Homebirth and BIG baby?

[MrsKTB]

So, Ive already had it stacked against me to get a home birth. Previous undiagnosed breech, high bp, protiens, high BMI etc etc...now, i have a bump meassuring 5 weeks ahead and a growth scan this week!

Anyone had/having 'big' babies at home?

 

[Kess]

Ro was large considering my size (he was over 9lb 5oz and I'm a petite 7.5st and 5'2") I guess and I had a home waterbirth, but I'd caution against relying on bump measurements or even scans to guess size. Ro according to my bump measurement should've been 7 1/2 - 8lbs, and scans are notorious for being up to a lb out either way.

 

[BunnyN]

At 28 weeks the scan said my baby is measuring a week ahead. He started talking about inducing early if the baby got "too big" that and other things freaked me out enough to renew my interest in HB. We finally found a really good independent MW. At 33 weeks my bump measured 2 weeks ahead and at my appointment last week it was 3 1/2 weeks ahead. She said it is a big baby for sure but doesn't seem worried about it, I asked if I should have another scan and she said there was no need. Big babies run in the family and my mum had three big babies without size being a problem so I'm not too worried about it either. If it was to be a problem I'd just have to transfer to hospital but I do believe that our bodies won't normally grow babies that are too big for us. I suppose if you have GD or a problem with your pelvis it would be of more concern. But if you already had one (?) you know there is nothing wrong with your pelvis.

 

[Guppy051708]

I havn't given birth to any "big" babys at home (ive had a HB though, but "normal" weight) But my mom had a free birth at home with her last child and she came out weighing over 10.5lbs! She said it was her best birth too. She said it was actually a lot easier than the birth of her smallest babies (4.5lbs and 6lbs). She proclaims there is more cushioning lol. It was 2 hours total, first twinge to placenta. Everything turned out great. This may not happen to everyone, but it's the only experience i have to offer.

 

[NaturalMomma]

Measuring ahead can be off, and you can't really tell how big a baby is by a ultrasound (they are usually off by 1-2 lbs). I'm a petite person and only 5'2 and my last baby was 8 lbs 12 oz and I had her at home.

 

[summer rain]

My homebirth baby was 9lb 6 my mum's one homebirth baby was 9lb 13! It's ridiculous though as last time I booked a homebirth and one of the other local midwives (not my usual one) kept saying I will end up having a 10lb+ baby and they WOULD get stuck. She even wrote up a disclaimer form saying if shoulder dystocia occurs I was warned about it and basically it would have been all my fault. I wouldn't mind but with my youngest I was measuring behind and had a very tiny bump and also my mum had babies that were all random weights not getting bigger with each one and my elder sister was the same. Due to terrible weather I couldn't have my homebirth in the end with my youngest but when he was born he was only 8lb 2 and average build and length. This time I am measuring two weeks ahead but they are not saying anything about predicting size etc as they know that they can get it badly wrong xx

 

[aliss]

My homebirth baby was 9lb 6 my mum's one homebirth baby was 9lb 13! It's ridiculous though as last time I booked a homebirth and one of the other local midwives (not my usual one) kept saying I will end up having a 10lb+ baby and they WOULD get stuck. She even wrote up a disclaimer form saying if shoulder dystocia occurs I was warned about it and basically it would have been all my fault.

Wow, that's awful.

My midwives were fully expecting it and only advised me that they would recommend transfer if prolonged pushing indicated it may re-occur (and it did, and I transferred after 1 hour, and it did happen).

It's amazing how some midwives can be so supportive and others just don't give a rat's bum

 

[summer rain]

What surprised me is she was a young seemingly nice midwife. After I signed the shoulder dystocia disclaimer she then made me go for additional blood tests saying I could be anaemic even though I only had a full blood count test 3 weeks earlier and my iron levels were on the high side of average. My sister who did have a shoulder dystocia baby and they had to perform the extremely dangerous zavanelli manoeuvre on her, her baby (who thankfully was unscathed) was about 6lb 5 I think! Xx

 

[Guppy051708]

Wow. That is crazy how some MWs can act that way!
I had should dysctoia with DS2. He was only 7lbs 4oz! it was more bc of anatomical issue with my hips/pelvis as my first son was face up and ive had unmedicated, water births, squating, doing what i wanted when i wanted. I do have issues with my hips and stuff. And DS2 was born extremly fast, but anyways, my point is that is rediculous how they scare ppl like that with "big" babys it happened to me and my child wasn't big. I think it has more to do with position of laboring, and the presentation of the baby, for the most part (and if the mother has anatomical issues). I think only rarely does it actually have to do with the baby's actual size.

To the OP, rarely will a mom produce a baby that is too big to birth, if mom doesn't have a complication like GD, for instance. Does it happen? Yes. Commonly? Certainly not. You will do fine

 

[summer rain]

Well thankfully that particular midwife had moved far far away to Milton Keynes (I spied on her using 192.com and linkedn hehe) so she won't be giving me any trouble this time. My usual midwife is very supportive of homebirth and while she isn't a usual part of the special homebirth team she does sometimes get called up to be the second midwife accompanying one of that team if they are short staffed xx