Healthier maternal diet = smaller baby?

[Carolyn R]

With my fourth birth, baby was quite large (10 lbs, 4 oz) and her delivery ended up being quite stressful. She was really "stuck" for lack of a better term...full crowning took forever, and my midwife had to really maneuver and gently tug to get her out. As a result of the prolonged crowning and delivery, she was born pretty floppy and dusky; there was a silent minute or two until she got going.

My other babies were 4 lbs, 5 oz (preemie), 8 lbs, and 8 lbs, 14 oz. I didn't have any trouble delivering them.

When talking with my midwife several months after the birth, I expressed my concern that the trend seems to be for my babies to be getting larger each time, and that I was worried if we had another one it would be even bigger. Knowing that my diet had been less-than-perfect (too many sweets, refined flour, etc) she suggested that a healthier way of eating next time can have an impact on the size of the baby. (ie too much sugar, etc can contribute to a large baby)

Has anyone found this to be true?

Before we conceive agin, I have been slowly trying to eat healthier...more whole foods, much less "junk food", more nutrient dense oils, etc and more exercise.

Just wondering if anyone has any experience to share. Obviously, I am sure there are women who eat very healthy and still have large babies, I guess I am more specifically looking for any stories of women who changed their eating habits during their childbearing years, and any effect it had on subsequent birth weights.

Thanks so much!

[MsBlack]

I have known some mamas much like you--who did cut out the excessive sugars and fats, and did have smaller babies as a result. Just 'smaller enough' to avoid repeating a 'sticky birth'!

And well...eating healthier sure never hurt anyone

[kltroy]

Well generally healthier diet = healthier mom = less pregnancy weight gain (not always) = smaller baby. Now all of these are *general* associations, but you can see how there is a link. But by keeping mom's weight gain in particular in check (like around 30 lbs or so, versus 50-70 lbs, which is what some moms gain!) you can keep the baby up to a pound smaller. Not a bad thing if you tend to cook large babies.

[loveneverfails]

I think it largely depends on why your baby was big. You can sugar binge your way to a larger baby. But also, at least for me, I protein binged by way to a baby who was bigger than his sugar laden older sister. So, next pregnancy I controlled sugars throughout and did not protein load, and I had a baby who was smaller than both of them even though she was the latest birth I've had. My protein binge baby (tried to follow Brewer Diet amounts of protein) wasn't really chubby so much as had a giant frame and he was *very* difficult for me to give birth to. Sugar baby had a smaller frame but very very chubby.

I don't know if that is helpful, but that's what my experience has been. Good luck!

[homemademom]

Originally Posted by loveneverfails

I think it largely depends on why your baby was big. You can sugar binge your way to a larger baby. But also, at least for me, I protein binged by way to a baby who was bigger than his sugar laden older sister. So, next pregnancy I controlled sugars throughout and did not protein load, and I had a baby who was smaller than both of them even though she was the latest birth I've had. My protein binge baby (tried to follow Brewer Diet amounts of protein) wasn't really chubby so much as had a giant frame and he was *very* difficult for me to give birth to. Sugar baby had a smaller frame but very very chubby.

I don't know if that is helpful, but that's what my experience has been. Good luck!

My experience was really similar to this. 2 of my babies were 9 1/2 lbs. One was born after following a very healthy, but protein-heavy diet. The other was born after following a not so healthy, refined carb filled diet. The protein baby was just big and solid. The carby baby was chubby with a small frame. My other two babies weighed a pound less and I followed a moderate, healthy diet with both.

All to say that too much protein or too many carbs seemed to produce my biggest babies. With this pregnancy, I'm trying to get more legumes, which are filling and a good source of protein as well as complex carbs, on top of just eating healthier in general.

[MegBoz]

Well, exercising through your pregnancy leads to smaller babies (specifically, babies with less body fat - smaller "waist size" but similar "hat size" - head circumference.) So I would imagine a healthy diet might lead to a smaller baby too.

Also bear in mind that refined flour is a "much like sugar" carb - and refined carbs make our blood sugar spike & crash. We DO know that diabetes DOES lead to bigger babies - so I would imagine it's not an unreasonable logical leap to think:
-blood sugar that's not well controlled (spiking & crashing) which does happen as a result of eating a 'sugary' diet leads to big babies even in mothers without GD.
Seems reasonable to me.

Try adding Quinoa to your diet as a healthy carb (RINSE well & cook in chicken broth with some lemon & white wine instead of water - it's not good plain) & lentils - in soups or lentil burgers, beans too & oatmeal.