@transformed89 Honestly, I personally did and would always opt for 39 week induction if you did IVF. There's an increased risk of stillbirth and placental failure in women who did IVF, especially at or after term. NAD but I'd strongly consider at the very least a due date induction.
@javier_is_life I’ll go with my doctor’s advice. She sees a lot of IVF patients and I trust her. A lot of IVF complications have to do more with underlying issues that caused infertility and less with the procedure of IVF itself. My doctor knows me and my medical history and has delivered a healthy baby for me previously. I trust her to combine that knowledge and her knowledge of the relevant literature to make the best decision.
I just don’t want a decision based on size because her fear was primarily postpartum tearing recovery and that’s not my primary concern.
@omnitude they push for induction almost no matter what. you can just refuse if you don't want to and don't them scare you. inducing for size isn't well supported by research. check out evidence-based birth for more info, i know it made me feel confident standing up to them when i read the research for myself.
@omnitude I was told my first was 9 pounds at 38 weeks. She was born on her due date just over 7 pounds. I then said I wanted zero size information for my second pregnancy and gave birth to a nearly 9 pound baby, which was actually easier than my first due to better positioning.
@omnitude I'm reading a bit about it after we measured big at a growth ultrasound yesterday. From what I've read, the weight estimate can be a bit off, but you might care more about head diameter (BPD) vs. abdominal circumference (AC) vs. femur length (FL) to understand where the weight estimate comes from and how that could influence the labor. High femur length could just mean the baby is tall, and that's not too bad. Big head could mean the baby doesn't descend well. Big AC, especially compared to the head circumference (HC), could lead to the baby getting stuck in a riskier way. Talk to your OB about your particular case.
@omnitude This isn't initially helpful but bare with me, I was super grateful my midwife didn't share or talk about baby size during our visits, I don't want to know!
I delivered an almost 9lb baby, no tearing, and I felt confident during labor. If someone told me I was having a 9lb baby I would have stressed- but it didn't matter, he was big and it was fine!
Believe no matter what, you'll be supported and safe during birth by your team there's only so much we can control! You've got this!
@omnitude My doula taught me that a “suspected big baby” is more dangerous than actually having a big baby.
Also, anecdotally, most moms know whether they are having a big baby or not. Our doula had moms guess baby’s weight and they (we) are always right in the ballpark.
I guessed mine would be just under 8lbs and he was 7lbs 13oz (measured after he pooped so I’m convinced he was actually even closer to 8lbs).
Your gut is going to be significantly more accurate than a late term sonogram. If you don’t want to have an induction, get a doula or get ready to stand firm in your gut and your decisions.
@omnitude I had an ultrasound around 34 weeks and they told me my baby was measuring big, about 8lbs! I was a first time mom and so scared. I ended up getting induced on my due date, at 40weeks because I was so afraid my baby was going to be huge and I'd have no chance of vaginal birth. I hated the induction process and I wouldn't ever choose to do that again unless it was necessary. Nothing went wrong, it just wasn't what I wanted. 2 days with no sleep/ trying to give birth was very unenjoyable.. also the Foley balloon was awful.
They ended up being wrong about the weight and my daughter was born at 40weeks + 2days at 7lbs 5oz. I was later told that the ultrasound measurements aren't always accurate.
I guess I don't really have any advice, just wanted to share my experience. I wish you a smooth delivery, whichever route you choose!
@olliea95 Yes my induction was so terrible and long (also 2 days). I was pushed because of fetal heartrate which I later read I could have literally just drank some cold water and walked around and asked them to check again. I’m appreciating the information about no induction needed for big measurements but am worried they’ll say the same thing about heart rate.
@omnitude I measured around that at the same week or so. Ended up with an average sized baby despite the estimate and going a week over. As others have said, it's just a low accuracy estimate. "Your body knows what to do" really isn't a trite saying - you'll be amazed at what comes naturally to you, including when it decides to evict the baby.
@omnitude I wouldn’t put much stock in ultrasound size. If the baby isn’t having issues, then what is the reasoning for further scans? Based on size alone? Nonsense. If you aren’t confident with your doula, it could be worth it to find another. Remember that you’re well within your rights to say no or “wait & see”. So much of the medical system is unnecessary fear mongering.
@jeffreyjencks Late scans typically seem to be for fetal position (which I find weird because many other countries manage to discern position by palpation with fairly accurate results but America be America-ing).
@uoftgospelchoir Absolutely. Any person delivering babies should be able to feel. Late ultrasounds are a one way highway to induction, unless there’s a marked issue.
@omnitude I also had a baby estimated at 32 weeks to be about 5.5lbs. No induction, but he came at 42 weeks and 10 lbs. I had a midwife who was all in support of me going forward without any extra monitoring and avoiding induction before 42 weeks, but the doc at the hospital where I had the ultrasound was concerned and wanted another ultrasound (which I declined).
Your baby could turn out bigger, smaller or right as predicted. Either way, you will be capable of birthing your baby with the staff and support you've surrounded yourself with.
But my bigger concern is your relationship with your doula. Your doula needs to be rock solid. I have big regrets about my doula (there were no red flags and was highly recommended, but when it was go-time, she failed us). I hope you can address these concerns with your doula or find a better fit. You deserve it
@omnitude My son was induced a week early for being “large”. We had to use pretty much every intervention possible and my labor was absolutely miserable.
My daughter was 2 days late, I labored at home and gave birth naturally in the hospital 45 minutes after my arrival. She was .1 oz larger than he was (both within the heavier range of average)
Knowing what I know now, I never would have allowed an induction.
@omnitude I know how you’re feeling! Same thing happened to me. They guessed my baby was 9.5lb. She was 8lb 13oz. Was told to get a c-section so I pushed back on that and got second opinions. Pushed out my baby just fine!
See another provider if you wanna doublecheck things! You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to!
there's only so much we can control! You've got this!