Baby measuring big

I was told very similar at my 32 week scan and got my 36 scan next week to check again. I really don’t want a section as we live rurally and have a toddler so don’t want to be unable to drive or lift my son.
All I’ve read online is the measurements can be inaccurate so that gives me some hope and with my last son I had him at 37.5 weeks…so your baby may even come earlier naturally!
I don’t know what I’m going to do yet! x

Please read through this excellent resource. https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-for-induction-or-c-section-for-big-baby/

You don’t want it, so don’t do it! The scans can be off as well, I’ve seen it be off a whole pound before. Stick to your gut. Your labor will be amazing

Go to seek advice at the midwife led unit they are brilliant, imagine I said no for an over 9 pounds one and the midwife are super chill about it so go see them and have an appointment to record your conversation with the consultant midwife.

Just take your time to make your choice, you’re right you do not have to take their advice! Scans can be really inaccurate at this point. If baby is possibly around 7.5 lbs now, and they gain about 0.5lb/week from now on. At 39 weeks the prediction might be 9lbs, 40 weeks 9.5 lbs and for 41 weeks 10lbs. These are not “big babies”. These are perfectly normal babies. One definition of “big” is over 4.5kg/9.9lbs but this definition could change depending where you look - there’s no universal agreement when is “big” and what “risk” that “big” even carries. Women have birthed 10, 11 even 12 lb babies in life and not known about it until the baby is born 💪🏼

One of the most likely reasons labour can stall with a “big baby” is because people are uncomfortable or anxious about the birth because they are told “this will be too difficult, the baby is big”. If you want to go for vaginal birth then just take in the info and decide that’s what’s best for you! But have confidence! You can do it! 🫶🏼

The NHS admit scans can be off by as much as 15/20% which is very high. My friend was scaremongered into an induction due to 'big baby' and when born, he was the perfect size.

If you don't want the c section, just firmly decline and tell them you don't want to be offered this again unless medically necessary. Ask them if the baby is presenting healthily otherwise, eg - fluids, placenta, bloods. Are they all good? If so - let nature do its course!

great advice Krystie!

I'm 34 weeks and weighing 7lbs apparently. Another check at 36 weeks and can tell they will say c section already. I really don't want this either so I'm definitely going to question it and ask if it is really deemed necessary. My mum had me and my brother both over 9lbs naturally.. but we were both apparently measuring small so it's crazy how the scans are inaccurate.

Thanks for all the advice. I’m just scared to not to take their advice and have a traumatic birth or put baby at risk but I also would love a natural birth incase everything did work out ok. It’s so hard to know what to do. They are saying baby is healthy so I don’t know what to do

Also I’ve had 3 growth scans and all saying the same thing by different consultants so does that mean they all can’t be far off 🙈

It's a tough conversation and they have them way to play around. If your pregnancy has been fine, that you are low risk and there is nothing else than a big baby except some last min dangerous situations or baby placements that are extremely unusual go have a talk or appointment with the midwife led unit they will back you up.

Good point, midwives are more supportive of the mothers choice than obstetricians who want to do medical interventions for nearly everything!

Obstetrician are here to anticipate and find problems but forgot that most of the time everything is fine

My brother was dating an obstetrician up until a few months ago (sadly! She was lovely!) But I did chuckle when at 6 weeks I shared I was pregnant and due to my existing endomitriosis she mentioned that a C section may be advised.

I WAS SIX WEEKS! Before knowing anything about my pregnancy she was already planning medical interventions. 🤣 Obstetricians just have a very medicated view on things as their world is managing even the tiniest of risks, even if those risks aren't big.

To play devil’s advocate and TW CW - DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE ANXIOUS….










I would take advice seriously from medical professionals. With a pinch of salt but if they say you ought to it might be wise to forget your ideal birth to ensure you get a healthy baby at the end of it. I had a mate who was measuring big baby too and she refused intervention. He was born sleeping. She had risk factors (overweight, over 35, partner smoked and she was ex smoker) and went overdue because she wanted a natural birth. So it was other factors, but it’s made me terrified and anything I can do to get baby out sooner and safely if necessary I would strongly consider over my desires to have the perfect birth.

What were your glucose numbers? Those are more telling about the possibility of should dystocia (the main concern with big babies) than the size of your baby. Unless you are overweight, high glucose numbers, or were told your baby’s shoulders look particularly large compared to their head, I wouldn’t fret. However, be aware that being to confined to birthing on your back is not a great idea if your baby is big. It will be in your advantage to move around, so if you were planning on getting an epidural, know that you may need to be flipped to all 4s and if your provider and nurses wont help you do that, that could be an issue (you may want to have two people in the room that are not OBs or midwives to help flip you)

https://www.instagram.com/p/C1C4OK1sstC/?igsh=MWxhaHg5MjZrMXJicA==

Agree with lots of the comments here and yes from my understanding it’s possibly more of an option to consider if you have other risk factors. Historically the whole “baby being too big to deliver” has come from times when women were getting scurvy. Since that there’s not much reliable evidence I’ve seen that womens bodies make babies that are “too big” to birth apart from in cases like advanced gestational diabetes (often where women had diabeties pre-pregnancy or have quite severe GD). Even in these cases having good diets, regular exercise in pregnancy and routine weight gain reduce all these risks.

Possibly ask yourself
- Do you have have known advanced dietary concerns in this pregnancy that mean it is possible your baby’s weight or proportions could have grown at an increased rate?
- How do you plan to give birth? If you plan to take an epidural or other pain relief or for any reason plan to give birth lying on your back then this can add an obstacle to labour.

Feel like I’m babbling but just to finish the last bit, if you lie on your back in labour it can stop your pelvis being able to move and stops your sacrum being able to move up and out of the way - this is what can make the pushing stage very difficult or extremely long. Also moving around and being stood or sat uses gravity and engages your muscles so that the cervix can open easier. I had a C-Section with my first baby after a long labour and I enjoyed lots of my birth so I’m really not saying any way of birth is better or anything at all, I just did lots of reading this time 😄

No they said the baby is healthy and I have no health conditions, I’ve had a low risk pregnancy the whole time. They tested me for GD when it was measuring big and I don’t have that. I am vegetarian, don’t know if that would make a difference to it’s size. I was planning a birth in the home from home suite, so just gas and air, birth pool, bouncing ball etc. I don’t want the epidural either. I really want to have a natural birth but scared Incase something goes wrong and people think you were told about this

Also, would the midwives be less nice to me in labour if I was advised to get a section and didn’t take it?

If I’m in pain etc, they might think well this is what you wanted lol

Oh god no! Midwives are generally quite supportive of natural births! Your choices will have no reprise or backlash! Please don't worry about this at all!

As a blanket statement absolutely not! If they make you feel in any way like you are being judged or treated differently because you made an informed choice then I would say you could just ask to switch midwives. It absolutely should not happen and is unlikely, on the rare cases it has happened some women feel they aren’t able to request a different staff or that it would be causing a fuss, it’s absolutely not. Giving birth is your space, staff should facilitate birth how you want to birth, not control it. You’re the most important decision maker there. They will give lots of advice if you’re happy to hear it, and can be such a great help and such a great support system 😄 but if you feel judged then ask your birth partner to request someone else 💗