Moms who had an emergency c section because baby's head was too big?

[Claire98909]

This is for you ladies out there who attempted a vaginal delivery but wound up having a c section because the baby's head was too large to exit your pelvis. I know these questions probably sound very bizarre, but just bear with me; I'm a very curious person.

1. How far along in your vaginal canal was the top of the head before the doc made the call for a c section? Was the head visible on its own (i.e. was it beginning to spread your vulva) or was it only visible if the doctor spread your labia him/herself and took a peek up there? If it was visible on its own, how much of it was visible (i.e. a quarter size, a golf ball size, etc)?
   
   
2. Did you feel "loose" down there, or look/feel different down there, both immediately after the birth and in the weeks/months that followed? Or did you look/feel completely unchanged because the head did not stretch the opening of your vagina to the max?
   
   
3. How large was your baby (weight, head circumference)?

[Gingerbreadlatte]

Hi, not really answering your question as it hasn't happened to me (touch wood!) but I strongly believe that in a lot of cases heads will fit and poor position for the 2nd stage means baby gets stuck rather than pelvic capacity....
that being said, there are cases where heads don't fit, no idea of the stats though.

Active labour, not lying on your back, allowing sacrum and coccyx to move makes a big difference from everything I've looked at. My baby was nearly 11lbs, hoooge and I got her out without issue. I was at home in a pool which meant no intervention, monitoring and lying on beds to create issues.

Re Q2- it feels awful after, like everything will fall out but that improves with time. Only now im very preg with DC2 am i aware of the damage stretching done by DC1 during labour. It all gapes open all the time. Pleasantly.

[Ghoulelocks]

I was told I was having a c-section as I 'couldn't physically push him out' when he was very high in the birth canal, they still had to feel for him after 1 hour of pushing. I was 10cm for a long time.

I had him whilst they were preping theatre about 10/15min later as suddenly the pressure was off and I was free to change position again. He was 8lb9oz and I tore because it was rather quick but after repair it was pretty unchanged apart from a slight cosmetic change.

[exBrightonBell]

Can I just say OP that the way you have asked your "bizarre" questions comes across really weirdly (to be honest, a bit creepy) and makes me question why you are asking? Are you currently pregnant and worried about a c section? Why the focus on the state of people's nether regions afterwards?

[Jollyb]

I think most c sections for failure to progress are performed before the baby's head is anywhere need the vulva. If the head is close enough to be 'spreading the vulva' I'd expect they would be able to get the baby out with forceps or ventouse.

[laluna]

Yep - agree with Jollyb - it is very very very unlikely in the cases of obstructed labour (where the head is stuck either being too big or in the wrong position) that the head gets so low in the pelvis to be visible at all - either on it's own or by parting the labia. When the head can be seen or is below the ischial spines in the pelvis then an instrumental will nearly always be attempted, usually successfully. The key thing in the physiology of birth is the passage and descent through the pelvis, not vagina.

Caesars are performed for loads of reasons but we never classify the reason as being 'head too big'. As I said, the position tends to be more significant, not size as many give birth vaginally to 10lb plus babies. I gave birth vaginally to a modest 9lb 7oz with a 37 cm head. He flew out!

[fraktion]

If the baby's head has got so far down it can be seen it's almost certainly through the pelvis. Then it's just skin. Skin can be cut and stitched back together so a CS isn't necessary.

If you're pregnant and concerned I recommend you talk to your MW. If you've just had a baby and are concerned your OB/GYN is best placed to answer your questions.