THE BIG BABY! follow up post – The third with still many more to come
Pictured – a 39cm head circumference and no stitches for this super Mum.
Just because your baby might be bigger than average (or suspected of being) it does not take away your right to consider the birth you had originally dreamed of.
A “Big Baby” follow up post – The second with many more to come
Many women with babies identified as big are offered induction in hopes of reducing a rare but serious event – shoulder dystocia.
I am posting a big chunk of information on ‘Big Babies’ here and if it is too much (totally get it) keep an eye out for the next few posts where I will break down the info into more sizable chunks .
An increasingly large number of women, due to the common use of ultrasounds, are being told in the 3rd trimester that their baby is ‘big’, ‘large for gestational age or macrocosmic. Ironically most third trimester ultrasounds are done to identify small babies or growth restricted and most at risk of stillbirth.
Many women with babies identified as big are offered induction in hopes of reducing a rare but serious event – shoulder dystocia.
This is problematic because – ultrasounds are notoriously inaccurate, and many women have been told they require induction or caesarean for a “big” baby only to have a perfectly average 3.5kg be born.
Ashlee is a registered nurse, and registered midwife.”In my work I’ve handled hundreds of high risk births, and more recently have practised in a smaller rural centre. For many years I have referred people to Calmbirth as I saw the amazing outcomes of women who had been educated by the program. In fact, as a midwife I chose to attend the program myself, along with my husband, when we were expecting our first child. I”‘m also a mum to twin boys and, between all the kids, my husband and I are kept on our toes. A few years ago, we relocated to the Kanimbla Valley as a family to pursue a desire to live a slower, sustainable life. I will be running Calmbirth courses on our property, where we live off-grid and produce most of our own food, and on-site accommodation will be an option for Calmbirth participants.