Measuring Large

Please remember, the measurements are approximate. In fact, I know of more people who were told either the baby was too big or on the small side, and the doctor was wrong. Try to relax. Like the others have said, discuss your concerns with the doctor. Hopefully that will help put you at ease as well.

You should talk to the doctor about your concerns. Some doctors do want to induce if they feel the baby will be very large. However, it is impossible to accurately predict the birth weight of the baby just by measurements and how much you have gained.

I was told my first baby would be over ten pounds. She was 8.5.

I have had three babies over nine pounds, and all were born naturally.

Hi M.,

Measuring large just means that they will do another ultrasound to keep an eye on things as you get further along. You could have extra amniotic fluid or your baby could be big or you could just be measuring large. I measured large with my son so they did 2 extra ultrasounds to keep an eye on things. He was born full term at 7 lb 9 oz - so not large at all. Some women just measure large during pregnancy. I wouldn't worry too much about it. I enjoyed getting the extra ultrasounds so that I could "see" more of my baby. Think if it as a gift to be able to see more pictures further along into your pregnancy and don't worry unless you need to. Also keep in mind that ultrasound is not an accurate way of determining how large the baby is. I had a friend who was told she was having an 8 or 9 lb baby by ultrasound and her baby ended up being 6 lbs!! Don't let them scare you into delivering early or having a c-section. Always as WHY and WHAT WILL HAPPEN if we don't - lots of times the things that Drs suggest are "precautionary" and not always necessary.

Congrats on your baby-to-be and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy.

J.

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I wouldn't worry if I were you (easier said than done I know). I measured 2 and 3 weeks ahead with each of my pregnancies and my dd was 8 lbs and my ds was 7lbs 14 oz. Not enormous by any stretch of the imagination. Ultrasound in the third trimester is very inaccurate (sometimes by as much as 2 lbs). You can measure differently from one day to the next depending on the way they baby is lying or how much amniotic fluid you have at that moment.

I myself would not let myself be talked into a c-section due to the size of the baby. The chances of your body making a baby that is too big for you to push out are very slim and you've already given birth once. That makes the second delivery easier so you may be able to handle a bigger baby this time. I know someone that was convinced to have a c-section because they said the baby was going to be over 10 lbs and the baby was under 7 lbs.

Also the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology does not consider a big baby a legitimate reason to induce. If you induce early because of size you are more likely to need a c-section due to failure to progress than if you went into labor naturally when the baby is ready.

Also once the baby drops into the pelvis more your measurements should go down. Second babies have more room so sometimes you'll measure bigger for that reason. Also you may measure right on at your next appt. I have a client who measured the same 2 appts in a row. It was likely the baby had a growth spurt one week so she measured ahead but by the next appt was right on.

Try not to worry and best of luck.

A.

My last pregnancy I was measuring large and due to past history get 2nd level ultrasounds at least monthly. I had one in the beginning of December and was told the baby would be definitely over 9 lbs. I ended up with a C-section b/c of previous history (I'm like Barb K & have a small pelvis). Two weeks after the ultrasound, my little girl was born at 8 lbs 4 oz - NOT over 9 lbs. Technology is great. However, every lab technician (& OB for that matter) measures slightly different and if they're measurements are just a bit off, it throws off "estimated due dates", "estimated length", etc. Remember, it's not an exact science.

My daughter was 6 lbs, 11 oz, about 5 days before due date.

My son...well, at 29 weeks gestationally, they started doing ultrasounds every 3 weeks to make sure he was OK (He was.) because he was measuring so large. My doctor is not one to promote inductions, but she said she would need to induce me early because, at his rate, he would be 10 lbs. at full term.

My body was ready to deliver my son 3 weeks early, so he was born 3 weeks before his due date, very healthy, at 8 lbs. 15 oz. Yes, he would have been a 10 lb baby if full term. (I was quite dilated so I could not go home from a doctor's appointment, but they had to give me pitocin, unfortunately.)

(He has continued as a very tall, etc., kid...he always measures as the average size of kids 3-4 years older than he is and always is the tallest kid in whatever group he's in!)

