Ugh, "Big Baby Syndrome" ready to strike again

[Shelsi]

My dh's best friend's wife is pregnant. I've never actually met her in real life so I don't really have much of a relationship with her although we've e-mailed back and forth a few times. Well sure enough her OB is starting to lay the seeds for "big baby" syndrome. During her 20 week ultrasound he made an off hand remark about what a huge head the baby had. She just had a 27 week ultrasound (not sure why) and she goes on and on in this e-mail to me about how this baby is already 2 lbs 9 oz and that the doctor told her that's about a pound above the average 27 weeker. Her OB told her she's going to have a BIG baby...maybe 8-9 lbs. Ok first off, when the heck is 8-9 lbs considered huge? I mean come on. Maybe it's because everyone in my family are 10-pounders lol. Seriously when my side of the family saw my ds who was only 7 lbs 11 oz they just went on and on for MONTHS about how tiny he was and he was the smallest baby ever born in the family

Anyways I told dh that this girl is going to end up being talked into an induction "because the baby is getting so big" or into an elective c-section. He's not sure he believes me so I told him I get a massage the day he finds out that she had an induction/c-section.

Since I barely know her I can't say much and even if I do I'm sure she wouldn't listen. I did get her a subscription to Mothering for a baby gift but unless they have a pregnancy/birth issue coming up in the next issue she's not going to get that kind of info in time. Maybe I should send her a Henci Goer book too?

[lovemysunshine]

Definitely send her the book; I wish I had known about it with my first.

My DS was 10 lbs 1 oz at birth and I'm only 5'4", average build. My DD had a huge head (still does)! Why do the OB's feel the need to scare women like that? So the baby might be big, so what???

[Mama Poot]

Ugh those u/s's are rarely indicative of a baby's size. My doc even went so far as to palpate my tummy and tell me with great certainty that I would have a 7.5lb baby at the least. I am 5 feet tall EXACTLY and weighed 100lbs before having children. My first child was born weighing 6lbs, 8oz. Way off what my doctor thought he would be. I'd tell your friend not to worry because they just DON'T know.

[G&B'sMama]

That "big baby" thing makes me so mad. I think it is intended to scare women into scheduling a delivery so the doctor doesn't have to come in the middle of the night. :

[Emilie]

hmph- a homebirthing friend of mine went to an ob for a checkup- she asked about her weight gain- normal imo- he said well- the baby might be big & we'll do a section. Ha. She had her first baby- 9 1/2 lbs with a 15 inch head- AT home. They would have for sure done a Section- jeez- who has 9 lb babies these days?

[MamaTaraX]

Send her the book and start shopping for a massage spa place while you're at it

Namaste, Tara

[bradleybirth2mom]

You can tell her to send me an email at [e-mail] and talk to me about a 'big' baby. I was a size 4 before getting pregnant and pushed out a 8 pound, 15 ounces boy. Hard pushing was only 15 minutes, crowning was 15 minutes---it was my second. The first one was 8 pounds, 2 ounces, and I pushed when the misinformed nurse told me to, not when I felt the definite urge. I ended up with vacuum-episiotomy-catheter assisted 3 1/2 hour pushing due to massive swelling and exhaustion. I certainly think it is no problem to push out the baby if you listen to your body, not a nurse or other pushing advisor. She is welcome to email me and discuss these things.

[ABand3]

Send her the book and maybe an online article or two - I know how hard it can be to want to share info but at the same time not want to appear too overbearing or nosy about it. Maybe you could say you stumbled across something online and thought of her.

I was in our local hospital lobby today and overhead a woman on her cell phone telling someone her daughter/DIL HAD to have a c-sec because she was just too small to get the baby out. UGH UGH UGH! I hate overhearing conversations like that where you really can't say or do anything, just boil inside. Lucking I had an issue of Mothering in my bag, I walked far away and read it cover to cover to placate myself.

[boscopup]

Originally Posted by Shelsi

She just had a 27 week ultrasound (not sure why) and she goes on and on in this e-mail to me about how this baby is already 2 lbs 9 oz and that the doctor told her that's about a pound above the average 27 weeker.

Um... unless babies grow 1lb in one week during that timeframe, that absolutely isn't true. I checked an intrauterine growth chart online (that starts at 28 weeks... I'd love to find one that has earlier weeks if anyone knows of one!), and for 28 weeks, the weight of her baby is 50%! So right at average. That means her baby is measuring about a week ahead right now, which is not meaning huge baby (as you guessed).

My DS was born at 29 weeks and was 3 lbs 13.4 oz. Looking at the growth charts, he was measuring 2 weeks ahead, and if he'd stayed on his growth curve (which isn't technically even on the chart for 29 weeks - he was above 90% for that gestation), he would have been a whopping... 8.5 lbs. Yes, that's it. Just 8.5 lbs. Hardly huge.

My current baby was already measuring 22 weeks at my 20 week u/s, so looks like he'll be bigger than DS. I figure he'll probably be in the 9 lb range. Again, not huge! My OB isn't concerned at all, even though I've not birthed a full term baby yet. He commented on how big my boy was, but didn't at all suggest that it was a problem.

[rmzbm]

My DS2 was 3 weeks "overdue" when my Dr. said he was "WELL over 10lbs. & would come out walking, talking, & potty trained!"

:

He was 7lbs. 15oz.

[Shelsi]

Originally Posted by boscopup

Um... unless babies grow 1lb in one week during that timeframe, that absolutely isn't true. I checked an intrauterine growth chart online (that starts at 28 weeks... I'd love to find one that has earlier weeks if anyone knows of one!), and for 28 weeks, the weight of her baby is 50%! So right at average. That means her baby is measuring about a week ahead right now, which is not meaning huge baby (as you guessed).

Do you have the link to that chart? I was trying to find one but couldn't find anything much!

[boscopup]

Originally Posted by Shelsi

Do you have the link to that chart? I was trying to find one but couldn't find anything much!

Here's the one I usually use. It's in grams, so you have to do some math, but there are online caculators that help you out.

[ColoradoMama]

I really hate that whole "your baby's too big" stuff. I'm so glad I'm not with an OB right now. I just got back from midwife and she think little bean is already 7 lbs (I'm 34 weeks) and will probably be a 9+ lb baby. I have absolutely no fears about pushing out a big baby. Why, oh why, do doctors scare women about big babies?! :