my cascade of intervention

well.. i had my last ob appointment today and apparantly bub is still very high up... he booked me in for a induction on wednesday 5th dec and if bub still hasn't engaged by then.. then its looking like a c/s..

he said one of the reasons he may not have engaged yet is because his head may be too big to fit through my pelvis... has anyone else been told this but still delivered vaginally..

I hate not knowing what will happen :(

I honestly don't care how he is born, as long as he is ok.. but i wish i knew how he would be born so that i can be better prepared... iykwim.

any advice??

Hey sirenz

often with a first pregnancy the baby engages head down in the pelvis in preparation for labor

sometimes if a baby does not engage for a first time mummy it can mean that your baby has a big head and it may be a tight fit...but it can also mean that you have a roomy pelvis and he can pop in and out like a jack-in-the-box

an induction with a high head is not recommended as it gives way for the risk of cord prolapse

many women still give birth vaginally and beautifully with a bubba who is not entirely engaged in the pelvis...there is no reason to induce you earlier than necessary unless either you or the baby are not well

your baby will engage when he is ready ;) sometimes its the waiting that is the worst :) focus on relaxing and talk him into your pelvis

goodluck lovely
xx yogababy

If bubs is still high it could be a positional problem too and not that his head is too big. Often babies that aren't in the best position for birth don't engage or don't engage fully. It could be that your baby wont engage until labour starts. You could try some optimal positioning techniques from the spinning babies website www.spinningbabies.com to see if that makes a difference.

failing that it is possible to vaginally birth a baby with a large head (I'd like to know what consititutes a 'large head' - is it 35cm, 37 or even 40cm?) Babies skulls are designed to be birthed vaginally and the plates of the skull will mould themselves to fit through the pelvis and birth canal (don't you just love that term LOL) - hence why some babies look a little worse for wear.

ETA - if baby is still high on the 5th, would you be happy to wait another day or so and have monitoring or an u/s to check placental function to avoid a c/s? That is another option you have available to you

Good luck and I hope that the wee one decides to come soon for you.

Hi Sirenz,

I don't have any advice but I wanted to let you know that my gf had a similar problem, except she was told bubs was big and probably too big for her to deliver vagnially. Her OBS agreed to let her try for a vaginal delivery (sounds like she needed hsi permission, huh?!) but it did end up a c-section. Could that be an option for you - give it a go and if it doesn't proceed well then c-section?
I believe her having a c-section was increased by induction, epidural and bubs was slightly posterior. She was born 9 pound and my gf is tiny but also has hip and back problems.

thanks for your advice ladies...

I have thought about letting it go a couple of days and getting the monitoring.. but then i think i don't want to risk anything just to have the birth i want.. so i don't know really..

My baby has been in the same position for at least 8 weeks now and i really don't feel that he is going to budge at all..

I was only a size 8 before i fell pregnant.. but have put on alot of weight.. but having said that, my bone structure and size would still be a size 8.. but the weight gain is fat and water retention :( my belly is absolutely HUGE.. and its hard to move around so i'm guessing he is a very big baby.. which does scare me a bit too.. (if all that makes any sense at all)

I really don't want to have to go through labour and then have it turn into a emergency c/s because he is just too big to fit.. and i certainly don't want to risk any harm to my son (shoulder distosia (sp?) etc) by trying to birth him naturally..

I just wish i knew what was going to happen.. and then i could relax and accept it and get on with what i have to do to make sure my son arrives safely..

ever since i found out i was pg.. i just knew he would be born via c/s and that feeling is still with me.. so maybe i might be right after all... either way as long as he is ok.. thats all that matters to me.

Big Baby? Then You Must Read This Article...

Small Pelvis? Here's The Truth About Cephalopelvic Disproportion (CPD)

Bigger babies are no more likely to get sholder dystocia than small babies - I know small babies who've had it - it's a positional thing. Evolution has worked well for the human species; birth isn't a minefield - babies were designed to be born with ease...

Hey sirenz

you must do what feels right for you...and I strongly believe in going with your intuitive feeling :)

you have done a wonderful job growing your little man...and no matter how he is born it will still be a beautiful and special moment for you and your partner

remember hun birth is just one part of the process...:)

you will do a great job mummy to be

xx yogababy