"You're having a big baby" poll - Page 2

[Nicole77]

My first dd was born in the hospital with CNM's. At 39 weeks they ordered an ultrasound to "see how the baby was doing" and I was told she was a "really big baby, at least 9.5 lbs." They recommended immediate induction and being fairly naive and impressionable I agreed. She was born vaginally 15 hours later and weighed 7lbs, 5oz. That intervention-heavy birth was pretty much the end of my belief that hospital birth was safer for normal pregnancies. The next two babes were both born at home. No one tried to guess their size or ordered tests to figure it out. They weighed 7lbs 9oz, and 7lbs 6oz respectively.

[Cate]

I suppose I fit in the missing 'other' category... all the ultrasounds (I was high risk) kept saying he would be big, all the nurses/doctors who just looked at my belly said he would be small, all the people who knew me and saw my belly thought he would be big.
He ended up being 'average', but large for gestational age. He was 7lbs 7oz, but born at 37 weeks. So had he gone 'full' term, he would have been quit big.
DD, was a surprise premie, no one had even started making predictions yet... she was tiny, but again, large for gestational age.

[coobabysmom]

My midwives never guess-timated how big ds would be and always told me I was measuring on target. Everyone around me thought my stomach was huge and by the 7th month or so some asked if I was having twins!

I did push out a biggie at 9 lbs 9 oz at almost 42 wks and the u/s I had the day labor started estimated ds at 9 lb 13 oz. Pretty close! I did have a bad pushing stage with tearing but I believe this had to do with a nuchal hand NOT the size of my squishy big baby.

[ScotiaSky]

DS ..at my 41 weeks U/S Non stress test.
The Doctors estimated 9 lbs 9 oz and suggested a C-section as he had a high chance of shoulder Dystocia(sp)
That I declined and when I saw a my Midwife a few hours later they acknowledged that they expected the baby to be large but it was not worrisome.
5 days later he was born after an induction(for other reasons) at 8 lbs 10 ozs after a brutal episotomy because they thought he was stuck..
He never was but they still put it in his medical charts that he had SD and I only found this out 2 years later after I requested the charts..umm if that had been the case perhaps someone should have told me about it.

DD at a 32 week U/S to check for some kidney issues they said oh its going to be a big baby. DD was Frank Breech at the time and they implied that she would not turn due to her size at that point...She was born one day before her due date at 8 lbs 1 oz after a very easy labour.

I loved my midwives but really hated the hospital associated with them for tests or transfers.
Their common theme seems to be big baby ohhh let's section. Maybe they see that I am with the local birth house and want to play with me but it seems to be the general feeling that most Mothers get there.
As our first birth ended up being a transfer there I made sure that I had another hospital lined up just in case for our second birth....

[chandasz]

This big baby stuff.... Our bodies grow what we can handle (usually). Big babies.... pfffttt. What does that mean?

I keep being told that my 8lb 8oz was big. I don't think she was big. I think she was healthy.

Big is in the interpretation. Is there some magical size that determines "big"? Is it better that we have low birth weight babies?

Come on! Let's get real. Trust your body not these doctors and their hypotheses.....

[broodymama]

I was never told either way with DS. With DD, my midwife estimated about 7.5 lbs at my 39 week appointment.

[charmander]

The midwives all thought I was going to have a big baby with DD. Probably because I gained more weight with my 2nd pregnancy - turns out she was 7 lbs 10 oz, exactly the same as DS.

[4lilfarmers]

i was told that i was having a 9lb + (by my mws) with ds and he was 6lb14oz.

[Full Heart]

The only time someone commented on size was during a bpp at 41+ weeks, the u/s estimated babies weight at 8 lbs 8 oz. Baby was born a week later at 9 lbs.

This last time my mw was going by the head size and I kept telling her that I've had a 9 lb baby before with a little 13 inch head so don't count on that too much (she thought the baby would be smaller than my others). Sure enough I had another 9 lber with a 13 inch head.

[Evergreen]

I am also on the opposite end of the spectrum.

With my first I was told based on ultrasound estimates that my baby wasn't thriving, induced just before the due date and prepared for a 4 lb baby. That one was my biggest at 7 lbs 2 oz.

I had midwives and no ultrasounds with my next two, and no weight estimates either.

