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I remember a friend of my mum's always saying that as her babies got bigger they almost fall out. not to say that there wouldnt have been any pain but I think she just ment they got quicker as the babies were so heavy she had a 9lb 10lb and her last was 12lb
http://lilypie.com/pic/070926/0nqN.jpghttp://b2.lilypie.com/sqNQp10/.png
But babies heads are made up of 4 movable bones which move and mould into shape even in big babies. Much has to do with the labour. Sometimes baby's position can be a problem if the head is deflexed or something but this is not that common... birth is designed to work for the survival of our species and we've done pretty well so far! There truly aren't as many obstacles as your doctors would have you believe. Just need to keep active and get off the bed and avoid drugs or inductions.
Small Pelvis? Here's The Truth About Cephalopelvic Disproportion (CPD)
Totally agree...:
And Kelly... too true!
Oh and I forgot - get a doula too LOL :cryinglaugh:
My DD#1 I tore from one end to the other, and the only reason I tore was because I pushed her very quickly. I was young and no-one told me to stop pushing to help ease her out. I remember the look on the dr's face cause she came flying out! I wish now that the midwives and dr had've told me to stop pushing!!
I must also add, my smallest was the worst birth yet! And she was #4.
Tanya
Christy - I was told the same thing and was booked in for a c/s. I requested to be induced first and see how it all goes then if needed I would have a c/s. I had the most wonderful birth and only 2 hours of 'active labour' and gave birth naturally. Kenzie was born 8lb10oz and had a 36cm head. I had no stitches and left the hospital the next day at 10.30am. I give credit to my midwife who was wonderful ... she was with me the entiree time and guided me through the pushing .. I had 1 shot of pethadine about 10 mins before she was born (I begged heheh)
So yeah I believe that perhaps it had the to with how the doctors/midwife/doula manage your labour and also physically how the woman is built.
i was 9lbs 8 and my brother before me was 10lbs 2oz. my mother did all her births without more than a bit of gas and mostly on her back.
of course it can be done. we just don't beg for it for the first one. :pray: for 7lb
interesting convo, i had my 1st @ 20yrs & had 2nd degree tears:cry: and a whole lot of grazing had an active labour of 9hours but 1hr 45min pushing and my dd finally popped out with a 37cm head & i thought how did that come out of there!!! hehehe she weighed 7lb 14oz all done with no drugs/gas Very proud of myself:D
I havaen't time to read through all the posts (buat I will at some stage!)
I believe that our bodies grow babies that fit our bodies... In the absence of illness our bodies will grow the perfect baby for us.
I have birthed an almost 10lb baby and my smallest was 6 1/2lbs. I can honestly say that it hurt no more or less. I have been at births where the baby was 11lbs. That Mama was tiny teeny - but that baby was perfectly sized for her. He was big and it was a short labour.
We have a fear of big babies - I think it is perpetuated by the obsession we have with how "big is your bump"...stories. Our woman b odies are amazing. We can open up so wonderfully with loving support from others and trust in our bodies.
I don't really think of a 10lb baby as a "BIG" baby. Sure its big but not undoable big. I haven't had a baby over 8lb 4oz yet but the idea of a 10lb baby dosen't bother me one bit.
Someone earlier said the size of the head is what counts. That is so true I reakon, My biggest baby had the smallest head by 3.5cm. Even my smallest baby at 7lb 8oz had a bigger head then my biggest baby.
But again as it was also said in a earlier post its all about the how we birth not the size of the baby.
As odd as it may sound, I would love to experience a larger baby birth.
eta - I haven't had anything more then some light grazes with each of my births & only my first had Gas for the transition stage of labour. The rest have all been drug free (including a posterior birth). Oh my biggest baby was also my shortest labour. First two births where 9 & 14 hour active labours & my third (biggest) was only 45 minutes to an hour depending on who's records you go off.
I agree 100% that it's the way the birth is managed that counts the most when giving birth regardless of the size of the baby. I must say that this time round I was very impressed with the way things went and how my Dr and Midwife handled things.
Fear can do alot of damage in anything but especially birth!
I love reading and being involved in threads such as this one. It does so much to highlight the great differences and the great similarities we as women face with birth!
