Big Baby = Induction? Need your opinions...

alliebjerk · October 2011

Good morning everyone!!

This is my first pregnancy so I come to you with a question about delivery and being induced. Early on in the pregnancy, my husband and I mentioned to my doctor that we were both larger babies when we were born.. I was about 9.5 lbs and my husband was over 7 lbs and born a month early, so she scheduled a growth ultrasound as I was approaching 38 weeks.

The ultrasound estimated that baby was about 8 lbs, 14 oz., but that could be off by a pound either way. I am a smaller person.. I'm 5'2 and around 140 lbs before being pregnant. My doctor is concerned about me delivering such a large baby and the risks of shoulder dystocia. I am due on Oct. 22nd, so she suggested I be induced at 39 weeks.. which would be Oct. 15th.. However, she realized she will be on vacation that week so she scheduled me to be induced on the 20th. I am totally new to delivery, so I could be 100% wrong, but something just doesn't feel right about being induced 2 days prior to my due date.. especially after doing reading and researching and learning that most inductions lead to a c-section.. I am 25 and have had zero complications in this pregnancy, I've been exercising and eating healthy the entire time and I've gained about 25 pounds while being pregnant.. so I feel like I am healthy enough to handle delivering a large baby naturally.. I would really like to avoid having a c-section if possible..

Does anyone have any suggestions or input for me? I am doing as much as I can to get labor going naturally prior to my scheduled induction.. but apart from that I'm not sure what else to do. Maybe I should just tell my doctor that I don't WANT to be induced? I am seeing one of her partners next week (since she will be out) and they've also requested I get a biophysical ultrasound. I could always ask for a second opinion from the doc I am seeing on Thursday this week, but I would like you opinions as well.

Thanks for taking the time to read and thanks in advance for your responses!

Allie

jkalil · October 2011

I was induced with my first baby and had a great experience. I am almost ready to deliver my second daughter and if I had it my way, would be induced again! I just liked being prepared and not rushing around hoping to make it to the hospital on time. Honestly, I don't think 2 days before your due date is a big deal. The doctor's know what they are talking about and would not put you or you baby in harm. I was induced on 3 days after due date. So not much of a difference! Hope this helps!

iverske9 · October 2011

Just because you have a large baby it does not mean you will not be able to deliver it, with that being said the growth u/s are notoriously off. I would at least try natural before being induced after due date. (positive note: my sister is tiny around 5'4 and 115 lbs and gave birth to two 9.5 plus babies naturally witin two hours, her doctors tried to scare her into induction as well) as long as the baby is healthy and no complications I say trust your instincts and wait for natural...good luck

Gen & Joel · October 2011

i would see if you go into labor on your own first because either way 2 days isn't much of a difference. if they were making you have a c-section because he/she was big i wouldn't do it but inducing is not so bad. if you don't go into labor then i bet they will induce you soon after. i was induced with LO only because i went into L&D and i was 2cm and having reg contractions on my due date but my water never broke and i wasen't progressing so they decided to induce me to get things rolling. I'm 5'2 and 105 before pregnancy and LO was 8lbs. It was a long labor and his head was big but i was just happy that i didn't need a c-section. good luck on whatever you decide:)

