Mom Knows Best.

With all the medical advancements, and significantly improved quality of Ultrasonography, studies show that the best indicator of baby's size before it's born is mother's intuition.  When the OB, midwife, sonographer and mom give their estimates, mom is usually closest.  It makes sense, really. She is the one carrying the child, day after day.  Feeling the movements become stronger, feeling the top of it's little bum (or head if baby is ornery), feeling her stomach get shoved closer to her throat, no longer able to bend over enough to tie her shoes.  I remember with Curtis, starting about 32 weeks, commenting at every appointment how huge he was.  Brock was only 8lbs 12ozs, so there was no reason to suspect a gigantic baby, but my OB listened to my concerns, agreed, and obtained a 38+ week ultrasound.  This US estimated Curtis to be 7lbs 13ozs.  I remember the exact measurement, because I just laughed when she said that, and told her, no way.  Less than one week later, Curtis was born, and he weighed in at a whopping 9lbs 7ozs, just as I had suspected.

They also say, that every baby gets bigger.  And as the chart above indicates, George followed suit, and though born a week early, managed to come out an entire pound heavier than his previous brother.  So, if we go by patterns, 4.O is estimated to be 12 pounds if born on the due date.  Now, let me say, this chart is based off the theory that a baby gains 1/2 lb every week during the last trimester (which, I doubt is entirely accurate).  And I do know that at 35 weeks, George was estimated by US to be 6lbs 15ozs +/- a pound (obviously it was +, which would put him at nearly 8 pounds at 35 weeks!!!)

Anyway, the point I am trying to make, is that, the whole mother's intuition thing is TRUE.  So far, I have been the most accurate guesser of baby size.  In fact, I think I guessed Brock's exact poundage in the family poll.  I joke about the size of baby 4.O all the time, but when asked, I admit that I don't think this one will be quite as big as George.  I even told the OB that I guessed it to be approximately 5lbs right now (as I also indicated on the chart above.)  I have only gained 10 pounds, and truly have been trying to eat better, in an attempt to keep the size down.  So, when the opportunity arose to get some estimated weights on Baby 4.O, I jumped on it!  At 31wks and 1 day, Baby 4.O weighed in at 5lbs 1oz, +/- 13ozs.  Somewhere between George and Curtis.  Just as I suspected.  That being said, it's still a GIANT baby.  This baby could potentially, by the US stats, be nearly 6lbs right now.  A few of you reading this, personally carried a baby to 40 weeks which came out around 6 pounds!!  Imagine carrying that child for 8 more weeks...

I'm not trying to down play the feat of carrying a fullterm infant.  Or even a premature one.  It all gets miserable near the end, no matter the size of your baby.  Every woman should be commended for every single delivery she has, whether the delivery is 2 hours long, without pain meds, and a 5 pound baby or 25 hours, with an epidural, and a 9 pound baby, or even a scheduled cesarean of a nice, average, 7 pounder.  I am merely pointing out, that when I joke about carrying a "term baby" for up to 10 weeks, I am not kidding. 

I might take the Nurse Midwife's advice that we work with, and start taking some Primrose oil, and getting acupuncture starting at about 37 weeks or so...