UPDATE on appt ;( Reposted from Aug11 as well

Selena2008 · July 2011

I posted the other day about how baby was measuring big and how much drs both wanted to schedule an induction//csection at OR by duedate. Im 39 weeks 3 days. I got another internal today..still 1 cm dilated and 30% effaced and baby is still high up there =/ They did an ultrasound because I kept telling them that I wanted to wait it out til he came on his own. Well baby is measuring 9lbs 14 ounces. Head&&belly are measuring in the 97.7 percentile. Now BOTH of my drs wont even think about induction because of how far up he is...so no my only option is csection. or letting him come on his own and taking a risk..either way.(I have a 3 yr old daughter who was 7lbs15o naturally) and I really want to do this natural IF I can..but I dont want to put the baby in danger! (DRs "made notes" in my file saying that they talked to me about shoulder dystochia, brain damage, dropped lungs, broken arms, colarbones etc. and that all that could happen if I try vaginally since he is so big)

I HATE thinking about this but I am STILL so lost and even more confused. Sorry, needed to vent and also just see what some of you ladies would do.

**Sorry I keep posting about this, but now that induction isnt even an option..Im so scared to make a bad decision.=/

Megg327 · July 2011

Honestly...I wouldn't even think about it. I would go ahead and do the c-section.

Do what is best for your baby...Why risk complications?

hairspray77 · July 2011

Megg327:

Honestly...I wouldn't even think about it. I would go ahead and do the c-section.

Do what is best for your baby...Why risk complications?

All of this. Definitely.

Fisherman'sWife · July 2011

If you do make the decision to have a c-section, at least you could think about not scheduling it until 42 weeks (not that you want to be pregnant for that much longer). If they are cutting the baby out it doesn't matter how big it is! But that way you could make sure your baby had the best chance possible to mature. If for some reason the baby came naturally before that you could try labor or just go straight to the hospital and go straight in for a c-section.

karaknr · July 2011

Im generally in the "natural is best" club, but once the baby hits a certain weight and it becomes obvious he/she isnt going to fit well then it may be best to go with a c section. I hate that for you though. In theory I guess the best plan for a stubborn baby would be to induce before they got that big, but that isnt really "all natural" either...

Gl to you either way. In the end the do what you feel most comfortable with.

lovelyophelia · July 2011

No way in he!l would I try to give birth naturally to a child that size. It can be as dangerous to you as baby. I say go with the c-section especially since you have a young child at home.

alicat108 · July 2011

You should consider as your doctor advised for sure, but why are they convinced that if you go into labor you could not deliver a baby naturally without risk? My son was 9 pounds 9oz and I delivered him vaginally. My doctor took the wait and see approach. She wanted to see if he could engage in my pelvis during labor and he fit fine. I should preface that I am by no means petite and every woman in my family has had 9 pounders. If he did not engage or if I looked like I was having trouble delivering him they would have stopped and brought me in for c-section.

NikkiBenzo · July 2011

I don't know if this helps at all but my mom was 5'4 and 125 - she gave birth to both me and my brother over 35 years ago vaginally with no meds and we both weighed over 9lbs 6oz. Also, our bodies are meant to do this. I think I would try to do it without a c-section if you can because I had a c-section and it wasn't fun to recover from. I wouldn't want to put myself or baby in danger either, so maybe you can wait another week and see if the baby drops. many times, the US measurments are way off.

towedLCD13 · July 2011

I usually lurk but I wanted to respond to your post because I have experience with a very similar situation. My son measured 10 lbs at a 38 week ultrasound and my doctor recommended a scheduled c-section. I had wanted and prepared for a med-free birth and was devastated/terrified about having a c-section. I spent a lot of time talking to my doc and we went over all the options. Similarly, I was also not favorable for an induction at the time. After a lot of soul searching and, yes, tears, we opted for the c-section.

We discussed waiting until I went into labor and either try to labor for a while or have the c at that time, but I felt if he was too big at then, he'd only get bigger in the next week or two. I also felt that if I was going to have major surgery and I could choose when it would happen then I wanted it scheduled with MY doctor at a time when I knew she was fresh and prepared rather than potentially in the middle of the night. I had a really good relationship with my doc and felt she respected my wishes and was making recommendations based solely on my and my son's health. That is what where I ultimately put my faith.

It was truly the right decision. My son was born weighing 12 lbs at 39 weeks/2 days! I really think that with a baby that size who was obviously gaining weight quickly for some reason and the risks were such that the c-section was the right way to go.

I did not have GD and we still do not know why he was so big. I am 33 weeks with baby no. 2 and she is currently measuring completely average, so who knows.

I am not going to lie, I was disappointed with the manner in which he was born, but I was of course ecstatic to have a healthy baby boy and that is the most important thing.

