Please Help!!! - Page 2

[AugustineM]

I read your post and I was like, huh? 8 1/2 pounds as being BIG? No, not really! That sounds completely average, given you're at your due date and the baby should be born very soon. DON'T let them worry you!! I hate that about many OBs, they are pros at making mamas worry. I really CANNOT believe they would suggest SCHEDULING a c-section. It seems completely crazy to me!

Two stories: 1. My first son was estimated at 8lbs when I was about 37 weeks pregnant. My midwives didn't say a word about induction or big baby or anything even though I calculated in my head that he could easily be 10 lbs at birth. I tried not to worry. He was born and was 8 lbs 13 oz.

2. A good friend of mine just had a baby. At 40 weeks she had an ultrasound, a biophyisical, etc. and they estimated the baby to be 11lbs!! She freaked out and had a cesarean. Baby weighed 8 lbs 4 oz. She is 10 weeks postpartum and still not healed. Her scar is infected, she has yeast all around it, she has to pack it daily. It is gross. She so regrets her decision.

Have confidence in yourself and your body. It's doing exactly the right thing!

[MindOverLaborDoula]

I also forgot to tell you about myself. I had ds (1st baby) at 37 weeks 4 days. He was 8lbs 7 1/2 oz. This was Sept 24th. My last u/s on Sept 7th said he was already 8lbs. So he would have been too big for me to have at full term : . What I ended up having was a horrible hard labor. The only thing that saved me was my transition was only 1 ctx. I was 4cm at 830pm and when I told them to check me at 845pm (against the RNs orders, she did it anyway when I almost came out of the bed to choke her lol) I was complete and he was born 13 minutes after I started pushing. I did not have stiches, btw.
I was augmented w/ pit after a bunch of ctx at home and when I went in they "hooked me up" (their words) b/c he was so big that they figured that it was his size that was causing him not to dilate me.?

Please do what you want, not what someone else wants. This is Your Labor. Your Birth. Your Baby.

[Quagmire]

Also not in your DDC but had add my .02

Your baby is just the right size for you, and U/S is really *really* inaccurate for weight estimates! I would not let anyone induce me for that reason. My DD was estimated at close to 9lbs and she was 6 lbs 12 oz over a week later.

Induction can be a slippery slope... once you're in the hospital hooked up to pitocin you are at the mercy of the staff... if they think you're not progressing fast enough you may end up with an unnecessary c-section. Please think twice before agreeing to this! Believe in your body and your ability to give birth peacefully to your baby, whatever the size.

[grace's voice]

My first weighed 9 pounds 4 ounces and was born in 3 hours of labor. Don't fear! Your body was built to birth this baby, nature knows better than machines and doctors. I actually don't consider my first to have been a big baby, unless a baby is at least 10 pounds s/he doesn't seem big to me. Even if the u/s IS accurate, 8 1/2 is not an unreasonable size. If this baby was ready to be born, you'd be in labor. Give the little one some time to finish up whatever it is he needs to thrive outside the womb. He WILL NOT grow too big for your body!

[Mearaina]

I have a bit different situation. My docs are very accurate with estimating baby size (or at least they were with my first 2 dds). This baby will top them both. My dd1 got stuck in my pelvis and I couldn't push her out. She went into distress and they vacuumed her out. She wasn't breathing. She ended up in the nursery on oxygen. I have a "funny shaped pelvis" and there is a bone my babies get hung up on. It happened with dd2, also, except she didn't need O2. Because both dd's were in distress, I tore tremendously with both of them since they had to come out right away as opposed to being pushed out at the rate that felt right to me. I have an induction scheduled for later, but I am still not sure whether or not to keep it. This thread has been helpful to me. All the pp's make very good points. Since this is your first, you have no reason to think that any of this could happen to you. Also, if I would have been thinking, I would have gone to a chiro and gotten properly adjusted (maybe something like that would ease your mind). That might help my issue. But insurance won't cover it and we have no extra money. Again, this is just my story. Please do what you want, and don't listen to anyone else. You are the mother of this baby. It is your body. You will have to live with whatever decisions you make. Basically, follow your instinct. Good luck.

~Lisa

[Amila]

My SIL was induced THREE weeks early because they told her that her baby was "too big." Her baby was 6 pounds 3 ounces!!!!! I was 9'13, my sister 9'9 and my mom pushed us both out with no meds...you can do it! It is SO rare that a momma births a baby too big for her body to handle. I have heard docs use this excuse many many times - Good luck!

[littlest birds]

My first was 10lbs. born after 20mins. pushing at home. I am not a very big woman or anything--a little taller than average. She was perfect. The birth was fine. (Though I suppose no "real" professional would have predicted it and they would have been happy to fill me with fear if they'd had a chance.)

Whatever you do, please refuse induction--that is a very slippery slope and too many women do end up with a section when their bodies and babies are simply not yet ready. My sister had a section after a failed induction and her baby was only 5lb. 15oz... I am pretty upset about it, because it was truly unecessary. Very common. You have the right to tell them NO to an induction. Period.

Try to have faith that the baby will be just right if s/he comes in her own good time at her nature-given size--it is really the most likely outcome. DO NOT TRUST the US weight estimate please, and also do not believe that 8 or 9lbs. is too big.

[eco_mama]

Originally Posted by earthmama369

Everyone's given you great info on the inaccuracy of ultrasounds. 8.5 pounds really isn't that big even if the u/s is correct. Mama, you CAN do this. Don't let them freak you out -- just try to relax and let your body do the work it knows how to do.

:

[Treasuremapper]

They want to do a section for 8.5 pound baby who weighs that much at term? That's just silly. I consider any baby under ten pounds to be small to normal sized. Induce? Section? Your OB needs to take a breather. Stall them, stall them. But beware of them. Some women change docs when they pull this sort of stuff at the last minute.

You will do fine, mama. Your body is strong and you can do this.

If there is nothing else going on, the doctor just wants to schedule at his or her convenience.

[wide-eyed]

So much great info and encouragement so far, but I wanted to add one more point: did you know that when your baby is fully developed and ready to be born, he/she releases a hormone that triggers your body's pituitary gland to release the hormones that trigger labor? Your body and your baby really do know what they're doing. Have faith in them. You are building trust in your own intuition and inherent abilities as a mother.

Best of everything to you!

Here are some links providing more detailed info:

http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/bbstarts.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...&dopt=Abstract

[mum2tori]

Late U/S are NOT an accurate way to estitmate weight. They are never correct! They are commonly off by up to 2 pounds. Way too many babies are induced for being HUGE (i.e. 8+ pounds) and then after all the hassle of so many interventions... a little 6+ pounder is born. :

I know people (several actually) that have easily birthed 10+ pounders without meds and lots of interventions. You can do it.


"Baby size" is NOT a reason to schedule a c-section or induce unless there is a gestational diabetes issue to be concerned about.