By the way, my kids are 3+ years apart. Any unisex clothing went basically right from my daughter's room to my son's, as the size differential was not great.

Good luck with the baby!

This sometimes happens. Is it possible that the doc set your due date wrong ? My sister used to teach lamaze and doctors were forever changing due dates, and then she'd get mad at them cuz they would have to have people start lamaze early, and --oopsie -- the original due date was the right one !

But that is one possibility. I've also seen people told they were going to have 9 lb babies, and come to find out, the baby is right on schedule and is 6 or 7 pounds. ?? Medicine is not an exact science by any stretch of the imagination, and they do tons of tests these days to avoid malpractice suits, and they scare pregnant moms to death in the process.

My bias stated . . . :-) I will also tell you that my kids have ranged in sizes -- My first was 8 pounds, the second was 9, third was 7 and I can't remember the size of the 4th. (shame on me) The 9 pounder was my easiest delivery. She was LONG, but not big width wise, and her head wasn't big.

Try not to worry. It's hard, because you love your child, and you want so much for this to be a happy time, and you want your child to be born safely and healthy. One day at a time. If the baby is too big to get out, or breach or labor doesn't progress, yes, they will do a C-section, but most babies come through the natural way, and they do very well. (as does mom)

dont worry, i am a petite lady,( 112 5'4inches), as well and all 3 of my kids were big, i always measured bigger than i was and i was always told that the babies get as big as you can handle them. my 1st was 8 lbs 6 0z 21 1/2 in (on my due date), my 2nd was 9 lbs 1 oz 22 inches(3 days early), and my 3rd was 8 lbs 6 oz 22 1/2 inches (they took my 9 days early just because he was getting so big, i was told had i gone teh extra days he would have been close to 10 lbs. i had all of the vaginally and had no problems. good luck!

Hi, M.!
First of all, congrats on your pregnancy!

Ok, you should know that measurements are often "off" & it's perfectly normal for you to be "off" by as much as 2-3 cm, which is what you are. That's normal. You may find that later in the pregnancy, things "catch up". That happened w/ my second. I thought for sure he'd be early because of it & he was EXACTLY 2 weeks LATE. (So much for that theory!).

Measurements of the baby via ultrasound are also notorious for being inaccurate. So don't worry about that a bit either.

As a childbirth educator, I am a VERY big believer that your body will only grow what it can birth. That's just how our bodies & evolution works. A small frame is in no way an indicator of the size baby you can birth (for example, my sister-in-law is at least as small as you are & she gave birth to a 9.5+ lb baby last year!).

If your doctor starts pressuring you in ANY way, I would highly suggest that you look elsewhere for care. Midwives would (generally) be your best bet, as they are experts in normal, healthy pregnancies & birth & are not surgery specialists (and therefor aren't gunning for a surgical or interventive birth).

You can check out some info on www.ChildBirthConnection.org (or .com???) It's a great EVIDENCE-BASED site which is frequented by birth professionals.

Hope that helps some! Good luck & enjoy your pregnancy!

OK--you were just there.... Maybe you didn't think of these concerns til you were home. Are you going every week yet? If so, it won't be long til your next appt. so make a list of concerns and questions so you have them all ready! Every woman is different. Try not to upset yourself by comparing your situation/body/baby weights with others!

Hi M.! Sounds like you are doing great so far. Maybe you are futher along than you think! Don't start worrying or borrowing trouble, and remember once you have had a child you're a bit more "elastic" than the first time. Most of the time your first is your smallest and your size doesn't really matter as much as you may think. I've always been a "plus-size" girl and I ended up with c-sections because I have a small pelvis....go figure! Each pregnancy, like each child is completely different...and your success really depends on where your head is at from the beginning to the end. Stay positive, stay strong and enjoy!! Best wishes and congrats!

gain 1/2 pound a week, would make it 7 1/2 pounds at 40 weeks, approximates remember and being able to carry and deliver is not based on your height or weight, but rather the size of pelvic area and how much you can stretch out. The baby also tends to lose a little in the last week, so don't worry at all.