You did a wonderful job with your birth Shannon. For me I find the contracting part of labour (first stage) to be far far easier than the pushing (second)! For those of you who have read "The REd Tent" where she speaks of death being in the corner of the room - for me that's what the transition before second stage is. It's kind a like jumping off that cliff and trusting that I will be caught. I find it a challenge - yet the first stage I find much easier. My first labour I pushed for almost 3 hours but with my subsequent births it was only 1 or two pushes until I birthed my babies. My almost 10lb baby was no more painful than my teeny 6lbs + baby (for me).
I love hearing all of the differing experiences and feelings that we as women experience in birthing. Thankyou! :hug:
Isn't it interesting how we all cope so differently! And how each baby's birth is so different! I can't wait to do it again, and see what the next one will be like.
I really enjoyed the first stage of labour, yes it hurt, but geez it's good hurt! What a wonderful exprience it was, I've never felt better about myself, or more in tune with myself, I had such control. I don't really remember going through transition. The second stage wasn't terrible, but it did hurt more than the first. But that was because Nicholas was posterior, I'm sure. Most of the pain was in my back. But I loved the second stage because that was when I birthed my baby and got to meet him!
Hi there.
why is it that everyone that had a big baby had no trouble
was i just the only one or was it cause my baby was too big
Depends on the birth and the position of the baby amongst other things. Also if you have pain relief... I read that posterior babies were more common where epidurals were used. I am sure you are not the only one... lots of people out there are having bad experiences, sadly... and none at the fault of their own body or the baby - but the birth environment and situation.
thanks girls, thats all so interesting hearing all your stories. I am no longer worried or concerned at any stage if we have a "big" (so to speak) baby....
So if your belly is bigger than someone elses belly it doesnt mean you are going to have a bigger baby or more pain or have to push harder etc? is that right? just confirming what i read! :)
yeah the size of your belly or the way you are carring it isn't a fact of what your baby will be. I was tiny with my first & had an average size baby.
Awww Jessabel,
Many women who have babies have some difficulty - not only if they are big babies...
As Kelly said the position the mother is in, the interventions applied, the support and care given to the woman are all factors in birth outcome. We have a lot of fear in our society over size of babies. U/S often unsuccessfully measures a babies size and women are told "mmm this baby is big" with furrowed brow and worried expression. (very often this prediction is wrong!) This straight away puts fear into a woman and fear works against our bodies... Also, many care providers are afraid and this is transfered to the birthing Mama too...
I dont' want to lay blame because blame doesn't help us. But knowing these facts can help women birth their babies more gently (I believe).
So, don't feel alone - many women have a tough time but I think the object of this discussion is to highlight that a large baby doesn't necessarily equate with a difficult birth. Of course sometimes it does but it is my belief that there are sometimes other factors at play... :hug:
I'd recommend to anyone worried about big babies and their pelvis to get the pink kit below because the feedback I often hear is that because they have learnt the skills and about how their pelvis works (and how they can help their pelvis) they are no longer frightened of big babies, posterior babies etc. They are excited about birth and confident as they have skills and tools to work with whatever situation arises.
The Pink Kit - Learn Birth Skills In Your Own Home
Have a look... and don't be afraid of birth... it's designed to work, you just have to work with it. Even small babies get shoulder dystocia, just ask Lucy! Her next, bigger baby didn't.
What a great thread.
I too believe that It is not the size of the baby but how a woman feels about her body that makes a vaginal birth possible. Yes sometimes a baby is in the wrong position but more often it is the ob's wish for a c-sect that makes it happen.
Jessabell, my two biggest babies were my hardest births - the third one because I was induced and she was posterior and the fourth one because he was so much bigger again and also posterior. I tried everything to get Alister to turn before the birth but he just wouldn't so I had to work with what I had. I think I did a pretty good job to birth him vaginally and at no time did my midwife or my Dr suggest that I needed a c/s - they worked with me while I was pushing and together we all did a good job to get him out even though the cord was around his neck and he had shoulder dystocia. It really does make a difference if you have a great team around you while you birth regardless of the possible size of the baby.
Olivia (only 7lb2oz) got very stuck with shoulder distocia. I had a great OB who managed to manouvre her out without any broken bones, and I managed to give birth to her vaginally and drug free.:
Even small babies get shoulder dystocia, just ask Lucy!
