Natural mommas to big babies...

mollybloom

Hi ladies! I have posted a few times on here. I usually stick to my birth month board, but there are a few girls that get upset anytime natural birth is mentioned, so I thought I would bring my question here.

Have any of you been able to successfully have a natural birth for a baby 9lb+? At my growth ultrasound, done at 32.5 weeks, the baby was already 5lbs, 12 ozs. I am now 35 weeks and the docs estimate that the baby now weighs at the heavy end of 6lbs, possibly even 7lbs.

I know that the u/s measurements are not always accurate. But, for arguments sake, supposing the measurement is correct, it is really causing me stress and doubt in my ability to have a natural birth.

I guess I am just looking for a person that has experience with big babies.

pinksweetpea2

Yep, and I would do it over again in a minute.  I actually am hoping the next is at least 8 lbs because I just loved having a bigger baby.

Lily was 9 lbs 15 oz and my story is in my bio.  

You can do this.  Have faith that your body will grow the right size baby for you.

GL 

mollybloom

pinksweetpea2:

Yep, and I would do it over again in a minute.  I actually am hoping the next is at least 8 lbs because I just loved having a bigger baby.

Lily was 9 lbs 15 oz and my story is in my bio.  

You can do this.  Have faith that your body will grow the right size baby for you.

GL 

I just read you story. That is exactly what I needed to read. It is very disheartening with everyone saying that I will not be able to do a natural birth because of the size of the baby. Your story reminds me of why I wanted to do a natural birth in the first place.

Thanks!

LindseyJW

i personally think the bigger issue is head circumfrence.

most poundage is fat and fat is squishy.

i've had two babies, one with a big head (thanks DH) and one with a peanut head (just like her mama). i had difficulty with the big headed baby but the peanut head fit just fine!

positioning is also critical with larger babies as is a care provider who is going to support you and not fill you with fear of birthing a larger baby.

your body is not (typically) going to produce a baby bigger than it can birth. this is how the human race continues on. ;-)

and to answer your original question...! i have not had big babies (the big headed baby was 8.7 and the peanut was 7.9), but several friends have naturally birthed 9+ and 10+ lb babies. i was expecting bigger babies, b/c the babies on my husband's side were all 9+ (except for him...he and his twin were born at term and both over 7lbs), and "they" say 2nd+ babies are bigger (mine was a whole pound smaller).

Ripli

My mom delivered me naturally at 42 weeks and I was 9lbs 10ozs she said it was a 'good birth' unfortunately she tore but apart from that everything with the both of us was fine! 

Marsee

There's a girl on my month board who just had a 10 lb. 3 oz. baby in a birth center. Med-free and used Hypnobirthing. She's my hero!

ETA: She's also a FTM and had no tears! 

Sharon21

DD was 9lbs 2oz and I didn't even tear. I was measuring big my entire pregnancy. At my first appointment after my MW checked my uterus she asked me if twins run in my family (they do on both sides) then did an ultrasound "just to see" if there was more than one baby. I continued to measure big the whole time and I was pretty concerned about it. My doctors reassured me that since I didn't have any medical conditions like GD my body wouldn't grow a baby that was too big for my body. Now that it is over and I only pushed for 20 minutes and like I said didn't even tear I feel kinda silly for being so worried about it but at the time I couldn't help but worry.

Also just wanted to add that my grandmother gave birth to my father naturally and he weighed almost 11 pounds and was breach! 

BFab11

I have a friend who is petite (5' 2" or 5' 3", skinny little hips and legs but with big boobs, lol) who has a samoan husband.  She had a natural home birth VBAC with her second son who was born at 12 lbs. 4 oz.  

She is planning on another HB when she eventually gets pregnant again, and says it was a million times better than her c-section with her 10+ pounder first son.  

With the exception of diabetes, abnormal pelvis, or another medical reason, your body isn't going to grow a baby it can't get out. 

flyer23

DD was 9 lbs 7 oz, delivered with no pain meds. I was 9 lbs 6 oz, also delivered with no pain meds.

I think it's easier to deliver a big baby naturally, because you have gravity on your side.