pinksweetpea2 · October 2011

I would never be induced for a big baby prediction- especially before my baby had even reached 40 weeks. What if your dates are off and your baby NEEDS that extra time??? Statistics show that it is VERY rare for women to grow a baby that does not fit. There is no scientific research to back up the practice of inductions for size reasons and our very own AGOS recommend against inductions and c-sections based on size predictions...but yet they are done all the time. I would be asking myself why my care provider is ignoring recommendations from the AGOS and if he or she could provide you with statistics to back up their reasons for an induction- I can tell you now that they won't be able to give you anything other than antidotal information- which is worthless. Yes, there are cases of actual macrosomia...but those babies are at LEAST 11 lbs. 9 or 10 lb babies are not macrosomia. There is no way for them to really know how big your baby is going to be- late u/s are notoriously off by 1-2 lbs in either direction. Also, there is NO way for them to be able to tell ahead of time if your pelvis is too small. NO WAY (unless you have a condition like rickets). A woman's body is able to expand in a amazing way during labor...and the babies can squish (even their heads). Your height and stature has nothing to do with it.
I know my opinion is probably unpopular because many people want to trust their care providers are always giving them the right advice, but that is not the case right now in the US. I don't think these OBs (or some MWs) are evil, I just think they are uninformed about what a woman's body can really do...and that makes them dangerous. There is a flurry of non-research based practices going on right now in our country that are so commonplace and accepted that it is very scary- the big baby practice just being one of them.Oh, and since antidotal stories are so popular on here- I gave birth to my perfect 9 lb 15 oz baby at 43 weeks in a birth tub in my living room. Yes, I tore, but that could have happened even with a 7 lb baby. Seriously, it was never an issue and I wouldn't have changed a thing. I totally expect this LO will be on the bigger side and I happy for it. Lily just felt so perfect to me. GL to you!

Mama2Be11911 · October 2011

I'm sort of in the same boat, except I have gestational diabetes and my baby can definitely be on the larger side. That being said, I know many people who have been induced and NONE of them had c-sections. I know ultrasound weight guesses can be off BUT I'm going to trust that my doctor know what she's doing since that's her job and not people off of this forum. My baby is measuring in the 93rd percentile and I'm putting faith in my doctor!

aynjc · October 2011

I was induced with my first, but I was a week late so she came 10 days after my due date. I had a good experience with it. They started the induction around 5PM, I was ready to push around 2AM (after sleeping most of that time) and had her vaginally by 4AM. I think you should just request to schedule it after your due date if that is what you are comfortable with. Just know that inductions don't automatically lead to c-sections.

BettyBookworm · October 2011

Definitely weight your options, but a big baby does NOT confine you to a C-section. You are able to birth the baby. Ask your doctor about your options and IF he feels that a C-section is necessary he will tell you. It is major abdominal surgery and I think most doctors would like to avoid that for you if they can.

Also, as others have said, the growth scans are notorious for being off. Your baby might need the extra time, and its best if you wait to see if you can go into labor all by yourself. Good luck & I hope you have a happy, safe experience whatever ends up happening for you.

baileyrayvalentine · October 2011

If it were me, I would say absolutely NO WAY!! Being induced increases the chance of having a c-section, and as many of these other ladies said, weight measurements are notoriously off. Babies will come when they are good and ready. My SIL had three babies that were all over 10 lbs and my sister had three babies that were all around 11-12 pounds (and she had those at home in a birthing tub!) so the body is a miraculous thing. I think doctors are afraid of malpractice or complications, so they feed you some lines about why they think you need to induce...as much as I personally like and trust my doctor, I also know the medical system in the US is corrupt and that we need to be our own advocates. I know some women feel better about inducing to take the guesswork out of when they will go into labor, and perhaps I will catch heat for saying this, but that seems a little selfish if you ask me. Women have been giving birth for millions of years on mountain tops and in caves - without medical interventions. This is what we were designed to do. Trust your body. Your baby will come when he/she is ready!

Pelusa214 · October 2011

I'm not a medical professional, so I can only share my own experience...

I REALLY wanted a natural birth. I didn't even have any intentions of taking an epidural. My due date came & went, & I begged them to let me go to 42 weeks before inducing. They agreed, and sent me for a NST and growth u/s. The baby passed the NST fine, but was measuring between 9 1/2 and 10 1/2 pounds.

When I went in to the Dr.'s office to find out the results, they basically told me I had 2 choices: Either meet them at the hospital in 2 hours for an induction, or schedule a c-section for 2 days later. This was because of the risk for shoulder dystocia.

