Big baby C-section

[Rellie47]

I am 36w5d and my doctor says my baby is about 8lbs and is worried that the baby will be too big to pass vaginally. He is talking C-section. I wanted a natural birth and my biggest fear was that I would have to have a C-section. What should I do? I have another ultra sound on tues oct 21 and I see my doctor to make a plan on oct 24. I want what's best for the baby of course but I am not sure what that will be.

Can anyone help?

 

[LadySlipper]

I am 36w5d and my doctor says my baby is about 8lbs and is worried that the baby will be too big to pass vaginally. He is talking C-section. I wanted a natural birth and my biggest fear was that I would have to have a C-section. What should I do? I have another ultra sound on tues oct 21 and I see my doctor to make a plan on oct 24. I want what's best for the baby of course but I am not sure what that will be.

Can anyone help?

Not sure I can be of much help. But in my last pregnancy they thought I was going to have a 9-10 pound baby. They also were talking csection due to size. My midwife told me that the size ultrasound predicts is just a best guess by them and not always accurate. She let me continue planning a natural birth but had me talk to a doctor so as to be informed about what would happen if there were complications. The guess of baby size was wrong in my case. He was 8 pound 11 ounces. Had he not been sunny side up and had my contractions been better, my midwife said I could have had him vaginally. But instead for me pitocen put him into near distress and I ended up with a section anyway. I would simply let them know that even at babies guessed size you want to still try a natural birth. Hopefully they honor your wishes and let you try. Unless you have a family history of big babies or have a medical condition such as gd I doubt your baby will be too big for you to deliver. But that is just my opinion. I'm not a doctor.

 

[purplecupcake]

Your doctor sucks. Big babies absolutely can be born vaginally. Your body will VERY rarely grow a baby that is too big for your body.

 

[wookie130]

^^^Disagree with this. Bodies can and do grow babies that are too large to safely deliver vaginally. It does happen, shoulder dystocia is real, and babies can and do get stuck. Our bodies are no more perfect in the process of pregnancy and childbirth than they are in any other aspect of human health and physiology...I for one, am not a fan of the "trust your body to do it's job" meme.

All that being said, 8 lbs on an ultrasound at 36 weeks does not necessarily indicate that your baby will be large. There's a lot of room for error in determining a baby's size, and even less predictable than that, is your ability to safely deliver the baby vaginally if your baby is big. Your doc should remain open to at least a trial of vaginal delivery if that's what you want, and if complications arise, then talk about a c-section.

 

[purplecupcake]

https://www.bellybelly.com.au/birth/small-pelvis-big-baby-cpd#.VEAhbb4ijzI

https://theunnecesarean.com/avoid-a...ence-for-induction-or-c-section-for-big-baby/

https://www.pregnancybirthandbabies.com/

https://www.bellybelly.com.au/birth/pelvises-i-have-known-and-loved#.VEAhE74ijzI

 

[Rellie47]

shoulder dystocia is real

Thank you all for your stories and opinions.

The scariest thing for me is the shoulder dystocia. My doctor was telling me that my baby's head would pass but then the shoulders have a real possibility to get stuck. He said on my next visit we will be having a very in depth conversation about all this but what I want to know now if possible is if I delivery the head and the shoulders get stuck can and how do they do an emergency C-section?

 

[wookie130]

Purple, your links contain NO DATA that accurately support what I said above...I can tell you right now there's a lot of pseudoscience wrapped up in those links, and magical thinking. Some women need c-sections due to large babies, and that is a fact...vaginal birth is not some ideal that all women need to strive for...but a healthy mother and baby are! There is nothing wrong w/erring on the side of safety, rather than the side of risk, and having a c-section to avoid POTENTIAL problems.

In the event you would need an EMCS, they may do it either general anesthesia, or with a traditional spinal block, depending on how precious time is to your own safety, and the baby's. If you want to give normal delivery a shot, that's certainly up to you, but I would be open to the possibility that it may lead to a c-section.

 

[LadySlipper]

shoulder dystocia is real

Thank you all for your stories and opinions.

The scariest thing for me is the shoulder dystocia. My doctor was telling me that my baby's head would pass but then the shoulders have a real possibility to get stuck. He said on my next visit we will be having a very in depth conversation about all this but what I want to know now if possible is if I delivery the head and the shoulders get stuck can and how do they do an emergency C-section?

This link details what they would do if shoulder dystocia were to happen to you.

https://www.babycentre.co.uk/a1050967/shoulder-dystocia

Hope it eases your mind a little.

 

[mel28nicole]

My mother is very small. I was 10lbs 6oz when born. She needed EMCS due to not dilating but when they saw how big I was, they said there was absolutely no way my mom would have delivered vaginally

I think at my 36 week appointment they estimated my baby's weigjt to be 7lbs 2oz. They stressed for a c section as well due to size. When I was in labor my doctor was thinking 9 1/2lbs just feeling my belly. I was in labor for about 50 hours and I would have to push for 2-3 more hours so I asked for a c section. Turns out she was only 8lbs 7oz. I probably could have delivered vaginally but she was giving us a hard time coming down and I was exhausted. My body has enough.

