Big baby ? Vaginal vs c section

Maryng10 · January 2014

Hi, my us showed baby weight 9.5bs. This is my first and I really want vaginal delivery but afraid baby too big to fit through; the Ob says I should think about opt c section. I also have dm. Have anyone been in this situation and what you decided to do ? Any advices share experience will be greatly appreciated!! Thank you

rainydayluck · January 2014

I think it's an individual decision. One friend opted for the c-section for a big baby and she had an 11lb 5oz baby and another friend opted for a vaginal birth with her 10lb baby.
Both are happy with their decisions.

ncbelle · January 2014

First - ultrasounds can be off by several pounds. Second - there's no medical evidence anywhere that a c-section is the best choice for a "big baby".

It's very rare to grow a baby that's really too big to fit. What does matter is your position in labor. Flat on your back makes your pelvis its most narrow. Hands and knees or squatting makes it MUCH wider and makes it easier to get a baby out.

I had a 10 pound baby vaginally and didn't even tear. I'm tall but thin. I have a 95 pound 5 ft friend who had an almost 10 pound baby vaginally. Don't fear the big baby

FunSizeGrl · January 2014

Guessing the weight from an U/S is just that.. a guess! Even the best of doctors can be very off. If you want a vaginal delivery, don't let the size scare you. You and your body are made for this

24karat · January 2014

Kimbus22 said:
My 10lb baby came out 8lbs 4 oz. Ultrasounds are notoriously off with weight guesses.

Baby's size is not considered a medical reason to do a c-section unless there are other extenuating factors. Your pelvis is what determines if you can deliver vaginally, not the size of your baby.

This exactly. If you really want to have a vaginal delivery and there aren't medical concerns which make a c/s necessary, go for it.

I was nervous about size (my mom is tiny petite and had a very difficult L&Ds ending in c/s with average sized babies; I have the same build as her) but my OB said we just had to "prove" my pelvis since everyone is different and u/s can be innacurate in 3rd tri. I'm glad she had me try...DD was induced at 40wks for GD etc and estimated at nearly 9lbs, she was 6lbs 14oz.

pdilly2b · January 2014

Agree with pp that the measurements can be way off and even if they aren't, your body was made to give birth to the baby that it grew.

I'd be giving your OB a major side eye at this point and wondering if s/he can support you in a vaginal delivery.

RebeccaY1 · January 2014

As others have said, ultrasounds are notoriously wrong about weight. They can even be wrong by 5 pounds! Also, your body should be able to deliver the baby that grows inside you. It's a personal decision, but if you really want a vaginal delivery then I would go for it.

Maryng10 · January 2014

Thanks everyone so much ! This is very helpful input and very reassuring! I will see how it goes

InLovewSB · January 2014

With my first there was no indication that he was too big, so I labored for about 20 hours from start to push, and I pushed for 2 hours. (I did this without an epidural because my WBC was a bit high & they wouldn't give me an epi.) My son wouldn't descend past -0- station, and after the 2 hrs of pushing, my doctor decided that my pelvis must be too small to allow him to pass. So I had a c-section. It was not an emergency C, in the sense that neither his life nor my own was in jeopardy.

He was born 7lbs 6oz, so it was truly my pelvis that did not allow him to pass. All this said - I am not sorry in the least that I tried to have a vaginal delivery. Yes, contractions hurt badly. Yes, pushing was hard. But I felt such strength at the time, like 'I can do this.' It wasn't frightening or overwhelming to me.

I'm going on my 3rd C-section here in a few weeks. If that's the route that you choose, you'll be just fine. C-section recoveries are hard - there's pain and tenderness, you need lots of extra help, and you have to follow restrictions - but they are manageable, and you can come through the whole thing with no complications. I had my daughter on the day of her scheduled RCS, and I felt very refreshed after the procedure, since I had not labored at all. My recovery went much more quickly having not fought the labor battle first.

Before you decide, just take time to consider your future deliveries. A VBAC can be risky and not all doctors/hospitals will try them. Read about them a little bit, and consider if choosing a C-section now means choosing a C-section for all future deliveries. It's something to think about.

ufsandra85 · January 2014

google shoulder dystocia and erbs palsy and brachial plexus, injuries. my nephew was 10 lbs 13.5 oz and they pulled him so hard they ripped the nerves and muscles in his neck and he now has a life long of problems. i would say do your research and know that there is NOTHING wrong with telling them to stop and having a c section

iverske9 · January 2014

They told me my son was going to be 10.5 lbs and he was 9.1 and I delivered him no problem with little tearing. Sizing Ultrasounds are notoriously wrong. It is a personal decision but the doctors offered a c-section but since I had never had a child I wanted to at least try.

