Giving birth to a large baby Labour may take longer and be more likely to involve complications. There's an increased risk of having a forceps or vacuum-assisted delivery or a caesarean, and of birth injury to the mother or baby. There is a link between fetal macrosomia and shoulder dystocia.
Your body goes through exactly the same process of labour regardless of your baby's size. In fact, the size of your baby has no influence whatsoever on the first stage of labour.
The term "fetal macrosomia" is used to describe a newborn who's much larger than average. A baby who is diagnosed as having fetal macrosomia weighs more than 8 pounds, 13 ounces (4,000 grams), regardless of his or her gestational age. About 9% of babies worldwide weigh more than 8 pounds, 13 ounces.
There are many causes, but the two most important are uncontrolled diabetes and having obesity. You can reduce your risk of having a large baby by managing these conditions. Regular exercise and eating a healthy diet can help you achieve a healthy pregnancy and reduce your risk of complications.
More than 9 out of 10 babies born at term (37 to 40 weeks) weigh between 2.5kg and 4.5kg. If your baby weighs 4.5kg or more at birth, they are considered larger than normal.
Does my huge pregnant belly mean I'll have a bigger baby? Not necessarily. While some babies are macrosomic and truly are just measuring larger than average, showing early or feeling like you have a huge pregnant belly doesn't mean you're destined to deliver a bigger baby.
How Big Are Newborns? Newborns come in a range of healthy sizes. Most babies born between 37 and 40 weeks weigh somewhere between 5 pounds, 8 ounces (2,500 grams) and 8 pounds, 13 ounces (4,000 grams). Newborns who are lighter or heavier than the average baby are usually fine.
The general size and shape of your belly don't have much to do with your baby, their health, or their size. A healthy baby can grow regardless of how your belly looks. The way you carry has more to do with you than it has to do with your baby.
If there's any doubt — especially if baby looks like he or she will be over 10 pounds at birth — your doctor will probably recommend a c-section over a vaginal delivery. But there are also other factors that come into play when determining whether you'll be able to deliver vaginally or through a c-section.
The mother's height and weight impact the weight of the baby at birth - and the father's height and weight have an impact too. Some babies are small because it runs in the family. However, some babies may take more after the mother or the father, rather than being an average of both.
Will I have a bigger baby? There's evidence that second babies tend to be bigger than first babies (Bacci et al 2014). But this isn't always the case, and the difference doesn't tend to be dramatic. On average, second babies are about 100g (3.5oz) heavier than first babies (Bacci et al 2014).
The average weight of a baby at 38 weeks of pregnancy is about 3.2kg (7.1lb), and the average length is about 49.3cm (19.4in) . Your baby is about as long as a leek. Your midwife may be able to give you an idea of whether your baby will be bigger or smaller than this, based on your fundal height .
A note from Cleveland Clinic
If you're told the fetus measures ahead or behind schedule, try not to worry. It usually just means an ultrasound or further testing is needed. The fetus is more than likely developing perfectly.
For some moms-to-be, constantly touching, patting, rubbing and holding their belly can be soothing. For others, it's a way to feel close to the baby inside. But no matter the reason, rubbing your belly simply makes you feel good.
Your Bump Can't Reveal: How Large Baby Is
A big bump doesn't automatically mean a big baby. “We measure bumps and palpate the abdomen to help gauge how baby is growing relative to gestational age, but bump size has only some relationship with baby's actual weight,” Page says.
Almost all babies born in Australia (94%) weigh between 2.5-4.5 kgs at birth. Girls tend to weigh less than boys at birth. First babies and babies who were one of a multiple birth generally weigh less.
The baby is still growing rapidly and could gain as much as an additional two pounds during the last four weeks of pregnancy.
A birthweight less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces, is diagnosed as low birthweight. Babies weighing less than 3 pounds, 5 ounces, at birth are considered very low birthweight. The average newborn weighs about 7.6 pounds, and about 7.6 percent of all newborns in the U.S. have low birthweight.
Overly large babies are at increased risk for birth complications and for being overweight or obese later in life.
This doesn't mean your baby is larger – your body has been altered by your previous pregnancy. A woman who is very athletic and fit, and regains muscle tone between pregnancies, can appear to be 'carrying small' for subsequent babies.
Second-trimester pregnant belly: Weeks 12 to 27
It's perhaps no surprise then that this is the trimester when you will most likely start to show or see your belly expand — especially if you're having more than one baby or carrying your second child.
Ultrasound exams are notoriously inaccurate for predicting the weight of your baby. 1 An ultrasound can give an estimate of the weight of your baby, but this estimate can be off a pound or more in either direction. There are multiple ways to predict a baby's weight via ultrasound, and the results can vary widely.