 

[sethsmummy]

my sister gave birth vaginally to 3 babies over 10lb and NONE of them had any problems. Her last 3 babies were over 10lb at 39 weeks. Dont accept them saying you have to have a section. They can induce you early to give you a chance of a vaginal delivery hun.

and just as a guide to show how wrong growth scans can be.
I was told DS1 at 37 weeks 2 days was 7lb 2oz and that i was looking at at least a 8/9lb baby at term. He was born at 40+6 weighing only 5lb 14oz! xx

 

[KittieB]

^^^Disagree with this. Bodies can and do grow babies that are too large to safely deliver vaginally. It does happen, shoulder dystocia is real, and babies can and do get stuck. Our bodies are no more perfect in the process of pregnancy and childbirth than they are in any other aspect of human health and physiology...I for one, am not a fan of the "trust your body to do it's job" meme.

All that being said, 8 lbs on an ultrasound at 36 weeks does not necessarily indicate that your baby will be large. There's a lot of room for error in determining a baby's size, and even less predictable than that, is your ability to safely deliver the baby vaginally if your baby is big. Your doc should remain open to at least a trial of vaginal delivery if that's what you want, and if complications arise, then talk about a c-section.

Completely agree with you! My son was 10lb 6oz and had shoulder dystocia. It was the most terrifying experience! Luckily he is absolutely fine but I took me 2 years of different procedures and treatments before I was pain free from all the tears and episitomy. This is why I am opting for an elective section when I have another baby.

But, on the other hand, sizing scans are very unreliable. I would read up on ways to prevent shoulder dystocia, such as positions, if you are going to attempt a vaginal birth. The majority of women don't make babies too big for them to birth but it does happen

 

[Disneyfan88]

My baby was born at 41+1. Despite the fact that my husband and I are both relatively small people, she was 9 lbs, 5 oz at birth (her size was a complete shock as there were never any indicators that she was going to be large). My cervix was checked weekly starting at 37 weeks, and each time my doctor said that I was not dilating yet (not even a finger tip). My water broke 2 days before my scheduled induction, and I found myself in the hospital ready to give birth on the 4th of July. After several hours, I was still failing to progress with dilating, and I was started on Pitocin. My doctor wanted to avoid a c-section and closely monitored me until they finally decided that a c-section was necessary. After 40 hours, I had only dilated 3 cm, and I was taken in for surgery. Once the baby was taken out, it was clear that there was no way she was going pass through my pelvis.

 

[amyleigh89]

I was induced at 40+6 as they thought baby woud be around 11lbs. She was born 8lb10. Scans are often wrong so I wouldn't worry too much. In th uk generally they wouldn't talk c section purely for size of baby unless you were growing a toddler. In my opinion if baby is too big for your body then you would struggle to dilate as head wouldn't engage enough to put pressure on cervix (as happened with me - not that she was really THAT big but I have long family history of csections due to baby not engaging/fitting through tilted pelvis). Hope everything works out for you and you get the natural birth you are wishing for x


As PP says - I didn't get passed 3cm either with 24hours on synto after waters ruptured.

 

[Rhi_Rhi1]

My son was 9lb.. I am 5 foot. And 8 stone. Hardly a huge lady.... No one ever made any indication that I would do anything other than give birth naturally... which I did with no stitches needed. 9lb is quite small compared to some of the size given here but for me it's huge haha

 

[wookie130]

It depends on a woman's individual anatomy, and pelvis, definitely!

 

[MMW430]

My baby was born at 39 weeks exactly (we did ivf so I know it was exact). I also had a big baby c-section. He ended up being 8lb9oz which I guess is large for a first baby? Anyway, he was born a day before my scheduled section (I went into labor) so my ob didn't do the procedure. The woman who did it, kept asking if I wanted to try, and I was adamant that I did not want to try because I trusted my ob's opinion over a stranger. While she was doing it, my dh and I heard her day to the other people in the room "yeah, this would have never worked the natural way". So, I would have went through labor for nothing, and still ended up with a section.

 

[kassxox]

I had a scan that indicated my baby girl was going to be about 11lbs ( scan was done at about 39 weeks) I was terrified, so when they gave me the option to have an elective c-section I took it. I was really scared but Im honestly so glad I did it. The procedure was calm and relaxed and my daughter was born safe and un traumatised. She was born weighing 10lb 5oz with a large head circumference (they think that her head wasn't engaging because it was a bit big), so they weren't far off in their estimation.
The woman in the room next to me also had a large baby, but had him naturally. He suffered shoulder dystocia and the mother had some other bleeding complications.
If the doctors are strongly recommending a c section, I would take it. That's just my personal experience. I was told that I could try for a natural birth with my next baby if I chose to, as long as the estimated weight was lower

 

[shinona]

Shoulder dystocia is a concern but it doesn't only happen to big babies. To me, a potentially big baby is not a reason to have a section or induce without a lot of further discussion. Growth scans are not accurate. I have had a 10lb 14oz and 9lb 3.5oz baby and waiting for their chunky wee bro any day now who I hope will also come out without too much bother vaginally.

 

[hayz_baby]

Although it is entirely possible to have a baby to large for them (me being one of them) I believe there can be an over zealous (if thats the right word) approach which can have a negative affect. Weight scans that lead to unnecessary c secs or vaginal labour that very quickly gets intervened and bad birthing positions due to continous monitoring that can lead to stuck births, shoulder dystocia or emcs. Sometimes just going into labour with a negative attitude can have a can make it harder to labour effectively.
End of the day this is your choice and you should decide how to labour. Once you know what you want to do ensure it is done your way. Like others have said these scans arent always right

 

[Iveneverseen]

I had a 9lber vaginally
My mum had 9, 11 & 13lb babies vaginally.

big babies are born vaginally all the time. x