's really a "big baby." What do you think?

[mama to 2 girls]

I think it's just going to be a matter of opinion but I've always said (even before I had my 10+lber) that once you get to 10+lbs I consider a baby big and then from there I suppose it's just a matter of big, bigger and then huge.... but I do think it also depends on how big mama is.....If the mama has a small frame (I don't think short or tall is a way to tell, i've known plenty of mama's that are short with bigger frames and tall mama's with small frames) then an 8lber would be big. JMO.

[Evergreen]

I think over 10 lbs is big. That doesn't mean that even small moms can't birth them without complications but whenever I see a 10 lb newborn I realize it is the size my second dd was at about 3 months!

[Lineymom]

I said over 10. My two were 10#4 and 11#1. I feel like if this baby (due next month) is anything under 10 she will not be big. However, I had long babies, first was 22 second was 23in. Though it does not make the pregnancy itself any less comfortable, a longer baby would have to be easier to birth! So I guess a 9#er at 18in would be pretty big!

Also, I guess the head, and speaking from experience, the chest measurement really makes a difference. Both my boys had 15 in heads. The first had 15 in chest and the second had a 15&1/2 in chest. The 1/2in made a huge difference!!!!!

[Vespertina]

Over 10. I think it depends on the gender and gestation at birth, though. A baby girl born at 38 weeks at 10 lbs is very big for being 'early.' A baby born at 42 weeks that's 10-11 lbs is often expected to be big.

I know one mama that had her 11 lb baby at 37 weeks. That's huge. Imagine if she went to 40+ weeks.

[milansmommy]

I voted over 10 lbs but I do think it makes a difference how big/small the momma is. I would say that for an Asian women who tend to be petite that a 9 or 9.5 lb baby would be considered big. I'm 5'5" and about 120 lbs not pregnant and I managed to have an almost 12.5lb baby. I do have a long torso for being on the shorter side so it's easy for me to carry a big baby and appearntly I have a big enough pelvis for them to pass through. Most people who see me in person are even more shocked that I had such a big baby because I'm pretty small.

[Kidzaplenty]

I chose over 9 pounds because that's where two of mine fell, and my docs usually make a huge fuss over it. But, since most of mine were around 7, the 9.5 does seem quite large.

[DCMama01]

I consider 9+ pounds to be big.

[StephM76]

I'd say over 10 is big.

[minkajane]

Originally Posted by Semper Gumby

Over 10. I think it depends on the gender and gestation at birth, though. A baby girl born at 38 weeks at 10 lbs is very big for being 'early.' A baby born at 42 weeks that's 10-11 lbs is often expected to be big.

I know one mama that had her 11 lb baby at 37 weeks. That's huge. Imagine if she went to 40+ weeks.

The baby probably would have weighed less. Babies tend to get a bit smaller in the last couple of weeks, which is what makes the "early induction for huge baby" craze so ridiculous. One of the signs of a post-term baby is that he's skinny.

[Bokonon]

My kids were 3-6.5 and 4-8 at birth, so anything bigger than 5 pounds is big to me.

[nathansmum]

I think of my right on 9lbers as having been big, but not "big" if that makes sense? And the only reason I thought they were big is because I'm a petite 5' and all my much taller friends seemed to have 6-7lb babies!

[mntnmom]

10 pds is big... but not necessarily TOO big. It's all a matter of perspective. Some ladies cringe at the idea of an 8 pd baby, but I'd be afraid I'd give birth and not notice. While some ladies shrug at an 11 pder, the idea makes me nauseous!

[MsBlack]

Originally Posted by minkajane

The baby probably would have weighed less. Babies tend to get a bit smaller in the last couple of weeks, which is what makes the "early induction for huge baby" craze so ridiculous. One of the signs of a post-term baby is that he's skinny.