I was glad I did since I had no problem. My sister had two babies 9.10 and 9.1 lbs. and she is only 5"2 and weigh 120lbs and delivered both vaginally. They tried to scare the crap out of her and she had both in less than two hours.

I am not anti c-section by any means and was open to it if I needed it but I wanted to see if my body could deliver first. Good luck and remember the most important thing is what you feel comfortable with and the health of your child.

rainydayluck · January 2014

ufsandra85 said:
google shoulder dystocia and erbs palsy and brachial plexus, injuries. my nephew was 10 lbs 13.5 oz and they pulled him so hard they ripped the nerves and muscles in his neck and he now has a life long of problems. i would say do your research and know that there is NOTHING wrong with telling them to stop and having a c section

Yes. There can be complications. That's what frustrates me when people say you can't grow a baby too big to birth. I feel like it discounts the various issues that your body can create (not just size) and makes people who truly have issues feel like it was their fault they ended up c-sectioned. It's like it's okay to have IUGR as a complication, but it's impossible to have LGA as a legitimate complication. Anyway, hope my rambling makes sense.

PrimRoseMama · January 2014

Weight estimates can vary by 2-3 lbs either way. I'd try vaginal delivery first.

barista411 · January 2014

I go to MWs and didn't have a late term ultra sound with either of mine. I had absolutely no idea how big my LOs were going to be. My first was 8lbs and I had really bad tearing and rough recovery. My second was over 10lbs and I had small nic that didn't require stiches and an extremely fast and easy recovery. Definitely do not fear the big baby and try for vaginal first.

maelic · January 2014

I just think it's ridiculous to claim that our bodies never make babies that we can't birth. Thousands and thousands and thousands of years of women dying in childbirth would disagree with that statement. I'm pretty glad we have safe surgical options these days, should they become necessary.

countrymice06 · January 2014

C section wouldn't be my preferred way to go if it were avoidable, but don't let anyone make you feel guilty about having a C-section. I won't go into specific stories, but there CAN be complications from having a baby too big too get out. Babies born via Csection are fine, and so are the mothers.

mommyginab · January 2014

My first was 10 lbs via c/s. Due to nonprogressive labor. My second and third were 9lbs then 8lbs born vbac. Personally, I'd rather go vaginally. Less recover time. Even though my first vbac hurt like a bitch.

SmittyPants · January 2014

My DD was 9.9 and a vaginal delivery. If this baby is as big I'm opting for a c-section. I never want to experience that again.

akb1125 · January 2014

My baby is measuring in the 97th percentile so my doctor said it was up to me if I wanted a c section or not.

My brother was 11 lbs when he was born vaginally. He did get stuck on his way out and the doctor had to pull him out and he suffered from erb's palsy. He's healthy otherwise but he did go to years of physical therapy as a baby and doesn't have full motion in his arm.

I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet since I'm only 34 weeks at the moment and I have a couple more growth scans before I need to decide.

JackieP1023 · January 2014

I wouldn't necessarily automatically opt for the csection solely due to size. My family makes big babies... My dad (kid #7 out of 11) weighed 11lbs at birth, and was delivered naturally. My dad's sister said all of the siblings were 10lb+. My cousin was 10lb+. I was 9lb. All were delivered naturally except me, and the only reason I was csection was because I flipped breech. I'm 38+3, and was told last week that LO is already almost 8lb. Granted, I know the estimates aren't always accurate, but the MFM said That because I am a taller woman, I probably just make bigger babies, and shouldn't have an issue with a vaginal delivery. That said, they are inducing at 39 weeks because of GD-so LO won't reach her potential biggest size.

