Fractured Rib and Pushing Babe Out X Posted in Homebirth

[dubfam]

I also posted this in the Homebirth Forum...

So I just found out that my baby has actually Fractured my Rib!!
Needless to say I am in a lot of pain.
My Chiro said that it probably wont heal until after the birth since the baby is the reason for the injury. (My EDD is 12/5)

The pain gets worse if I am trying to push out a #2 and I am really worried that I am going to have trouble pushing the baby out!

Has anyone else experienced this or heard of a woman giving birth (vaginally at home) with a broken or fractured rib?

[courtenay_e]

Had seriously bruised and dislocated ribs with ds. I'd wait till the baby is very low--just relax as much as you can to let your body do it's work to move the baby down without extra help...I hypnobirthed and really didn't push him at all, but did what "we" call "breathing the baby down"...I was so in tune with what my body was doing, he moved down the birth canal with no major extra work from me "pushing." Made life a TON easier! He crowned before I even knew he was there! Don't know if that's at all helpful in your case, but it worked for me!

[dubfam]

Thank you so much for posting!!

I was thinking about trying to relax and let my body do the work.

It really really helps to hear that another mama was able to do this successfully!!

I feel better already...

[bri276]

I didn't realize it until just recently but DD dislocated my rib also. Everyone warned me about back pain in the 3rd trimester, but my ribs hurt so much I never noticed my back! It was a burning, constant, irritating pain, and the flesh over that area became almost completely numb. It didn't hurt any more while pushing, probably because at that point, the baby is further down and if anything there's less pressure on that spot.

To this day, if I sit up too quickly in the wrong way, my rib pops out of place and it takes a couple minutes to go back in. At first I thought it was a hernia, but over time I would keep my hand on it when it happened, and the last time I felt this "pop" and I realized what it meant. and I had a small (6lbs 11 oz) baby! how the heck does that happen?

good luck!

[courtenay_e]

Would you consider seeing a chiropractor about your ribs now that you're post partum? THey can usually put them back where they belong, and can help to KEEP them where they belong, as well.

[bri276]

Me? I don't believe in chiro, but thank you for your concern. it's a very rare occurence that I feel it happen so I'm not worried about it, just weirdness once every few months

[redhotmama]

Not being snarky, just wondering...what does it mean that you don't believe in chiro? Are there differing schools of thought regarding chiro? Sorry to be ignorant, and I am very curious

[bri276]

I don't really have a school of thought, but I did research and decided it wasn't for me. I really don't want to offend anyone who likes it for themselves- what anyone else does is their business! I just personally would never do it after what I've learned, but someone else might learn the same things and still want to. Just one of those things.