[jennyfah]

The CNM I saw last time had me see an OB to "check the baby's size." (Apparently she didn't trust her own abilities?) Anyway, he poked around for a while and then said, 'Oh, it's big, probably at least 8 1/2 lbs.' I remember rolling my eyes and thinking 'Tell me something I *don't* know.' I knew the entire pregnancy DS would be over 9 lbs., but I had no fear or concern about it. He was 9 lbs. 2 oz. and had a 15 in. head circumference--pretty much the exact same measurements I had when I was born! Being tall and of Nordic descent means my family has "big" babies (if you consider 9 lbs. to be big, which I don't--seems normal to me!)

Jen
edd any day now and homebirthing #2, probably also a "big" baby!

[badgerbaby]

With dd#1 I was measuring 2 weeks behind the whole way, and m'w predicted at last appt I wouldn't have a big baby, "maybe 7 lbs". 5 days later, out she came at 8'7. : ) People think that's big (maybe because I'm not a very big person), but I say I'm trying for 9 lbs this time (that shuts them up and gives me some confidence).

[Radish4ever]

Everyone agreed I would have big babies both pregnancies - and I did 9lb,9oz with my DD (at 41w5d) and 10lb,1oz with my DS (born on the due date as estimated by 2 U/S)

Due to positioning issues, I had a C/S with DD after 42 hours of back labor (boo!), but I had no problems delivering DS and he was 1/2 lb bigger lol

[Individuation]

I was told I was having a tiny baby! And I had to be induced because she was small-for-dates and might have some sort of IUGR!

That healthy 8-pound 21-inch baby girl is 9 years old this week.

[JBaxter]

I was told at my 39w6day appt I was having a big baby. Doc was guessing 9 1/2 to 10. BP was 132/94 which is way up from my normal 104is/64ish so he asked me if I would consider inducing. I was huge uncomfortable and had only gained 27lbs I agreed and was induced 2 days later he weighed 9lb 8oz and was 22 in long. 21hrs of labor with a few stiches from a tear ( 14 3/4 in head) I KNOW he would not have been born for another 2 weeks. Looking back I would have waited anther week but my outcome was good.

[Snork]

My midwife doesnt get caught up in labelling like that because she knows mothers worry too much. She's told me each time its a good sized baby, perfect for me.

I had:
8lb
9lb
10lb
10.5lb
10.5lb
10.5lb
11.1lb

[Teensy]

After DS#2 was born, my OB told me that at my 41 week NST she had estimated he was going to be a ten pounder, but she had decided not to say anything to me because she didn't want to scare me. He weighed 9'9, so she wasn't too far off. But those double digits do sound bigger!

[Robinna]

Originally Posted by Snork

She's told me each time its a good sized baby, perfect for me.

I LOVE her!

This never came up for me. ds was homebirthed, 8lbs 5 oz.

dd was 6lbs 10oz, by c/s for unqualified-to-catch-a-breech-OB. That being said, altho nobody told me she was going to be big, we had numerous u/s in our 3rd trim to confirm presentation. u/s technicians less tahn a week between scans told us she was 5 lbs and 6.5 lbs, this 2nd measurement 2 weeks before she was born. so she gained 1 1/2 lbs in a week, then only 5oz in those 2 weeks before she was born? Total testament to how inaccurate u/s is in 3rd trim.

[mamabadger]

I was told all three times that I was having a big baby, about nine pounds. My first was 7 lb 3 oz; my second was almost 10 lb; and my third was exactly 8 lbs. So they were right one time out of three.

[2Sweeties1Angel]

I was told that I probably have a big baby last time because:
1) The twins were 7lbs 13oz and 6lbs 5oz @37 weeks even.
2) DD1 was 9lbs 1oz @39 weeks.
3) I was 8lbs 13oz.
4) I'm fat.

I had a big baby. She weighed 9lbs 13oz @ 39+5.

The mention of her size was never used as a scare tactic or anything, just stated as a fact. My doctor did have a minor freak-out about shoulder distocia after all my water drained out after SROM and we realized that she was definitely going to be big. I found out later that he'd had a horrifying and traumatic experience with shoulder distocia in residency with a big baby--I explained that it's mainly about positioning and he seems to understand that now. He never tried to pressure me for a repeat c-section or anything, though.