big babies...

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

i am watching Discovery Health's Baby Week and they are talking about big babies. a woman on here had a 12 lb. baby. and they seem astounded by it...my older brother weighed 12lb.10oz. and my grandmother gave birth to 8 babies that were all between 10-13 lbs and neither my mom or grandmother were obese or even overweight...but anyways, i never knew it was such a big deal!! maybe i am just used to hearing about it in my family where big babies are normal!! my question is...what is the biggest baby you've ever taken care of/helped deliver?

Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.
Macrosomia doesn't mean high blood sugar during pregnancy; macrosomia simply means large baby (macro = large). It can be caused by different reasons, but most likely is caused by gestational diabetes (which can often be undiagnosed).

I am almost positive my grandma had undiagnosed GDM with my uncle - pretty sure they didn't routinely (if at all) test for it 47 years ago. She had the classic metabolic-syndrome body type, and went on to have type 2 DM for 20+ years. I'd be willing to bet that a lot of big babies are due to late-onset GDM...and some people are just prone to having big babies without GDM.

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, Emergency, SAFE.

And here the thread title lead me to believe this thread was about doctors.... :p

LOL!

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Specializes in ED/ICU.

Thanks Klone...and all these years I thought it meant high blood sugar during pregnancy. I have never worked with pregnant women other than the ED. Must have got my wires crossed somewhere along the line..thanks for clearing that up:-)

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Specializes in LTC, rehab, medical review.

My second child was 9 lbs 1 oz, my 4th was 9lbs 2 oz. Both were delivered lady partslly with no stitches or tears. My brother was 9 lbs 10 oz!! Naturally delivered as well.

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A friend of mine had a 9 lb 12 oz baby and a 10lb 2oz baby. Both were lady partsl with a small tear the first time and just skid marks the 2nd time. I have an uncle that was in the 11-12 lb range.

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Specializes in LDRP.

My fourth baby was 10 pounds 7 ounces, born lady partslly with an intact perineum. I'm only 5'1.

I did have a shoulder dystocia, and my baby had a fractured clavicle from it. (no treatment required, healed perfectly) though, could this have been from delivering flat on my back? passed GD test (BS=121) at 28 weeks, was 41.2 weeks pregnant at delivery. was i undiagnosed DM? maybe. Baby's BS was normal after delivery. (3 previous babies were all 41 weeks, and all 8-8.75lbs)

people freak out about large babies. short people can have large babies, lady partslly. big babies can come out lady partslly, and they wont rip you into a million pieces. they can, and are, born safely lady partslly. The only reason i've love to have a smaller baby next time is so my labor is faster! it was so long with my macrosomic baby. several hours at 9.5cm (3-4hrs)

THe largest I saw lady partslly was 10#11oz-a woman's 11th baby, born with passive second stage (non instrumental delivery).

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The doctor's first words to me were to ask me if I was diabetic, when he delivered my sort of large daughter. It took them awhile to get her to start breathing. I say now that babies like that are little diabetic wannabees.

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Specializes in LDRP.
The doctor's first words to me were to ask me if I was diabetic, when he delivered my sort of large daughter. It took them awhile to get her to start breathing. I say now that babies like that are little diabetic wannabees.

My big fatty needed a little extra help to get started, too. First apgar was 2, was kinda bluish. Totally dashed my plans of him being delivered and placed right on my chest.

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Specializes in OBGYN, Neonatal.

My son was 11.4 lol, I had a c-section. We expected him to be bigger anyway but not that big. LOL! He is now a 4 year old that is 44 inches tall and 80 lbs. My hubby is a big guy tho, so we figure he gets some of it from him lol.

I've had a patient that had an 11.7 baby lady partslly with no tears and no epidural!

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Specializes in OBGYN, Neonatal.
My son was 11.4 lol, I had a c-section. We expected him to be bigger anyway but not that big. LOL! He is now a 4 year old that is 44 inches tall and 80 lbs. My hubby is a big guy tho, so we figure he gets some of it from him lol.

I've had a patient that had an 11.7 baby lady partslly with no tears and no epidural!

I should add that I am a type I diabetic since age 12. My diabetes was in great shape during pregnancy, HA1C was 5.9 (best it had ever been) the entire pregnancy but as I got further along my pump infusion had to be increased quite a bit, the doctor said to expect that and we adjusted as necessary. He was born at 39 weeks exactly, via c-section. He also needed some o2 to get going and then spent the first 24 hours in the NICU with a drip due to low glucose. I don't think we'll have any more children but if we do have another one, it would be nice to have a little smaller one. :)

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Specializes in nursery, L and D.

I had my DS at 10lbs 4 oz over an intact. Maybe I shouldn't tell people that, lol. No GD for me, either. Just big babies.......smallest was 8lbs 10oz. The largest I've seen personally was 13lbs 1oz, mom did have GD with that one. The sickest baby I've ever seen was a 10lbs 36 weeker. We shipped him to a bigger hospital and I often wonder if he made it. He was a sick kid.

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My smallest was 9.4 and my largest was 10.3 Both of them delivered on my knees over an intact peri. My first, was 9.6, delivered on my back, with 2nd degree tears. I swore I would never do that again. My body just kept getting on my knees so I told the doc to figure it out. (He was saying he couldn't see, and that they just didn't do it this way")

I have never had any diabetes, or GD. My husband and I were average 7lb'ers when born. I just grow big ones myself. They stayed 90%= on growth charts until they were about 10 months old and no longer exclusively breast fed. Now, 5, 3 and 2 they are very tall, and skinny. Thank goodness for adjustable waist pants!!

Fun topic!

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