Interestingly, mamas of larger babies report the second stage of labour is usually quite a lot easier than previous babies who were smaller. Some midwives say this is because the woman's muscles can get a better grip on a larger baby to help push them out.
Giving birth to a large baby
Most large babies who weigh more than 4.5kg do not have a difficult birth. But there are still some risks associated with having a big baby. Labour may take longer and be more likely to involve complications.
For this reason, ACOG recommends elective Cesareans only be performed when a baby's size is estimated to be greater than 11 pounds. However, there may be instances where a Cesarean birth is more beneficial for mother and baby. The birthing person may even choose to have a Cesarean after weighing the risks and benefits.
If a baby is too large to fit through the birth canal easily, delivery can be difficult. If ultrasound exams during pregnancy show a baby is very large, your healthcare provider may recommend early delivery.
Stage 2 of labour: Transition
For many women, this is the toughest part of childbirth. Contractions are one on top of the other as your cervix dilates to 10 centimetres. You may feel you can no longer cope, or even start vomiting or trembling (especially in your legs).
For most people, active labor is more painful than pushing because it lasts longer, gets more and more intense as it progresses, and involves many muscles, ligaments, organs, nerves, and skin surfaces.
The most common description of the level of pain experienced was extreme menstrual cramps (45 percent), while 16 percent said it was like bad back pain and 15 percent compared it to a broken bone.
Giving birth vaginally to a big baby is perfectly possible. If you've had a previous uncomplicated birth, you're at an advantage, as you're more likely to have a normal delivery without any complications at all. However, for some women, macrosomia can make the delivery more difficult. Your labour may be longer.
For first-time mothers the average length of pushing is one-to-two hours. In some instances, pushing can last longer than two hours if mother and baby are tolerating it. Normally, the baby is born with his face looking toward mother's back (referred to as an anterior position).
So, in the U.S., most people have an ultrasound at the end of pregnancy to estimate the baby's size, and if the baby appears large, their care provider will usually recommend either an induction or an elective Cesarean.
Until recently, women have been asked to start pushing as soon as the cervix has dilated to 10 centimeters, but as long as you do not have a fever and your baby's heart rate is normal, there are many benefits to waiting to push until you feel the need to push.
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.
Some babies are large because their parents are large; genetics does play a part. Birthweight may also be related to the amount of weight a mother gains during pregnancy. Excessive weight gain can translate to increased fetal weight. By far, maternal diabetes is the most common cause of LGA babies.
Does my huge pregnant belly mean I'll have a bigger baby? Not necessarily. While some babies are macrosomic and truly are just measuring larger than average, showing early or feeling like you have a huge pregnant belly doesn't mean you're destined to deliver a bigger baby.
But if you're close to 10 centimeters dilated the research suggests it's not an issue. Evidence suggests it's more of a theoretical fear that just adds additional stress and in some cases results in an epidural (or a higher dose of epidural) to mask that urge.
An overwhelming urge to push (some women don't, however) "The ring of fire," a burning, stinging sensation as your baby's head crowns and your vagina stretches for your baby to emerge. The burning doesn't last long – soon there's a feeling of numbness instead as the vaginal tissue stretches thin, blocking the nerves.
Discourage more than three to four pushing efforts with each contraction and more than 6 to 8 seconds of each pushing effort (avoid counting to 10 with each pushing effort). Take steps to maintain a reassuring fetal heart rate (FHR) pattern while pushing.
If there's any doubt — especially if baby looks like he or she will be over 10 pounds at birth — your doctor will probably recommend a c-section over a vaginal delivery. But there are also other factors that come into play when determining whether you'll be able to deliver vaginally or through a c-section.
It is very essential to track the baby's weight and height from the very first day to avoid any kind of complications in the future. The ideal weight of a newborn baby, who is born between 36-40 weeks, should be between 2.5 – 4.5 kg.
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Labor pain is one of the most severe pains which has ever evaluated and its fear is one of the reasons women wouldn't go for natural delivery.
The potential for a quicker labor, delivery and recovery – For some people, a natural birth may go more quickly. While it depends on several different factors, like how relaxed you may be, in some cases medications can interfere with contractions and prolong labor.
Delayed pushing had some adverse consequences. Four percent of women who waited to push had excessive bleeding after delivery compared with 2.3 percent who pushed right away. The delayed pushers had more bacterial infections: 9.1 percent versus 6.7 percent of the women who pushed immediately.