Tall and narrow - vaginal birth?

1153 Views 29 Replies 24 Participants Last post by velcromom, Apr 21, 2006

dlm194

Discussion Starter · Mar 27, 2006

2

Looking for stories here!

My mom called me today b/c her friend's DIL is 37 weeks pg and is really excited about nursing. She was looking at pumps, etc and had some questions. I would up talking to my mom's friend to give her some advice on what I did. That's the good news.

Anyway, mom's friend's DIL has been on bedrest for 10 weeks with an incompetent cervix. She's been 3 cm dilated and 90% effaced for weeks. However, since she hit 37 weeks, they will let her go any time now.

The problem: if baby doesn't come on it's own, doctor wants to induce withing a week or 2. He doesn't want the baby to get too big. This woman (DIL) is 5'8" and wears a size 2!!!! My mom and her friend are nurses and I was trying to tell them that women seldom grow babies they can't birth but mom's friend and her DIL are pretty much preparing for a c-s.

I'm no help since I'm also 5'8" but I wear a couple sizes larger and the midwife told me that my pelvis was too small. My mom was there at the time so she goes along with that info (even though I don't!

)

My 5'4" friend birthed a 10 lb 2 oz baby!

Any other stories of narrow women birthing their babies? After all this woman has been through, I hate to think of her being cut (and I think those suggestions from obs, psychologically lead some women to c-s).

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indie

· #2 · Mar 27, 2006

I am 5'5" and was a size 1 when I got pregnant with my first. Even though I was lying flat on my back it was EASY to push her out in less the half an hour. She was 8lbs 10 oz. I pushed for only 5 minutes with my second who was 8lb 8oz.

My mom asked me a million times when I was pregnant with my first if the doctor had said anything about me being "too little down there". Luckily I didn't have that kind of doctor and it never occured to me to doubt my ability to birth normally.

momto l&a

· #3 · Mar 28, 2006

2

I am 5' 8 and 110lbs

I wear a size 5 in most jeans.

Dr told me I was too small

I have birthed 3 babies at home, all where easy, the last 2 about fell out.

Dr's

:

My babies where 7.5, 8 and 8.5 lbs respectivly.

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Lovinmy2babies+1

· #4 · Mar 28, 2006

I'm 5'10" and a size 2 currently. However, when I got pregnant with my daughter, I was a size 14. I don't think size really matters except the space BETWEEN your pelvic bones. I've heard of large women having small pelvises and small women having large pelvises. My A&P instructor told us that there's no way to tell.

etoilech

· #5 · Mar 28, 2006

3

I am normally 5'2" and a size zero (so I'm not tall, but pretty small

)... I pushed out my son who was premature and my daughter who was born about a week and a half ago. My daughter was 8 pounds 4 ounces.

Phooey on people who say tiny people can't deliver vaginally.

:

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Lisoula

· #6 · Mar 28, 2006

I'm 5'7" and my pre-pregnancy weight was alway around 102 lbs....and I delivered two babies vaginally. I pushed 3 times with DS#2 and only once with DD!!! Size means nothing!

Babytime

· #7 · Mar 28, 2006

I agree that size means very little. I'm 5'5" and a 0 or a 2 depending on style/brand. My first daughter was 7 lbs 12 oz and no problem to push out. My second daughter was 8 lbs 9 oz and we did have some issues with her delivery, but I was able to successfully have a vaginal birth with her also. Our bodies are made to expand for child birth.

NYCVeg

· #8 · Mar 28, 2006

In pregnancy, your body produces a hormone called relaxin to soften your joints. It allows your pelvis to open in labor to accomodate your baby. The size of your pelvis BEFORE you go into labor is not the size of your pelvis WHILE you're in labor. Check out the other thread in this forum on CPD--very, very few women cannot deliver their babies vaginally due to pelvis size (and the women that can't typically have had problems like childhood rickets or severe scoliosis).

My Bradley instructor is around 5'8", probably no more than 110 pounds sopping wet. She's given birth to three babies at home, one with shoulder dystocia and one that was posterior.

Guest*

· #9 · Mar 28, 2006

Not me, but my aunt...

She's 5'3 and had 11#, 12# and 14# babies vaginally.

tinyshoes

· #10 · Mar 28, 2006

2

Quote:

Originally Posted by NYCVeg
The size of your pelvis BEFORE you go into labor is not the size of your pelvis WHILE you're in labor.

ALSO want to re-iterate the INSIDE of the pelvis measurement is the key, NOT the size of your butt (aka hip measurement!)

My mws did some Old Skool pelvic measurements (okay everybody, turn to page 278 of Ina Mae Gaskin's Spiritual Midwifery) and felt that I was ample at 37 weeks. And indeed, toss in some labor hormones, and the pelvis is a forgiving, shape-shifting, yet form-fitting baby expeller.

