My daughter is 38 weeks pregnant, not dilated at all and no pain or discomfort whatsoever, feeling very well.

Question

At her doctor's appointment, she was told that the baby is large with a large head. Also the baby is not dropping at all and is still very high. She is only 5' tall and with the baby being so large, I don't think there's room for it to drop. The doctor will wait 2 more weeks to see if she can go into labor on her own, but said a caesarian is quite possible. Will dilation only take place if the baby drops?

Answer 1

I'm 5 feet 2 inches and had 4 all by c-section. I went into labor long and hard with the first two but would not dilate past 2, thus the c-sections. But I gave it the old college try. By the third and fourth they wouldn't even let me try natural. My smallest baby was 8.2, biggest was 9.5, length wise they ranged from 22 to 23 inches. Big babies! And with the first two the nurse had to break my water.

Answer 2

Height has nothing to do with it. Before the baby drops and it is growing it will go more up into the ribs. The actually dropping is the baby moving into the pelvic bone. Unfortunetly if the baby does not drop she will not dilate, this is because dilation comes from the pressure of the baby's head on the cervix. Which can not happen if the baby has not come down. 40 weeks is full term so if the baby is not in position by then I would say cereasan section is needed, because most likely if that is what happens your daughter will not go into labor by herself.

Do worry if this is how it comes to be it is not at all "Uncommon" their are many women out there that do not drop and do not go into labor themself.

My first baby did drop, but I never had contractions on my own, my water broke and still no contraction, I had to be induced in order to go into actually labor.

Answer 3

Just because your daughter is short doesn't mean she can't deliver a large baby. She should be fine. I am 39weeks and 4 days pregnant and I am only dialated to a 1cm and the baby has yet to drop fully. My Dr. told me the baby drops with contractions, has she been having any of those? And Dialation also takes place with contractions.. but I have been at 1cm for the past three weeks. You can stay the same for a long time and then go into labor and dialate to a 5cm all the sudden, just depends on your genetics. I wouldn't stress too much over it, it will come soon enough :)

Answer 4

Congratulations on your upcoming grandchild!

The baby's head settling into her pelvis will make the cervix dilate. Usually only 1st babies (which I am assuming this is) will "drop". The due date is usually set at 40 weeks, and some women don't really dilate at all until labor starts.

Conversely, I was at 2 cm through the last trimester. Labor still took 10 hours.

Don't worry too much. They may have overestimated the size of the baby (which often happens) and she may deliver just fine on her own without a c-section.

Answer 5

No one really knows what causes labor to happen or a cervix to dialate. But the babies head hitting the cervix does seem to help, as does prostaglandins (like sperm from having sex), or having the doctor strip the membranes. I'm sure the baby may seem to be really low in you daughter's short stature, but the doctor will be able to feel when the baby has engaged into the birth canal enough to be considered dropped. If the baby really is too large and your daughter wants to avoid a C-Section perhaps she needs to talk him into inducing now.

Answer 6

My neighbor had a similar issue and she walked around the down until her water broke...but me forinstance i was 39 weeks and was not dilatd at all and got induced (so my husband could take leave from miltary to see it ) and my doctor gave me a drug by iv to make me dilate and 8 hours later she was born after only 30 mins of pushing. also the ultrasounds are not accurate on sizes the day before i had K they said she was 6 lbs 4 oz the next day she was 7.5 you should tell her to try induction before c-section.