Pregnant Women, Know This When Containing Large Sized Babies

Large babies in the womb can make parents feel happy. But make no mistake, the size of the baby is too large can actually increase the risk of complications during childbirth. Know the conditions that can be the cause and the things that pregnant women need to do if they have large babies. The average baby is born weighing around 3.2 - 3.4 kilograms. Babies are called larger than average if they weigh more than 4 kg. In medical terms, a baby's birth weight that is more than 4 kg is called macrosomia. Instead of being healthy, a baby too large can pose a risk of difficult labor. This has the potential to threaten the health of mothers and babies.

Conditions That Cause Large Babies in the Womb

Although all pregnant women can have the opportunity to have a large baby, but there are several factors that can increase this possibility. Here are a few:

Being overweight during pregnancy

Pregnant women who gain weight drastically during pregnancy, or who are overweight since before pregnancy have a higher risk for carrying large babies. According to a research, about 23% of overweight pregnant women give birth to large babies.

Gestational diabetes

Pregnant women with gestational diabetes are most at risk of having large babies. This condition is often experienced by women who have already had diabetes before becoming pregnant. This is because high blood sugar levels in the mother will cause the baby to grow up.

Never gave birth to a baby with a large body weight

Pregnant women are more likely to give birth to a big baby again if previously had had a baby with excess weight.

It's past the estimated birth date

Babies can be large because they are not yet born, even though it is past 2 weeks from the estimated date of birth. In addition, several other risk factors associated with the size of the baby are pregnant women over the age of 35 years, containing a baby boy, and genetic or hereditary factors. Well, if pregnant conditions including those who have the opportunity to contain large babies, you should consult an obstetrician to get advice and further steps for treatment.

Things to Do Pregnant Women with Large Sized Babies

Doctors can predict the size of a pregnant baby through an ultrasound examination, but the results of this examination can differ by approximately 10% with the actual baby's weight at birth. If after checking it turns out to be a large baby, the doctor will suggest appropriate steps in labor and monitor the health condition of the mother and fetus periodically until the time of delivery. Some things you can do if you have a large baby are:

Check blood sugar levels

If the baby is large in the womb, your doctor may check your blood sugar levels to detect whether there is gestational diabetes. The results of this examination will help the doctor to provide appropriate treatment.

Prepare for labor

Large babies increase the risk of complications during labor, ranging from tearing of the perineum, postpartum bleeding, prolonged labor, to disruption of the coccyx. Therefore, pregnant women need to be better prepared if they want to continue giving birth normally. One way is to eat healthy foods and exercise regularly. However, the average large baby needs to be born by cesarean section, so pregnant women also need to get ready if the doctor recommends this delivery method.

In case the baby needs special care

Large babies are at high risk for delivery complications, such as shoulder dystocia. A baby's body size that is too large can cause it to get stuck in the birth canal, so the risk of injury during birth. In addition, large babies are also more at risk of having low sugar levels when they are born. To find out whether a baby's weight is normal or not, do regular pregnancy checks. If the doctor declares the baby to be large in uterus, ask your doctor for advice on handling steps and choosing a safe delivery method.