Big baby but small pelvis

Hi everyone!

I'm 38 weeks with my first and have been told that this is a "huge" baby (Ob's exact description!) At my 31 week scan, it was estimated that bub was almost 6 pounds. Last night I had an internal exam to see how my cervix was going and how big my pelvis was because my Ob was considering inducing me. My cervix opening is off to the side and my pelvis is "smallish". I know that there is no really accurate way to determine the size of baby, but let's assume that all of this info is right!!!!

So I have two questions really --

Is there any way to encourage my cervix to move into the appropriate position?

Has anyone had a natural birth that has been a large baby with mum having a small pelvis? I'm up for as much information as anyone has!!

Thanks all,

not sure about the cervix. But i have always been told... you body will not make you birth a baby u cant handle. So if you have a 12 pounder, obviously your body knows you can do it. I know i had a scan at 32 weeks and DD was 4.5 pounds. So by looking at that... u could say your bub MIGHT be 9-9.5 pound. Which really, isnt that big.

My advice to you is.. let your body decide. If in labour and bub is having abit of trouble then look at your options. Being induced isnt much fun at all and 80% of the time they end in c/sections anyway.

Also... stay away from google!!!!!!

Think of your pelvis as a gate. The purpose of the hormone Relaxin is to make your pelvis open right up during birth to let the baby through, that's why there is a gap at the front of it. If you lay down you should be able to feel a slight indent in your pelvis and that's what opens up. You cannot assume before you go into labour that you cannot vaginally birth your baby just by looking at you. Very few women truly have CPD (where the pelvis is genuinely too small or of an odd shape that is not favourable for birth). There is a thread on here with a link to a site where some really tiny women give birth to average size babies vaginally - there is a lot of graphic photos, but well worth having a look to put it into perspective for you. I will find te link and post it here for you.

My own Mum is a tiny woman with very small hips, but she was able to vaginally birth all of her babies and all but one of us was well over 4kg, with the biggest being 5kg (the smallest bub was nearly 8.5pds, but he was prem) and to look at her you would never have thought she'd have gotten babies as big as us out, but she did.

https://www.bellybelly.com.au/birth/...nown-and-loved
https://www.bellybelly.com.au/birth/...s-big-baby-cpd
https://www.bellybelly.com.au/birth/...bowel-movement

Here it is https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...es-nudity.html

Just from my own experience, I would think that staying away from an epidural is pretty important, simply because of the terrible birthing position you need to be in once you have an epi. I have a small pelvis and had a big baby (9.5 pounds), and had an epi. My baby then got stuck coming out and I believe that the "lying on your back with feet in stirrups" posi had a great deal to do with this. I had to have the vaccum and an episiotomy and still tore lots with him coming out. It made for a difficult recovery, but I'm fine now.

Not that I blame myself, but I really think if I had stuck it out and not had the epi and been able to be in a better birthing position and able to feel my pushing, I probably could have got him out without so much damage to myself. Its extraordinary what our bodies can do! I have heard legions of stories of petite women getting out whopper babies with minimal damage. You can do it! :D

Thanks for the links and advice. I love this site and the forums, makes me feel as though I'm not flying blind!

Great advice so far, not much to add - just my experience. I have always been quite small, I've had several dr's comment that they are suprised I have birthed all my children naturally. My oldest daughter was born premature and was 3lb 12, my second was born at 38 weeks and was 6lb 9. When it came to my third, I was getting a bit concerned, ob. then predicted a maybe 7 pound baby. She was 8lb 13 - born naturally, no tearing or even grazing.

Good luck welcoming your bundle of joy into the world.

I agree with what PP have said. You can do it!

just wanted to say though, that not ALL epi births are on your back with your legs in stirups. I had 3 epi births, one was in stirups, one was on my side, one was bum up haha

I can at least help you with the cervix thing. Mine is in an "uncommon" position too. Takes them a while to find it - which is just unsettling. But I have delivered 5 kids vaginally despite it being "up the back and out of the way" as they put it.