Just read stupid thing about big babies...

[Phoebe]

At the beginning of my last pg I didn't know better and bought one of those "your pregnancy week by week" books. I got it out today to look at the pictures of what baby looks like in utero at 30 weeks. Well, first of all I was put off by the fact that at every week, they cite some horrible thing...knot in the cord, placental abruption, etc. Then I read that if your baby is big, you'll likely have a csection. (of course they never stated what "big" means) There is a paragraph on csections in every week's chapter.

This was the part I thought made no sense at all...
It said that women are thought to have more big babies these days due to a better diet and not smoking. Ok. This is whithin the same paragraph that talked about big babies being a problem. How on EARTH is something that is caused by better nutrition and not smoking causing something "abnormal" that needs to be dealt with medically?? I don't get it. It goes on an on in the book (and rightfully so of course) about the importance of good nutrition and not smoking, taking drugs, caffine, etc. Then it says that the same good habits can cause your body to fail you???

Nuts nuts nuts.
That was about the stupidest think I had ever read. And it made me mad. I just posted on the VBAC forum that I needed encouragment to birth a big baby since my last was 10lbs and I'm a small gal. Makes me want to birth a watermelon and spit a seed in their eye!!!

Just had to vent...
Amy

[Full Heart]

I posted a similiar post last week . Yes, I love how we have better nutrition now but our babies are too big : . Guess we should go back to restricting diet and limiting weight gain - we were all better off then Sorry I don't know how to deal with the idiocy sometimes other than with sarcasm. Funny how all that great nutrition and less smoking/drinking during pg hasn't helped our outcomes any.

[Kidzaplenty]

It's just a medical circle. Another way to keep women from doing what is natural!

[turtlewomyn]

I too am a victim of the whole "big baby = c-section" problem. I don't understand it either. I have been going around and around in my head about what I did wrong to make my daughter grow to 9lb8.5oz. My therapist (for PPD/PTSD) said to me "You took good care of her, you fed her well so she grew big and healthy."
It is messed up. And I too hope to give birth to a watermelon with my next pregnancy and spit a seed in their eye!!!!

And by the way, I didn't answer your VBAC thread because I don't have personal experience to share with you but yes, you can HBAC a big baby! It is all about positioning from what I have been reading, and you can do it!!!

[7kiddosmom]

I am doing everything in my power to make sure I have a HB this time around. My last 2 babies were "big". My UC was between 12 and 13 lbs and my last baby was 10 lbs 2 oz at 38 weeks. I know had I been under the care of an OB I would have either been induced early or had a c section with them. Both my big babies had shoulder dystocias and I KNOW with out a doubt that had I been in the hospital the outcomes would not have been good at all. I am sure I would have had babies w/ broken collar bones for sure and I would have had a horrible cut. As it turned out both babies were born over an intact perinium and while my 10 lbs had a little trouble getting started both babies were perfect and healthy.

Eat well, take care of yourself and your baby! My midwife always says that she hasn't met a woman yet that could grow a baby too big to birth vaginally!

[DreamsInDigital]

I pushed out a 10 lb. 2 oz. baby in 15 minutes without a single tear. I don't get how they say women can't birth big babies.

[kathan12904]

Keep in mind that modern obstetrical practice has is roots in a philosophy that told overweight mothers to take up smoking during pregnancy so that they wouldn't gain too much and have big babies. With my first pregnancy, my OB made sure to let me know that women who gain more than 35lbs are much more likely to have a c/s. I should have known then that thats what his plans for me are. Now I have a midwife and am deep into the fourth month. She hasn't even weighed me.

[angelpie545]

Originally Posted by kathan12904

Keep in mind that modern obstetrical practice has is roots in a philosophy that told overweight mothers to take up smoking during pregnancy so that they wouldn't gain too much and have big babies. With my first pregnancy, my OB made sure to let me know that women who gain more than 35lbs are much more likely to have a c/s. I should have known then that thats what his plans for me are. Now I have a midwife and am deep into the fourth month. She hasn't even weighed me.

Phsaw...take up smoking!!!!??? Oh goodness. With my first I gained 75lbs (: then lost it all!) to my normally 5"4 115 lb frame(I weighed about 179 or so at delivery) and gave birth to a 9lb 5oz baby..vaginally, can you imagine! I was only 18 too! Oh the horrors...if I were still seeing my OB at the time I would have been induced or sectioned, I know it! They would have used my age, my weight gain, the baby is huge...oh I can already hear it. : I was two weeks over due, too!

[lovemysunshine]

Yeah, what a ridiculous thing to say.

My first was born in the hospital, not a c/s, but almost (ROM 37 hours before birth and we all know how they stick to the 24 hour rule; I am sad to admit I feel lucky I wasn't cut open : ). DD was 8 lbs 7 oz.

My DS was a hb, born at 40w2d. He was 10 lbs 1 oz and 22 inches long. He did have stuck shoulders, but I didn't tear at all with him. I'm only 5'4", average build, so a big guy for me. I am certain if I had been seeing an OB, they would have tried to force me into a c/s or induction.

I my mw!

[starry_mama]

I was 11 lbs 6 oz, my mom is 5'2" and weighed 100lbs (if that!) before getting pregnant with me. She had me naturally with a midwife 3 weeks late! It drives me crazy when people say they "had" to have a c-section because their baby was over 7lbs.

[jenmamahen]

The other thing that burns me up is when the docs "guesstimate" the baby's weight and tell the mom that she needs to be induced early or have a c-section b/c the baby is too big. I've had 3 friends where this happened. Two were induced early, one had a c-section. The largest of the 3 babies weighed just over 6 pounds! Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

[sapphire_chan]

So I read the OP to dh and his logic conclusion was that the authors of the book view c-sections as a good thing.

[Cigilteach]

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[Red Sonja]

I know I certainly ate a much better diet (and was all around healthier & more active) during my pregnancy with DD than I was with DS. With DS I spent 6 weeks on bedrest with nothing to do but eat and surf MDC. With DD I was nursing DS, ate little to no processed food or junk (other than the occasional Taco Bell splurge ) and spent a lot of time playing outside with DS or walking/hiking.

With DS I gained 45 lbs and he weighed 8 lb 3 oz.
With DD I gained 27 lbs and she weighed 10 lb 0 oz.

[Phoebe]

Originally Posted by Cigilteach

Hey there! I'm new this is my first post.

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