Gestational Diabetes

• Pregnancy-induced diabetes is a well-recognized risk factor for having a baby that is large, as the high sugar levels in the mother's blood stimulate the baby's growth.
  
  

Maternal Weight Gain

• Moms who gain more than the recommended amount of weight during pregnancy are more likely to have larger babies.
  
  

Pre-existing Maternal Obesity

• Mothers carrying excess body weight before conception are also more likely to have babies with accelerated fetal growth.
  
  

Prior Pregnancies

• The greater number of pregnancies a mother has had, the greater are her odds of having a larger baby.
  
  

Genetic Factors

• Sometimes babies who are larger are that way simply because of genetics, and it does not mean anything is wrong. This is supported by the fact that women with a history of having larger babies are more likely to have larger babies in future pregnancies.