Big Baby

MrsHaire · October 2014

My doctor says my baby is measuring big and wants to do an extra ultrasound. I am excited about the ultrasound because I haven't seen my baby since the anatomy scan, but a little unsure about what to expect. I know plenty of people have given birth to big babies and there have been no complications, but why would they need the extra scan? Is there something I should worry about? Is there anything I need to be doing (besides extra keegles)?

SweetMelissa5 · October 2014

My babies have all been on the bigger side (10 lb 1 oz, 9 lb 3 oz, and 8 lb 12 oz), and although I did have a c-section (after a failed induction) with my oldest, there were no complications related to the size of any of them. Chances are, your doctor just wants to gather more information than can be gotten in fundal height measurements (such as checking on fluid levels and positioning). Just remember that even ultrasound measurements can be off, and you shouldn't let your doctor potentially scare you into an early induction/c-section based solely on the baby's projected size (not that your doctor would necessarily do that, but it's not unheard of). Enjoy getting to see your baby in utero one last time, and try not to worry!

carcrashheart · October 2014

Yeah, they're just checking measurements and fluids so they know what they're potentially dealing with. Growth scans aren't uncommkn.

smboswell1 · October 2014

My baby has been measuring big this pregnancy but at 34 weeks he was right on track! Some gain more in the beginning instead of the end!

Love4Science · October 2014

I just had one this past week. I was measuring right on track every appointment when at 35 weeks I was suddenly measuring 2 weeks ahead. The doctor thought it was unusual, especially since I'm tall with a long torso, so she wanted to see what was up. Turns out the fluid is a little high and the baby is in the 80th percentile with an extra large head. None of those things is a real cause for concern. I'm still not being induced, I'm still not getting a C-section unless I have to. As PP said, don't let them use a "big baby" to scare you into an induction or C-section. Make sure you know what YOU want before going to the US. We had decided that if they'd estimated a birth weight of 11lbs or over we'd consider changing course.

JFH2010 · October 2014

The growth u/s are tricky because on one hand, it's hard to turn down a chance to see the baby, but on the other hand, for me anyway, I kind of wish I didn't know how big he is! The margin of error is so large on those scans. The main thing IMO is to make sure you and your dr are on the same page - if you would want to try laboring regardless, make sure your dr knows that and is supportive. For me, the other way I'm preparing is to talk to DH about the circumstances under which I'd want a c-section, as well as how we'd want things to go (eg DH having skin-to-skin afterwards, keeping baby with us right a away if at all possible, etc).

Dumbgurl04 · October 2014

I had one last thursday. My doctor says the reason they do it because sometimes larger babies have bigger shoulders and could get stuck if you are doing a vaginal delivery. My doctor has been really good at making sure the ultimate goal is a vaginal delivery

deevaswani · October 2014

The way it was explained to me is that a large baby can cause complications during delivery. Vaginal birth becomes that much more difficult for mom, and there chances of complications for baby (one example given to me was Baby's shoulders could get stuck or dislocated).

As PP said, dr. also told me that the closer you get to due date, the greater the margin of error on U/S measurements.

I've been diagnosed with GD, and had a growth scan at 32 weeks, with another one scheduled for 36 weeks (this week). At 32 weeks, baby was measuring 38th percentile. Baby's have greater risk of being larger when mom has GD, thus the monitoring.

MrsHaire · October 2014

Okay, sonogram says baby is already 9lbs and still growing. His belly alone is in the 99%. On top of that, he is sideways. C-section here I come!

kimberly_ann81 · October 2014

While the margin of error is larger the closer to your due date you get they are still pretty close. My ultrasound tech said they are usually only off by about 1 lb; still the difference between a 8 lb and 9 lb baby is a lot.

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