To be scared about birth after today?

[ExquisiteChristmasCake]

Apologies in advance for typos, my iPhone thinks it knows what I mean more than I do. I am due on Thursday and met with my MW today for bloods as my platelet count (bloods' clotting agent) is low. I am having a planned HB as I did with my son (20 mo) however this baby is measuring as much bigger than my ds did. Ds was a week late and weighed 7 lbs 8 oz. they used ye trusty measuring tape and measured me at 41 cm today and said they may have to dislocate the baby's shoulder in order to get it through should my pelvis not be looking like it's going to give at all. I saw the OBGUN cons. 3 weeks ago who gave me the go ahead for my HB but now the MW has said this I'm suddenly a nervous wreck and I've worked so hard at preparing myself for this birth! (first birth was 4 hours no tears just has and air after a huge phobia of dying finally passed). Anyone else been told something equally as scary to find it turned out to be nothing?

[Kayzr]

How do they know it's much bigger than your 1st?

I had DS2 at home and he was 10lb 5oz and his shoulders were fine so it's not a guarantee that it will happen.

[HeidiKat]

My friend was told her DS was going to be big and he was a titch 6lb something.

[ExquisiteChristmasCake]

They compared the notes from my ds at 39+ to this one at 39+. I don't have an overly narrow pelvis either so it's not as though I'm petite with cause for alarm.

[ExquisiteChristmasCake]

I just hope that the tape measure isn't law and perhaps it could be water. (I'm a size 12 with a HUGE bump).

[microserf]

the measurements are notoriously inaccurate. the platelet count on the other hand is much more worrying. can you see consultant to get opinion about risk of bleeding and then discuss fears about shoulder dystocia?

personally i thought pretty much all the midwives talked a bunch of crap and the consultants were more sensible, but I wasn't aiming for HB. I'll probably get flamed to hell for that comment.

[microserf]

i did mean to say - YANBU, but is there a way to reassure yourself?

[Kayzr]

I measured small with DS2. I was measuring 36 at 39 weeks. They said 3cm was the cusp of there being a weight problem. Oh how wrong.

[YougreatPumpkinmousse]

My super large baby (predicted 10++ lbs at term) was born at 39+6 at 8lb and her size was predicted by scan. I was measuring 44w at my 39w appointment, it turns out she was in a very odd position which made measurements bigger.

[IneedAbetterNickname]

Bigger than your 1st could mean this one will be 8lb, which isn't really big! I wouldn't worry personally, my DS2 was 10 days late and 8lb 2, but was far easier, and less painful to give birth to, than DS1 (7lb 6)

[squeakytoy]

If I were in your position, I would seriously be considering giving birth in hospital, where any emergency can be dealt with immediately, rather than worry more because you are at home.

[PomBearAtTheGatesOfDoom]

If the baby gets wedged in your pelvis, during a homebirth, your midwife will call an ambulance and you will be taken to hospital for an emergency caesarian. That's what she is there for.
With my fourth and fifth babies, the consultant's "Oppo" (no idea who he actually was in both cases, they were some kind of trainee or "lesser being" to the Consultant who I never actually met even though I was technically his patient through five pregnancies) said it "is a huge baby, over a stone, you will have XYZ wrong, (including shoulder dystocia) you will come and be induced on X date". This was at 37 and 36 weeks!
I got second opinions from my friend who is a midwife and my mam and refused early induction (or any induction at all) and they were both born vaginally, with gas n air, and were FINE. I didn't have any stitches or anything with either of them, and they were 9lb 14 and 9lb 4 respectively.
Try not to worry, I am firmly convinced "they" give you the worst case scenario to cover their own backs, and have no real idea WHAT will happen or how much the baby weighs - they aren't clairvoyant after all. They make a guess, and give their opinion, but that's all they are - guesses and opinions.

[ICanTuckMyBoobsInMyPockets]

I wouldn't worry, my little sis was born at 40+4 and weighed 11lb5oz!! No dislocation or scary stuff required, my wonderful mother did it au naturel in the back of an ambulance!
You couldn't tell to look at her face on that she was pregnant either, so I don't think there's any way of accurately knowing until they arrive.
Good luck!
x

[youtalkintome]

They are so foolish why do they say these things, they don't know. FWIW i am foot had a 9lb2 baby who was back to back with stuck shoulders that they managed to get out with no problem and just gas and air, i'm having a home birth this time baby is once again back to back and i'm huge so probably big too, i'm a wimp but would rather be in home than in hospital because of experiences with staff like you mention.

[PomBearAtTheGatesOfDoom]

You know OP, having just read your post again, I realised it's the midwife who said this and scared you, and the consultant who said a homebirth was OK. I wonder if the midwives are overstretched and very busy and just don't want to have to attend a homebirth. With you scared, you are more likely to agree to birth in hospital and that makes their lives easier. Just a thought...

