Maybe it's the expectation that "it only gets worse" as many people love to tell me, but I have to say that being off of work for a week has done me the world of good. I am feeling better now than I was through most of my third trimester. Aside from some hip pain, my back and sciatica have been treating me pretty well this past week and that truly makes all the difference. Last weekend, I definitely had the "burst of energy" and kept puttering around the house cleaning this and that and getting last minute things done. I've had a few tired days since then, but mostly on the up and up.
My doctor is now officially back from vacation and I believe she is on call this weekend and so my next check up on my due date on Thursday will be with back with her (the last 2 weeks were with random on call doctors at the perinatal clinic which is great, but there's something to be said about the comfort of being seen by the doc who has seen you through your pregnancy). Which brings me to my next decision.
Two weeks ago, my doctor did my regular check up and said, "Well I don't think you're having a small baby!" which wasn't a surprise to me really, but she didn't give me any reason to be concerned about it and didn't want the baby measured by ultrasound or anything like that. At that time I was at 37 weeks and belly was measuring at 39. She said if you're within 3, you're fine.
My next checkup at 38 weeks in the perinatal clinic, I was seen by a Resident who was really nice and said all was "tickity boo" but that during my next check up at 39 weeks I could be checked and can decide whether I want my membranes swept. There was also a conversation we had about the fact that I had an impromptu ultrasound the previous week (only because I noticed fetal movement seemed to have slowed down in the last little while which while baby took a while to get the last 2 "big move" points, passed and the sonographer was satisfied which was a big relief) and when I mentioned that I had an ultrasound, she said, "Why, because the baby is big?" Hmmmm....no, but it indicated to me that she also thought baby was on the bigger side. Ok, no big deal.
Fast forward to yesterday's appointment and the doctor on call said everything looked great, but that she thought the baby was most likely measuring already at around 8.5 lbs (based on her feeling my belly) and was ready to come out because s/he "is big enough now"and that I could have my membranes swept. My belly was measuring at a clean 39" at 39 weeks. I had given it thought since the last appointment because of what the Resident said and my initial thoughts last week was that I wasn't even at my due date yet, so I didn't see why there was a rush to do that and I hadn't discussed that with my regular doctor yet and would rather wait it out until I saw her next which was on my due date.
Doc asked me about how much I weighed when I was born (8 lbs, 2.5 oz) which seemed to make her nod her head as to why it wouldn't be unexpected for my baby to be in that range and she asked me how my Mom did with delivering me. My mother knew in advance (she can't really remember but thinks around 5-6 months along) that she was going to require a c-section because she was "too small" for a natural delivery. Doc asked me if we were the same height and we are. There were a few nods and hmmms and that was that. I asked her if I was going to be checked at all and she said no, since I wasn't going to get the sweep. Ok, I can't say that I'm disappointed for not having an invasive exam (who likes those anyway?), but I suppose in retrospect it might have been helpful to know where I was standing progress wise for when I see my doc at 40 weeks to know how far I was progressing along at this stage.
So now I've got all of these ideas in my head that they are going to be anxious to move this baby along and that maybe I should have the membranes swept this week if baby hasn't come before my due date. At least it's a more natural way to move things along in advance of being faced with being induced with pitocin later on. At least if it comes to that, the sweep may possibly help and I've tried that first. I keep thinking in the back of my head that it could all end the same way as it did for my mom and for the same reasons which I'm not crazy about, but what will be will be. I might just be worrying for nothing too, of course.
What are your experiences with membrane sweep, going overdue, baby measuring "big" etc. and how did it all work out for you?
21 comments:
Well, two things. 1: the whole "big baby" thing is ridiculous, unless you have uncontrolled gestational diabetes and it's a 20 lb baby. Otherwise, for one the measurements can be off by 2 lbs in both directions and for another, I am a firm believer that your body will sustain a baby just the right size. And 8,5 lbs isn't that big at all!
2. Sweeping membranes will only bring on labor if baby was ready in the first place. So I guess it's not that "unnatural", but you do need to ask yourself what you'll do if nothing happens after the sweep: are you going to go for an induction? How does your doc see this?
Angie;
I don't comment often but do read regularly.
In my experience, with my 6 births, is that if you have one intervention it will lead to more interventions. So if your goal is to have a natural child birth or as close to natural as possible then I would say aviod the sweep. Allow your body to go into labour on its own even if that means going overdue.
I was past due with all but one of my babies...it is hard to be patient I know...all you want right now is to meet your new little baby.
As for any doc/profressional predicting that the baby is going to be 'large' well they have a 50/50 chance of being right. lol
Hi Angie,
I have to agree with Christine.
I've had 3 babies, the first was overdue by a week or so and they told me I was big enough and I was impatient, so went for the induction... which didn't really take, so I ended up with the epi - which I didn't really want - and then after 12 hours on the epideral - even though I had progress and was pushing and he was descending - it was getting late and they wanted him out. Well at that point, I had nothing left - didn't have the energy to fight them on it so had the C/S he was nearly 10lbs. The recovery from an unplanned C/S where you've pushed for 2-3 hours was horrible for me.
