When is a baby too big too deliver vaginally?

S

sfnative

Registered User
Do the private hospitals have any restrictions when it comes to the size of the baby? If I am going to deliver a large baby, do they have a weight limit which would determine vaginal or c-section? My husband and I are both very tall and already my bump is huge. Any comments are appreciated. Thanks!
 
a friend of mine recently delivered a 10lb 14oz baby vaginally at the matilda.
I think it is likely to have more to do with your pelvis size etc than set weight limits.
 
The hospitals have no restrictions- basically the decision would be made by your Doctor. Or your Doctor would advise what they think would be best for you and the baby, depending on the estimated size of the baby.

Apparently nature ensures that very few babies are too big for Mum to deliver naturally.
I also had a huge bump, and a very tall husband- and everyone (includ. my doctor and the nurses at the hospital) thought our son was going to be huge. But he was average enough at 3.5 kg.
 
It is weird out here as I have heard that some private hospitals are really very lazy with a natural birth over 8lbs and encourage c -section. T

here is no medical reason for this so you should fight it if you want a natural labor. Our bodies are created to push that baby out no matter how large. If your baby is breech then of course a c-section is better but for size it really should not make any difference!!

Hope this helps...
 
C-section rates are high in HK, espec. at private hospitals but according to my obstetrician there is a reason why doctors are so cautious.

Private hospitals do not have the emergency staff and equipment on hand, like the govt. hospitals do- so govt. hospitals can take more risks with natural deliveries because if something goes wrong they can perform a c-section in minutes.
Private hospitals do not always have the staff on hand (anaethetist, pedietrician etc.) and so they tend to be more cautious when it comes to natural v c-section.
 
As a general rule babies are the size of the mother when born. But grow quickly or slowly depending on the father?s size. Thus a large mother with a small father will have a large baby that grows slowly and a small mother with a large father will have a small baby that grows quickly.

It seems that the way the baby is lying is more important than the size of the baby to whether you will have a problem giving birth.

Good luck with everything,
SARAH
 
It all depends on the body. I had a 9lbs2oz baby (and 22 inches) and she was a little too big for me. Although I had her vaginally after a long labor, 4th degree tearing and a forceps delivery. Still pretty uneventful and a fast recovery. My friend had a 10lbs+ baby without a problem. For some women 7lbs is already too large ... it all depends.

I gave birth to 15 1/2 lbs (7kg) of twin, so yes I was huge and they were a great size for twins and still 12 days early. Next u/s can be off. I heard too many stories about babies who were estimated to be large, taken earlier (not without risks) and they end up being fairly normal / average size.
 
Never...as a rule, the idea of a too big baby is actually not a biological reality--babies are born the appropriate size for the mother to give birth to. For example, I have 5 feet tall, my husband over 6 feet, our baby was 7 pounds 15 ounces and fairly long 21.5 inches. The first doctor I went to took a look at us and said, well, you may have to have a C-section, but this according to the reading I did, was an indication that her level of experience with vaginal deliveries was low, and also, let's face it, C-sections make more money. This is why there are so many C-sections now--NOT because babies are bigger in the 21st century--but because doctors are not trained as well to deal with the complications of delivery and because they can make more money.
 
Thank you for all your comments. We'll have to see how it goes on the big day and what my doctor suggests. :thanks
 
Well.....my son was too big. They miscallculated his birthweight. He was stuck and no way I could deliver him without really hurting him. I was already too far in the delivery so c-section was no option. What they did to deliver him was breaking his bones and pull him out. Not even one minute on this planet and the poor boy ad already a broken bone and a concussion. A baby CAN be too big! It is al depending on the pelvic/hip size of the mother. He was too big for me.
 
oh, my goodness, what an awful story! you and your poor baby!

i have a friend who was in labour for FOUR days trying to deliver vaginally, without luck. she just didn't dilate. she ended up having a c-section. her baby was just over 6 lbs, not a large baby by any stretch of the imagination.
 
I remember Dr Dawkins bragging a few months ago ( not that he did any of the work) that he had helped deliver a 5kg baby vaginally!
 
I am 5 feet and 5 inches (Medium built), my husband is close to 6 feet and my daughter was 3.5 kgs/ 20 inches at birth. Still she was too big for me to deliver. After 3 hours of intense pushing with no success, the doctor did an episiotomy (3rd degree) and used vaccum extractor. She was born blue due to the respiratory distress she suffered during long labour, had be resuscitated right after and put on oxygen for few days. I think with a big baby its always a good idea to do a C section rather than put the mother and baby at risk. A good doc should be able to figure out the baby's size and decide whats best.
 
My baby was too big for me. I'm 5'8, my husband is 5'7. Baby was 4.75kg and 23in. I pushed for hours and he didn't move. I had vacuum extraction and the dr was tugging like crazy trying to get him out. I couldn't sit down for weeks afterwards. Nobody had ANY idea the baby was that big. They told me later had they known, they would have done a c/s. By the way, I delivered at a public hospital.
 
holy cow! that's almost 10.5 lbs! you poor thing!
hearing these stories, i'm so glad i didn't experience labour at all, for either pregnancy!
 
Me too! C-sections tend to get a bad rap but I will always be greatful for the emergency c-section that enabled my son to be born healthy and well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top