Was the u/s diagnosis of a Large baby correct? - Page 3

[wasabi]

With #3 I had a u/s at 38 weeks that estimated her birthweight would be 11-11.5lbs if I went on time. I was told that in my case they felt sure it was accurate within a half a pound. She was born the day after my EDD at 9lb13oz. Yes that's good sized but by no means 11.5 lbs and I had already birthed a 10lb 2.3oz baby with no problems (that baby was guessed to be 8.5lbs just visually and externally). Unfortuantely I think this fear of this enormous baby I was going to have caused a lot of problems. I did have a natural labor but the oncall medwife totally took over the actual birth/pushing in her attempts to avoid shoulder distocia which she then swore had still occurred even though I think it was a tight shoulders at best.

With my most recent pg I told my new midwives upfront that I was not going to be accepting any lateterm u/s. Strangely enough one of them spent most of the pg telling me she was sure this was going to be my smallest baby. I never measured more than 2cms ahead vs 4-6cms ahead with #3. I only gained 36lbs etc. I felt this baby was going to be around the size of my others and couldn't believe I'd have an 8.5lber like she thought (my smallest was 9lbs). Sure enough #4 was 10lbs 7oz and 22.5 inches long. The midwife who predicted the small baby was in attendance and had to laugh at how wrong she was though she tried to say I'd said I thought she was small too. Um no. Anyway external palpitation or u/s either way I think is just a guess at best. There's just too much that can throw everything off like the baby's position and the amount of fluid etc. My mom's babies were all big too so I've never been particularly afraid of big babies. I will note however that #4 did get stuck briefly like her big sister. My midwife got her out very quickly but she was a mild SD. Yes fat does squish but shoulders don't. I think the key is having a caregiver who isn't afraid of big babies. If they're ok with it you shouldn't really ahve a problem.

[girlndocs]

Here's yet another thread where I get to recommend Ina May's Guide To Childbirth :LOL Maybe I should just put it in my sig or something ...

What are the alleged risks of having big babies? Is it just that they will supposedly never come out? PuhLEEZE. There was a time when upper-class women avoided the sun so rigorously they got rickets, which commonly deforms the pelvis. So at that time cephalopelvic disproportion was a real worry, although I'm pretty sure that with a deformed pelvis even the smallest of babies would have trouble, YK?

[leosmama20]

My u/s said the baby was 9lbs 3 oz. When I was induced 5 days later, she was born at 9lbs 12oz. So, I would say the u/s was pretty accurate. I had a very VERY difficult time birthing such a large baby (despite being 6 feet tall myself). Personally, I wish they had induced me a couple weeks earlier (they induced at just past 40 weeks). If I am dialated early again, I am definitely going to try and get things going...

Just my two cents.

[mightymoo]

Henci Goer has a great online article about big babies as predicted by u/s & inductions / cesareans : http://parenting.ivillage.com/pregna...,,8nbq,00.html

I wish I knew what the u/s said about my daughter. We had a fetal assessment at 42 weeks and at the time no one mentioned size to me. I knew its terribly inaccurate and I didn't want to know anyway, but in restrospect, I really would like to know what it said! My daughter was born at 10lbs 8oz by c/s (there was a lot more going on to cause that than her size though) and while I was on laying on my back on the operating table getting prepped, this huge mound of belly - the doctors and nurses were all guessing the size of the baby - I think the largest guess was like 9lbs 10oz or so, no one thought she was that big!

I am actually secretly hoping this one is as big as his sister, though I don't hope he goes as long - I loved having a big strong baby adn I'd love to VBAC a 10 pounder so that I don't have to ever deal with that 'oh, 10lbs, must have been a c/s huh' crap again!

[heathenmom]

At 36 weeks they did an u/s because I was measuring big. They said at that point she was already at least 8 lbs. and offered me an induction/elective cs on the spot. : They continued to pressure me for an induction/cs at every visit until I hit 39 weeks, when they informed me that they weren't going to let me go past 40 weeks. Really? Didn't know it was their decision ... they were a little surprised to find out that it wasn't. At 40 weeks, they insisted that I set a date for an induction (I did ... 12 days past my edd), AND that I come in every other day for an NST or u/s. DD was born at 40w6d and was 10 lbs. 9 oz. So ... long story, well, long , for us the u/s was pretty accurate. Still, it had no bearing on me being able to deliver her vaginally. I did just fine ... my first words to the midwife after Fiona was out were, "I TOLD you I could do it."

[Marieke]

Originally Posted by reader

My mantra: FAT IS SQUISHY! BIRTHING A BIG BABY ISN'T NECESSARILY HARDER!

Not only is fat squishy, but baby heads mould, and pelvises stretch. It's not like you're trying to push something of a fixed size through something else of a fixed size. Nature is pretty smart that way



Marieke

[e&r]

I didn't read everyone's answers, but my own experience is:

Only ultrasound I had was just a few hours before my ds was born. OB, who was tired and wanted to go home, said that the baby was "over 9 lbs" and would "never fit through your pelvis."

Well, I didn't like him, didn't trust him so ignored him. My ds was born vaginally just a few hours later and was exactly 7 pounds.

My cousin was induced at 38 weeks with a baby they were "sure" was 8 lbs. Her baby was just a smidgen over 6 lbs.

My friend had an "emergency" c-section for a baby that was "over 11 lbs" and had low fluid. Her baby was 8 lbs. 11 oz. and had normal fluid. She just had her second baby, a wonderful home birth after CS!

Ellen

[musicmaj]

My second baby was a c-section because he was 11.5 - 12 lbs according to ultrasound. NOPE - they were wrong and the c-section was not necessary. He was 8'14' at 39 weeks, just like his sister that I birthed vaginally with no problems at all. lol

[flapjack]

My eldest was estimated at around 8-9 lbs on an ultrasound at 36 weeks, 7-8 lbs on one at 37 weeks. ( Both were to check presentation- he was a transverse lie at this point.) He was born 6 weeks later- which was 43.5 weeks by LMP, 42 weeks to the day by one of the early U/S scans- at 14 lbs 2 oz, the 5th largest baby born in the UK. We think he may be the largest homebirthed baby born in the UK since people started geeking out on these things...and NOBODY predicted his size accurately.

Going off on a tangent- I'm expecting another one. 14 lb for the first, 1 lb 8 for my daughter (at 24 weeks- and we were positive on dates.) 8 lb 13 at 38 weeks for my younger son- BUT this one has a different dad. Anyone care to speculate on how the 50% different genetics are likely to kick in?

[Treasuremapper]

Fourteen pounds two ounces??????

First baby? Home birth?

I gotta read your birth story, where is it? Were there any newspaper articles I can access and read? Will you post links?

Holy Moly.