BIG BABY? No Thanks!
Babies are considered big when their birth weight is above 8 pounds 13 ounces. If you are planning a vaginal birth, it is worth considering a few things, especially if you are naturally a small lady. Babies begin to gain weight at a faster rate in the third trimester, which is 28 weeks GA. Some problems that may arise with delivering a big baby are shoulder dystocia, difficulty for baby to move into a favorable birthing position, perineal tear, failure to progress, and increased risk of heavy blood loss. Although there are mothers who have delivered big babies with no problems, it's still good to consider ways to prevent this rapid weight gain. Below are a few tips that may help keep the baby's birth weight in a normal range.
1. Eat less carbs and replace them with protein.
Keep in mind that your body can only absorb 20-30 grams of protein at a time. Try replacing cereal with a protein smoothie, oatmeal with eggs, sandwiches with veggies and hummus, and grains with quinoa. Hemp and spirulina are also good sources of protein.
2. No sugar! Replace sugars with preferably honey or coconut sugar or stevia.
Try replacing your sweet foods with fresh fruit. Always check the ingredients on the food items you purchase. Make sure there are no sugars listed on the ingredient label. This can be challenging, but it is possible and your baby will benefit from it.
2. Exercise.
Stay active without over-doing it. This can be done in simple ways like walking, stretching, swimming, safe birth ball exercises, and staying intimate with your spouse on a regular basis.
When I followed this advice to a tee, my baby weighed 7 pounds 11 ounces at 42 weeks GA with no complications. When I did not follow this advice with another pregnancy, my baby weighed 9 pounds 2 ounces at 41 weeks GA! Thankfully I didn't tear or fail to progress. However, my baby experienced shoulder dystocia, unfavorable positioning, and I had heavy blood loss. I figured since I ate everything organic, lots of raw foods, and nothing refined was in my diet, it would be just fine. Yep, you guessed it.... my next pregnancy, I'm sticking to the rules! With that being said, few may follow these considerations and still grow a big baby. Nevertheless, they still did their baby good. I hope you found this article encouraging. A special thank you to my wonderful midwife, Sarah Jones, who gave me such great advice!
I am not a medical professional and this information is not to be taken as medical advice.
