What do YOU consider to be a "big" baby?

[smeep]

Of course I don't mean too big to birth vaginally, I just mean what you consider to be a "big" baby...not necessarily what you see as a big baby on technical terms, but a size that you hear and immediately think, "Big baby!" even if you logically know it's a perfectly normal size.

I just ask because I've found that a lot of people consider DS to have been a "big" baby at 8lb10oz....but, to me, I don't consider a baby "big" until over 10 lbs...MAYBE at 9 1/2. To me, anything under 8 is small and anything under 7 is tiny. That's just how I think when I hear of babies born at those weights. And I'm sure it's because I had a midwife who estimated DS to be 8.5-9lbs and never once said anything about him being "big" (more just "good size") or ever insinuated that I would be unable to birth him due to his size, as well as the fact that my niece was 8lbs and change...so that's what I viewed as normal.

So what do you view as "normal" and, thus, view as "big" or "small?"

[AFWife]

DS was 7lbs 15oz and 21 in long. People kept saying how "big" he was...I didn't see it that way.

Now, DH's coworker had a baby that was 6lbs and change...to me that's TEENY TINY. When she brought the baby up to work DH goes, "Aw, I remember when Franklin was that tiny" and someone turned to him and goes, "Wait, was he EVER that tiny?" DH started laughing..

[Mrs.Music]

I notice that the newborn size clothing is for between 5-8lbs so I imagine that is going to be the mainstream view of what is normal size for a newborn baby. I don't tend to comment on the size of a baby unless it's over 9 or under 6 lbs. My babies have been 2lbs 6oz and 5lbs 3oz, and I'm pretty sure if M had gone to term he'd have been 9lbs-ish. We had 7 weeks left. So that's kind of what I'm expecting this time around. Before having my first, I assumed I'd have 6.5-7lbs babies.

[jeminijad]

9.5+, or alternately 22"+. If they are born fitting into Newborn clothes, they aren't big.

[mama to 2 girls]

Just adding my 2 cents..... DD1 was a bit over 8lbs. and DD2 was a bit under and everyone commented on what a good size they were and I kept looking at people like they were crazy but then my neighbor across the street had a bit over 6lbs. baby girl and when i saw her for the first time when she was only a day old in the hospital and then thought back about the size of my girls at birth they DID seem huge! I have a feeling that is what most people are thinking when they see babies over 7 1/2 or 8 lbs. they are probably used to seeing little tiny 6lbers.

I have always said all my life that I don't really consider a baby "big" until they get to the 10lbs. mark and when ds was born weighing in at 10+lbs. he was definitely a big baby. Once you get to the 11lbs. mark I call that HUGE!

[treeoflife3]

10-11 pounds or bigger. I voted on 11+. Everyone in my family has 8 pound babies (I was 7 and change but my mom smoked and she is positive that is why) so 8 pounds is NORMAL to me. anything smaller feels small rather than normal 6 pounds and under starts creeping to teeny hehe.

kiddo's old ped said she was almost too big at 8 4.5. I don't remember the term he used but he was apparently concerned about babies being cooked for too long and getting too big. she was 5 days past EDD...

[mmaramba]

I said 9.5+, but wavered between that and 10+.

I agree that the "mainstream" seems to think anything over 8 (especially over 8.5) is OMGHUGE. The mind boggles.

If I dig into my subconscious (or semi-conscious).... I think of 6.5-9.5 as "normal/average," 5.5-6.5 "as small" <5.5 as "tiny" or assume preemie. 9.5-11 is "big," 11-12 "really big," and anything over 12 OMG!!!!!!!!

[ariatrance]

I know I thought my 6 lb. 10 oz. pre-term baby was small when I saw him next to a full term baby - she was around 9 lbs. though. Of course, he was all head and no body/butt....

My daughter was 8 lbs. even, normal size to me, and the ped. nurse in the hospital kept talking about how huge she was. Made me soooo mad!

[jessica_s]

Since I had what everyone considers ZOMG BIG! at 9lbs 7oz and I thought that was not that big and pretty normal I'd say a "pretty good sized" baby is 9-10lbs. At 11lb or over I'd say ZOMG BIG BABY!

