paul williams wrote:
Wifes now 36 weeks but baby is measuring up to 40 weeks already so it
looks very large.

IME estimates at this stage are highly unreliable. I have seen a
friend deliver a 5lb baby, where it was estimated at at least 7lb.
Simply because she was small, they overestimated the babies size.

Also, women give birth to 9 and 10lb babies naturally. Although
it is rare, it is not impossible. Average 40w babies are around
7lb, if yours is really that heavy now, you'd probably end up
with a delivery weight around 9lb. In the past, when gestational
diabetes was less well known, babies could even weigh up to 14lb
and still be born the natural way. The biggest problem is the
size of the head compared to the width of the pelvis. If the
head fits (and it usually does) the rest will be able to come
out as well. DS had a big head, measured 3 weeks ahead of normal
around 32 weeks, but still came out the normal way.

Finally, there is nothing that guarantees the baby will grow at
the current rate during the last weeks. DS grew in spurts, and
would sometimes measure one week ahead, then one week behind. He
didn't grow much at all during the last month.

So before you decide any which way to go, just wait and see.
I would opt for the baby to come out the natural way *and* at its
own time. Really, my impression is that the doc is making a big
fuzz over nothing, making you worry unnecessarily.

Also, my wifes decided on an epidural anyway in the event of normal
birth. Does'nt this provide problems with larger babies anyway? I'e'
forceps or ventouse delivery? Not what we want either....

Epidurals always have a higher risk of interventions, since the
mother is less aware of her contractions and when to push.

--
-- I
mommy to DS (14m)
guardian of DH
EDD 05-17-2004
War doesn't decide who's right - only who's left