Ok so I am almost 38 weeks, at 36 weeks my doctor told me that the baby had dropped, into the head down position and at that point was 6 lbs to 6 1/2 lbs already. She could actually feel the head, like where it was. And I was one CM dilated. At that time she told me that the baby is pretty big for its stage and if I go to my due date he would be in the 8 lb range.. or higher. Last week at the doc the nurse practitioner commented on how big he was when she felt my belly. My question is that my doc normally says that she won't induce until the 42nd week of pregnancy, but I don't want to risk the baby getting too big to deliver vaginally. I really want to avoid a c-section at all costs if I can, and if the baby gets to big to be delivered naturally, then they would have to do one. FYI I have been measuring right on my dates the whole pregnancy, so would it be OK to ask my doctor to induce me before the baby gets too big?

I think its weird how there's so many women on here that have been pregnant, and ten people read my question and not one of them has anything to contribute. Lol

I think you should ask to be induced. I was induced at 38 weeks also and my baby was just fine. I wouldn't stop until you get what you want from your dr. remember they see pregnant women everyday so they get pretty stale as to what a pregnant women is feeling. Just be a pest to your dr until he decides to give you what you want! Lol 42 weeks is way to long to wait to be induced!

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Originally Posted by Mariesa

I think you should ask to be induced. I was induced at 38 weeks also and my baby was just fine. I wouldnt stop until you get what you want from your dr. remember they see preg women everyday so they get pretty stale as to what a preg women is feeling. Just be a pest to your dr until he decides to give you what you want! lol 42 weeks is way to long to wait to be induced!

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Yeah I mean can you imagine how large he could be by 42 weeks?

Just keep in mind that some of the readers may not have anything to contribute. I have had 2 children, but both deliveries were pre-mature.

I can tell you that my brother's step-daughter gave birth, vaginally, to her daughter that weighed over 9 pounds. She had a mid-wife and did not have any stitches.

I gave birth at 35 weeks, vaginally, and had a 3rd degree tear. My baby was 8 pounds. I had a c-section with my first child and didn't want to do it again with my second. I wish now I had agreed to the c-section for the second because I am still dealing with the problems from the tear.

Talk to your doctor about being induced and your concerns.

Some times they won't induce if they don't think you will go into labor. I was 1 cm for like a month but my dr did not induce till 41 weeks because my cervix was not soft. Keep talking to your dr.

I was in your exact situation. The baby was big, the only difference was I measured big throughout my entire pregnancy. At 36 weeks, my doctor told me I had to have a c-section. She did a pelvic exam, and since he was my first baby, and the ultrasound showed he was close to 10 lbs, it would be safer to do a c-section. I was devastated, cried for days, because I wanted to have a vaginal delivery. So I set up another appt. with my doctor to try to figure out other options. My doctor then explained to me that sometimes when a baby is to big for the mothers pelvis, shoulder dystocia can occur. This is when the babies shoulders get stuck, causing huge amounts of pain for the mother and can even cause major side effects for the baby, such as permanent disfigurement, inability to use that arm and also rarely but possible the baby can die. Not to scare you, but make sure you listen to your doctor and do your research, I ended up having a c-section, which I did not want, but I had a healthy 9lb5oz baby boy! Good luck, and I hope everything works out.

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Originally Posted by Starrviolet

Ok so I am almost 38 weeks, at 36 weeks my doctor told me that the baby had dropped, into the head down position and at that point was 6 lbs to 6 1/2 lbs already. She could actually feel the head, like where it was. And I was one CM dilated. At that time she told me that the baby is pretty big for its stage and if I go to my due date he would be in the 8 lb range..or higher. Last week at the doc the nurse practitioner commented on how big he was when she felt my belly. My question is that my doc normally says that she won't induce til the 42nd week of pregnancy, but I don't want to risk the baby getting too big to deliver vaginally. I really want to avoid a c-section at all costs if I can, and if the baby gets to big to be delivered naturally, then they would have to do one. FYI I have been measuring right on my dates the whole pregnancy, so would it be ok to ask my doctor to induce me before the baby gets too big?

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You can ask, but your doctor may or may not go for it as a possible 8 or 9 pound baby is not a reason to induce.
It is uncommon that a woman will grow a baby too big to give birth too. When you hear of a mother having a c-section due to baby's size, while it can happen that baby truly is unusually large, more often than not, it has more to do with the mother's positions in labor, during pushing, and choices in regard to interventions that effected baby's ability to be born vaginally. There is no way for your doctor to know for sure the size of your baby. Although I know it is fun to have an idea of baby's size, I wish they would stop telling mothers a suspected weight if there is not a true concern, as more often than not it causes unnecessary worry.
There are potential risks for both you and baby associated with being induced and it should only be used for medical necessity... not to mention that being induced increases the possibility of the very thing you want to avoid... a c-section.
A suspected good sized baby is not considered to fall into this category. Unless you had unusually narrow measurements of your pelvis, the only way to know if baby is too big for a vaginal birth would be too let you attempt it first.
There are a number of positions to use in labor and birth if a good sized baby is suspected... lying in bed the entire time, for example is the worst position to use as your changing position can often help baby get into an optimum position.

I had a 4 pound baby a 6 pound one and a 7 pound one. Believe me the 7 pound was the easiset to deliver. I would let the doctor do her job in this case. It is so much better for the baby if you don't go c-section and having induced labor is no cake walk. I was a 9/12 pound baby and was born at home with no complications so you can not just go by size alone.

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Originally Posted by Starrviolet

I think its weird how theres so many women on here that have been pregnant, and ten people read my question and not one of them has anything to contribute. lol

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Please excuse me, I volunteer my time here, as do we all, and I have been in nursing school all day until now.

Babies as big as 10 or more pounds have been delivered vaginally. I delivered a 9 1/2 pounder last week.

Unfortunately, there is no way to tell how big the baby actually is until it is born. When I was pregnant with my son (6 years ago), the doctor told me that he would be a very big baby and "guestimated" his weight at around 8 pounds... when he was born he was 5 pounds 11 ounces.

So, just put your worries behind you, I know how hard it is, but you have to let nature take it's course.