[WifeofAnt]

I think under 7 is small, 7-9 is about average, above 9 lbs is kinda big, and above 9.5 is definitely big. (A friend just had a 10 lb baby, he was friggin huge IMHO.)

[~PurityLake~]

10 pounds and up. I think length might make one baby appear larger than another, or head size, or overall chubbiness. Individual numbers don't mean a whole lot.

For example, both my babies were measured as 19.5 inches long at birth, but due to their differing features, and weight, and head size, and hair color, One was massively larger than the other, although both their weights would have fallen in the 'normal' range.

[Chloe'sMama]

I really think a 'big' baby is over 10, and between 8-10 is a 'good size' baby and anything under 8 I think of as small (not bad small, just little). DD1 was 10 lbs, 5 oz and DD2 was 9 lbs, 12 oz and I thought DD2 was so tiny....I kept saying that, but it must have been mommy hormones because midwife said "I don't know what baby you are looking at" and then she weighed in at almost 10lbs. I don't know...

[Dmitrizmom]

To me, 10+ is big. 11+ is huge.

Ds was 8lb 6oz, dd1 was 8lb 11oz, dd2 was 8lb 7oz... nice sizes.

Babies under 7 lbs are small to me.

[Thyme Mama]

Originally Posted by Chloe'sMama

I really think a 'big' baby is over 10, and between 8-10 is a 'good size' baby and anything under 8 I think of as small (not bad small, just little). DD1 was 10 lbs, 5 oz and DD2 was 9 lbs, 12 oz and I thought DD2 was so tiny....I kept saying that, but it must have been mommy hormones because midwife said "I don't know what baby you are looking at" and then she weighed in at almost 10lbs. I don't know...

i totally agree! 8-10 lbs is a "good" sized baby to me too.

one of my babies was 6 lb 6 oz and 19.25" long. i thought she was teeny-tiny. dh was afraid to hold her she looked so fragile. she even fit preemie clothes for a couple months.

i think size is also relative to the mom/parents. 8 lbs may be huuuge for some, small-ish to others. variety is so much fun!

[emaye_to_2]

I consider 10 pounds+ a big baby. I know many women who've given birth to babies larger than 10 pounds naturally but both of mine were 7.5 pounds.

[TrishWSU]

Originally Posted by Mrs.Music

I notice that the newborn size clothing is for between 5-8lbs so I imagine that is going to be the mainstream view of what is normal size for a newborn baby.

What's funny about those size ranges is that NB size clothes were still too big on my 8lb 4oz surro daughter, and huge on my 6lb 14oz dd-she coulld actually wear premie clothes the first month. What to actual premies wear?

I think length makes a big difference in the apperance of a baby too. I've had "average" size babies-6lb14oz, 7lb15oz, 8lb4oz...But the 2nd one was only 19" so he looked very chubby at 7lb15oz (he was a like a little butterball, lol1) whereas the 8lb4oz baby was 21 3/4" and she looked so much smaller than #2. I was very surprised to find out she actually weighed more.

I tend to think the 7-10 lb range is normal, over 10 lbs is big, and under 7 is small. I thought my DD was tiny at 6lb14oz.

[AngelBee]

I answered for "me" to birth:9+lbs. That is because my babies so far have been 7lb 3oz -7lb 10oz.

But when I see others babies, over 10 lbs.

[Veritaserum]

My biggest (first) was 7 lbs. 13 oz. and my smallest (last) was 6 lbs. 11 oz. I voted big is over 10 lbs. My youngest brother was 11 lbs. 10 oz., which meant he looked more like a 2mo than a newborn. He couldn't wear any newborn clothes.

[WifeofAnt]

Originally Posted by Thyme Mama

i think size is also relative to the mom/parents. 8 lbs may be huuuge for some, small-ish to others. variety is so much fun!

Yep. Both DH and I are smaller than average (both right around 5'4") but while small-ness runs in his family I think my growth was stunted. Average height in his family is 5'2" to 5'7", average height in mine is 5'6" to 6'5". This LO better take after Daddy or else he'll be bigger than us by 11 or 12 years old!

[broodymama]

My biggest was 10 lbs, so for me 11+ lbs starts to get to the big baby range. DS1 was only a little over 8 lbs and he just seemed so tiny. I'm not comfortable (just me, personally, for my babies) with anything under 9 lbs, I feel clumsy and awkward.