I definitely didn't want a c-section, so I opted for the induction. If I had to do it over again, I wish I had taken the c-section. I wound up giving birth vaginally, but it was absolutely, positively horrible. I had to stay in the hospital bed all night with the cervadil string hanging out of me. The next morning at 8 am they broke my water, hoping that would do the trick. That hurt like hell, started contractions, but by noon they started slowing down again. That's when they started the pitocin. I think they jacked it up too high (even the nurse came in & turned it down after the midwife had turned it up). By 2 pm I was in the transition stage of labor (i.e. NO time between contractions) but was only 3 cm. I thought I was going to die. After 90 minutes of that, I was still only 4 cm & that's when I got the epi. I went from 4 to 10 in like an hour, pushed for 45 minutes and DD was born.

By this time, I'd been awake for almost 48 hours, hadn't eaten in 24 hours, had an episiotomy and a prolapsed bladder & rectum from the delivery, and burst blood vessels all over my face & neck from pushing. I had a long, miserable recovery and have horrible memories from the whole experience.

I know many women have good induction experiences. Maybe it depends on the doctor. All I can tell you is that for me, vaginal birth was WAY overrrated, and I would never, ever agree to an induction again.

Oh, and DD only weighed 7 pounds, 11 oz.

sweetpea2003 · October 2011

Just lurking but I thought I would give you my experience...

When I delivered my DD I had some trouble. She was only 5 pounds 1 ounce but required a vacuum extraction. The OB that delivered me advised me at discharge that I had a very small pelvic arch and that I probably wouldn't be able to deliver an average size baby in the future. (DD was one month early)

I got pregnant with my son and he measured large for a good portion of the pregnancy. I was getting nervous because of my delivery with my DD. I was terrified of going into labor, dilating, pushing for hours, then needing a c-section in an emergency situation. My son was measuring about 8 pounds on u/s at 38 weeks. I was TERRIFED.

Both my OB and Peri agreed that "large baby" was not a good reason to induce early or to do a c-section. We came up with a plan that if I started to push and it was apparant that things weren't going well that my OB would expedite a c-section before it had been hours and before things would be rushed.

Fast forward to him being born. I pushed for literally 15 minutes and delivered my 9 pound 11 ounce son with ZERO issue. There were two surprises: His size (ahh!) and my ability to delivery him without any help.

I am also a petite 5'3" (125ish pounds).

The difference? IMO, my body was READY to deliver my son. I was full term and things progressed normally. With my daughter I was only 35 weeks pregnant when my water broke and I just don't think things were ready to go yet.

So I guess I feel like inducing with a big baby could actually make things harder on you. Like others have said, you likely won't grow a baby larger than you can deliver. I was VERY VERY nervous about my delivery with my son. People reassured me with the facts and I just didn't believe it... I seriously thought I was doomed for c-section. And it turned out to be a fairly easy delivery.

My advice is to try and relax and let nature do it's thing. Chances are great that it will go fine .

Kim-n-Eric · October 2011

It's your call completely, but since a lot of women are telling you how off ultrasounds can be, I had one for my first DS at 36 weeks and baby measured 6 lbs 6oz. I was induced that day for pIH and delivered vaginally after 72 hours of labor to a 6 lb 6 oz baby. Inductions don't equal c sections and ultrasounds aren't always completely wrong. Good luck with what you decide.

RyansWifey5 · October 2011

I'm lurking but I wanted to share my experience and opinion.