The other key is WHAT is baby's head DOING. Come on....we have all tried to squeeze into a tight pair of jeans...sometimes you need to squirm and pull and such to get them on.

Your mom's friend's DIL is ALIVE today and pregnant and contemplating her own possible c-sec all because her mom, and her grandma, and her great-grandmother, ALL HAD ample pelvis-es.

Maybe in 4 or 5 c-sectioned generations, come and talk to me about whose pelvis is too small all of a sudden. But not today, not in 2006, not even in this silly foolish "WHOAH!!!!! it won't fit" culture.

Didn't these OBs play with the Tupperware shape-sorter as kids? Like, the STAR shape will fit the star hole, but you can't just ram it in there with Pitocin because you feel like it....the star might have to turn a bit to the left or the right before it'll fit in the hole.

P.S. I was 5'7" 115 lbs pre-pregnancy size 2...also had no boobs and breastfeed with a copious milk supply (since that's bound to come up next for your mom's friend's DIL.)

P.P.S. my ds was 8 lbs 8 oz, which, as we all know, is concidered "big" nowadays, when 7 lb babies are called "big"

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Peony

· #11 · Mar 28, 2006

I'm 5'5 and my normal weight is 98 lbs, I wear a size 0. DD fit just fine.

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MomToKandE

· #12 · Mar 28, 2006

My mom is 5'11" and was about a size 4 when she got pg with me. I was her small baby at 8 lb, 9 oz. She went on to have 3 more babies, one at 9 lbs and two over 10 lbs and breech! All vaginal deliveries with no issues.

I'm tall but I don't have her narrow build. I'm 5'11" and pre-baby wore a size 8. Even though I'm a bigger build than she is I had smaller babies though, one 7 lb and one 8 lb 1 oz.

dlm194

Discussion Starter · #13 · Mar 28, 2006

3

It makes me so mad that this poor woman (the DIL) feels that she has to prepare for a c-section b/c her ob is scaring her about "big" baby. I think she has been through so much with this pg that she is scared and has the "as long as the baby is healthy" mindset. Unfortunately, my mom and her friend are NURSES! So doctors and nurses are agreeing that a c-s may be the way to go.....

I actually told my mom's friend that the "big" baby, small pelvis thing is usually BS. Considering I was talking cerclage with her, I hope she took me seriously (how many people randomly know what a cerclage is?).

The only good thing is that it sounds like this baby is itching to come out and they've been frantically trying to keep it in until now. Hopefully she will go into labor on her own and it will be a nice birth.

Of course it will also be good for me should this woman have a nice vaginal birth....

I know that my mom believes my midwife (who told me my pelvis was too small) so maybe it would convince my mom that it's a good idea to try for a vbac (my mother is not against my going for a vbac but she really believed the midwife and ob I had).

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NYCVeg

· #14 · Mar 28, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by tinyshoes
Didn't these OBs play with the Tupperware shape-sorter as kids? Like, the STAR shape will fit the star hole, but you can't just ram it in there with Pitocin because you feel like it....

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sapphire_chan

· #15 · Mar 28, 2006

If small hips were a barrier to childbirth there are entire cultures that would have died out before c-sections were even a choice.

katerkat

· #16 · Mar 28, 2006

I'm trying to remember if Cathy was at my baby shower - do you remember a girl who looked like she could be my sister, though shorter? I think she didn't go and that's the only time you might have met her, but... I do have a point here!

Cathy is probably 5'5", MAYBE 115 pounds. She is TINY and has a great little figure. She gave birth, vaginally, to TWO 10 pound boys with ginormous heads. Her first son has never once been on the charts for head, weight or height. These boys are MASSIVE - the second one must have been twice as big as Russ at their first birthdays. (Their dad was a linebacker. And not that it's hard to be twice as big as Russ.)

clavicula

· #17 · Mar 28, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lovinmy2babies+1
I don't think size really matters except the space BETWEEN your pelvic bones. I've heard of large women having small pelvises and small women having large pelvises. My A&P instructor told us that there's no way to tell.

yeah that! btw, i am 5'5 and was 104 lbs when i got pg, was no problem w/ vaginal birth!

Marlet

· #18 · Mar 28, 2006

I'm 5'5 and at the time of birth was in a size 5 jeans. I pushed DD out in 3 pushes. There was no stoppin' her from coming out!

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DreamsInDigital

· #19 · Mar 28, 2006

I'm 4'10" and used to be a size 2 back in the day. I pushed out a 10 lb. 2 oz. baby in 15 minutes. I hate this scare tactic nonsense that doctors use now regarding supposed big babies.

Lisoula

· #20 · Mar 28, 2006

2

Quote:

Didn't these OBs play with the Tupperware shape-sorter as kids? Like, the STAR shape will fit the star hole, but you can't just ram it in there with Pitocin because you feel like it....the star might have to turn a bit to the left or the right before it'll fit in the hole.

That is sooooo funny!!!!

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