4lilmunchkins · January 2014

My LO measured big my whole pregnancy. My Dr. never even mentioned a C-section. At 36W the Dr. guessed her to be 8.5. She was born at 38W+6, vaginally, med-free and weighed 9lbs. 9oz. Her right shoulder did get stuck and the Dr helped by pushing on my abdomen. I'm 5'3 and weighed 130 Pre-pregnancy. I personally would never opt for a C-section unless medically necessary.

mysticl · January 2014

countrymice06 said:

C section wouldn't be my preferred way to go if it were avoidable, but don't let anyone make you feel guilty about having a C-section. I won't go into specific stories, but there CAN be complications from having a baby too big too get out. Babies born via Csection are fine, and so are the mothers.

That is a pretty general statement. C-sections are not without risk to the mother and baby. Yes, they can be the safest option based on the situation but they should never be consider to be completely safe. It is major surgery and surgery automatically carries the risk of death to the patient. The OP needs to weight the risks/rewards of vaginal delivery vs the risk/rewards of a c-section.

SouthRNComfort · January 2014

There are 4-5 different shapes of the pelvis. So "too big" does depend on pelvis shape olf the mother, and presentation of the baby, and not necessarily baby's weight. I cringe when people say "loo that's gonna be a big baby, better have a c-section!" I just want to open my L&D nursing books and school them, lol.

Maryng10 · January 2014

Thanks again for your inputs and share experiences!!! How do u know how big your pelvis is? I am 5'2 and weight 124 lbs before pregnant ; I just afraid my pelvis is not big enough

Avion22 · February 2014

The size of the mother may not correlate to the size/shape of her pelvis. Each woman is different, and each baby is different. The baby's position also plays a HUGE factor in the success of a vaginal delivery. A baby that isn't optimally positioned just might not fit through some women's pelvises. Even a smaller baby. That's just how it goes sometimes.

If you want a vaginal delivery, then I don't think there's any harm in giving it a try as long as your doctor thinks it's safe to do so. It may work, it may not. If it doesn't, you can fall back to a c-section. Really this is something you need to discuss with your doctor -- get all of the pros and cons, and weigh your options carefully. Needing a c-section, or choosing one because it's the right option for your situation, doesn't mean you've "failed" in any way.

kimmee1997 · February 2014

Maryng10 said:
Hi, my us showed baby weight 9.5bs. This is my first and I really want vaginal delivery but afraid baby too big to fit through; the Ob says I should think about opt c section. I also have dm. Have anyone been in this situation and what you decided to do ? Any advices share experience will be greatly appreciated!! Thank you

Discuss it with your dr and see what you both are comfortable with. You can always try for a vaginal delivery and go from there. You and baby might be fine, but then again, you might labor some only to find you will need a csection. The only thing about that is if you have a csectiin after laboring for a while it really tires you out before surgery. I had the opposite problem with ds2. He was estimated to be too small and I was admitted to hospital to have an induction at 36 weeks. He didn't tolerate labor at all, in fact we never made it to the pitocin induction. I ended up having a c section because cervadil started labor and his heart rate kept going down. He ended up weighing 4 pounds 7 oz. my high risk dr had told me that I would most likely end up with a c section because small babies tend to not tolerate labor really well. He was right. I really didn't want to have a c section but I was very surprised at how it went. My recovery from it has been better than my recovery from my first son which was a vaginal delivery. I had a bad tear/episiotomy with my first and he weighed only 7 pounds 8 oz. it took a long time for me to recover from that. If I have another I will go for a RCS. My recovery from it was so much better than the vaginal delivery. One thing you need to take into consideration is how many kids would you like to have when opting for a cs. I only plan to have one more and that's still up in the air. So I'm perfectly fine with a RCS.

AnnaRedhead · February 2014

My son measured 10 lb 5oz on an ultrasound when I was exactly 40 weeks. He ended up being 11 pounds. So glad my doctor suggested going with a C-section. There was no way that was happening vaginally!

Just my opinion but I say go with what your doctor is telling you!

tiggernorton04 · February 2014

I birthed a 9 lb 6 oz baby! Plenty of women birth big babies!

nicolecoy · February 2014

My dr recommended a csection thought based off u/s baby was over the 9 pounds range and my pelvis is a little narrow. I had my unwanted csection and my daughter was only 7lb 14oz. I wish I had a do over because I would have atleast tried for vaginal.

Maryng10 · February 2014

Update! Thanks everyone. I delivered the baby via c section since he was not descending. He turned out to be 10.3 lbs. I don't think I could push him out vaginal. Wish everyone all the best !!

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