2nd time around - going into it knowing that my body was made to birth babies - they went much more smoothly.
My 2nd - I waited patiently to 6 days overdue and gave birth naturally to a 8.5lb baby.
3rd baby - same - overdue 5 days - went into labour naturally and gave birth to a 7.5 lb baby.
Being in your position is so hard, I remember it well. You've enjoyed it, but you also want the baby to be hear now!! I assure you, baby will come when s/he is ready.
Ruby: I'm skeptical of the "big baby" thing to some degree too, although I don't discount what they say because either - it's tough! I agree with your #2. If I do it, it's not like it's a drug and will only work if the baby is ready to let it. Because my doc has been on vacay, there was no reason to discuss being induced before she left. I'm really just anticipating the discussion likely coming up since they all seem to think the baby is on the "big" side so I'm thinking sweeping could be something to consider to help move things along more naturally if that is the next step.
Christine: Thank you for commenting! I definitely appreciate advice coming from a mom with 6 kids! Thank you! My goal of course is to avoid interventions if possible, but I am also being open minded and realistic. My thoughts right now are that the membrane sweep might be a good option that could potentially avoid any further more invasive interventions later like being induced with pitocin etc. which I agree, my research has told me that one thing often can lead to another etc.
My concerns are mainly focused on my mom's experience with being "too small." Your mom's experience can often be somewhat of a guide to anticipate what you can expect, but of course is not a given. There is also 30 years in the difference between then and now. I don't want to dismiss that possibility for me as well. I'm not opposed to being overdue because of being impatient for the little one to arrive, but only because I fear I could end up in the same shoes as my mom did with being too small to delivery (if) the baby is in fact on the bigger side, know what I mean? Did you have any issues with your baby's size and having any reason that it could be an issue? Thanks for your input, it is VERY much appreciated! :)
Liz: I fear being in your baby #1 situation the most! I would HATE to have gone through an exhausting labour only to end up going through surgery. I suppose it's easy to see why your 10lb bundle was giving you difficulty!
I have no problem waiting for baby to arrive on his/her own and that's not my dilemma at this point. In fact if I were, I would have had the sweep already yesterday. It's such a tough position to be in :-/
I agree with the other ladies. Have you read The Birth Book by Dr. Sears? I highly recommend! He mentions CPD (when the baby's head or body is too large to pass through the mother's pelvis) and apparently "true CPD is uncommon; this casual label is often a needless source of "my body doesn't work" anxiety." He also mentions a more precise diagnosis can only be made after some time spent in labor. It used to be (and probably still is) that the CPD label was thrown carelessly (which may or may not have been your mother's case) but in most cases, it wasn't/isn't warranted.
And if it's any comfort, I know plenty of women (small women) who birthed big babies (think 10, 11.5 lbs) naturally and they were just fine! :) Have faith in yourself and baby to know when the time is right!
With my last (third) pregnancy, I had my membranes swept at full term, and went into labour within 24 hours.
I was also measuring big, had gone for an ultrasound that day, where they had told me that the baby was around 7 lbs - give or take 10%. Which I was suprised at, as my first had been 6 - 15 at 3 weeks early, my 2nd 2 weeks late and 9 - 4 .
When I delivered Ciara, after having my mebranes swept, she was bigger than what they had said. She was 9 lbs 12 oz (BIG!) and got stuck on her way out (shoulder). A nurse had to reef on my stomach while the Dr eased her shoulder out. I was glad to have had her at that point rather than waiting to let nature take it's course. What if she had gotten bigger.
Also, when she was born she wasn't breathing due to the cord being around her neck. She had an apgar of 1 and had to be bagged with oxygen. Apparently it was quite touch and go for her, although I don't really remember it at the time - the kept me quite oblivious to what was happening.
They had offered me morphine, and I had asked what the side effects were - impaired breathing for baby if born soon after receiving morphine. I knew that although my labour was painful and hard, it was also progressing quite fast, so I declined the morphine, even though the nurses thought I was nuts. I was more concerned about side effects for baby than pain relief for me. I am ever so grateful that I declined, as I do not know if she would have survived if she had an further impaired airway due to the side effects from drugs.
Anyways, I offer this up as a suggestion to follow your insticts - both now and during labour, as you are likely (even if only intuitively) the best judge of what both you and your baby need.
Sorry for rambling, and good luck!!
My babies ranged from 6lbs (born 5 weeks early via c-section) to 9lbs born naturaly 7 days past due. Pretty normal sized in this day and age.
It was never an issue with me weather my babies were going to be big because after delivering my first naturally I had a 'proven pelvis' they call it...so it was never mentioned about the size of baby in the next pregnancy.
The only real advise I can give is try and work through any fear you have about this issue before going into labour...because fear of it can or will make you make decisions that you may not otherwise make. Trust your body and your support team!
