baby measuring HUGE

so I went to the doctor today to get an ultrasound. I didn't see my regular doctor, just the ultrasound doc. anyway, the baby is measuring reeeaally big for gestational age and i'm sure on my dates. when i say really big, i mean they estimate low (to keep the mom from being induced, etc and giving birth to a small baby...) and they still estimated him at 5 lbs 6 oz and i'm only 32 weeks... this means he gained about 2 1/2 lbs the past 4 weeks, and is 2 1/2 lbs bigger than "average" if he gains 3/4 lb every week (as is "average") he'll be 11 1/2 lbs when he's due...

i was worried there was something wrong, but they checked everything and he's healthy, not fat, just totally off the charts big... so i guess i'm just growing a football player in here...

anyway, now there seems to be a huge possibility i will be induced early... my doctor is really good, doesn't like to induce before 38 weeks, but unless the baby really slows down his growth, i don't think i want to wait past 38 weeks. i really really want to have this baby vaginally and i really really wanted to have him naturally, but i'm pretty worried!

does anybody have any advice?... anybody give birth to such a huge baby? should I look into natural induction methods to reduce the chance of having to do the cervadil and/or pitocin? Is there any way i can slow down his growth some? we're both healthy, no complications other than the hugeness.

 

Hon, weren't you a huge baby? Maybe he's big. So what? I've known lots of mommas in the circles I run in talk of giving birth, no drugs, to 10.5, 11.5 lbs babies. The trick is to birth standing or squatting to allow your body to open up as much as possible.

I wouldn't induce baby early. How are you measuring as far as fundal height? How are you feeling? I would talk to your doctor about allowing you to continue on, and discuss different birthing positions. I'm not talking labor, I'm talking birthing.

Don't worry. He'll be cute and full looking immediately without that wrinkly old man look!

 

Word of advice? Don't always trust the ultrasound results when it comes to weight. According to what the ultrasound showed when I was expecting my twins, they were estimated to be close to 7 pounds each. When I gave birth to them they were a hair under 5 pounds each! I was steaming mad! *laughs*

I was told by my ultrasound tech that weight estimates done via ultrasound aren't always accurate, they just provide a bit of a guideline for the physician to go by.

So try not to worry too much!

 

i think i was just freaking out last night of course part of me kinda wants him to come early anyway... 8 weeks seems like a long time.

i was really big when i was born- 10 lb 1 oz. my mom's last was 8 lb 15 oz at 38 weeks (she was induced) so i was expecting a big baby, but not quite THAT big lol. one of the nurses said to work on my kegels so i don't have to have an episiotomy, lol

hippyfreek, it's good to know other women have birthed 11.5 lb babies vaginally. my fundal height has been normal, but his head and organ measurements (not just weight estimate) are all off the charts... so who knows. man it's kind of scary though

thanks for the encouragement guys

 

yeah, if you are measuring normally, I wouldn't worry about his "measurements" because, no matter what they say, ultrasounds are HIGHLY inaccurate (I've heard up to +/- 4lbs depending on the tech). And if you had a midwife, she wouldn't be doing ultrasounds really now anyway, at least not to look at height/weight/organ sizing.

I would work on squatting, kegels, and learning to tell the doctor to piss off if he tells ya to lie down. If it's a big baby, you're definitely not going to want to lie down, or else it'll definitely slow down your labor (so much pressure on your arteries, cutting off blood to your uterus, contractions slow, pitocin necessary, epidural madness, etc).

And in the scheme of things, as slow as it seems, you'll be at 40+ weeks here VERY VERY soon.

 

I you are measuring on target, I would not worry about U/S measurments. You can refuse them from now on, you know.

I would worry bout a big baby of the fundal measurements are more than 4 cms over your weeks of gestation, not from an US measurement. U/S measures head circumference, biparietal diameter, and femur length. It can not measure fat. You may have a string bean in there, and not necessarily an 11 pound baby. I have yet to see an U/S give an accurate weight, they're always off by at least a pound.

 

my youngest step daughter mom gave birth to her no drugs /naturally at 11lbs. 2 ozs and it can be done think positive hon!!

 

I know you can do this.

I am fully prepared for an episiotomy. I don't think there is anything wrong with it either. I would much rather is be cut then rip. And you can definitely give birth to a big boy! My fiance's mom, gave birth to her 10 pound baby! She wasn't drugged or anything. And who knows maybe he will be a football player John was.

 

hehe thanks for the support guys i have a doctor's appointment on Wednesday so I'm going to talk to my OB about it. Just to see what she normally does, her opinion etc.

The baby is totally beating me up lately... kicking and punching a lot and making me feel bruised inside. 7 more weeks and it feels like sooo long... (it is kinda cool though )

 

Are you nervous? I think right before I will be so nervous.

 

awww.... i've never been preggers so i can't give you personal advice, but try not to worry or stress too much about it. lotsa women give birth to big babies without any problems. it's when they induce early that more women end up with problems that end up doing c-section. i used to work in a hospital, and a surprising amount of them who came in for induction before 40 weeks ended up delivering by c-section because the baby just wasn't ready to come. don't let the doctors scare you into doing what's convenient for them, unless that's what you really want to do. know what you want to do as far as birthing positions, methods, etc... and also know ahead of time what you feel comfortable with changing if there are unforseen situations (i hate the word complications). that way you can stick to your guns, even under all the pressure that takes place in the hospitals when everything is going on and emotions are really crazy.

 

that does sound like a big baby.

You are getting close and just starting to freak out. Don't let it get to you too much. It is what it is.

 

update: i went to my regular doctor on wednesday and she's not worried. she said he's in the 63rd percentile so it looks like he's not really THAT big. she didn't mention induction or c-section, but i do get one last ultrasound in about two and a half weeks (i don't mind, i like seeing him... it's weird, i've kind of gotten to the point where i feel like i'm wearing him in a sling instead of inside my belly, like my belly has separated from the rest of me in some way... lol that probably sounds really weird)

my mom said maybe the ultrasound tech is used to scaring girls becuase he assists a lot of c-section happy doctors there. like he wants to get them ready for the induction/c-section talk with their OB.

 

yes definitly dont worry about the ultrasound. i have a co worker whos sis had her baby last week. by ultrasound she measured only 6 months. but the baby was 10 pounds!!!!! it was OFF
stay calm mama it will be ok

 

ooo i'm getting cloooose... i start seeing my doctor every week now

 

My friend Skipper's mom had all four of her children at home with no pain killers. 10 to 11 pound babies! Freaky huge quaker babies! lol. Don't worry so much about it. Your doctor won't let you kill yourself trying to have them. And honestly, you most likely aren't going to notice a couple of extra pounds come crunch time.

Good luck!

 

how exciting! i miss feeling the baby moving around inside my tummy. me and my husband have been thinking about having a baby, we already each had one of our own before we married.

 

i think the movement is definitely the coolest thing about pregnancy

I have another ultrasound next week. can't wait we'll see what they say about his size then, but the doctor told me yesterday i should be fine waiting until 4 days after my due date before talking about induction. so that's cool

 

I have 3 kids. All were born naturally. All the sonograms were all over the board. My first baby was 9lbs 1oz. Next one, 2 weeks before he was born, sono said he was only 6lbs., but at birth he was 10lbs 2oz. The last one, sono was way off, she was 10lbs 1oz.
YOU CAN DO THIS.
Don't sweat it. All my babies were big. I don't know any different. I did what came naturally to a woman, and I delivered them vaginally.
Good luck!

 

Elyse! It is like right around the corner.