I just wanted to agree with everyone else who said that there isn't an exact way to measure the baby before birth. I, too, was measuring a little bit larger before I gave birth, but no one had any idea that my child was going to be 10 pounds, six ounces. I know this all sounds scary, but your body will work through it.
Best of luck to you!

My third was like this and I just about passed my second glucose test. With my fourth I just about passed my second glucose test again (failed the first) and as a precaution was put on a diabetic diet. Not sure if this could be the case in your pregnancy. I incidentally had a 6lb baby before my 9lb 5oz one.

I've never done natural as I have terrible back and front labour and my labour has stalled with the last two pregnancys so this they've had to do something to help it.

My sister-in-law however, had a c-section first time and then a 9lb baby vaginally the second time. She is very little but managed to do it naturally.

Good luck

I always measured a little larger too. With my first son they told me he was going to weigh over 9.5lbs so I was a little nervous. They endused me a week early. He only ended up weighing 6lbs. 7 ounces. I wouldn't worry.

Congrats on your pregnancy! First, remember that these are estimates. The measurements just give the doctor an "idea" of where you're at since there's more than just a baby in there. You're falling about the right range and that's what he cares about. Did your doctor tell you anything about the measurements? There's no way to have an accurate measurement without actually holding the child and that's just not possible during pregnancy, lol. The baby's weight of 5 lbs is also just an estimate. I and many women I've known over the years have had varying estimates taken and varying outcomes. You may have a larger baby than your first, but that is no unusual. Every pregnancy can be so different. It's not a rule but it's not unusual to have second and third babies larger than the first. Your body has been stretched out, so to speak, already. KWIM? They're not going to take your baby early due to size. No matter what the body size is, the organs and especially lungs still need to mature on its regular schedule. They'll do a c-section on time before they'd take a baby early and make it intentionally pre-mature. And honestly, pain is pain in delivery, lol! My first son was 9.10. My second was 8.11 and was harder and more painful to get out than the first one. This is because of the contractions, not so much the size or shape of the baby coming out. Your body will give you paining contractions long before you begin to push no matter what the size of the child is. You've gained plenty of weight as well. Don't go so much by what the books say. If you're eating well, you gain what you gain. Doctors worry when you're not gaining weight from not eating. You're eating well so the baby is getting everything it needs. Just enjoy the last 8 weeks of pregnancy, eat well, and everything will be fine. Your doctor will let you know when and if to worry.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

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My son measured very large also towards the end (32-36 weeks) and the doctor did several ultrasounds and warned me about inducing and c-section.
I was a mess considering I'm a very pro-natural birth type person. I couldn't bare being induced just because he was big and I definitely did not want a c-section.
Anyways, by 37 or so weeks, we did another ultrasound and it appeared as though the baby actually stopped growing... not in an unhealthy way... it was actually good. So the last 2 or so weeks he remained about the same size and I delivered him natural in 7.5 hours. He was 8 lbs 12 ounces... still big but not a threat to either of our health.

Just don't get too upset about the size guessing... ultrasounds are not perfect and even if your baby is big, go with the flow. God created your body to do this and you can do it! Don't let the doctor induce you just for measuring big - there are thousands of articles that prove inducing for no valid reason is not helpful to you or baby. Remind yourself to be positive and trust your body.

Good luck!

The doctor will ultimately recommend the best course of action for you but I was 116 lbs. when I got pregnant with my daughter and gained a lot of weight but she was 9lbs 6 oz and 21 inches long. I was still considered the small type but I made it. I think that you'll be fine but if the baby is too large to fit through the birth canal then they will ultimately do a c-section. I doubt that they would take the baby early. The general consensus is that you really don't want to have to take a baby before 36 weeks and the most optimal time is anytime after that. Good luck!

Try not to worry too much about it. Their measurements aren't always exact. I was told through most of my 3rd pregnancy that my baby was too small for dates and had a 7.0lb healthy baby boy at 39 weeks! It's not uncommon for subsuquent pregnancies to be bigger than the first though, our bodies have done it once and there is a little more stretch for them to grow the second time around!