I was induced at 39 weeks due to GD, LO was only measuring 7 pounds and the doctors were pleased with that. When they started the pitcocin I was already 2 cm (had been for 2 weeks) 50% efaced and at a -1 so they thought that it would be a quick labor. They couldn't have been more wrong. 10 hours in I was STILL only 2 cm, 50% and -1 so they insisted they break my water. I argued and argued but they wouldn't listen, they said it would speed up the progress. 6 more hours goes by and I'm still only 2 cm but my contractions were cuppling (sp?), I couldn't breathe, his HR was dropping and I was exhausted so I gave in and got the Epi (I really wanted to go natural). They let me sleep for about 4 hours, which I couldn't sleep at all since I was so nervous and had oxygen on and off the whole time. the next morning they came in to check me (it's been 20 hours at this point, over the max dose of pit) and I finally made it to 3 cm. They said they'd check me in 3 more hours and when they did I was 9 cm, they tried to manually make me a 10 and I went back to 7cm. It took my body 6 more hours to make it to 10 cm and I started pushing, I pushed for 2 hours and he wasn't going ANYWHERE. I had begged for a c-section multiple times at this point and they refused. They gave me the option to keep pushing or to use the vacuum to get him out. I said I wanted the vacuum (biggest mistake of my life). It took 25 more minutes and 3 vacuums to get him out. He got stuck, had shoulder dystocia and his occipital bone was fractured, he wasn't breathing due to the stress our delivery put on his little body and he was taken away from me before I ever laid eyes on him. The vacuum caused a lot of health problems and he was in the NICU for a week due to those, but none of that would have happened if I hadn't been induced and they just gave me a scheduled c-section (which they now admit that they should have). After 33 hours of labor my child wasn't breathing, was having seizures and I couldn't even see him until he was 7 hours old. Hind sight is 20/20 and I wish I had demanded to have a c-section. Oh and he was actually 8 lbs 2 oz, so the growth scan was over a pound off.

IMO, deny the induction, say you want to go naturally and if it gets to the point where you're pushing and baby isn't coming then do an emergency c-section. If you're not comfortable with that then tell your doctor you would like to schedule a c-section for right around your due date . I agree with a PP, all of our complications happened because my body was being forced to get this baby out when in reality it wasn't ready.

But, you really need to follow your heart and gut. If you trust your Dr then do what they say. I know lots of people who have had pleasant induction experiences, but I also know too many who have had complications.

mrswhiskey · October 2011

I am in almost exactly the same position as you. I'm 37 weeks and my baby was just estimated at about 8 and a half pounds. But I'm seeing a midwife, so she went over the possible complication of shoulder dystocia but she also made it clear that natural birth is still completely doable. I was given the option for an elective c-section. But I will be following my natural labor plan. If some complication arises for the baby or myself, then I will consider it. That's just me though. If you are comfortable with it, than go for it.

littlebigmama · October 2011

There is absolutely no reason to be induced for a 9 lb. baby, especially not 2 days early. Really, baby's weight gain will have leveled off in the last few weeks, anyway, so how much damage would 2 days do? Just tell your OB firmly that you've done the research, spoken to a lot of people, and are not concerned. Seriously, why force the baby out for no good reason? Your body would create a baby that was too big for you (GD aside).

amandalup · October 2011

I have heard too many stories where they estimated a babies weight to be high and they were 2 pounds lighter. They really can't tell you how much your baby will weigh. Is your body type like your moms... most likely if you are then you can definitely have a larger baby because she had you at 9.5lbs. Just because you have a petite frame does not mean you can't deliver a large baby. My friend is Korean, and very tiny, and delivered all 10 pounders! Alot of DR's do induction for these reasons and 50% of all inductions result in c-section, in my own opinion because your baby is ready to come when they want not when someone else says. I would say unless it is medically necessary then wait. They really can't force you to induce until you are over your due date unless the baby is in distress.

sweetpea2003 · October 2011

littlebigmama:
There is absolutely no reason to be induced for a 9 lb. baby, especially not 2 days early. Really, baby's weight gain will have leveled off in the last few weeks, anyway, so how much damage would 2 days do? Just tell your OB firmly that you've done the research, spoken to a lot of people, and are not concerned. Seriously, why force the baby out for no good reason? Your body would create a baby that was too big for you (GD aside).

Despite my recommendation above (not to induce or do c-section) I just wanted to comment on this statement.