In hindsight I think the postiion I was in was the problem....reclining on a bed. She was my first, and I maybe didn;t have the confidence in my body which I do now? That, for me, is the trick. I know what my body is capable of. I know it is designed to give birth regardless of size, so I have been able to be confident, IYKWIM?
Charlie and Lexie were both bigger and born fast with no distocia issues at all....they were easier and faster births......again, vaginal and drug free. I gave birth to both Charlie and Lexie in a standing up position.......which helped me no end. I felt totally in control.
(Charlie was predicted to he a huge 13lber BTW.........not so, LOL!)
Bodhi was a 9.5lb baby(not quite 10 i know). He was due to be induced 4 days after he was born, so i reakon he would of come pretty close to 10lb. I delivered his naturally, no drugs......i was prettty pleased with myself as i dont handle pain very well & i was pretty freaked out. I had no trouble with it. I got to the hospital at 4:30pm he was born at 6:31pm. Nice & quick.
It really is amazing what our bodies can do:D
My aunt had 2 10lb boys with big heads, both 16+ hour labors, all with gas. The last was 9lb lol she said he was easy.
My bub was just over 9lb and she came out rather easily. I only had two 1st degree tears and those were due, i think, to the position i gave birth in (semi-recline) and me pushing her out too fast.
I have had 2 9lb'ers, not 10lb i know but still big. Both were completely different births though. DD was 9lb 5oz and was born with shoulder dystocia which i am guessing was due to the fact she was born with vacuum extraction. Because i birthed DS who was 9lb with no problems at all and i birthed both of them on my back on the bed. DD took 2hrs of pushing and DS only 33mins of pushing and after his head was born he shot out in one go. I also had an epidural with DS and not with DD plus he was born posterior and he was still easier to push out. So for me it was more to do with the better care and support i had the second time around.
I was also told by a midwife that bigger babies seem to have a more effective labour because the uterus has something more to push out where as with a smaller baby it has to work harder to push it out, IYKWIM.
my midwife also told me this. but all in all, every birth is different and it all depends on the position of the baby, ect. I don't think size really has much to do with the labour. My bubs was WAY OFF 10pound :D hehe! He was 3lb 4oz. And he still friggen hurt!! lol. I was in labour for just over two weeks. I entered stage one when my waters broke on the 10th feb 07 and the drs kept me on drugs to stop the labour after 48hrs they let me go and I had many many trips into the labour ward to find out that I was only a cm or two.:
I was also told by a midwife that bigger babies seem to have a more effective labour because the uterus has something more to push out where as with a smaller baby it has to work harder to push it out, IYKWIM.
But anyway I'm here about my mum.... My lil bro was born weighing in at 10lb 10oz!!! Due to an incompenant dr there were many complications. After giving birth Vaginally to my brother, she was no longer able to have any more children, if she could even concieve anymore. It was the dr's first delivery, and he didn't "catch" my bro just let him kinda "fall out" which resulted in major tearing of both the cervix and through into the anal passage. The actual labour though was quite short and she had said that I was the hardest (I was the smallest and the first at 6lb 5oz) My other bro, mum's 2nd, was the BEST birth ever.... mum didnt feel right so she went to the hospital upon checking her she was already 10 cm dialated (had no contractions at all) the dr was called and when the dr walked through the door mums waters broke and Alan was born all within approx 15 mins. He was 7lb ??oz. My point being that all births are different and none are any "harder" than the other. It all depends on the position of the baby.
Thanks :)
my baby was 10pnds3 and i had him vaginally. hurt like hell though :)
My sister and brother were both 10lb 4oz, and both delivered vaginally. I'm not sure, but I think my mum didn't have any pain relief. She had pethadine with me (I was first), and I came out a bit stoned, so she avoided it with the 2nd and 3rd.
Did anyone suffer urine incontinence after birthing their big babies? I did after birthing my 9pound 12 ounce son I couldn't feel the need to go to do wee's was very embarrassing. He had a 37cm head so I dont know if that could have caused it.
Even after birthing my big bubby I am still scared of birthing a big or bigger baby. It is an annoying mentality to have, I know it is how effective a birth is.
