What do you consider a "big baby"?

gmk1784 · December 2014

DH was 10lb 13oz and MIL likes to tell me that he fell out of her. (DH's brother is 1 year 11 days older and was 10+ Lbs too so that may have something to do with it)

This is our first so I'm just a little scared about having a DH sized baby. I'm 5'3 though so I've been told LO probably won't be as big

mrssnyder83 · December 2014

They said mine was bigger too. At 7 weeks 1 day it was measuring 8 weeks. But I know it wasn't because we had a hsg done & got pregnant the next day.. either way it shouldn't matter as long as the baby is healthy! Plus none of us are far enough along to be thinking if we need induced or not... lol

Gw3nny · December 2014

My community has a drug problem and so we see a lot of low birth weight babies here. That skews people's perceptions of what is normal and what is big. I have worked with families who actually believe 8lbs is a freaking miracle. I personally think 12+ is big. But on the other hand, if you have a 9lb baby, you are flagged for being at risk for type 2 diabetes.

And I just want to add that a LOT besides size goes into likelihood of tearing. I'm sure we can all give anecdotes about big babies having no tears and smallish babies causing severe tearing that takes six months to heal.

anfranklin2 · December 2014

I'd say anything over 10 lbs is big.
I was 8#9, brother was 9#8, and other brother was 9# even.

Never thought of any of us as big babies. Maybe we're just a bunch of fatty babies lol

caymarks · December 2014

I think it varies depending on the person. My sister was overdue by two weeks and her baby was 8.5 lbs. The doctor did everything she possibly could and my sister pushed her out literally minutes before she was taken for a CS. She pushed for 4.5 hours but was very set on not having a CS unless it was absolutely necessary. Her doctor said if her baby would have been even 4 more oz she would have never made it out on her own.

I, on the other hand, had an 8.5 lb baby and had minimal problems with no interventions necessary.

It all just depends on the person. I do think babies can end up too big for a mom to push out but I also think it should be a decision that's not taken lightly. Inducing early especially for weight is risky. I however do not agree that you should "always" just go with your doctors decision. I fully trust my midwife but there are times that I explain my reasoning and we have agreed on a different direction than what she had originally wanted to go with. I'm all about being proactive and knowing what's going on with your body.

JennyJensing · December 2014

Mamamads said:

This was hardly an argument so I think you need to take a huge chill. This thread was actually just fine till YOU came in saying I'm starting an argument which I wasn't. I've had plenty of constructive conversations on here and maybe two "arguments" so stop acting like I'm coming in pissing all over everyone and stop seeking out drama that isn't there.

*sigh*

STFU

ragenhay · December 2014

My son was 10.6 so I am expecting this one will be another big one. I had him unmedicated and without intervention. My obgyn and I thought he was going to be pretty big by the time I was six months along. It is very unusual for a woman to have a baby her body can't handle. It does happen but I it's a lot rarer than some doctors like to say. A big baby is often sited as a reason for c-sections even if it is not truly the case.

Mamamads · December 2014

JennyJensing said:

Mamamads said:

This was hardly an argument so I think you need to take a huge chill. This thread was actually just fine till YOU came in saying I'm starting an argument which I wasn't. I've had plenty of constructive conversations on here and maybe two "arguments" so stop acting like I'm coming in pissing all over everyone and stop seeking out drama that isn't there.

*sigh*

STFU

Super constructive thanks for the amazing insight.
(:|

Chasity08 · December 2014

BunkinMama said:

A friend of mine from church delivered at the same birth center I did. She had a completely unmedicated and unassisted birth with an 11lb4oz baby. She didn't even tear. Our bodies are created to birth our babies and it's amazing
No. Everyone's body is different and every baby is different. Glad to hear your friend had an amazing birth experience. But complications do happen and women who has had birth complications can feel like they have failed or something is wrong with them because their body doesn't "act like it is suppose to". Thank goodness for modern medicine and knowledgeable doctors so that there is a greater chance for safe and healthy deliveries.

Thank you for this. I struggled for a long time after DD because my hips didn't spread (we found out later I had a fusion in my spine, we assume ever since I was born, that stopped my hips from spreading during pregnancy) and so my 6#15 baby had to be delivered via C-section. And I felt like a total failure.

I of course have come to terms with everything now and I know it was just emotions running high, but it really bothers me when people say "your body will do what it's meant to do if you let it." Well that's just not necessarily true.

OP - I would say 9# is big, 10+# is very big. But I don't see how she could possibly guess how large your baby is at this stage of the game. Things change daily during pregnancy. I would just see how things progress and worry about this in your 3rd trimester.

emwithpeanuts · December 2014

It's all perspective I believe. I am a small person and with my 7.12 lbs baby I was fine but with my 9 lbs and two 8.10 lbs babies they got their shoulders stuck because they were too big. At the same time though, I didn't even tear with all 4... My friend is about 6 foot and she had an 11 lbs baby no problem. Those are a couple factors. You also have to look at why they are "big" if the mom has gestational diabetes and the baby is big because of that, that can be an issue. So I guess "big" all depends.