Positive stories re: big baby needed!

[Three~Little~Birds]

So I am now 42 weeks 2 days. I just had a BPP and all is well, so no rush to induce. The only thing is that my baby is estimated to be over 10 lbs and that scares me a little, only because the largest that I have ever birthed before was 8 lbs 2 oz. I know that ultrasounds are notoriously wrong, but I can also tell that this baby is huge. I feel like I could use some positive words or stories from those that have successfully BTDT.
Thanks so much!

[kltroy]

One of the amazing ladies in my June 08 DDC had an 11#4 oz baby at home. WOW!!

My amazing mom gave birth naturally to me (10 lb 1 oz) and my brother (10 lb 11 oz) back in the '70s. You can do it!

[tanyam926]

My ds1 was 8 1/2 lbs, a hospital birth. My ds2 was a homebirth and tipped the scales at 10 lbs. 12 oz., 22 in. long!

I thought my big baby/homebirth was sooooo much easier than my smaller baby in the hospital.

I really believe that the size of the baby doesn't matter as much as the way you labor. So, moving around, being relaxed, staying upright, etc., etc. are way more important.

I am sure everything will turn out beautifully! Good luck mama!

[jennyfah]

In my circle of Bradley, Brewer-diet eating friends, the 10 and 11 pound babies are NOT uncommon at all! Both of my boys were over nine pounds. The thought of ever having a baby smaller than that seems strange to me now.

Your body will grow a baby that is the right size for you. Anecdotally, it seems that bigger babies are often easier to push out, especially if you have gravity on your side---if you know what I mean!

Interestingly, studies have shown that the most accurate predictor of a baby's birth weight is the mother's estimation (more accurate that ultrasound, palpating, etc.)

Don't worry mama. You can do it!

Jen

[starshine1001]

My first was 8lb, 6oz. My second was 10 lb, 1oz. The second was the easier labor, and I tore less with the second than with the first. I think a big difference was the birthing home birth that I had with my second. It took me forever to feel the urge to push, and nobody knows how dilated I was...my midwife was saying that just because a person is 10cm, it doesn't mean they're complete or ready to push. Sometimes a person needs to be 11 or 12 cm, whatever it is that their baby requires. When I DID have the urge to push, though, he came in minutes.

[Tuwamare]

My smallest was 7 lbs 3 oz, and my largest was 10 lbs 11 oz. Big babies really aren't any more difficult than small babies... in fact, they are usually in a better position because there just isn't room for them to keep moving around.

Take your time. Breathe the baby out. Baby is helping, too! Have a wonderful birth!

[mytwogirls]

Both my girls were very large, both well over 9lbs each, the second was ounce away from being 10lbs. You can do it! The second delivery is usually a lot easier and she was my biggest baby. Good luck mama.

[anitaj71]

Both my boys were big babies. My first was 9lbs 8 oz born in a hospital, no drugs/interventions pushed for about an hour and I was sitting on a squatting stool. My second was 10 lb 2 oz face presentation was a home birth. The second stage was about an hour also . I was lying on my side for that one. No problems pushing our my big babies.

[GAmomto5]

My first four were all over 9 pounds, all hospital births. My #5 was 10 pounds 5 ounces, a home water birth, and the easiest by far of them all. Being able to get in the best position for you to give birth also makes a huge difference. I also had four prior episiotomies (without my consent) so I know I had some scar tissue, but I never even tore with my big girl.

You can do it!

[pazerific]

dd1 was 7lbs 11oz, 21.5" long, and the labor was long long long and i tore A LOT. (HB transfer, compound presentation, and coached pushing.) dd2 was 9lbs 2oz, 22.5in long, and her labor/birth was simple in comparison. you can do it! healthy bodies don't grow babies that are too big.

[Girlprof]

My two babies were 9 pounds 7 1/2 ounces and 9 pounds 10 ounces. We havent' had a baby under 9 pounds in 3 generations except for my brother, delivered 2 weeks early by c-section. You can totally do this! I remember my MW saying "oh, I love big babies! Big babies are great!"

I do think it mostly depends on head size and not weight anyway. My MW called my daughter a ham and while not very flattering, it was quite true. But I pushed her out in 15 minutes - fat is squishy! LOL.

[3pink1blue]

My first was 7lb 14 oz. I had a third degree tear with 12 stitches. My second was 9lb 2oz, with a tiny tear with a single stitch. My third was estimated by ultrasound to be 10lb 5oz - she came out a "petite" 9lb 10oz and I didn't have a tear or even a skid mark. I felt GREAT after her birth. I seriously could have gone grocery shopping within an hour of her birth... as it was I waited about 36 hours before heading out to the supermarket.

So I was all scared about a big baby for nothing.

