Big babies: What's the scoop? - Page 2

[flminivanmama]

thanks Jaylind

not only that - ultrasounds are NOT accurate - often off by a pound or more!

[Britt]

All these huge babies! My second was 9lbs. 14, delivered naturally with no intervention, and I didn't even rip. (I am 5 foot 3, and smallish.)

With my third an ultrasound suggested that he was larger than my second...they convinced me to do follow-up ultrasounds, talked to me about c-sections, and generally scared me. Finally my midwife felt my belly and said to me, "The ultrasound is wrong. This baby is going to be around 8 lb. 13." And exactly right she was! He was the tiniest baby I have ever held. (literally!) They thought it was really funny that we kept exclaiming about what a little one he was!

Edited to chime in with support for jaylind's point. C-sections carry major risk, and are such a bad idea when unnecessary. From my perspective, a baby that is a few weeks ahead of average gestational age is actually not so big...I come from a long line of 10lb. + babies, none of whom were delived by c-section. (And my grandmother is a midwife, and would never have put her own children at risk.)

[iamprego]

Thanks for the good feedback!!! I appreciate it.

I am just trying to keep my mind open to the possibilities. I do not want to be induced, it sounds horrible and un-natural. Yes, of course surgery is VERY un-natural, but it may avert possible complications, even though they are stastically low.

This is my first pregnancy. I am scared. I have an uncle that was 14 pounds, and I am somewhat overweight, though I do not have diabetes. My husband and brother both have very large heads. When my husband was born, he got stuck on his mother's hips and has this huge scar on his head, which does show when his hair is cut short.

One of my best friends just labored for 30 hours, naturally, only to result in emergency c-section due to cord wrapped TWICE. Another best friend just scheduled her c-section because of breech. Both were horrified to deliver via c-section and felt like failures.....

I am not going to feel like that, and want to keep an open mind. We'll know more in a few weeks, with our third ultrasound. I'll keep you guys posted.

(-; Thanks for the caring responses!!
iamprego

[flminivanmama]

Originally posted by iamprego
Yes, of course surgery is VERY un-natural, but it may avert possible complications, even though they are stastically low.

just keep in mind that stastically a c-section is more dangerous than a vaginal birth....

[Kim]

.

[Medium Geek]

Hi there, iamprego. I am also pregnant with my first baby, so I can really relate to your feelings. All the choices can seem quite overwhelming!

That said, I wanted to chime in about the risks of c-section, even for a mom and baby that have some risk factors associated with vaginal delivery (like macrosomia). I REALLY don't mean to scare you with this, just to help you to be informed. My dear cousin delivered her son via c-sec because of high blood pressure, and he ended up in the NICU for 5 days due to fluid in his lungs. The staff told her that this scenario is not that unusual for c-sec babies, because they don't get squeezed thru the birth canal. I was actually rather impressed that they admitted that the c-sec was (at least partly) to blame. I have also read in several sources that a trial of labor, even if it is followed by a c-sec, is much healthier for the baby, in general.

I cannot agree more with the recommendation to read Henci Goer's book, "Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth". It is awesome! As a pretty left-brained engineer, I tend to want to see the data, the proof. Henci Goer does exhaustive research of medical studies, and boils it down for you without inserting too much of her own bias. I have referred to my copy many times since I finished reading it early in my pregnancy.

Good luck with your decision, and keep growing that heathy baby!

Blessings to both of you,

Diane

[k'smami]

wrapped cord

http://www.birthlove.com/pages/stori...nie_sofia.html

This woman's baby had the cord wrapped around her neck 3 times and she gave birth to a healthy baby girl with the help of a midwife at home.

Please check out this website. www.birthlove.com

Reading all of the birth stories will give you confidence in your body knowing what needs to be done without the interventions of other people. Knowledge is power, the more you know the more powerful you will be in birth. This website also has the story of a woman who gave birth to her frank breech baby (butt first) vaginally. It also includes pictures. The woman who owns this site gave birth to a 12lb. baby unassisted.

Also check out www.freebirth.com for more birth stories.

There are a lot of experienced voices here and at those sites, learn from them.