I am sorry that you are struggling with this and I know what a difficult decision you are trying to make. You just need to weigh the factors the best you can and be a piece with your decision.

lindylogana · July 2011

I'd go for the C Section for the peace of mind. That sounds like a lot of health risks. Good luck!

CDK2 · July 2011

Ultrasounds aren't always accurate. With DS they were 1 lb off. So, your LO could be bigger OR smaller. Do what's best for you...AND baby. I'm so sorry it's a hard decision to make.

cherryringpop · July 2011

I understand the disappointment with having a c-section. I had an emergency c-section with DD1 and will have to have a repeat this time around. Ultimately it's about what's best for the baby.

I'm sorry thing's are not going as planned for you. Sad

GoldenPeaches · July 2011

I'm a total lurker, but growth ultrasounds can be off by up to 2 lbs. Also in the absence of any other complications, ACOG does not recommend induction due to estimated fetal size.

forensicmama · July 2011

alicat108:
You should consider as your doctor advised for sure, but why are they convinced that if you go into labor you could not deliver a baby naturally without risk? My son was 9 pounds 9oz and I delivered him vaginally. My doctor took the wait and see approach. She wanted to see if he could engage in my pelvis during labor and he fit fine. I should preface that I am by no means petite and every woman in my family has had 9 pounders. If he did not engage or if I looked like I was having trouble delivering him they would have stopped and brought me in for c-section.

This is the approach I would take as well. Women have given birth vaginally to larger babies.

vab1216 · July 2011

I think that if it was me, I would have to go with the c section. There is no way I would want to take a risk with those complications.

Cass&Derek · July 2011

I know it is a hard decision to make, and most of us really want to have the natural happen. I ended up having an emergency c-section w/DD and I remember completely bawling, my husband was trying to comfort me saying "I know a c-section wasn't what you wanted..." My only thought then was, I don't care how this baby comes now, I just want her to be safe!! For me I would never want to put me or my baby at higher risks for complications, it is the worst feeling in the world knowing your baby could be in danger. I'd say follow the docs recs and do what is safest for you and the baby. It's not worth the chance to me.

Ritzy19 · July 2011

vab1216:
I think that if it was me, I would have to go with the c section. There is no way I would want to take a risk with those complications.

Agreed.

llamakins · July 2011

I went through the same thing with DS a few years ago. I was well-prepared for a low-intervention birth. On my due date, my doc was concerned that the baby was very high and "seemed big." We did an u/s that day and the estimate was 10 lbs 8 oz. It was an extremely difficult few days deciding how to proceed. I worked with an OB and CNM and they were both concerned about issues with delivering a big baby (everything you mentioned in your post.) We knew the u/s could be off, but for me, I decided not to risk it. I opted to go for a scheduled c/s, but was able to put it off until 41 weeks 1 day. There was still a bit of hope in me that baby would start labor and it would go naturally as planned. My baby was 10 lbs 7 oz and was very healthy. I'm so glad I had a c/s. If he had been 8 lbs at birth, I would have thought, well--I did what I thought was best for him with the information I had. It's a very personal decision. And wanted to end with this--once we made peace with the decision to c/s (a few days before surgery), I felt much better and had a very positive birth experience. GL with whatever you decide to do.

MommaMcG · July 2011

A lot of you are missing the point that her baby's head size is measuring 97%. With my first DD, she only weighed 6 pounds 8 ounces, but her head was 99%--which we didn't know until after she was born. It was not a good labor or recovery. In fact, I've been talking to my doctor about reconstructive surgery later down the road to help repair my lady bits even more because of all the trauma. This time, my baby's head was measuring 40 weeks when I was 37 weeks, so we are doing a c-section because it's the safer option for me and my daughter. I will not subject either of us to what I and my DD went through last time.

OP, I know it's a hard and scary decision. I was set on a natural birth this time until we found out baby girl has the same head size as her bigger sister. But just remember it's probably better for both of you.

earychener · July 2011

That is such a hard decision to make, but rest assured, whatever decision you make will be what is best for YOU. I am not close to delivery (23 weeks...just lurking), but my best friend had a baby in February and I just wanted to tell you her story...

Her last check they estimated her DS to be around 7.5lbs....she is 5 feet tall, 95 pounds pre-pregnancy...TINY girl! She gained maybe 25-30lbs...

She had a 9.5lb baby boy...naturally, no meds, NO TEARING....still don't know how but she did! It is possible, however, it is possible they are estimating your baby small and it could be even larger.

I think whatever decision you make will be fine. I'm not sure I would be able to do it naturally knowing my baby was that big and the complications. I think, in my friend's situation, if she would have known ahead of time, she probably would have had a c-section just to be safe.

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UPDATE on appt ;( Reposted from Aug11 as well

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