Percy, this is quite common and very sad, I remember there was an article about it not long ago at the soaring caesarean rates and it made reference to the 'big baby' excuse. One Ob piped up that it was evolution, babies were getting bigger and pelvises weren't catching up *rolls eyes*. Aren't you creating evolution by heading down a future path of extremely high surgical birth?! Bah. And I know LOTS of women who have been told that they have huge babies and ended up with a small bubba, off by several pounds - 9lbers ended up as 6lbers and so on. Not always the case but I see and hear it all the time. Have supported mums who have been told this. You can even see an example in the induction link in my signature, where a midwife was there for an induction of a so called big baby, which almost got admitted to NICU it was that small. Even if the baby is bigger than 'average' it takes big babies and small babies to make an average baby and our bodies are designed to birth these babies. People diagnosed with CPD (cephalo pelvic disproportion or small pelvis) is actually rare, where they have had rickets or a bone injury to their pelvis - I actually know someone who had an injury but was fine.

I believe in the importance of a second opinion and self-education - and the right knowledge will give you confidence. Caesarean is convenient, easy and its exactly as David Vernon commented the other day when someone was told they couldn't birth their baby breech with them (despite baby being in the most favourable position for breech and that the Royal College Ob/Gyns guidelines saying vaginal birth is favourable in this way) - ironic that we pay these people squillions for their 'experience' yet we go to them for something which requires extra skills and they do not have it or refuse it. They should be using these skills so women have choice. We all argue for choice for everything, but the choices people are making now are a result and at the mercy of the information or skills our Obstetrician has and how willing they are to be patient and allow you to have the birth you want. If you had an estimated 4kg baby and your Ob said you could do it, would you believe it? Of course you would, and many women do birth these babies perfectly fine. So lots of issues involved in this - the risk that the Obstetricians learn, those who are our primarly carers in this day and age, has rubbed off on society. Fear of birth is so high, because those who are prodominantly caring for normal, healthy pregnancies are trained in things that go wrong in birth.