My due date is as close an estimate as we can get. I was in the doc's office in the beginning and they couldn't find a sac. Two days later there was a sac, a few days later fetal pole, etc etc. So, they have "predicted" my due date based upon the early ultrasounds, as those are most accurate.
Each time I have gone for an ultrasound (I have had quite a few as I had some preterm labor problems 2nd tri), the baby measures bigger. At 32 weeks the baby measured 5lbs 12 oz and his head size measured 2 weeks ahead. Also, the ultrasound tech always comments on the "big belly" my baby has, saying I definitely won't be having a little 6 pounder.
The doc and ultrasound tech mentioned inducing me if we near my due date and the baby continues to measure this large. (Note - I am not a big woman, 5'6" 120lbs pre preg, and my husband is small as well). But from what I am reading, there is a lot of controversy regarding the accuracy of ultrasounds measuring pre birth weight. Why would docs induce based upon these measurements if they are inaccurate some or most of the time? Any of you had experiences with this?
The only thing I can tell you is that I have read and been told by lots of people that ultrasounds can be a couple pounds off in either direction. I personally would not go for the "big baby, let's induce you" bit. The doc could be wrong on your ultrasound for dating the pregnancy and the ones they're doing to monitor baby's growth could be off. Unless you have other reasons to be induced like pre-e or something, I'd tell them to let baby come on his or her own.
Mine were right on predicting.
Your size now and your husband's size now don't matter what matter's is your weights at birth.
My family have big babies, all of my self and my siblings were all 8-10 lbs at birth. I am very small 5'4" 115 pre pregnancy .
For my two boys we did an ultrasound 2 weeks before my due date to see the size of the baby, so we could decide if induction was a good idea. Both of the ultrasounds were pretty spot on, they were both born at 9lbs and the ultrasound said 8.5 a week before delivery so they gained half a pound over that last week. I've just heard horror stories about getting to the moment of pushing out the baby, and the Dr. saying the baby was too big to deliver vaginally so I wanted to make sure they didn't get over 9lbs. My husband's father is 6'7 and I wanted to make sure the babies didn't get his genes:) My first came a week early, and we induced the second a week early and were both right at 9 lbs with no problems with induction.
I was told my first was going to be huge. I was similarly built as you (only 2 inches shorter, but small frame). I measured large. U/S showed large. He was born 2 weeks late, and was only 6 lb 14 oz. The doctor exclaimed, "Oh! He's just a little peanut!" However, I had a TON of fluid. Apparently, I make a lot of amniotic fluid. I always measure big. And, although I knew my dates very well, they dated him upon delivery. He only registered as 38 weeks at birth! So, he would have been a preemie if we had induced earlier. As it was, they induced me. I wish I had waited to go naturally. It was a LONG and difficult labor. He just wan't quite ready. BTW, all of my children have been born after their due date. I say my last one (#6) was "early" because she was only 3 days late. Other than the first and last, all the rest were born exactly one week late. Anyway, yes, they can be wrong. :)
I didn't have the ultarsounds to determine weight but I do know that measureing the belly does not work. Or at least not for me. My doctor kept telling us that we were going to have a 10 lbs baby because of how big my belly was. I went full term and had a bouncing 6lb 12oz baby. I even asked them where is the 4lb twin? lol
But I would think with an ultrasound it would be pretty close instead of using a tape measure thing. ;-)
Regardless of the accuracy of the ultrasound, your baby will "induce" labor when his lungs are fully developed and able to function outside the womb. I have a friend that delivered a 13lb 9oz baby vaginally and without drugs of any sort just a couple weeks ago! Our bodies are made to deliver babies. Congrats on your new baby and good luck with whatever you decide!!
Yeah I never put much faith in the ultrasound measurements. Mine were never near what they said. My cousins wife supposedly got induced because of how large her baby was going to be. It wasn't anywhere near the size of my girls and for both I went two weeks over. My first was 8lbs 13oz and my second was 9lbs4oz. My Dr's office was never concerned with how big mine were. I guess I take that back, they did say at the beginning of my second pregnancy they were going to order and ultrasound towards the end of the pregnancy of second one because how big first one was. But I never got told I had to get induced. Went into labor on my own with both.
Oh and my sister delivered an 11lb baby, they never induced her either. They also said her first was going to be around 7lbs and she was 9lbs 5oz.
I think the accuracy of you ultrasound weight prediction depends on when it is done in relation to when you deliver. For my 1st pregnancy, they did an ultrasound around the 36/37 week; prediction was for an over 8 1/2 lbs baby when I delivered--she arrived at 40 weeks, 6 days and was 7.7 lbs. So that estimate was a full pound off. For my 2nd pregnancy, I had an ultrasound at 40 weeks and they predicted 8.1 pounds; she was actually 8.8 lbs.
