Why does size matter?

[Early Kids]

When it comes to the pain factor. Why do people think that a bigger baby is going to hurt more than a smaller baby?

Seriously contractions are contractions and it's going to hurt. And as for the pushing out, sure I'd imagine that a 9lber would be a bit harder than a 6lber, but that doesn't necessarily make it more/less painful!

On many occassions I've been told my labour/birth didn't count on the pain factor because DS was only 3lb 6oz. Not only does this hurt, but it really p***es me off! If anything my body had to work harder, because it had very little to actually push out! And not only that but I still went through 2 weeks of pre-labour and 18+ hours of established labour.

Why does the size of the baby matter? Why is it such a competition to have the biggest baby?

Sorry, I just had to get this off my chest....

[Lisa]

From my experience, it hurt just as badly pushing out my DS1 who was 9lb 7oz as it did pushing out ds2 who was 7lb 10oz. I totally agree that because there is less to push out it certainly would hurt just as much. Poo to the people who tell you it doesn't count. It does! I was in labour with Noah for 3 days and the contractions were just as severe, and the pain was most definitely there, although his birth wasn't as painful as my full term babies.
I don't think size matters at all. I think what is most important is that you know you body is capable of birthing big and small babies

[alioops]

It doesnt hun. I only thing of weight as to how much chub is on the bub when it is born. it makes no difference to the head size, and says nothing about how difficult labour was.

My beautiful neice was smaller than my bubs and took much longer to birth, so I agree that the smaller the bub the harder the labour.

[Willow]

In my experience it doesn't. DS was the bigger of my two (8lb 11oz), his labour was much faster with second stage/pushing totalling 6 mins. With DD it was 2 hours of pushing. He was much easier to birth.

I found his labour much more painful but not because of his size, just because it was so much faster and more intense.

[Inertia]

I have had a 9lb 4oz baby and a 6lb baby.

The labour with the 9lb baby was easier.

Here is even more interesting. My second youngest sibling was 13lb. Mum still says the worst labour was my youngest sibling - 7lb.

Those people need to shut up. Unless they have done exactly what you have, then their opinion is meaningless. All of my labours were different so I don't even try comparing any one of mine to anyone elses. Sad that some people do.

[Early Kids]

Thanks heaps girls.

I know that it doesn't matter what size bub is and I also know you shouldn't compare them.

I think that birth is such a beautiful thing, that we shouldn't be competing with each other, it's not a race to see who can produce the biggest baby.

[Liz]

Yeah its the head size that counts in that last stage LOL. Both mine had the same head size, tho DD was 6 weeks prem so she could have had a monstrous head at full term LOL. But she weighed nearly 2lb's more than DS! Labours were very different so iyts hard to compare, but they felt the same at exit time!

I agree majority of the labouring & pain is the 1st stage, and the cervix dilating has nothing to do with the size of the baby!

[Trillian]

They are seriously talking out of their bum when they say stuff like that. It makes no difference at all - contractions are contractions and they are still going to *feel* the same regardless of bub's size because they have to do the same job each time you birth which is to dilate the uterus and push the baby out. My smallest bub (8lb 8) and my second biggest bub (9lb8.5) had the exact same head circumference and the only reason why the birth of the bigger baby was harder was because it was induced, simple as that. My last and biggest baby was a great birth.

[Mumma2three]

My calmbirth teacher was saying that the head is soft so it is kind of irrelevant when it comes out, as it shapes itself to be birthed! She also said premmie babies are no different to deliver, and thus comparing is not going to work.
I had a bigger baby this time around and I could not tell you the difference, it was all the same.
xo

[Snacks]

Sally, that's as silly a thing to say as when people who have short labours (i.e. say within 3 hours?) have it easy. What a load of BS! Birth is bloody hard work, regardless of the size of your bub, or how quickly it is over.

[Inanna]

Aaah the old "mine was bigger so it hurts more and that makes my badge better" club!!!~

Just let it go in one ear and out the other. I too have experienced varying degrees of size. My largest baby (almost 10lb) was the quickest birth. It was precipitous and it was quite a shock but pain wise - when there is a large ball sitting inside your vaginal entrance it is gonna hurt. It just is. Hurt more or less - really I don't even get why people need to compare. My Lucy's head was born in one push. Her sister nearly 2lbs lighter hurt much more. It's just a waste of energy doing the comparison.

It's how we deal with the pain that should interest us - and how we greet the miracle!

[Visitor8]

I was gonna say that it's not weight its head size anyways! Some people are bloody clueless!

It does count hun. Hugs!

[Inanna]

I don't agree necessarily that the head size makes a huge difference. Birthing a baby hurts. Pushing a ball out of your hoo haa is not designed to tickle. It is painful - the size in my experience of that ball doesn't have an impact on the pain. It is all painful.

Where the Mamas head is I think is the biggest factor - not the baby's head...

When the mother is relaxed into her sacred space, supported and safe this enlarges the pain threshold of that mother.

So it is my belief it's the space of the Mamas head not the size of the Baby's!

[Early Kids]

Thanks for all the replies.

Flowerchild, I'm with you, it's going to hurt no matter what size/shape ect.

[mrsmac]

I heard somewhere that smaller babies are harder to birth cause they aren't as strong and don't "help" as much.
I agree too about the time thing- Riley was 3 hours and was my scariest birth, it was just too fast and painful.

[Liz]

She also said premmie babies are no different to deliver, and thus comparing is not going to work.
xo

I'm allowed to compare - when my prem was MUCH bigger than my full term! :P LOL. But like I said.. they both felt the same on the exit

And yeah, that makes sense about the head being soft.. they've all gotta fit through about a 10cm diameter doorway, and they all manage to!

[Brianna]

My best friend had a premmie baby and he weighed about 4 pounds, then 2 months later I had dd and she was 6pound 15, from the sounds of it we both experienced the same amount of pain, even though my baby was bigger, and I have heard so many women say it's easier to labour and deliver with a bigger baby so go figure, each to their own I guess

[sunshine_sieben]

it's a waste of time and energy to compare labours. it shows how little those people know. there are so many factors apart from the baby's weight and head size. icluding mother's "attitude", surrounding, support, position off mum & bub, personal pain threshhold, pharmaceuticals, other interventions, how much energy mum had at the start of labour, length of labour, intensity of contractions, and many more, the list goes on and on.
I have had a relatively "easy'' natural labour. but it really bugs me when people say that i don't know what i'm talking about when it comes to labour because mine was obviously so easy that i didn't need drugs or intervention. well, maybe i did everything in my power to give myself the best chance? i am the first to admit that yes, i was lucky that things were not too complicated. but i really tried to get off toi a good start. and it did hurt. but i had set up a good support system so it was all manageable.

don't listen to those people. they have no idea.
sasa