Women give birth to large babies all the time. A normal vaginal delivery and a quick recovery are always possible, even with a big baby. Of course, there is a chance that childbirth will be more challenging. If you have a difficult vaginal birth or a C-section, your recovery may take a little longer.
Vaginal birth is still recommended is your baby is estimated to weigh less than 5,000 g (10 lbs) if you don't have diabetes. If your baby is estimated to weigh more than 4,500 g (8.4 lbs), and your labor stalls in the active stage or the baby doesn't descend, this is an indication for cesarean delivery.
MYSURU: A woman gave birth to a baby weighing 4kg at Motherhood Hospital in the city through normal delivery. The 24-year-old woman has delivered a baby girl. It is a rare case for an Indian baby's weight to be more than normal. A normal baby's weight is around 2.5 to 3.5kg during birth, said hospital authorities.
Researchers combined 10 studies (called a meta-analysis) and found that babies with birth weights over 4,000 grams (8 lbs., 13 oz.) are more likely to have labors that end in Cesarean (Beta et al. 2019). In these studies, the average Cesarean rate was 19.3% for big babies versus 11.2% for babies who were not big.
Most babies born between 37 and 40 weeks weigh somewhere between 5 pounds, 8 ounces (2,500 grams) and 8 pounds, 13 ounces (4,000 grams). Newborns who are lighter or heavier than the average baby are usually fine.
We know that 94% of large babies won't have a problem, and we as yet have no evidence that induction is beneficial or that it will reduce the chance of your baby having shoulder dystocia. Despite this, if your baby is deemed by ultrasound to be big, you're likely to be offered an induction.
Long term, babies born large for gestational age have an increased risk various poorer health outcomes such as diabetes, obesity etc. The good news is that breastfeeding can help reverse these risks.
Your body goes through exactly the same process of labour regardless of your baby's size. In fact, the size of your baby has no influence whatsoever on the first stage of labour. Your cervix doesn't know there's a 4.5kg (9.9lb) baby sitting on top of it.
Fetal macrosomia can cause a baby to become wedged in the birth canal (shoulder dystocia), sustain birth injuries, or require the use of forceps or a vacuum device during delivery (operative vaginal delivery). Sometimes a C-section is needed.
There are many causes, but the two most important are uncontrolled diabetes and having obesity. You can reduce your risk of having a large baby by managing these conditions. Regular exercise and eating a healthy diet can help you achieve a healthy pregnancy and reduce your risk of complications.
How big is a big baby? The average newborn weighs about 3.5kg (7lb 11oz) . Babies weighing more than 4kg (8lb 13oz) at birth are considered larger than average, or macrosomic (Abramowicz and Ahn 2018, NCCWCH 2015).
Currently, the evidence tells us that induction for a suspected larger baby does not decrease your baby's likelihood of a stay in the NICU. The most recent evidence indicates early induction (37-38 weeks) can increase your baby's risk of needing treatment for jaundice (which can sometimes mean a longer hospital stay).
A baby generally inherits half its genes from its mother and half from its father, so it makes sense that both have an impact on the genetics of the final baby. The mother's height and weight impact the weight of the baby at birth - and the father's height and weight have an impact too.
According to Guinness World Records, the heaviest baby on record was born in Aversa, Italy, in 1955. That baby boy was born weighing 22 pounds 8 ounces. Guinness World Records reports the heaviest baby born in the United States was 22 pounds in Seville, Ohio, in 1879.
The “push” phase of your delivery depends on many different factors, including what kind of shape you're in, how big the baby is, if you've received an epidural, and so on. Some women push for as long as four hours straight, and some deliver baby on their second push.
Just because someone has a big bump, it doesn't mean they'll have a big baby. Size and shape depend on various things. Ultimately, there are so many variables at play that your baby bump can be big or small!
Vaginal Birth for a Big Baby
As discussed above, a suspected big baby is not a reason to automatically schedule a Cesarean or induction. Plenty of parents give birth to babies larger than nine pounds without complication or permanent injury.
There are some extra things for you and your health team to consider, as you prepare for birth. Being overweight (BMI 25.0 to 29.9kg/m2) or obese (BMI over 30kg/m2) means that you may experience a longer first stage of labour. But a high BMI will not impact the length of your second stage of labour (giving birth).
Boys are heavier at birth than girls, but girls have high- er fat mass at birth than boys.
Babies with low birth weight may be more at risk of certain health problems. They include immediate problems, such as: Breathing problems.
Macrosomia — large body size at birth — is common among children born to obese women, particularly those who have gestational diabetes (high blood sugar during pregnancy). Macrosomia increases the risk that an infant will experience bone fracture during delivery.
During the 10 to 14 years after giving birth, 20% of all of the women developed prediabetes or diabetes. The rate of women who had prediabetes or diabetes was higher among those who had large babies (25%) than among women who delivered normal (20%) or underweight babies (15%), Venkatesh said.