I do get a bit envious though seeing newborns down the street and how tiny they are with their cute tiny little heads, when I know that my baby was that size at 34 or 35 weeks in utero and that by birth he would be double. Not fair!!!
I haven't had any problems with incontinence at all. My last baby had a 37cm head too which was a surprise LOL - the other three were 34.8 and 2 at 34cm. My smallest baby was only 8lb 8 so anything smaller to me is just tiny LOL.
i had forgotten i was subscribed to this thread. there i was a few pages back praying for 7lbs.
the treachery was that i measured the same as my belly buddies i.e fundal height so no one tipped me off that i had gigantor growing in there. i honestly had no idea i had a huge baby...
so no drugs and a birth centre labour later, we couldn't do the last centimetre because the little guy had turned lateral on me. i guzzled a canister of gas because the cx were so fast and so bad for no action that i was losing my mind.
no amount of pool-floating or rocking was going to change the fact that a 37cm head was bashing sideways on one tiny bit of cervix. too sore to push back so we went the em c/s route.
i absolutely do not regret that decision on little bit. mr big was 10lb 8oz and the biggest baby the birth centre at the GC had had to date.
even the middies thought i made the right decision.
i was geared up for the big natural hoo ha birth but it just didn't happen and i'm very, very glad.
as for further babies... na-uh. not for me. horrific labours are not my cup of tea.
Renstar, I am trying to remember a few things you mentioned throughout this thread. One was about wondering if you can refuse something by a doctor - you can refuse anything. Even from big scary people in white coats ;). Your body is your body, you don't have to agree to any interventions, including vaginal examinations, none of it. I am homebirthing, which is always an option if you are easily bullied (I am).
As Kelly is saying, both babies and pelvises are designed to move, to shape, to fit. So pelvimetry is a waste of time, it shows nothing about what actually will occur during the pushing phase. Hence why 13 pounders can slide right on out. The important thing is positioning of the mama during labour, and the Pink Kit is invaluable for learning about that. They point out things like what it takes to move a stuck baby by saying 'push your thumb and forefinger together tightly so that when you move them, they are stuck together, now release a tiny amount, just enough that the skin slides - that is all the room you need to make in some circumstances." or words to that effect. If there is a bad possie in baby or mama, then it may take more time which can make or break a woman's resolve.
You also asked about bigger bellies. In first babies, comparison to other mamas showing your belly as bigger can be a good thing. Big belly often means anterior positioning (baby laying with back along mama's belly) which is preferable for birth. Posterior baby's often show a smaller belly because the front is full of arms and legs, not a big curving back. I have what DH calls a "torpedo belly" this time, because this baby is anterior, DD was posterior, I got away with a nice tidy little belly back then. That's one reason for belly size difference, there are many others but it is rarely baby's size, they are really hard to pick in utero because amniotic fluid differences, etc. A small belly can kick out a 12 pounder and vice versa. For instance, Viv, the previous poster, had what I thought was an average belly and she had a ten and a half pounder in there.
Oh, I see Kelly linked the pink kit - get it get it get it!
I was unable to birth my first baby, who was 10lb2oz and had a 39cm head. After being induced via having waters broken and drip put up, I had a 15 hour labour with failure to progress, then an emerg c/s. After the c/s the dr told me that my uterus had thinned and was close to rupturing- due to obstruction of labour and a baby that was not going to fit through my pelvis. So in my case- the baby was too big to fit, but i do know of others who have birthed large babies.
I have a cousin who vaginally birthed a 12pd 11 baby..No word of a lie
Certainly dont disbelieve you Coco. My mum SVB my 'little' brother who was 12ish lbs - didnt even tear!
Ironically, he is still just a big kid. haha. He got beaten for the biggest baby record at the hospy by a 13 pounder. Not sure if that one was VB though.
nah, my mums 4th (which was a VBAC she went into labour about 1am-ish according to her and had my bro close to 5ish in the morning. Drug free, she had no time. She got to the hospital about 45 minutes before he was born... so there we go lol
(which means there is hope for me as her labour with me was close to 40 hours)
Oh yeah and he was 10ish pounds. Too early to remember specifics but yeah he was her biggest. A drug-free VBAC. And her shortest labour.