# Was your baby's head their biggest part?



## brightonwoman (Mar 27, 2007)

I've always heard that a baby's head is the biggest part. Both my family and DH's seems to put out big-headed kids, so I was not really surprised when my 7lb1oz baby had a 14.5in head.
Now I'm getting close to delivery on the next one and I have a gut feeling that he's bigger than the last one was--possibly much bigger. That hasn't troubled me at all, because I figure the head won't be much different, and a head that big is more typically seen on a baby of 9+lbs, so I've figured that I have a couple of pounds of leeway before it gets harder to push him out, right?
Then one of my friends told me that most of her kids have had biggish heads, and even bigger chests.






























So I'm wondering, what's the norm? Is it in fact typical that the head is the biggest, or do they just tell us that to lull us into a feeling of security?


----------



## philomom (Sep 12, 2004)

The first baby... the head for sure. With my later baby, he had shoulders that felt like I would rip in two. Good googly moogly!


----------



## Kidzaplenty (Jun 17, 2006)

Most of my children, the head was the largest. But with my 7th, his chest and shoulders were bigger (and he was my 9.5 lb baby).


----------



## erin_brycesmom (Nov 5, 2005)

I voted other because ds's head and chest were both the same size (15 inches).


----------



## Honey693 (May 5, 2008)

I have no idea, but I do know DD's head was in the 25% percentile and looked teeny.


----------



## lunita1 (May 12, 2008)

I don't really know how big their heads or chests measured, but I can tell you that my girls were 7lbs. 11 oz, 7lbs. 14 oz., and 8lbs. 15oz. The hardest to push out, by far, was the second because she was posterior. The 8lbs. 15 oz. baby practically fell out, even with a nuchal hand.

Positioning is ooodles more important than size, but subsequent babies are nearly always going to be easier to push out than the first was.


----------



## etsdtm99 (Jun 19, 2009)

my 1st was 7lbs 2oz with a 14.5 in head - she was not positioned quite right and was horribly hard to push out.. my 2nd was 8lbs 2 oz, i could tell he was bigger too ..his head was 15 in (chest 14), he also came 2 weeks later than my 1st - he was positioned better due to chiropractic care and was easier to push out. I have worried about this some too.. i try to tell myself that #3's head (when the time comes) could not possibly be much bigger than #2s .. and i figure that baby would have to be a lot heavier to have a bigger chest than head..


----------



## EdnaMarie (Sep 9, 2006)

I think the deal is not the head size, but that it's so HARD. The chest can squeeze. But I have never seen a baby with a bigger chest than head.


----------



## mamamoon89 (Aug 28, 2009)

My baby's head was definitely bigger than the rest of her. I don't think I had to push anymore at all after her head was out. She was 8Ib4oz, I don't remember her head circumfrence.
EDIT: Just was looking through some stuff and saw that her head and chest were both 14 inches around.


----------



## Belle (Feb 6, 2005)

Dd1 had a big head. Hers was 14.75". She weighed 8lbs, 2oz and had a nuchal hand to boot. Not sure what her chest size was but she about fell out once her noggin cleared.

Dd2's head was smaller. (13.75") but her body was smaller too. She was 6lbs, 14oz. Pushing was very easy after Dd1 paved the way. She had a double nuchal cord and once her head was out she fell out with the next ctx. Midwife unwrapped her underwater and handed her to me. No idea what her chest size was either, but it was definately smaller than her head.


----------



## Vespertina (Sep 30, 2006)

I'm not sure how big their chest or shoulders were at birth. DD1 was 9 lbs and her head was 13.5 inches. DD2 was 8.9 and her head was 13 inches.

I'm almost certain Henry will have a bigger head.


----------



## gromero (Apr 14, 2008)

My youngest ds had a HUUUUGE head when he was born. He weigned 9lbs 12 oz, and his head measured 16.5 inches. Both his head and shoulders got stuck and I had a 4th degree tear from him. He also had a fracture in his clavical that healed on its own, from when his shoulders were stuck. I don't remember his chest size though, sorry.

My other babies had average sized heads thoguh, thankfully, lol. My youngest still can't wear regular tshirts since I can't fit them over his head, he has to wear ones that have at least a few buttons at the neck to make room for his noggin.


----------



## brightonwoman (Mar 27, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *gromero* 
My youngest still can't wear regular tshirts since I can't fit them over his head, he has to wear ones that have at least a few buttons at the neck to make room for his noggin.

yeah, that's both my boys--gotta have some kind of buttons or else a suuuuper stretchy neck if it's gonna go over their heads.


----------



## XanaduMama (May 19, 2006)

I have no idea, but with both kids I tore (only slightly) when the shoulders passed, not the heads.


----------



## Harmony96 (Jun 3, 2005)

I can't remember DD's exact stats, but after I pushed out her shoulders, that was it and she was born.

DS, however, had a 14.25" head and a 14 7/8" chest. After the shoulders, I expected him to just slide right out like DD did... but nope, I had to actively push all the way past his hips before he just "slid" out, lol.


----------



## mum at home (Apr 4, 2005)

My third was 8lb (not sure if that got measured right though) with a 14.9 inch head (I'm converting from cms so I hope that makes sense - 38cm). My fourth was 10lb 3oz with a 15.5 inch head (39.5cm). She was also a face presentation after four days of labour so we ended up with a caesarean instead of UC. My fifth was 10lb 11oz with a 15.3" head (39cm). With all of my natural births (#2, 3, 5), once I've finally managed to get that head out up to the ears, they just fly out on the same contraction - always catching me and the midwives by surprise!

And my three babies with large heads always had problems with pulling bibs, tshirts etc over their heads. I am really praying that this one will be smaller as I don't know if I can get any bigger ones out!! (Due March 2010).

Martina


----------