As for your concerns about delivering a larger baby, talk to your doctor about it. It's your decision wether or not to go natural, you should ask your doctor about how long you can wait before deciding to have an epidural during your labor. It's not a sign of weakness to have an epidural, you are human! Follow your gut and do what you need to do have a good delivery.

M.,

Please, please, please do not stress out about this. There is really no foolproof accurate way to measure the baby in uetro. when the doctor tells you in the office how big the baby is, he is comparing the size of the baby he "feels" to a 5 lb bag of flour. He's guessing. Even an ultrasound can be off by up to 2 lbs in either direction.

Assuming you do not have gestational diabetus or some other underlying health concern - women don't grow babies too big for their bodies.

Even the fundal height measurements are not an exact science. The lie of the baby, the amount of amniotic fluid and where the pockets of it are located, etc can all affect the measurement.

At 34 weeks, i was told that my little one was measuring 7 lbs or more and that I was measuring ahead. 2 days later my water broke and Dd was born (34w 5 days) and she was 6 lbs and 10 oz - although I think that some of the weight was just water from the IVs I was on. While my case is unusual, it's possible that you may deliver on the earlier side of term rather than goign over due. How long was your son's pregnancy?

Sit back, relax, and try not to stress about it. Size of the baby, without a valid medical condition/reason, is NOT a good reason to induce labor and may put the baby at risk of additional complications, like lung problems, if the baby is born too soon.

S.

Do not let them freak you out. I would wait a few more weeks and see how everything progresses. If you only gained 22 lbs it sounds like, you are taking good care of yourself and eating what you are supposed to. You are all baby, as the saying goes. If they take the baby early it would only be two weeks early probably. they say the baby can come two weeks before or after the due date. If the baby comes early you can have your labor induced. this way can plan things out a little better when you know the date you will be admitted to the hospital. good luck

M.,

I don't have too much advise, except for just listen to your doctor and not to worry too much!! My son was 10 lbs 2 oz and I had him vaginally. He was my second and I was fine. Actually, I had no tearing where my first was 8 lbs and I tore very bad. While delivering my son the nurses really help stretch the area (sorry if that is too much information - but I think it made the difference). You will be fine...your body can handle more than you know...Good luck and take care.

The Dr. tried to tell me that our first was going to be 11 lbs when she would be born because she had measured in to be over 6 lbs at my 32 week exam. The truth of the matter is that she ended up being 3 1/2 weeks late, not early, and was still only 8.12#. The whole idea of the ultra sounds is to monitor the baby's progress and then to get a rough estimate of their size; nothing is set in stone. I really don't think you have anything to worry about right now.

Lol - I am laughing bc I had the same exact experience although Gabby was my first. I was very large by the last two weeks of my pregnancy. Normally I weigh about 130 and am 5'9. I was HUGE by the end. What my dr did was to have me get an extra ultrasound 1 week before my due date to measure the baby. He said if she measured over 8 lbs then he would induce me the following day, first try for a natural delivery and then if that doesn't work then we'd do a C-Section. Well he induced me at 9 am, it took 8 hours to get me to 10 centimeters and after about 90 minutes of pushing then said they were going to do a C-Section.
Good luck to you! Gabby came out fat (10 lbs 10 ozs) and happy and she's been the easiest baby in the world!!!

i had 2 u/s done the week i had my son. and they were telling me he was an 8lb baby. he came out 5lbs 10 oz. they are really making and educated guess. my best friends just went threw the same thing they made her have her son 2 weeks early cause how big he was and he came out 6lbs even.

hi M. ,
'yes you will'
The dr.'s will see you through.
we can not see the future . your unborn may be 6.5 just like #1 [ however each one gets a bit bigger]
stop the worries . enjoy your lack of bladder function !
pregnancy is natural ....... what will be will be.
your baby may drop and enter all by [ herself/himself] in 4 weeks ! start nesting ........
a grammy