Sorry, this is not correct--babies don't tend to get smaller in the last weeks. What happens is that their growth rate slows greatly. I do totally agree with you tho, that induction at 37-39wks for 'size' is silly, since the vast majority of babies are not going to get appreciably bigger in the final weeks. They might gain some ounces of fat, but fat is squishy and will not impede birth! But a baby's head and shoulders are not going to get bigger in that time (and it's bones that make a very small...very very very small...number of babies difficult to birth).

From about 32wks to 38wks, baby growth is around 1/2 lb a week. From 38-40wks, it reduces to around 1/4lb a wk. After 40wks, growth slows again to less than 1/4 lb a week. Now mind you, these numbers are 'average' and 'estimated' and there are lots variations on the norm. Some women's babies might grow more (or less) than 1/2 lb a week during the Big Growth Time--some might slow their growth sooner/later in gestation. The main idea here is that it is actually fairly rare for babies to lose weight during pregnancy, what occurs is a great slowing of babies growth when all is otherwise normal.

As for postdates babies--yes, some of them look a bit shrunken, may be dehydrated at birth or become dehydrated within the first 24hrs (when there is little breastmilk available). They are not necessarily 'skinny'--might be somewhat large/plump depending on size and other factors, but have an appearance of being wrinkled/shrunken a bit, due to dehydration. In this case, the placenta is just not working so well anymore, cannot deliver enough nutrients/fluids to continue baby's growth or even maintain baby's basics like adequate hydration.

And for me, a Big Baby is at least 10 lbs.

[beckyand3littlemonsters]

i voted over 10lb, my biggest has been 9lb 6oz though but i don't think he was too big, yes compared to thers he was on the big side as they were 7lb 9oz, 7lb 13oz and 7lb 10.5oz.

[Lineymom]

Speaking of big babies, does anyone know the "record" if there is such of biggest vaginal birth? You heard probably about the 19lber birth by cs a few weeks ago and that was not the record for a cs, but what about naturally???

[lifescholar]

10+ pounds.

My first was 8 lbs. 11oz, but I think he would have weighed at least 9 lbs. if he hadn't been postdates. He was pretty scrawny. He was 22" long, and his head circumference was 14.5". His HC and length were off the chart, but his weight was in the 95th percentile.

I think this baby is a girl, so I'm expecting around the same as my son, but who knows! I didn't tear at all with my son, so I say bring on a 10+-pounder! lol

[Ruthla]

I had two 9 lb babies, so I voted that over 10 is big. Anything bigger than I birthed myself seems big!

In reality, I know that a 9 lb newborn is "big" because I can't buy "newborn" clothes for them and newborn diapers (disposable) don't fit for more than a week.

[fwlady]

I put over 9lbs, because I have tiny babies. I am average height and weight. But, my babies have been 6/4 on due date, 7/11 at 23 days late, 6/4 at 10 days late, 6/12 on due date, THEN my 9/3 at 26 days which was HUGE to me because I have NEVER had a big baby before, and then 7/12 at 23 days late, and 7 even at 15 days late. And, I gain plenty of weight. I gained a lot with my big baby, but I also craved sugar, so I do wonder if I had some GD going on. But, he was great, birth was great, UC with no transfer. I can't complain. But, I do cut back on the sugar after 5 mos now, because I don't want to do THAT big of a baby again. LOL So, not all overdue babies are BIG. My mother went late and also had 8lb babies in the end. But, I was 3 wks late myself, and only 7/9 as a 2nd child. Her first was 3 wks early and 7/4. Isn't that strange? LOL I can't imagine being 6 wks later for one than the other. She had some real patience. LOL Kymberli

[notjustmamie]

I voted "other" because, while I tend to think of anything over about 9lbs as pretty big, I think it's worthwile to point out that the medical definition of macrosomia varies from 4000g (8lbs 13oz) to 4500g (9lbs 15 oz) and current ACOG practice guidelines don't recommend any special interventions for babies estimated at less than 5000g (11lbs).