Do you have any negative experiences to share about a woman delivering an extra large baby?

Question

I'm interested in the dangers to a mother when she delivers a large baby vaginally. I know the dangers to the baby, but no one ever mentions the mother.

I've had an 11lb, 6oz baby, with shoulder distocia.

I'm 42 wks now and ultrasound doc thinks it's a 12 pounder.

I'm on the fence as to what's the greater risk - C section or vaginal delivery.

Answer 1

My two babies have being 8 pounds plus and I just tore a little, my friend is Japanese (they are tiny woman) and had a 10 pound baby and she tore more but was fine after, if your baby is too large and can't come out they will do emergency C-section.

Answer 2

Hello - it all depends on the size of the baby's head. If the head is normal size there wouldn't be any more problem delivering this baby than any other. Baby can be heavy in weight or long in length but not necessarily have a huge head. In these cases delivery shouldn't be a problem. A woman's birth canal can accommodate any size baby and stretches to let them out. It will ultimately depend on the size of the mother's pelvis and her baby's head. (Also need to remember that the neonate's skulll is made up of sections which are not yet fused together to give some flexibility when baby is trying to come through the birth canal too). Really the end result can only be found out by a trial birth. If the baby gets distressed and can't fit through you will end up with a Caesarian section. Otherwise if your pelvis is wide enough to fit the baby's skull you shouldn't have any problems. You may get an episiotomy where they cut you to make more room but that will get stitched and should repair quickly. Many women have this done with no further problems. The other thing is haemorroids from pushing harder than others but they will fix too. Make sure you have a good obstetrician and they will be able to give you an idea of whether your baby is large and whether your pelvis size will pose any problems. Otherwise they will be able to answer any concerns in respect to this question. Best of luck if this is you....

Answer 3

I personally have not experienced birth nor ever will being male- but being a husband I have had to PUT UP with a pregnant woman (believe you me, our side of the fence sucks too).
I had an ex who gave birth to a heavy baby and she was very petite- and she tore very badly (she was Caucasian, by the way).
I'm not sure what your stature is but I will tell you my opinion and what I know.

If I were you- I'd go for the C-section.

Some women constantly talk about the benefit of vaginal delivery- but few deliver such a whopping baby as a 12-pounder watermelon!
Here is some things which may scare you-
your birth canal will almost definitely will suffer a traumatic ruptured and torn soft tissue (without being too graphic most of it is: I refer to the canal, the perineum and even the labiae (depending on your physiology) and may even (in extreme cases) affect the rectum and colon.

Almost def you will require an episiotomy which is where your birth opening is enlarged by a linear cut via scalpel and commonly without even a local anaesthetic (due to dangers with the birth).
If the episiotomy is done longitudinally (up and down from base of birth canal to anal opening), it is almost a permanent injury which heals with difficulty and never back to 100% of pre-birth as the longitudinal cut severs some very strong ring-shaped muscles surrounding the canal.

Surprisingly few doctors are capable of the less damaging radial /lateral episiotomy which cuts from the mouth of the canal at an angle usually toward the gluteals (bottom) or quadriceps (thighs).
Episiotomies can be quite dangerous as they may interact with the end of the digestive tract which can create severe infection; bowel incontinence and excessive bleeding as common side-effects in addition to nerve damage (and post-recovery phantom wounding).

If the canal ruptures, this is quite serious and rather difficult to satisfactorily repair and there may be nerve damage either from the birth or the rapid suturing required to minimise trauma.
Some women (especially petite) feel that their pelvis has been permanently and negatively transfigured by the natural birth in that the pelvic bones have shifted (as they do normally) but have never returned to anything like their pre-natal state (that ex is extremely miserable with her very middle-aged-like maternal appearance (I used to date her and she once had thinner hips than most models- I'm talking being easy size 6 to a size 14- she's very slim, just now wide-hipped- there's very little fat on her.).

So in summary, for your and your partner's sake I strongly recommend C-section. There are fewer long-term complications (especially if the C-section is executed properly with a longitudinal rather than a lateral cut (crosswards) as this cut favours the deep muscle fibre direction (abdominal muscles are longitudinal (head to toe) thus cutting then cross-wise is less than desirable.

C-section as I'm sure you are well aware, is now a very common almost routine birth-delivery method and no matter what some women may spout and extoll the virtues of a canal birth- I don't think many would opt for 12 pounds of it.
My wife had a c-section, my son's is fine, she was fine after a month. I won't lie- it can be painful- but better than the alternative.

My ex had a natural birth (9-pounds) and she is miserable- and she tore really badly (into the colon).
It took her months to heal with all the infections (at the start she began expressing faeces into her pelvic cavity through unstuck suturing), severe pain when performing bowel movements, lost work, cannot perform intimately YET after 8 months, constant bed-rest, a month of DIAPERS- YES! really - she couldn't control her bowel or bladder for a while.
It's terrible- why would you inflict it on yourself for a more 'natural' method.

Answer 4

shoulder distocia is actually more likely to happen in a small baby, one that can get turned all wonky easier. its also not likely to reoccur just because you have had one already.
many can be "fixed" by position changes, hands and knees, squatting, standing, being in water. but docs dont like women in any position except back because it gives them a better view, fight for what you need to do

Answer 5

Sheesh. I saw a picture of a woman in a midwife magazine once where she was on all fours and she had literally been split right up to her anus. No kidding.

Answer 6

i had a 9lb 13oz babay and all i can say is relax and push when you need to no half heart efforts as i wore my self out, i didnt tear at all as i just pushed when needed and didnt stress out, it hurt like hell but baby and i was fine, i tour with my 8lb pound baby, so who knows really, we are designed to give birth so i guess our body can handle it if we can

Answer 7

She can be sewn back together, and do exercises to tighten back up.

Answer 8

she will be fine