Ivor biggun! And i am worried!?

Question

I am 33 weeks pregnant and my baby is huge. I am a 6ft tall woman so that is no surprise, however there is some question as to whether i will be able to deliver such a large baby.

(the size of the baby is not down to diabetes or anything, this has been ruled out, its purely down to genetics)

There has been some talk about inducing me at 37 weeks dependant on exactly how big the baby is, because he may be too big by 40 weeks or whenever.

I am a bit worried about the inducement process. What does it entail? What are the risks to the baby? Can anyone shed some light?

HI Just me - this is my 2nd baby but my first induction. My first baby was 8lbs 12. I am a big girl, and most of my siblings are tall, large build. My bump is huge, and throughout this pregnancy hospital staff have been raising their eyebrows and scratching their chins about the size of my baby lol. There is no doubt in my mind that he's a biggun.

Answer 1

Hi there, i have two children a two year old that weighed 7lb 12oz when born which was not a bad size, I also have a 7 week old that weighed 9lb 10oz - I am only 5ft 2" and of small build.

My midwife said she had never seen a bump like it, it literally looked as though i had shoved a medicine ball up my jumper!!!! On my antenatal check ups the midwives informed me that my second baby should be about the same size as my 1st - he was nearly two lbs heavier!!! If i had known i might have asked to be induced a little earlier as i went a week overdue.

I had both naturally with just gas n' air, i did tear with the second but found the labour no harder than the 1st.

Inducing can lead to more painful contractions according those i have spoken to that have been induced. There tend to be three types, but it depends on what they use in your area. There is a thing called a "teabag" which is inserted into your nethers which is worn for 24 hours - this releases hormones to soften and thin the cervix. There is also a gel / pessary they insert which does a similar thing, or there is a drip which releases hormones to start you off. I think it is sometimes more of a shock to your body, especially if your body is not really ready to go into labour. You will be monitored quite closely when you are induced baby's heart beat etc.

Don't know if this helps but good luck and congratulations when the baby arrives!!!

Answer 2

My first was induced (because he was overdue).
Firstly, they tried breaking the membranes (about as uncomfortable as a smear test) and we waited a while.
When nothing happened they started a drip to get the process going. Throughout I had to have a microphone continually attached to the bump to keep monitoring his heart rate as it dips (naturally) during contractions... Baby was eventually delivered by (low) forceps.

During a 'natural labour' baby's heart rate is regularly but not constantly monitored.

You've always got to remember that no way of delivering a baby is 'safe' in that they all have their risks BUT whatever process of delivery is suggested it's going to be in your and the baby's best interests.

Better an early induction than a wedged baby and c-section..

good luck nevertheless,

Pauline

Answer 3

Most labours begin naturally sometime between 39 and 41 weeks of pregnancy. A labour is "induced" when it is started by artificial means. Labour can also be augmented, or speeded up, if your labour started spontaneously but the contractions (rhythmic tightening of the muscles of the uterus) aren't considered effective enough to bring you into full labour.



Although it's usually best to let nature take its course, sometimes the birth process may need a little help. Labour is induced when the risks of prolonging your pregnancy are more serious than the risks of delivering your baby right away. You are more at risk if:

• You are overdue - your pregnancy has gone ten days to two weeks past an accurate due date.

• You have diabetes.

• Your waters have broken and contractions haven't started. There is a risk of infection the longer the waters have been broken. Research shows that 70 per cent of mothers will have given birth within 24 hours and almost 90 per cent within 72 hours of their waters breaking. So you could choose to wait for labour to begin, or you could choose to be induced. In either case, your midwife and doctor will observe you closely for any signs of infection.

• You are not having contractions but your waters have broken, and during your pregnancy, you tested positive (vaginal swab or urine test) for group B streptococcus. This is a case for immediate induction.

• You have a chronic or acute illness, such as pre-eclampsia or kidney disease, that threatens your wellbeing or the health of your baby.

• You have had a previous baby who was stillborn.

Medical interventions can begin to speed up the process of labour, and you can also try natural methods to help labour progress.

Some of the most common medical interventions include:

• A membrane sweep in which the membranes that surround your baby are separated from your cervix. A midwife or doctor can carry out this procedure during an internal examination. It's been shown to be effective in stimulating labour and is now offered routinely to women who are overdue before any other methods of induction. It can be uncomfortable if the neck of your womb is difficult to reach. You should be given a chance to ask questions or read information about the procedure before it's carried out.

• Inserting a pessary or gel containing prostaglandin into the vagina to ripen the cervix (neck of the womb). Prostaglandin is a hormone-like substance, which helps stimulate uterine contractions. Often this procedure will start labour; at other times it is followed by Syntocinon (see below).

• Artificially rupturing the membranes (ARM), sometimes called "breaking the waters". This procedure can be done during an internal examination. The doctor passes a long thin probe, which looks a little like a fine crochet hook, through your cervix and makes a small break in the membranes around your baby. This procedure is often effective when the neck of the womb feels soft and ready for labour to start.

• If labour does not start following the techniques above, or if your contractions are not very effective, Syntocinon - a synthetic form of the hormone oxytocin - may be used. It's given through an intravenous "drip" - the hormone goes into your bloodstream through a tiny tube into a vein in your arm. Once contractions have begun, the rate of the drip can be adjusted so that contractions occur often enough to make your cervix dilate, without becoming too powerful. You may be offered an epidural for pain relief before or soon after the Syntocinon has been administered.

As induction is usually planned in advance, take some time to talk to your midwife or doctor. You have a choice about whether or not to have an induction and about what methods are used, although your midwife or doctor may suggest that one method is better than another, depending on how soft your cervix is. Think about what pain relief you would like if the induction makes your contractions very strong and difficult to cope with.

Also see our article on natural methods of inducing labour.
Are there risks associated with inducing labour?


Medical methods of induction may not work straight away. You may need repeated treatments and it may be several days before you go into active labour.

Artificial rupture of the membranes (ARM) is not always effective, and, once your waters have been broken, your baby could be at risk of infection so your midwife and doctor will want to keep a close eye on you. If they suspect that you have an infection, you will be offered antibiotics and a Syntocinon drip.

Syntocinon can cause strong contractions and put your baby under stress, so continuous electronic monitoring is necessary. Some women also say that the contractions brought on by Syntocinon are more painful than natural ones, so you may choose to have an epidural for pain relief. You are therefore less likely to be able to move around freely during labour if you are attached to a fetal monitor and a drip for the epidural. However, some hospitals offer telemetry (where you aren't attached to the monitor by wires) and mobile epidural, which may enable you to maintain some movement during labour as well as relieving the pain.

You are more likely to need a forceps or ventouse delivery following an induction, or a caesarean. This may be due to complications in the pregnancy that led to the induction and/or it may be due to problems caused by the induction itself.

There is also a very small risk that, if a Syntocinon drip is used to induce or augment labour, your uterus may be overstimulated. This would seriously reduce the oxygen supply to your baby and could, in a worst-case scenario, cause your uterus to rupture (tear). This is more likely if you are having a trial of labour following a previous caesarean section. (See more on vaginal birth after a caesarean, also known as VBAC.)

Answer 4

I was induced 9 days early because the u/s showed a big baby, and he was only 7lbs 4oz. It wasn't all that bad, but I knew what to expect because he is my 3rd lol.

Answer 5

Well I'm 5'8 and my first was 9lb12 and I had no trouble. But I don't think it goes so much on your height but your pelvic diameter. Little women can give birth to massive babies with no problems and very tall women might have trouble with larger babies.