how much weight can the uterus hold before it decides its eviction time?

given that I am carrying about 8 1/2-9lbs of baby right now at 31wks, i am growing really curious as to just how much weight the average uterus can hold before it says it has had enough. My first son was 9lbs7oz at birth. I am 5ft7in and weighed 123 before getting pregnant. I know that the taller you are the more weight you can handle. Do any of you have any clues about how much I could hold in? I am very nervous about the estimated 8-9lb babies that the drs are predicting at 37wks, especially since my husband will not be back in town until i am 36wks 4days. Will my body be able to keep 16-18lbs of baby inside?

 

I am 5'5, had my boys at 37 weeks, Nathaniel was 6lbs 9oz and William was 5lbs 2oz. 11 lbs 11oz combined plus water and placenta, so they say add baby weight, so it would be a combined almost 24lbs.

 

how do you figure out water and placenta weight? I didn't even think of having to add that weight to what the babies weigh......

 

the rule of thumb is that water and placenta weight is equal to baby weight.

 

I am 5'4" and starting weight was around 115lbs - I delivered at 38 wks (c-section) and my boys weighed 6lbs 14 oz and 7lbs 3oz (combined weight 14lbs 1 oz I think)...so I think you still have awhile to go before eviction.

 

slipper, they are estimating 8-9lbs at 37wks for my two. So then that's 16-18lbs, plus another 16-18lbs of fluid and placenta and junk?!?!?!

pam i am not worried really about delivering soon, I am worried that I will deliver before 37wks and my hubby will miss the birth. I know my uterus can tolerate a total of 18 or 19lbs total going based on my son's birth, but I am afraid I won't be able to carry much more than that...

 

My girls were about 6 lbs each at birth, and I had 2 placentas. I'm 5'8.

 

The estimates are just estimates... (my DD was a lb less at birth than the estimates thought) and you will be surprised at how much the body can hold unless there is something compromising your uterine integrity. It isn't just uterine stretching that induces labor either... My good friend had her twins by scheduled c-section at 36 weeks as they were afraid her uterus was going to rupture... turns out it did just before the section. If they has scheduled for even the next day she wouldn't have made it. She never went into labor and worked (she is a physician so an active job) until the day before. Her uterus was severely impaired though and this is a rare story. Her twins were 6lbs 14oz each. I wouldn't worry too much about it. Another friend is the son of a twin and his mom and aunt were over 8 lbs each and his grandma is only 5ft and this was her 3rd pregnancy!!! The body is pretty amazing, don't stress too much!

 

I agree with the pp about it being an estimate they can be off a lb eiher way

 

I have a friend who is a twin and both of them weighed almost 8 lbs at birth. At the end of the pregnancy the babies don't gain weight as rapidly as singletons do. They definatly slow down. Here hoping you make it until your DH can be htere.

 

I don't know but a friend of mine posted this to me on facebook the other day...so the answer is a LOT! 10 lb twins in Cincinnati!!!!

My link

 

OMG I would have died

 

Sweet Lord! Only in the Midwest... (says a Michigander).

 

It can hold A LOT. My twins were 14 lbs combined. I was induced due to pre-e at 37 weeks. I gained a total of 90 lbs and most of that was fluid retention. When my water broke with was RIDICULOUS. A serious waterfall that just kept pouring out. The doctor had to shower and they were mopping the floor (so embarassing). My sister's twins were 16lbs combined and she was induced at 36+ weeks due to kidney issues. I have 10+ lb singletons (as did my sister) and carried "overdue".

The uterus is an amazing thing

 

Last year I worked at B North where those kiddos were delivered! My sister is 5' 2" and weighs 100 lbs. She delivered a 12 lb 2 oz baby girl on her due date vaginally. It really depends on your body. A friend of my mom's had all of her kids very early because her uterus just couldn't expand any more. Her kids were singletons and weighed 5 lbs. She was 5 ft 9 in and weighed 150 pre pregnancy.

 

Makes you wonder how Kate gosselin and octomom did it. I only had 11 pounds of twins plus 2 placentas and 2 bags of water. Can you imagine 8 x placentas bags and babies?! Makes me hurt just thinking about it!

And a 12 pound baby vaginally! Omg! Ouch! Why would they let someone (anyone) regardless of size have a 12# baby vaginally?

 

Mine were 8 lbs 2 and 7 lbs 6. Add in two placentas and amniotic fluid and I would guess at least 30 lbs in there! That's about how much I lost right away after my c-section too. And FYI I had no contractions, no preterm labour, nothing. I had a c-section at 38 weeks 2 days because my cervix just would not get ready for delivery So I think it depends on whose uterus you ask!

 

that link is frightening!

I am going to try to stay positive then.....i really don't want to give birth without DH there

 

My sister saw the same group of OBs with all of her kids. Her Ob really thought she could deliver a 12 lb baby vaginally even though she is tiny. We were thrilled her OB let her try (and succeed!) to deliver her 12 lber. She did great and avoided what, for her, would have been an unnecessary surgery. Her 12 lber was her fourth and last child. Her smallest was 10 lbs 11 oz and no gestational diabetes. I weighed 11 lbs 4 oz, my mom weighed over 10.....we just have huge babies!

 

I'm only 5'2" and I went into labor at 37 1/2 weeks. My boys were 6'3" and 7'5" so there was a whole lot of baby in there.