Huge Baby Head?

[Karen2]

First of all, a big thank you to everyone who posts regularly here -- the wonderful perspectives and advice that I have picked up from this message board have been wonderful in preparing for my first baby (due March 20).

Now my question: I just had my 36 wk visit and my OB said my baby's head is huge. Actually, what he said exactly was "you've got to be kidding" while he was looking at the ultrasound. He told me that my baby has a 38 wk size head. Also, she is already 6 and 3/4 pounds and there are still 4 weeks to go.

I'm wondering what the heck this means. Can I expect an extra-difficult delivery because of the big head? Does a big head signify anything else? Will DD be properly proportioned ... eventually??

I'm sure I'm just being paranoid but any insight would be greatly appreciated.

[Melanie]

Ultra-sounds are notoriously inaccurate for checking the size of a baby late in pregnancy.

Well, the head is what has to make it's way through to delivery, so bigger will require more dialation and your body being able to do so, I would think. However, again, they can be really inaccurate late in pregnancy often times causing women to induce early only to have complications in labor, and then deliver (one way or another) a normal-sized baby.

My last ultrasounds were at 34 weeks and my son was weighing at 5 1/2 or 6 1/2 pounds, depending on who did the ultrasound (I had two the same day). I was told he would probably be 9 or 10 lbs. at birth. When he was born 6 weeks later he was a perfect 7 1/2 pounds. My first thought was, "he's so small!" My son's head was pretty big at delivery: 14 1/2 cm. No one ever noticed it was larger, and it's still larger measuring in the 80th percentile and the rest of him in the 50th, still no one notices. His ped. said the rest of the body starts to catch up in toddlerhood.


Mommy to Jonah

[etwahl]

Having never had a baby yet, I can only go by what I've heard, and I agree with Melanie. I honestly think they can be more harm than good, especially near the end, because they can cause undue stress and worry for nothing. I just think if they can't even accurately predict sex, then how can they predict weight and size?

The most important thing I've learned in my research of childbirth is that remaining positive and as stress-free as possible is really important. I took a hypnobirthing class, and the teaching is a lot to do with remaining calm, which allows your body to open naturally and easy. And women have been having babies from the beginning of time without ultrasounds and those babies heads always came out without any problems. Obviously there are circumstances where there is a difficult delivery, but I wouldn't worry about it unless it came down to that. Just try to think positive, stay calm, and know that your little baby is growing to be the perfect size, that will fit perfectly out of your body!

You'll do great, and soon you'll have your little bundle of joy in your arms, and all of these worries will have been long forgotten :)

Tammy,
Mom-to-be Mar 8, 2003!

[egoldber]

I agree with the others. Ultrasounds late in pregnancy are notorious for being inaccurate in their estimates of a baby's size. I had an US at 34 weeks. I switched OBs at 33 weeks, because we moved cross country and the new OBs wanted their own ultrasound done. They said Sarah was measuring large for dates and would be almost 9 pounds at birth, which freaked me out. I had her two and a half weeks later, and she was 7 lbs 5 ounces. So much for a big baby.

I would just relax and try to think positive thoughts.

HTH,

[atlbaby]

My experience has also been that ultrasounds are less reliable late in pregnancy. My OB was concerned that the baby was measuring very small from early on (acutally we moved states and changed OBs when I was 24 weeks, but from then on) and so I had many ultrasounds late in pregnancy. He was finally satisfied with the estimated fetal weight at 38 weeks when the estimated weight was near 6 lbs. I had Arielle exactly 1 week later and she was 6 lbs 11oz!

I know it's hard not to worry, but try and relax--you'll have your beautiful baby (very!) soon!

Good luck! :)

-Rachel
Mom to Arielle Jill, 10/30/01

[Karen2]

Thanks for the encouragement. I did not know that ultrasounds were so unreliable in late pregnancy. I'm really relieved to hear that I'm not necessarily going to have a really heavy baby and, if she does have a big head, it isn't that bad either :)

[bluej]

My kids had somewhat big heads (and they were big babies at 8 lbs 10 oz and 9 1/2 lbs) and I have a friend who has average weight babies (7 - 7 1/2 lbs) with rather large heads (noticably large on their little bodies), but I have yet to see a baby born with a head bigger (wider) than their shoulders. I think as long as your dr. doesn't have any concerns about the shoulder width, then the head size shouldn't be much of a concern.

As for it looking disproportionate, I think most of the time it's not noticable. As for my friend's babies, it was noticable, but in time their little bodies caught up and their heads would by no means be considered big now (ages 8, 5 and 3).

Good luck with the remainder of your pregnancy and welcoming your newborn into the world!

Jen

[jubilee]

My son Jacob had a 36 cm head diameter (or 14 1/2 in inches) when he was born, and also a 36 cm chest. The doctors always say the head is the biggest part of the body, which is why they want to deliver the head first and often refuse to deliver a breech. Jacob was a big baby overall, 9#13oz, just to give you a frame of referance to the head size. And, even with such a big baby I did deliver him vaginally. So please don't worry!

[Melanie]

"but I have yet to see a baby born with a head bigger (wider) than their shoulders."

Good point!

Oh yes, and I forgot to add that my 14 1/2" headed-son was delivered vaginally without complication.

Mommy to Jonah

[nitaghei]

Hi!
I just had my baby 7 weeks ago. He had a big head (14 1/2 inches), even though he weighed 7 lbs 2 ox. Not to scare you - but I had a hard time with him - for 2 reasons. He came out face up (can anyone say back labor?), and his cord was very short. But I did deliver vaginally, though I ended up with a lot of tearing over and above the episiotomy. But, as everyone else says, USs are notoriously unreliable at this point - and I wouldn't worry about it. I think I wouldn't have had any trouble just because of the head size alone. And yes, he was 10 days early.

Nita
mom to Neel, 01/05/03
dog mom to a cocker and a PWD