My advice would be nod your head , say interesting and let nature take its course. It is not the size and the weight of the baby that matters, but rather the head circumference and position that matters. Women have delivered very big babies with no intervention. In my case I had a mandatory C Section because my son was fully transverse( stuck sideways and no intervention worked to turn him) , and he was 2 weeks overdue. I had numerous ultrasounds because of a clotting problem and other issues , and even with the ultrasounds they could not pinpont his size . He was 11 lb 14 oz and 23 1/2 inches long. I did have gestational Diabetes, and that contributed to his size. That however was not the determining factor, but the fact that he was transverse( shoulder first presentation).
I've had 3 babies, and my advice is to try to avoid being induced via medication. Personally, I think sweeping the membranes is a way to try to induce labour, either it works or it doesn't, but it's worth a shot. If it works, then you won't have to worry about other unnatural interventions.
When I had my daughter I ended up going a full 2 weeks overdue. In that two week period, I had my membranes swept 2 or maybe 3 times.. can't remember exactly. I had been measuring big but my ob said that baby would come when she wanted, so if I was comfortable I didn't need any other interventions, and I had agreed to the sweeping each of those times. The last time I had it done, it may have worked - who knows! My water broke that evening and it took another 2 days to deliver.
In my opinion, it can't hurt.. but why do it before your due date? I believe that most women are able to birth a baby and that a lot of doctors want to jump into a section because it's faster. I would've done the same as you and waited to see my doctor. Now, I am pregnant with twins and praying that I make it that far to the point where they are discussing interventions!
Good luck - your body will do what it is meant to do when it wants to do it!
Hey Angie
Another regular reader but seldom commenter. Just wanted to reassure you and let you know that I had two big babies (8lbs14oz and 8lbs7oz) and am only 5'4". I have a friend the same height who is also petite and narrow through the hips who delivered a 10+ pound baby. Like the pp said, true inability to birth a big baby is rare.
Also, I had my membranes stripped 3 times with my first and it did nothing :( However, one dose of gel at 6 days overdue brought her out in less than 12 hours :)
My second was induce 6 days early (I had GD and my doc wouldn't let me go longer). 2 gel treatments over two days did nothing really. And it took a full dose of pitocin to even bring me to feeling contractions. She was born 3 hours later :)
I think more important than which option you choose is that you discuss it all with your dr and feel comfortable with the way things progress.
Oh and I birthed both of my beautiful girls without any pain medication.
With my first I measured big at every appointment. I went 9 days over due, which was considered an elective induction because it wasn't an emergency and I didn't go the full 2 weeks past due for it to be considered a medical problem.
16 hours of labor and 3 1/2 hours of pushing, I delivered a 9lb 14oz baby boy.
He was huge. I was grateful for having a midwife instead of a traditional doc because she stayed with me the entire 3 1/2 hours while I pushed and masaged me to keep me flexible and open. A doc would probably have made me have a c-sec.
This time around they're expecting a smaller baby, (around 8 lbs) and a shorter labor. Fingers crossed.
Meant to say -
I went 9 days overdue, before being induced.
My three babies were 8.7, 8.10, 8.13
I was 8.3 myself. At 39 weeks, I was induced (all three the same) because I couldn't take it anymore. Being so overweight didn't help. I got the pitocin and epidurals (didn't take with the third- she was natural)
I pushed my first out in 15 min (they made me take a break to get everything ready). My second was 3 pushes and my third was out by the count of 8.
Every pregnancy is different but I wouldn't go over 40 wks. We just had a little baby in the family that was over 40 and she ended up swallowing meconium (sp?) So the chance of that increases past 40 wks.
Praying for a safe and healthy delivery for you!
well i was a planned c-section because my brother, sister and I were giant babies and our mom is teeny like you. I was 8lbs 14 oz. that was massive in 1982! I think that you should do whatever you and your doc decide is best for you and peanut.
I guess I'm losing the bet, considering I said she wouldn't arrive until the 10th....boo.
Get lots of rest!
xoxo
C
Thanks everyone, I really appreciate your comments and sharing your experiences - it's a big help!
WOW... it's going to be coming soon :) Good luck :)
I had the sweep done with Alex. My due date was a Wednesday, I had the sweep done on Friday, and I went into labour on Sunday night. :)
Congrats!! Only 2 more days (or up to 16 if you go past due). I was told my first would be 8-9 pounds and measured just like you did. I had her 1 week past due and she was 10pounds, 11 ounces!! I said, "You let me have a what?". My others were even more past due and were 8-12, 9-7, 9-7. My 8-12 was 12 days past due. My body wasn't interested in going into labor and I had to be induced with each. Just breath deep and remind yourself that millions of people do this. Remind your doctor of your choices (natural vs. epidural) and enjoy (as much as you can) the labor and picture that beautiful little face at the end of this journey.
I had to request many, many times of my doctor to induce me. Not until I was past due and not until my 3rd and 4th kid. I knew my body by then. The waiting is the worse and waiting for those stupid contractions to get close enough to go into the hospital is not fun, but it's part of the process and I look back at everything with fondness.
Good luck! I look forward to seeing your new pics and reading your story.
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