Ob insisting on c-sec at 40 wk, mom & baby both perfectly healthy, baby "appears" big, measuring at 10 lbs. c-sec seems very unnecessary! options?

Gamble: Difficult deliveries more frequently result in complications for mom or baby. So its occasionally best to plan an easy c/section instead . Getting a 10 pound baby through the birth canal can be very difficult. The most feared complication is a shoulder dystocia-- the head comes out but the shoulders get stuck--which can result in permanent baby injury or death. Its a gamble docs avoid.

Agree: 10 lb is a large baby. Do you have diabetes? Have you had other babies? 10 lb, or roughly 4.5 kg, is indication to offer a C-section because of the risk of shoulder dystocia, or the shoulder getting stuck. 9 lbs, or 4 kg, is adequate indication for C-section in a diabetic. Ultrasound estimates can be off, so if you want to try labor, you can, but 10 lbs is reason to consider a C-section safer