Does birth weight increase with each successive child?

My children decreased. My oldest was 7lbs. 12 ounces, my second was 7 lbs. 4 ounces and my third child was 6 lbs. 5 ounces.

My best friend’s oldest child was almost 10 lbs. She’s awesome and a trooper! It was vaginal. Her second child was below 8 lbs.

Mine got smaller even though I gained more and more weight.

My family and friends support the myth. Each of my children weighed more the last being a 9 pounder. So is true of two of my friends however they only had two children each.

My 1st: 7 lbs 12 oz
My 2nd: 7 lbs 8 oz
My 3rd: 5 lbs 14 oz and I lost 2 pounds during this pregnancy. She also took the longest to deliver, against the usual pattern.

To be fair, each was induced earlier than the last, and I had gestational diabetes with the 3rd.

@augustlan gestational diabetes usually leads to higher birth weight not lower… so you got LUCKY.

@Dr_C Oh, I know… I just followed that damn diet perfectly, and they caught it early. All of my pregnancies were high risk, so I was getting tested for everydamnthing constantly.

Mine got bigger. 7 lb 13 oz, 9 lb 2oz. Interestingly, the later was very light weight through most of her childhood, and even now is underweight for her age.

I’m going to choose to believe my children will do exactly what @jonsblond‘s babies did. Cash wasn’t huge, but I would prefer this one not be much bigger…and that it just slides right out wishful thinking

@casheroo Good luck with that!

My first was 8 lbs 11oz. I hope this one isn’t too much bigger, since I’m planning on squeezing it out of my vagina. Oh my god, I’m scared…

I was only 6 lbs. and my younger sister was 7 lbs. and something.

@ubersiren Sounds like we have the same concerns. I was also under 7lbs, and my brother was 7lbs even. My husband was early, so we can’t really go by his birth weight.

I felt the need to clarify something this morning. When I say children being progressively larger is a myth i meant that there is no such thing as a set pattern in birth weight. Your children may be progressively larger or smaller or a mix. It has nothing to do with sequencing. Nutrition, environment, hormones and many other factor may contribute.. but it is a random thing. It is just as likely for you to have progressively smaller children as much as larger or a alternating.

My son weighed 8 lb. even and my daughter, 26 months later, weighed 7 lb. even. My son popped right out – a total cinch – no drugs, and a great baby. Which is why I thought having a second was a fantastic idea. My daughter didn’t pop right out, I had no drugs again, and by the time she was born if they had said “Congratulations! You had a puppy!” I would have been happy. Phew! Was she ever a pain and colicky for 4½ mos…and 17 years later? Yup :0) But I love her to pieces!!!

Mine were 7 lbs. 12 oz. and the second was 7 lbs. 7 oz. The first was colicky and the second was a breeze.

My mother’s babies got smaller, with me being the largest at 9 lbs 8 oz and my little sister being the smallest (even though two weeks “late”) at 6 lbs 4 oz. However, my friend’s babies got bigger. Her first one was 7 lb something, her second about 8 lbs, and the last was 13 lbs 2 oz (yes, she developed gestational diabetes and yes, it was a difficult birth).

I would say in my very limited experience there doesn’t seem to be a trend. My mother, though, attributed the decreasing size of her babies to her smoking habit.

@Darwin: 9 lbs 8 oz? 13 lbs!? passes out

@ubersiren – You should have seen the photos of the 13-pounder. He was huge.

Mrs C’s mom had gestational diabetes… my lovely lady was born at a “healthy” 13 lbs 24 oz… she’s now 5’7”. I was born weighing just north of 5 lbs and am 6’8”... can you imagine what our kids are going to look like?

The same day my last (5 lbs 14 oz) was born, there was a 13 pound baby born. Seeing them side by side was surreal. Mine was like the size of a sack of flour, and the 13 pounder looked like a 6 month old. Very weird.

@Dr_C For Mrs C’s sake, I hope she doesn’t get GD like her mother.
@augustlan My son was 13lbs at 2 months old, he gained three pounds a month for a few months, but there is such a difference when it comes to newborns and even just a pound in weight!

yes it’s a total myth

in my life the first was 8 lbs 6 oz and the second was 9lbs but I weighed a lot more during the second pregnancy