[pixiestix]

The tape measure is notoriously inaccurate. They measured my DD as being massive and she was 7lb 7. Don't panic! You birthed your son perfectly safely - there is no reason you cannot do the same for this DC.

[pixiestix]

PomBear speaks sense.

[VivaLeBeaver]

Blimey! That's very bad of the midwife to say it and to be honest I'm struggling to understand why she would. I'm a midwife and I wouldn't have a clue how to dislocate a baby's shoulder, it's not something were trained to do.

If a baby gets stuck there are various manaoeevers to get the baby out, some of which can involve the risk of fracturing bAbys clavicle.

Are they sending you for a growth scan? Measuring is quite inaccurate. Aother midwife could get a smaller measurement. Yes you may well feel this baby is bigger, second ones normally are. You've given birth fine before so trust your body, it's done it once and it can do it again.

Having a bigger baby does raise your risk of a shoulder dystocia which is where the baby gets stuck. But there are lots of things you can to to minimise the risk such as not giving birth flat on your back. Even if a shoulder dystocia did occur over 70% resolve with just moving your legs into another position.

Women will normally grow babies to fit their frame as long as they don't have diabetes.

[PacificDogwood]

Oh, screw the measuring tape - it's usually wrong; I don't know why they bother with that thing!
Scans for wt assessment = inacurate (DS4 'on 50th centile' was 2980g at term ie titchy).

You've had a perfectly normal sized baby the first time round, a normal delivery, you have a 'proven' pelvis ( dontcha love all these expressions?); why on earth would anybody suggest you have a high risk of shoulder dystocia??
Could the MW have made some ill-advised throw-away comment that just stuck with you? Or was she actually suggesting you were at risk?

WRT HB: surely if you did not progress as hoped at home, you could be transferred to hospital if needed? Not likely that you will need to, mind, from what you have written.

FWIW, in 18 years as a GP, I have had 1 patient who had to deliver a baby with shoulder dystocia - she was diabetic and the baby a giant (12+ lbs from memory). It is not a common event.

[youtalkintome]

The MW sounds as if she is perhaps inexperienced if she is the one who would attend. I didn't know this until the other day but (i think all) hospitals have a supervisor of MWs responsible for normal births and promotion of normal births, if you contact them in certain circumstances they can allocate you your own experienced MW rather than the usual ones.

[ExquisiteChristmasCake]

Thanks! I'm just wondering perhaps the OBGYN wouldn't have given me the all clear should he be worried . My platelet count is 119 anything under 100 they like a hospital birth so will await today's results which I'll get tomorrow. A big baby isn't worrying me it's the whole "we wait for the crowning then stick our hands in and dislocate the shoulder while your knees are pinned to your shoulder" scenario that scares me. I even upped my life insurance premium today as I'm now convinced I'll die. Not to drip feed but am allergic to opiates hence being under a consultant and just having gas and air...defo not a martyr for pain!

[gladders]

ds was supposed to be ENORMOUS - they estimated already over 9lb at 36 weeks.

he was under 7lb when he was born.

if you're unsure, can you talk to a midwife to get some reassurance?

[BoysBoysBoysAndMe]

I am amazed that they would even consider dislocating your baby's shoulder to get him / her out !

Is that common practice??

Can you ask for a scan to clarify everything?

If it's just a tape they're going off that doesn't really mean much. If I was you I would speak to my MW again asap. Sorry, that's not very contructive. Good Luck!

[ExquisiteChristmasCake]

Two seconds, just hijacked the laptop from dh so I can catch up and respond my bloody iPhone is a joke.

[YougreatPumpkinmousse]

Exquisite - I am also allergic to opiates, G&A made me sick and there wasn't an anaesthetist around and I was expecting a 10/11lber. She was easier than her 7lb sister to deliver. Shoulder dystocia was raised and I was told they would firstly move my knees as far back a possible to open my pelvis as much as they could and then if needed they would apply external pressure (quite firm) to try and get the shoulder out and fishing about inside me would be the very last resort. Try not to fixate on it, easier said than done I know :)

[TruthSweet]

If a MW plans to dislocate a baby's shoulder as the first line of treatment for shoulder dystocia I would be running away from her very very fast (even if 9m pg!). That is a last resort (apart from a Zavenelli Manoeuvre which is a very last chance saloon thing).

Have a read of this and ask your MW what training she does with the SOM to resolve shoulder dystocia (along with unexpected breech births MW do drills on SD). I hope they don't teach MW to dislocate shoulders instead of getting women to flip onto all fours or doing a McRoberts....