Also, if you're really freaked out about tearing, think about stretching your perenium. For more info check here: http://pages.ivillage.com/coatlicue/perineal.html

This woman gave birth to her 10lb. baby after being told that she had CPD (cephalopelvic disproportion) with her daughter. http://pages.ivillage.com/coatlicue/index.html

Peace

[controlfreak]

c-secs

Hi iamprego,
I call myself a c-section "survivor". Please, please, please look into any and all options before scheduling yourself a c-section. I had an emergency cesarean with my dd and the recovery was horrible!! Nursing was hard, getting up to get my new baby was near impossible, basically I felt like I got sliced in half. It was painful, physically and mentally. While I do believe it was a true emergency-they had to use general anesthesia on me-I still ache thinking of a natural birth. I am now pregnant with my second baby and am doing everything in my power to have a VBAC. Belive in yourself-your body is amazing. Best wishes to you and your babe.

[willsmom]

Iamprego,
Congratulations on your pregnancy. I remember how exciting it was the first time around and how terrified I was of the whole process. I would not read about pregnancy until I actually was pregnant rather than do my usual research beforehand. I was so pleased when the doctor said I had to have a c-section after a fetal monitoring that suggested further contractions would harm the baby.

I can't tell you how disappointing the experience was. How long it took to recover mentally and physically. How I have done everything in my power to make sure I have a vbac this time around and am still scared that a c-section will be forced upon me (my advance research this time around has me seriously questioning the necessity of my c-section based on the ambigious fetal distress diagnosis).

My friend just gave birth to a 9.5lbs baby and she and her doctors never had a clue that the baby would be that big. I guess the lesson I learned was not to rely solely on my health care providers for information or to assume they have my best interest at heart.

[sixkids35]

my two cents worth

Hello everyone!
In 1926 my grandma gave birth to my dad (he is 75 yrs old) who was 10 pounds 2 oz. She was a little lady about 4'11" tall and seven of her eight kids were born at home. Her oldest daughter (my aunt) was the only one born in the hospital.
My children were 8 14 1/2 c-sect; 7 10 (two weeks early) VBAC,epidural,tear, vacuum extractor; 8 6 epidural , no episiotomy or tears; 8 5 epidural, no episiotomy or tears; and 9 pounds even, no episiotomy, tears or epidural. My last one was the only natural birth and quick! I'm due with number six on March 31 and plan on staying home as long as I can and as naturally as I can.

[lilyka]

Supplementing just because a baby is big? I am so glad I didn't have dd in the hospital. She was 9-4 and 20 1/4 inches long. Fattest new born I had ever seen. (No tearing or epesiotimy, 5 pushes, no drugs thank you very much.) We just grow them big around here. dd #1 was 5-11 and 19 1/4 (skinnniest baby I have ever seen) at 34 weeks which is huge for a baby her age. Dh was a twin and they weighed in at 6-5 and 8-5. Delivered naturally and exclusivly Bf for 6 months in 1975. Holy Cow. no matter how I feel about MIL I will always respect her for that.

Supplementing will cause all sorts of problems. Esspecially if the fear is not haveing enough milk. Please, if anyone has a big baby please don't let your Dr. talk you into this. It is really not necessary and will effect your supply so that you truely won't have enought to feed your babies. It is a viscious cycle. Women can produce enough milk to feed 2 and 3 babies, it isn't any harder to produce enough to feed one big one.

[boobybooby]

Great advice Lilyka! I know too many moms who get talked into supplementing, for more reasons than just a big baby. I had an 8lb. 14 oz. baby the first time around, and I am a thin person by nature. My milk did not come in for a full 4 days! The first ped we had (which we quickly fired) was in his words "not pleased" with our babys weight gain in the first two weeks. So we kindly said goodbye, thank you very much and we will not even consider supplementing! The best thing for her was letting her nursed everytime she wanted to, soon enough I was supermilk and she was a nice round baby, and perfectly healthy I might add because we stayed away from formula. I only wish Dr.'s would keep up on breastfeeding research, they absolutely owe that to their new moms and babies!