Small baby - homebirth?

[mintz]

So Ive been planning a home birth and have been quite excited since I hit 37 weeks that I am far enough along to have my homebirth...

But because my fundal height measurements have been a bit low - measuring 35cm at 38 weeks I was sent for a growth scan which confirmed the fundal height measurements and my baby is measuring 35 weeks (5 and a 1/2 pounds) which probably wouldnt be a problem except that Im planning to deliver at home.

The Dr went on to book me in for a follow up scan in a week (39 weeks) to check the growth but has advised if I go into labour before the next scan to go into the hospital to deliver. My last 2 pregnancies never made it to 39 weeks so I guess that is a real possibility.

Im just wondering how real his concerns are that it would be risky to deliver a small baby at home. He basically said she is healthy but smaller babies sometimes do not cope as well during labour and I may need more monitoring during labour. But if she stays in long enough to put on another 400g or so I will be right for a home birth.

Anyone delivered a small baby at home? Or have any thoughts on what I should do if I happen to go into labour in the next week?

 

[lynnikins]

scans are known not to be so accurate for weight estimation so i hope your doctor has taken that into account, not sure on your rights to be attended if you choose to stay home anyway since your not in the UK, smaller babies do tend to have more issues with breathing and stuff in my experience but i have giant babies lol , lots of babys are born at 5-6lb and need no extra help at all

 

[Blah11]

5.5lbs is an okay weight imo. My little girl was 6lb4

 

[mintz]

Thanks, I hope she just stays cooking for another week or 2 and the scan shows she has grown over 6 pounds.

 

[paperz]

I gave birth at home without any problems and my daughter was just over 5.5 lbs (5lbs 9 oz). We were instructed to supplement her feeding just until my milk came in so that she wouldn't lose too much weight, but other than that there were no issues.

 

[mintz]

Thank you paperz, thats great to hear!

 

[xxembobxx]

My last LO was born two weeks early in hospital weighing just under 6lbs. Nobody even raised it as an issue until I got pregnant again and then I had to have growth scans in case this baby was low weight.
Although the weight was supposedly low he put on weight so quickly he jumped from the bottom percentiles to the top of the chart and he was not a small in size!
I never understand the fuss made about the size of babies as there have to be lighter and heavier babies to work out an average - people are all different and so are babies. I'd have only been worried if they said there was a health issue rather than weight.
Hopefully baby will stay snug inside and there will be no issue anyway x

 

[mintz]

Yeh I hope so.. still pregnant so far so lets hope the growth scan puts her at over 6 pounds on Friday. I have a feeling my body will hold onto her until shes a bit heavier anyway

 

[madasa]

I would be interested in what the doc says re: WHY the smaller baby does not cope so well in labour. Is there anything that could be done to relieve that additional stress AT HOME? I mean, in hospital they can monitor it yes, but how is that going to make it better? What are they going to DO about it? Pit to get them out faster? Won't the extra hard ctx be even harder on them? Is he thinking of having to do a section and what is the likelihood of that?

For example, if a woman is lying on her back it reduces blood flow to the baby. I could kind of understand why this might be especially harder on a smaller baby. But there is something fairly simple you can DO about it (regardless of where you are). (Speaking of which, monitoring would surely make it more likely that you'd be on your back and make labour more difficult for your baby, who is, apparently, "small" and won;t cope with labour as well?) It MIGHT be that in this doctor's experience, smaller babies do struggle more during labour. It might also be that many women under his care are on their backs. If that's the case, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the monitors showed worrying readings, confirming his fears on a frequent basis. Am I making sense, here?

Another example: if your baby IS small (and the scan may not have been accurate) surely skin to skin following birth will be even more crucial than for a larger (more robust?) baby? Especially if the smaller size is because of a problem (sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't). What are the chances of you having that at this hospital?

Whatever happens, you need to work out a solution that you and your care givers are happy with. I'm not saying "do this" or "do that". I am saying perhaps you need a more indepth chat with the doctor as to why he thinks labour will be harder, what can be done about htat aside from monitoring and what risk being in hospital/monitoring may present in and of itself. There ARE risks with birthing, wherever you do it. Once you know the risks (of both places) you can balance them against the advantages (of both places) and decide which risk you are happier with

(hope all that makes sense!)

This is a great homebirth website (altho not all of it will e relevant to you?) and it does have a section on "Small Babies", so migh tbe worth a look:

https://www.homebirth.org.uk/small.htm

HTH!

 

[mintz]

Thanks for another perspective Madasa, I will go into this next appointment armed with a few more questions, I guess I just wasn't prepared last Friday to hear that the baby was considered too small for homebirth so I just took what the Dr said and questioned it later once I got home. My OH would happily just have a homebirth regardless of what the Dr said but its more me, that if something went wrong after being advised not to have a homebirth. Oh well 2 days to go and hoping she has had a growth spurt, but if not I will delve a bit deeper into it with the Dr and my midwife.
I really do hate the thought of being tied down to the bed for monitoring, or having pitocin and there is no way Im gonna stay on my back for the whole labour either.
Thanks for the link, I am about to check it out