Can you imagine pushing that whopper out of your va jayjay! OMG I can't! We've probably all heard the horror stories told by women who get ripped to shreds by their rather large babies during vaginal births. This is probably another reason why women opt for having C sections as well. Having a large baby, also known as Macrosomia, is becoming quite common these days but one might wonder "How large is LARGE?" According to statistics, the average newborn weight is 7 lbs 8 ounces. Babies weighing more than 9 lbs 15 ounces at birth are considered macrosomic, which literally means "of large body".
What causes babies to be large?
Probably the most influential factors are genetics and unmanaged high blood sugar levels from gestational diabetes or diabetes mellitus (the chronic form of the condition).
Other factors linked to an increased risk include obesity, gaining a lot of weight during pregnancy, and going over two weeks past your due date. Most babies with macrosomia are born full-term, but some may be born pre-term. Babies born with macrosomia are more likely to experience low blood sugar, respiratory distress, and jaundice. They are also at an increased risk of birth defects.
Even your baby's sex can play a part, as boys are large more often than girls. And if you've already had a large baby, you're more likely to have large babies in future pregnancies.
Even your baby's sex can play a part, as boys are large more often than girls. And if you've already had a large baby, you're more likely to have large babies in future pregnancies.
All this just goes to show that the term "Eating for two" is probably a myth conjured up by greedy expectant moms. Pregnant women should steer clear of advice to ‘eat for two’, for a new study has suggested that such a practice may have a negative impact on the mother as well as the baby. In the study, Alison Stuebe, M.D., assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, found that women who consumed extra calories, as well as fried foods and dairy, had excessive gestational weight gain. Gaining too much weight is linked with complications at birth, such as pre-eclampsia or requiring a C-section, as well as higher odds that both mom and child will be obese later in life. http://www.thaindian.com