It is untrue that sometimes babies aren't too big. There is a condition called Cephalopelvic Disproportion. It is rare, but it is what my OB thought I had (wrongly). But my good friend did have this issue when trying to deliver her 10 pound 2 ounce baby boy at 41 weeks naturally. It just didn't happen. And when they finally did a c-section his entire head was completely bruised from hitting the pelvic bone over and over while she tried to push. She DID NOT have GD.

So the big baby phenomenon does happen in the absence of GD. It is just rare. Much rarer than the prevalence of OBs who are willing to do an elective c-section for an 8 pounder.

Lorrie&Jeremy · October 2011

My son was 8 lb 14 oz when he was born and did have shoulder dystocia. (I think it was mild though as they were able to get him out relatively quickly with a manuever). It was scary for my husband though, as he just had to get out of the way as the nurse jumped on top of me and started pushing. It scares me to think if they hadn't been able to get him out quickly. From what I have read and my doctor has talked to me about, if they can't get him out with regular manuevers, they will take drastic measures, including breaking the clavical. However, that doesn't mean that a shoulder dystocia will happen for you - they just don't know until it happens.

Now that I am pg again, my doctor and I are discussing this baby's size as it is a boy, second baby, and I'm measuring big again. We've talked about inducing early (she said they have to do an amnio to make sure the lungs are ready to be born), c-section, growth ultrasound, etc, just as you have described. I'm in somewhat the same boat as you (I do not want a c-section) except that it has already happened to me and the chances that it will happen a second time are pretty good. My doctor also said that inductions don't always result in c-section (although I may have to have one anyway), unless the baby's lungs aren't ready.

From what I've read there are some possible indicators during labor of possible shoulder dystocia - I wonder if you can talk with your doctor about trying vaginal labor and birth. My labor was very slow to progress (I received pitocin because I wasn't dialating very quickly) and also pushed for 3 hours to get him out. I've read these two things - slow to progress and long pushing time - indicate a shoulder dystocia could be impending.

Good luck to you!

MrsLeanna · October 2011

First post here, but I had to respond to all of you who say that you would not make a baby that is too big - not true. I did not have GD with my first pregnancy and my DD was born at 6lbs 4oz, so fairly small. I was induced at 38 wks due to PIH, but I'm glad I was. Very successful induction, no cervadil necessary, just pitocin, I was 10cm and ready to push after only 3.5 hours on pitocin. I pushed for an hour and a half and she got stuck, NICU team was called in and it was scary.I was told after that I will not be able to deliver a baby larger than her so my current OB knows that and I plan on asking to be induced around the same time, depending on the growth scan because I don't want to be in the same situation or need an emergency c/s. Believe me, it was extremely scary knowing that she was stuck and having her whisked away to the neonatologist.

erbear · October 2011

I wouldn't do it unless your Bishop's score is high at that point. Inductions when your body is not ready usually lead to c-sections.

FWIW, I know someone your size who vaginally delivered at 10+ pound baby. And growth u/s are notoriously inaccurate; I was told C was going to be a big baby (9+ pounds) and she was 7lbs. 9oz. at 40+ weeks.

authorofdreamz · October 2011

My friend was induced with both of her sons one at 37 weeks and one at 38 weeks because they were both estimated to be over 9lbs on a late growth u/s: One was born at 9lbs5oz and the other at 9lbs8oz. both inductions were completley successful with no problems and relatively short labors.

pamela973 · October 2011

This is my first baby too and I'm definately getting nervous also. I was a really big baby so having a large baby is something I have been worring about. The one piece of advice I have is talk to your doctor. Let them know about your worries and fears about induction. Hopefully if you have a good doc they will be helpful and make you feel better about the whole thing or perhaps change the plan. Good luck !

KRISTA555 · October 2011

If it were me, I would tell my doctor that I was uncomfortable with being induced, and that I would like to wait. I believe that your gut is already telling you what you need to know.

If you go past your due date and you need to be induced, fine, but it would take a LOT for me to agree to being induced before my due date, especially for my first baby.

But again, I'm just telling you what I would do. I am not a doctor or nurse, and I am not you.

Trust your instincts.

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