Someone once told me that your body will usually only grow a baby it can deliver. A big baby is not neccesarily a bad thing... I guess I'd rather have a big one that one that is very premature or has IUGR. Since this isn't your first, I wouldn't be too worried. Your body knows what to do and how to grow them, and everything will be just fine. :-)

The only bummer about big babies is, to me anyway, they are so big when they are born! I would LOVE to have a little itty bitty baby to cuddle this time, a tiny little 7 pounder. Cause they are just sooo tiny to me! But alas, its not to be, a couple weeks ago my baby's estimated weight (by ultrasound) was 8lb 5oz. So we are looking at another chunky butt. :-)

And for the record... until Istarted having babies, the biggest baby on both sides of our families was me, in 1982 and I was a "whopping" 8lb 1oz. Everyone thought I was just humongous! LOL

[Carlyle]

My dd was 10lbs7oz, and I birthed her vaginally even though she was posterior with her head tilted slightly to the side for a large part of my labor (and I'm not a big lady at all!). I also have a friend whose first baby was over 10 lbs. Her second baby was over 11 pounds! She said that even though he was larger, the second was easier. YOU CAN DO IT! Good luck!

[GoBecGo]

My gym instructor had a 10lb 4oz boy (her first) last year. 48 minutes 2nd stage, and Not. Even. A. Graze. to her perineum. You can DO IT!

Also, probably irrelevant since YOU know baby is big yourself, but one of the women in my mothers group was scanned at 10lbs8oz at 38 weeks and was given a section at 39 weeks as he "wouldn't have fit out". Her baby was 6lbs 1oz.

[mama to 2 girls]

I just had a homebirth with ds on July 11th and he was a little over 10lbs. and while he was by far my hardest birth it's not the fat, that squishes! As a pp mentioned it was his 15" head and chest that made it hard. I only pushed for 17 mins. though!

My 1st and 2nd were just over 8lbs. and just under 8lbs. With little teeny 14" and 13 1/2" heads! So don't worry that you have only birthed and 8lb. baby so far. I am not a huge lady either.

U/S can be WAY off...but a mothers intuition is usually right, but not always either, my neighbor across the street was told her baby was big and she herself swore that she was going to be 8lbs.(which would have been really big for her I think, she is under 5" and can wear little girls size clothes) and she was only 6lbs. My m/w's swore that ds was only about 8lbs. but I just kept telling them, but my belly feels so heavy! I had pubic bone pain really bad too, that I didn't have with my dd's.

You can do it!!

[heidirk]

If you know your babe is going to be big, than it probably is, but you can do it!! My first baby was 9lbs 5oz, with a nice big head and HUGE shoulders! My MW told me my skin was VERY tight and NON-stretchy, but she worked with it, and I had a very few very small tears. I had NO problems pushing that baby out! I only pushed for 1 and 1/2 hours (not bad for a first timer!) and it only felt like 15 mins!

You have lots of facts on your side, the biggest one being that ultrasound is NOTORIOUS for overestimating baby weights!

Also, your body has already made way for an 8 pounder! That's an accomplishment!

and, You already know what to do!

You can do it!

[chpiper]

I had a doula client that had 2 C-sections for large babies (she was induced both times and was unable to push the baby out both times). Both babies were around 9 pounds.

She had a non induced homebirth with her 3rd baby. After a pretty long, but very normal and manageable labor, she gracefully sat on the birthing stool and pushed out her nearly 11 pound baby...and he was a complete posterior!

You can do it Mamas bodies are amazing if we just let them work. Doing some positive affirmations may help ease your doubts...

Good luck, mama!!

[guest9921]

First was a few ounces under 10lbs, and the second was a 10lbs 14oz. Second birth was amazing, wonderful, and intense but fast.
Oh, it was a UC, no sticky shoulders - he was posterior until a few moments before he was born. And I went 42wks 5 days.

You can do it.

[mamabadger]

My second child was almost 3 lbs heavier than my first. He was just under 10 lbs, and came out so fast the doctor could not get into the room in time, and the nurse caught him. He was my easiest birth.
Incidentally, my father set the county record for large babies in his day. He was 15 lbs, 15 oz according to the midwife's fish scale, born at home to a 5'0' woman with no problems except a bad tear.

[Novella]

My third was a very manageable labour. Almost born in the car, but we were on the outskirts of town by then (the only reason we kept going to the hospital at that point).

He was 11lb 1oz. Born over 2 involuntary pushes as I stood up out of the wheelchair and tried to turn/hitch up onto the birthing bed. Nurse caught him. No "ring of fire". No stitches. Honestly, an EASY birth!

My #1 and #2 were:
9lb 14.25oz
9lb 1.5oz

You surely can do it!