I have had so many people reach out and tell me they are scared because they have been told their baby is measuring large. Maybe you have been told this or maybe you have big babies in your family so you are thinking "this could be me too".

Before I was a doula and I was pregnant with my second baby I remember laying on the ultrasound table and hearing the tech say "your baby is measuring close to 10 pounds". And that’s all she said.

I could feel my insides contract. I was already terrified but this was throwing me for a loop!!

I went home and went straight into an anxiety spiral. Worrying that she would get stuck on the way out. Worrying that I would tear badly. Even worrying that I might die!

BUT THIS IS WHAT MAKES ME ANGRY. No one tells us what to do with all the emotions that come up about this or HOW to labour with and birth a large baby!

They just send us on our way with the thoughts in our head and no real information or skills to deal with the possible big baby thing.

Here is what you need to know:

1. Ultrasound estimates of the baby’s weights may NOT be accurate! My “big baby” the one they told me was going to be 10 pounds was 8 lbs 12 oz. In fact, the estimates are wrong 50% of the time! See this resource from Evidence Based Birth: Big Babies Handout

2. In some cultures a big baby is preferred!! Yup!! Because the thought is that a big baby will move downward faster. So this is really good news (except if you are expected to lay on your back and work sideways with gravity… then I can see why some care providers freak us out about big babies. You can’t expect a boulder to roll downhill IF THERE IS NO HILL).

3. Big baby does not = harder birth … nope! My bigger baby was born less than 1 hour after my water broke (my perfectly average-sized baby took 17 hours of labour). It was way less pushing, way less effort, and way fewer hours. And I’m not the only one!

4. There are so many things that can make your birth more enjoyable, easier, and make your stress levels decrease. But no one is giving you all the details on that! I know. I was there too > clueless and scared and it’s not fun.

So, here are my top Doula recommendations for labouring with a big baby:

• sit on a BIRTH BALL and sway from side to side
• WALK during early labour and during active labour if you feel like it
• use UPRIGHT POSITIONS to help gravity bring your baby down (avoid lying down for long periods). Here is a great resource with pictures of labour positions.
• CHANGE POSITIONS every 30 minutes or less
• use a PEANUT BALL to help open your PELVIS WIDER for delivery

See the peanut ball in action here:

It’s important to note that sometimes a large baby means there is a medical concern and there are other interventions that are needed. As always, this is not medical advice and seeking the advice of your healthcare provider is recommended. Also, telling them that you are stressing about your baby being too big is recommended. Suffering on your own is not ideal for labour, birth, or the health of you and your baby.

If you need support feel free to review my Birth Support Details page or Book a Free Consultation with me.

Remember birth is powerful AND so are YOU! You CAN birth your big baby!