ShannonMacHappy

You can do it!! I just delivered a 10 lb, 3 oz baby!! It was amazing. I did it totally med free. 7 hour labor total, 2 hours of it pushing. No tears at all! The key is to make sure you have a ton of support (like on your perineum and on top). Also, my MWs used a ton of oil as i was delivering the head. i know that helped too! you can do it. just go slow with the pushing and allow your body to stretch. oh, and get some size 1 diapers

FyshWyfe

ShannonMacHappy:

You can do it!! I just delivered a 10 lb, 3 oz baby!! It was amazing. I did it totally med free. 7 hour labor total, 2 hours of it pushing. No tears at all! The key is to make sure you have a ton of support (like on your perineum and on top). Also, my MWs used a ton of oil as i was delivering the head. i know that helped too! you can do it. just go slow with the pushing and allow your body to stretch. oh, and get some size 1 diapers

Yay!  I was hoping you'd post a reply.  Still so proud of you!! 

BrideNamedMeg

DS was 9lb 3oz and was born at home - so totally med/intervention free.  He was also posterior which is what made his birth harder, his head had a lot of molding to do.  So overall, the pushing took a lot longer but my labor was about the same as DD who was much smaller.  I didn't tear at all either.  You can do it!

magpiebride61210

ShannonMacHappy:

You can do it!! I just delivered a 10 lb, 3 oz baby!! It was amazing. I did it totally med free. 7 hour labor total, 2 hours of it pushing. No tears at all! The key is to make sure you have a ton of support (like on your perineum and on top). Also, my MWs used a ton of oil as i was delivering the head. i know that helped too! you can do it. just go slow with the pushing and allow your body to stretch. oh, and get some size 1 diapers

hahaha!

 

i have my 41 week appointment on wednesday. I'm sooooo telling my doctor about you and your delivery. you will be my example of why he's not allowed to say the words "too" and "big" in a sentence.

KateLouise

My baby was exactly 9 pounds. I needed two stitches.

I didn't have any general problems delivering.

My friend had an all natural homebirth (her midwife had to arrive by boat because her home is so isolated) and delivered an 11 pound baby girl with no issues.

It's not to say that large babies don't hold their own risks, but it's in no way a deal breaker. 

LaComtesse

As a fellow Sept. Mama, I think we should make a gentleman's wager on which of us will have the larger child! ;-) We're both measuring pretty big (32 weeks I was only a few ounces behind you: 5 lbs 5 oz). It should be fun. And then, of course, once they're born: baby sumo training begins...

 

Seriously, though, I just wanted to let you know that you're not alone in your fear but, as all these answers show, it's done all the time! 

nosoup4u

DS2 was 10 lb 10 oz, and totally med free. I pushed for two hours and had a second degree tear, but I didn't feel myself tear or anything. Stay upright and active during labor!

heateacher

Hi fellow September buddy!

(LaComtesse, you win. At life. Forever.)

My best friend had her 2nd baby naturally by accident, essentially. She wanted an epi, but her labor went so quickly that there wasn't time to do one. She arrived at the hospital ready to push, and that was only about an hour after she'd woken up from her water breaking. Her son was 9 lb, 12 oz! So it's definitely possible.

Do you have Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth? The birth stories in the first half of that book have many examples of beautiful, natural births of very large bebes. You might find those encouraging too.

Fingers crossed for you, ma'am! 

unm00red

LaComtesse:

As a fellow Sept. Mama, I think we should make a gentleman's wager on which of us will have the larger child! ;-) We're both measuring pretty big (32 weeks I was only a few ounces behind you: 5 lbs 5 oz). It should be fun. And then, of course, once they're born: baby sumo training begins...

 

Seriously, though, I just wanted to let you know that you're not alone in your fear but, as all these answers show, it's done all the time! 

I'm another September mamma with a LO who's measuring large.  Can I get in on this? 

 

Manderlin923

My DS was 9 pounds 8 oz, born at exactly 40 weeks. I did have two second degree tears and things felt pretty rough down there but I would do it all over again and I hope to someday!

Stay upright and active during labor, push in a gravity friendly position and have faith. Read positive birth stories- you can do it!!!

autumn56789

My 3rd one weighed 10 lbs and while he did break my tailbone coming out, it was not the most terrible pain.  All the ones after him were over 9 lbs.  People have this idea that a normal birth weight is supposed to be between 6 and 7 pounds but if dr's would let a pregnancy alone and women would trust in their ability to give birth, 9 and 10 lbs would be seen as normal.