Too Big for Vaginal Birth

I delivered my first child when I was 19 years old. At that time I was in terrific shape. My daughter was 6 pounds 15 ounces. During that year I had absolutely no problems with leakage. Less than 2 years later I delivered a son. He was 9 pounds 8 ounces. His head size was 115 percent for his weight, and I delivered him after 36 hours of labor vaginally. His collar bone broke during delivery. He was big. I had problems with leakage after that. I somehow managed to get back into shape with the help of lots of Kotex. Eight years later I had another son who weighed 9 pounds 5 ounces after a much faster vaginal delivery. The leakage was worse. Jumping jacks are out of the question. I can barely jog. It's been 15 years. It's time to look into getting this fixed. I've gained 50 pounds because I just don't want to exersize. I plan to look into surgery. I'll let you know what happens. Kegels don't help either.

I have gestational diabetes, controlled with insulin. My baby is currently not "too big," though of course the OB and perinatologists are watching him like hawks for excessive size. However, I've found that there's basically no information out there about vaginal birth with GD. Everyone says, "Oh, if your baby is not too big, you can have a v-birth," but when it comes down to it, they are all talking C-section, with or without a trial of induced labor (no information about how to improve one's odds on success of induction, since they want to deliever the baby before 39.5 weeks).

I am 29 weeks pregnant with my fourth child. All of my previous children were large at birth, ranging from 8 lbs, 14 oz to 11 pounds. I delivered all naturally, but I was cut from front to back in order for my 11 pounder to be delivered. My second ripped my ligaments from my pelvis, which rendered me incapable of walking for almost 2 weeks after labor, and my third baby suffered a broken collar bone during birth. I do not want a c-section, because I know I can deliver the baby, but I do not want to go through all of that again. My labor was induced for every child. Two of the inductions were done at 39 weeks. I do not have gestational diabetes, nor am I a large woman by any means. It's hard to say what anyone should do. You just never know how things are going to happen, and you pick a doctor that you trust and you know will handle the situation to the best of their ability, especially in a crisis. I think that an induction at 38 weeks might be the small difference I need, but it's hard to convince a doctor to do that, and I am sure they have valid reasons. It just seems better than injuring myself or my child or having surgery.

I'm am currently 34.5 weeks pregnant with my second boy. During my first pregnancy the doctors told me that I wasn't going to have a big baby at all. That's with them only doing one ultrasound when I was 4 months. Mind you at the time I delivered I was 18, only weighed 113 pounds and was only 5'0". I'm very petite and was all baby. I knew that my baby was not going to be little because of course I'm the one who could feel him inside me, but the doctors are the professionals and they are the ones who know best, right? When I delivered my son two days late and having to be induced, the doctor about crapped herself when he started coming out. His head was 13.5 centimeters and was stuck for 55 minutes. The doctor panicked and cut me from vagina to anus, she was trying to mold her hand in just to get his head out. When he was finally out he weighed 7 pounds, 11.5 ounces and his head was very swollen and bruised. He was very healthy and still is today but I strongly believe that if the doctors would have relied on technology instead of their own thoughts they would have know that that vaginal delivery should have been done by c-section. So with this one they are monitoring very carefully. When my doctor was doing an ultrasound for fun she discovered how big he was already and now I go back this Friday to get another ultrasound to see how big he is and whether this will be done by c-section or vaginal. I told her I'm all for c-section after what I've already experienced during my first delivery. She advised me that this baby will be bigger then my last and c-section may be just what I need. I think for all women who become pregnant, they need to really discuss their thoughts on delivery with their doctor as they see fit for themselves. Doctors know best in most cases but only a women knows her body better then anyone else. If I was more educated and not so young I guess, I would have been more prone and open to my doctor my first pregnancy, so now that I know what to expect I'm going to make sure the decision that is decided upon is on that's best for me and my baby. I guess its just a case of "wish I knew then, what I know now."

I have had two large babies. The first they had no idea he was the size he was. My labor progressed pretty fast and in nine hours I was ready to start pushing. It took over two hours to deliver my son who weighed in at 10 pounds, 7 ounces. I also have a daughter that was born over five years later. The doctors were watching closely over my pregnancy. She weighed in at a healthy 9 pounds, 12 ounces. In neither pregnancy did the doctors find any cause for my large babies. No gestational diabetes was found. They are blaming it on my genes. They are now both normal size children. I wouldn't have it any other way.