Our not-so-little latest baby weighed in at 9 lbs. 9 oz. at birth. I didn't think much past the "wow!" factor at the time, but now that I've had some time to experience a big baby vs. our other two little ones (7#12 and 7#15) - I am all in favor of big babies!
As compared to the smaller babies, this baby is stronger, more vigorous, a better eater, more alert, and a better sleeper (he has slept through the night - eating occasionally - since day #1). It is awesome, and so much easier!
I talked to one midwife about this, and she said that moms don't believe her when she tells them that big babies are often better, and that they really don't want a six-pound baby. All the moms want small babies because they think the births will be faster and easier, but the benefits of a bigger baby really do add up.
(And let's be frank, ladies. An object that big going through an opening that small is going to hurt! An extra pound or two does not make that big of a difference!)
I don't know why this little chublet turned out so big. Here are three possibilities I've considered:
(1) He stayed in-utero approximately nine days longer than the other two.
(2) My diet for most of the pregnancy was very high-protein (and low-carb). I've heard that the Brewer diet, also high-protein, has a tendency to produce bigger babies, so that might be a factor.
(3) I gained, sadly, a huge amount of pregnancy weight.
Whether it's one of the above or a synergistic effect, I'm all for it. If we are ever blessed with another little one, I am planning on trying for another big baby. They are awesome!!
* I am, of course, referring to babies that are big and healthy, not babies who turn out big due to uncontrolled diabetes and have the resulting health problems from that.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I love to hear from you! All kind and thoughtful comments will be published; all inconsiderate or hurtful comments will be deleted quietly without comment. Thanks for visiting!