Need advice, small baby and home birth

kimbo46 · Mar 7th, 2012, 08:09 AM

I am hoping to have a home birth within the next couple of weeks, after having to fight tooth and nail for it. After endless objections from my midwife, she has now told me that my baby seems small, i'm only measuring 34 weeks, and if when I birth, the baby does not weigh more than 6lb 3oz, then I HAVE to be admitted so they can keep an eye on blood sugars and signs of infection and so on. Is there not any way I can do this without having to go in? I have a daughter who is diabetic, so I know about the signs of low blood sugar, and I have no objection to going to my local hospital every six hours or so, so they can check baby over up there. Obviously if LO was poorly, I would go in, but I would rather not go in just in case, which is what they want me to do. Any advice would be appreciated x

MrsJaredLeto · Mar 7th, 2012, 08:29 AM

Hi I'm planning my second homebirth.
I wasn't rejected or anything, they thought my little girl was going to be quite small.
She was 7lb 2oz
I don't understand why just because the baby is measuring smaller that they're treating you like its absolutely necessary you go into hospital.
as long as the baby is breathing fine and healthy (which there's no reason it shouldn't be)
then you should be entitled to stay at home and have things the way youve planned.

I think you should definitely not leave this. You need to get your views across, obviously if you're baby's health was at risk, you'd do what they said.
You shouldn't be made to feel like this.
I know I'd hate being told I can have a home birth, but imagining being rushed into hospital straight after. That was completely unrelax me. Hope everything gets sorted out and you get the home birth you planned and you do not have to be admitted!

Good luck
Lauren x

JenStar1976 · Mar 8th, 2012, 12:53 PM

I too measured small during the last few weeks of pregnancy (34cm at 38 weeks). I was sent for a scan in the end and the sonographer said that she didn't understand why I'd been sent as it's obvious why I'm measuring small - the baby's head is engaged, therefore taking up less "tummy room"!! She said this happens a lot but did the scan anyway. They esitmated baby would be 6lb 1oz. He ended up being 6lb 13oz. At no point at all during my pregnancy was the issue of low birth weight thought of as an issue for my homebirth. x

kimbo46 · Mar 8th, 2012, 14:40 PM

Thanks to you both, just to let you know, I had an amazing home birth this morning, with LO weighing in at 6 lb 31/2 oz. So I was allowed to stay at home in the end. I think all the worrying after seeing midwife yesterday must of started things off x

Mar 7th, 2012, 08:09 AM	#1
kimbo46 Mum (Mom) Active BnB Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: isle of wight Posts: 217	Need advice, small baby and home birth I am hoping to have a home birth within the next couple of weeks, after having to fight tooth and nail for it. After endless objections from my midwife, she has now told me that my baby seems small, i'm only measuring 34 weeks, and if when I birth, the baby does not weigh more than 6lb 3oz, then I HAVE to be admitted so they can keep an eye on blood sugars and signs of infection and so on. Is there not any way I can do this without having to go in? I have a daughter who is diabetic, so I know about the signs of low blood sugar, and I have no objection to going to my local hospital every six hours or so, so they can check baby over up there. Obviously if LO was poorly, I would go in, but I would rather not go in just in case, which is what they want me to do. Any advice would be appreciated x

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Mar 7th, 2012, 08:29 AM	#2
MrsJaredLeto Mum (Mom) Active BnB Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: UK Posts: 149	Hi I'm planning my second homebirth. I wasn't rejected or anything, they thought my little girl was going to be quite small. She was 7lb 2oz I don't understand why just because the baby is measuring smaller that they're treating you like its absolutely necessary you go into hospital. as long as the baby is breathing fine and healthy (which there's no reason it shouldn't be) then you should be entitled to stay at home and have things the way youve planned. I think you should definitely not leave this. You need to get your views across, obviously if you're baby's health was at risk, you'd do what they said. You shouldn't be made to feel like this. I know I'd hate being told I can have a home birth, but imagining being rushed into hospital straight after. That was completely unrelax me. Hope everything gets sorted out and you get the home birth you planned and you do not have to be admitted! Good luck Lauren x

Status: Offline

Mar 8th, 2012, 12:53 PM	#3
JenStar1976 Mum (Mom) Chat Happy BnB Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Chelmsford, Essex, UK Posts: 1,050	I too measured small during the last few weeks of pregnancy (34cm at 38 weeks). I was sent for a scan in the end and the sonographer said that she didn't understand why I'd been sent as it's obvious why I'm measuring small - the baby's head is engaged, therefore taking up less "tummy room"!! She said this happens a lot but did the scan anyway. They esitmated baby would be 6lb 1oz. He ended up being 6lb 13oz. At no point at all during my pregnancy was the issue of low birth weight thought of as an issue for my homebirth. x

Status: Offline

Mar 8th, 2012, 14:40 PM	#4
kimbo46 Mum (Mom) Active BnB Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: isle of wight Posts: 217	Thanks to you both, just to let you know, I had an amazing home birth this morning, with LO weighing in at 6 lb 31/2 oz. So I was allowed to stay at home in the end. I think all the worrying after seeing midwife yesterday must of started things off x

Status: Offline

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