Birth weight & Gestation; Genetic?

[SierraBella]

I was wondering about this.. are Birth weight & Gestation genetic? With my first 2, my XH was one week early and I was born 2 weeks late.. our babies were born at 41 weeks, each. Also.. he was about 6lbs and I was 7lbs at birth, and they were 6.11 & 7.7

My DF was 2 weeks early and 6lbs. Do you think our baby will be born on the EDD if it averages out like my first two did? Have your babies followed this pattern?

[AGierald]

my mom had preemies, i was 4lbs 7 oz, and my sister was 3lbs 12 oz, 18 inches long.. i don't know if my dh was early or late, but he weighed 7lbs 2oz.

our son was 40w4d and weighed 8lbs 8oz and was 21.5 inches long.

so i dont think its always genetic, lol.

[akind1]

I think both are to a point; my mom carried me 3 weeks "late", and the other 3 were more or less on time, however she was induced with the middle two (one was a stillbirth and the other breech and was induced immediately following the version), and needed an emergency c-section with the last (placental abruption w/ placenta previa)

my first was 2 weeks "late" . . .this one, we will see! I was 6 lbs 8 oz ish and DH was about 7 and a half (he has no siblings). DS, despite the extra cooking time, was only 6 14.  I think the weight has a lot to do with the mama, how big a baby she can really grow. some mamas just tend to cook bigger babies.

I don't know that it has much to do with the dad's genetics, think it depends far more on the mama.

[Abraisme]

I think WHEN the baby is born is more about your body, than the male genetics.  It is often based on health, your family history, stress, etc. 

I think how big the baby is could be from either side, but is likely more determined by the mother as well.  I have 2 children from different fathers and both were nearly the same size at birth.  I just seem to make babies that are 7.5lbs..

My mother has 5 children and their weights were all over the place (6-8lbs).  She thinks my sister was only 6lbs because she was super stressed out during that pregnancy. 

[Jaimee]

From talking with a lot of women, I see a pattern for first babies weighing an approximate average of the parents' birth weights.   This is, of course, barring things like twins, GD, prematurity, or other complication.   Second babies tend to be larger- I wonder if this has to do with mom having less time to take care of herself they way she did with the first (exercise, awesome diet, etc.).  I also wonder if this has to do with stretched out muscles giving the baby more room to grow.  Boys also tend to be a bit larger.  Gestation timing seems to really affect birth weight.  Babies that are carried longer tend to weigh more.  Since babies tend to gain about a pound a week toward the end, this makes sense to me.   My first was born at 38w6d and was 7lb1oz (an average of dh and my birth weights) while my second was born at 39w5d and was 8lb2oz.  

As for gestation, I think that has to do with the mother's body- what's going on in her life, her genetics, diet, etc.  All things being similar between pregnancies it seems like women tend to gestate similarly from pregnancy to pregnancy.   Some women cook babies longer, others shorter with the majority of us being somewhere in the middle.

Of course there are always exceptions to all this!

[erigeron]

I'd be cautious about going back more than a generation to make any comparisons, too. They definitely had a different understanding of maternal health, nutrition, vitamins, etc. back when our grandmothers were having babies. That could have influenced length of gestation and,  by extension, size of baby. (Out of 5 kids between my 2 grandmothers, 4 were 3+ weeks premature and 3 were 6+ weeks premature.)

[akind1]

I agree with not going back more than a generation - my mom's mom was encouraged to continue smoking (for if she quit, it may give the baby nicotine withrawl in utero) - she drank 3 pots of coffe a day - regular, not decaf - had x-rays and well, her pregnancies (5 of them) were managed a whole lot differently than my mmothers and mine. Yet, she carried all the babies to term, and every one is fairly healthy today (and I think all of them smoke, or have done at some point in their lives. Is this related to the smoking during pregnancy? I have no idea).

Point is, some of the behavior that was encouraged, or at least not frowned upon as it is now, we know causes low birth weights and possibly prematurity. I think all her babies were in the 6-7 lb range. had she not smoked, would they have been bigger? who knows.

[SierraBella]

Originally Posted by akind1 

I agree with not going back more than a generation - my mom's mom was encouraged to continue smoking (for if she quit, it may give the baby nicotine withrawl in utero) - she drank 3 pots of coffe a day - regular, not decaf - had x-rays and well, her pregnancies (5 of them) were managed a whole lot differently than my mmothers and mine. Yet, she carried all the babies to term, and every one is fairly healthy today (and I think all of them smoke, or have done at some point in their lives. Is this related to the smoking during pregnancy? I have no idea).

