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So my recent pelvic exam has had me doing a tad more exploring and checking things out (actually thinking about getting a plastic speculum!) anyway,
I am concerned about my pelvis - forgive my ignorance, but does it spread during delivery? When I feel around the bones, there is no way in heck there is enough space for a baby to fit out in there!
When you are pg, your body releases a hormone called relaxin that is designed to alow your pelvis to spread to accommodate a growing baby and also to allow it to pass through when giving birth. There is a gap at the front of your pelvis and this is what spreads apart during birth and during the later stages of pg, you can fit a finger width in the gap if you push down on your pubic area. Some women have trouble though with the relaxin working too well and can have joint stability problems.
The pelvic outlet has 3 joints, one either side of where the sacrum joins at the back and one at the fron where your pubic bones join (symphsis pubis). The sacrum is also able to swing back like a hinge.
During late pregnancy you make lots of ahormone called relaxin, which makes these joints muhc more flexible, and in labour you get and extra boost to make them even more so, so yes the pelvis gets much bigger.
Which part of your pelvis are you feeling during your explorations? One fun thing i learned when PG was to try to touch the back of the pubic arch (about where i pee from) and my tailbone, with the same hand while standing up (i used my thumb for the pubic bone and my littlest finger to stretch to the tailbone), and then bend over so my thighs and back are at a 90 degree angle. I could no longer reach my tailbone because just bending over not in labour opened my pelvis so much more!
Bx
I figured something like that happened - I did a couple of other searches but it wasn't giving the answers I wanted. I knew I could count on you BB girls! I am much relieved that I am not expected to get a baby out of what is there now!
Hoobley, I assume what I am feeling is pelvis - basically the circular (well kinda circular) area of bones that surrounds the vaginal opening iykwim. Not sure what my finger span is from front to back, haven't tried that yet!
The position that you birth in can also open up your pelvis more or less to help when bub is on the way out. I'm told that squatting opens up the pelvis up to one third more than if you were lying on your back to birth for example.