Personally, I would not want a 5 pound baby, especially since they lose weight after birth. If the estimate was that the baby weighed less than 7 lbs (assuming it could be 1 pound off and the baby could weigh 6 lbs and then lose additional weight), I would not induce unless medically necessary.
Drs WANT to believe there is a definitive for everything. They want to always be right. But the truth is, nothing is definitive and they are not always right. Your baby will start the labor when it's ready to leave... Why Drs cannot realize that and HELP women's bodies rather than try to change and control the course of a natural event?
With my son my pre-preg weight was 95 lbs (I was 19 and just 4'11"), I was told my one very obnoxious mid-wife that I was awful small to be as far along as I was and I would be lucky if my baby was 6 lbs. The other mid-wives stated I was measuring right where I should be. When I went in labor, the mid-wife (the nice one) felt my belly and said her estimate would be 7 lb 12 oz. My boy was 7 lb 15 1/2 oz! They never said what the ultrasound thought. With my daughter, they guessed she would be big based on me having GD, she was just 6 lb 11 oz. Not too big, not too small for either.
Early ultrasounds are the best determination as they are based on development, not size (since all babies are born at a differnt size). I have found them to be more accurate than the doctors' guesses for due dates.
Never experienced the size predictions showing large. Good luck.
From what I understand they can be off by 1.5 lbs either direction and to be honest they have been pretty close to that amount will all three of mine, my first was estimated at 5lbs 4oz and she was 6lbs 8oz, my second was estimated at 6lbs 11 oz and he was 7lbs 14 oz and my third who was two weeks early was estimated at 6lbs 4 oz and was a whopping 7lbs 11 oz so they were never correct.
Weight and due dates are an approximation - always. Doctor's will always want to schedule the birth based on theirs/hospital's convenience. I'm surprised they haven't mentioned doing a c-section too =)
Ultrasounds are awful after the first 8 weeks of pregnancy for accuracy. They SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR INDUCTION purposes. The silly tape measurement is as accurate in letting them know a rough estimate (if it will be closer to 6 or 10).
They induce because it is convenient for them and because most of them are not familiar with the latest research --they are too busy making hundreds of thousands of dollars running unnecessary tests and doing unnecessary c-sections. Size is only relevant for women who have their own internal size issues, and a Dr can determine this by doing an internal exam on momma, not by an ultrasound machine! Women are more than capable of having large babies. My easiest birth was with my 9.14oz son. My 6.15 oz daughter was awful. It has more to do with their positioning than with their size!
Short answer, your Dr is looking to induce you to control the "due date," i.e. he doesn't want to be woken up at 3 in the morning. There is no medically necessary reason based on size. It's a "False" excuse to induce and do c-sections in 99% of the cases.
Is there a reason why you are getting so many ultrasounds?
In my experience they are off. My daughter measured 3 lbs 9 oz on a Friday and I delivered on a Tuesday and she was 4 lb 15 oz, I delivered at 33 weeks. No way she gained more than a pound in four days.
I was not induced with my first, but they were off by over a pound (they thought he would be about 7 pounds, and he was 8 pounds, 6 ounces). I was induced with my second, but not because of her size (she was measuring a bit small) but because of the placenta health. It was a good experience and I would do it again, but I was NOT induced early - I was induced in my 41st week. In any case, congrats on your new baby!
I have health issues that I won't go into right now but I think they are fairly accurate. The more you have the more accurate they are according to my doctor and lab tech. I had so many I could have walpapered the nursery with the little pics they give you . The weight can be off by as much as 10%. My DD came out at 5lb 4oz and they said that she was just at 5lbs 6days before that. I would maybe hold off on an inductuction if you aren't sure. I for sure wouldn't let them cause labor anymore than 10days before.
The fact that your doctor mentioned inducing right off the bat is frightening. No one should be induced unless it's a medical necessity. Birth weight isn't a competition or indicator of the future size of a child. Little 6 pounders grow up to be 6'4"/250lb. line backers and conversely, 9lb. babies grow up to be 5'1"/100lb. jockeys. And yes those ultrasounds are off. I understand you needed more than usual due to your condition, but they aren't to be used as measuring tapes for size but more for developmental purposes. Relax and let your baby tell you when it's time to be born. 3 of my 4 were 9lbs. and up and I was never pressured to induce/have a c-section.
Yeah, I learned not to believe those. Atabout 30 wks, they said my son was already 4lbs! That would have meant, based on how they gain weight in the last weeks, that he would have been close to 10lbs born. That scared me to death! I was only about 2lbs and hubby was 8lbs (i was born at 28wks with my twin). i had him 10 days early due to pre-eclampsia, and he came out 7lb 9oz. biiiiiig difference lol. don't let the doc induce just because he thinks the baby is big...they really have no idea you know? and it could take away from your birth experience.