Point is, some of the behavior that was encouraged, or at least not frowned upon as it is now, we know causes low birth weights and possibly prematurity. I think all her babies were in the 6-7 lb range. had she not smoked, would they have been bigger? who knows.

Hmm.. that's interesting. My grandmother smoked with my father, and he was almost 10 lbs!

[motherhendoula]

Originally Posted by akind1 

I agree with not going back more than a generation - my mom's mom was encouraged to continue smoking (for if she quit, it may give the baby nicotine withrawl in utero) - she drank 3 pots of coffe a day - regular, not decaf - had x-rays and well, her pregnancies (5 of them) were managed a whole lot differently than my mmothers and mine. Yet, she carried all the babies to term, and every one is fairly healthy today (and I think all of them smoke, or have done at some point in their lives. Is this related to the smoking during pregnancy? I have no idea).

Point is, some of the behavior that was encouraged, or at least not frowned upon as it is now, we know causes low birth weights and possibly prematurity. I think all her babies were in the 6-7 lb range. had she not smoked, would they have been bigger? who knows.

Oh and dont forget - encouraged to have a glass a wine every evening 'to relax'! 

My ex-MIL  was born in Rega - what is now Latvia i believe?  or Estonia?  - well used to be USSR - and when her mother went into labor with her - she was 2 weeks early, and said 'she felt crampy - so decided to go to the clinic and get checked out'  when she arrived at the clinic, she realized this was IT and grabbed a nurse and told her to get her into a room right away.  The nurse got her into a room and a doctor checked her dilation - and then uttered the immortal words..."Mam, would you please put out that cigarette, the babies head is crowning."   

what can top that story?  the baby weighed 12 pounds !  thats what can top that story!!  
 

[Sweet.Bee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by motherhendoula 

The nurse got her into a room and a doctor checked her dilation - and then uttered the immortal words..."Mam, would you please put out that cigarette, the babies head is crowning."   

what can top that story?  the baby weighed 12 pounds !  thats what can top that story!!

Smoking is such an epidemic where I currently live that many women smoke while pregnant "to have smaller baby", their logic being that childbirth would be easier that way.  There are even ashtrays right beside the playground in one of our local parks. Where there aren't, people simply throw their cigarettes down all over the playground. Lovely.

Anyways, I've never smoked a cigarette in my life, and my son weighed 3060 grams, which is quite light. He was born at 38 weeks. My husband was 3.5 kg, and I was lighter, though not as light as our son. I'm hoping the current passenger will be light, too, and maybe come a little early. Oh, and a fast labor, while I'm making a wish list. 

[Gemini529]

My doctor actually told me last time I was pregnant that women tend to gestate similarly to their moms.  He said if my mom's kids were mostly early or late, then mine are more likely to be.  I was born 10 days early and weighed about 6 1/2 lbs.  My son was born 2 weeks early and weight 6 lbs 3 oz.  So for me he seems to be right.  Of course, it's not a given, but he said it tends to follow a trend along the maternal line.  

[Marissamom]

my first didn't fit my mother's pattern at all, but I ended up with low platelets at the end, which is why DD probably came early. DS fit my mother's gestation and weight pattern pretty well (though a few ounces heavier than her heaviest baby, probably due to being male)

[Peony]

My mom gestated until 38 weeks and had 5 lb babies. My first two were born at 38 weeks, and 6 lbers, my last one decided to stay inside until almost 41 weeks and was right under 9lbs. 

[sunflwrmoonbeam]

I don't think so. I was 3 weeks early and 5lbs10oz. DD was 17 (yes, 17) days overdue and 9lbs12oz.

Heh, I was about as early as DD was late!

[hannekegrace]

I don't really think it has too much to do with genetics, I think it's mostly your own body.  So far, all three of my kids have been born at 40 weeks on the dot and they've been 9lbs 4oz, 9lbs 14oz and 9lbs 7oz.  My body just seems to be done at a certain point and grow babies of a certain size.  This pregnancy has been very similar to the others so far and I'm measuring a few weeks ahead just like I always do.  My mom had smaller babies and my brother was a premie and I was born right around 40 weeks.