question for midwives?

[mamamoogs]

how accurate have you been estimating the size of a baby by doing palpations. I am just curious how this works and how you determine the size by feeling the belly.

[pamamidwife]

some people claim a 100% success rate at perfect estimates, I don't even bother. like ultrasounds, there is more to determine weight than just body length, etc.

I don't think it's an exact science and I have to admit I'm a bit wary of providers that state they can totally tell.

[EmilyVorpe]

My midwife said she could actually FEEL my baby.... she said she could tell she was going to be 7.5 pounds because she felt the outside of the baby's bum and head. Baby was 7 lb 12 oz...
Other midwife guessed 6, though... so maybe it was just a lucky guess or maybe she really could feel the baby.....

[MsBlack]

My guesses from palpation are sometimes REALLY close to actual birthweight--and sometimes NOT! I tell my clients: I'm pretty darn good at getting close when the baby is between 6-8 lbs (within 4-6oz). I can ALWAYS tell if the baby is at least 6lbs, and MOST ALWAYS tell when the baby is 8 or more. But I consider this to be more of an amusement, anyway, not a necessary skill--well, it's probably a good idea to be right about a baby being 6lbs or more...I'm not so comfy with assisting a mom at home w/a baby under 6 (at any # of wks gestation), tho 5lbs and 1/2 is ok...general rule here, not exact.

[mendomidwife]

I've posted before how I have never been very good at assessing fetal position by feeling the sutures. Some midwives I know are very good at it.
I am good at estimating the fetal weight by palpation. I also can look at a baby and pretty nearly guess it's weight. BUT....when babies get larger than 9# it isn't as easy for me....interesting how we all have different skills.

Carla

[doctorjen]

I'm pretty good at it - but also consider it an amusement. I have sort of a number obsession, but it doesn't make a difference in how I practice, I think. Sort of like, I run for exercise and I HAVE to know exactly to the second how long each run took me, even though I don't do anything with that info, often don't look at my watch the whole run, and really don't care how fast I'm going. I just HAVE to know, or I feel unsettled. I like to guess baby size, also - although I usually don't share that info, or even let on that I've guessed, I just like to.
I learned by feeling lots of bellys, and then comparing my guesses to the actual baby later, and have gotten fairly accurate. Tall women throw me, though - somehow they sometimes seem to hide some nice chubby babies! I've been off by pounds with them sometimes.