Very petite and scared of childbirth

[Sparklynails77]

I am very petite - short and thin. I am terrified about childbirth because I don't know if my body will do what it's supposed to. I am also terrified about c-sections and the recovery. I'm just wondering if there are any petite moms here that gave birth vaginally. Would you mind sharing your experience?

Thank you in advance!

My friend is just 5' tall and probably less than 7 stone. She has had 3 children vaginally including her son who was over 9 pounds!

I am 4ft 11, weighed 7st pre pregnancy (not any more 😩) I did have my ds at 33.3 weeks weighing 5lb 1oz. 4 pushes and he was out! I loved being pregnant and loved labour! (Yes I am a weirdo!) my ds is now 18months! X

I’m under 5 foot and just under 6 stone, I’ve had 2 vaginal deliveries and one of my babies was a week overdue whopper. I worried about it with baby’s number 1 but it was honestly fine.

You'll be grand!

I'm 4ft9 on a good day and was about 8 stone when ds was born and didn't have any trouble at all.

I mean it wasn't a walk in the park but I didn't need any instrumental help and only a couple of stitches which I didn't really feel.

My mum is a similar size and so was my nana. My nana had six children like shelling peas apparently.

There are loads of small built peoples around the world, look at Chinese women, they tend to be tiny and give birth fine.

The whole small frame thing is nonsense.

Normally your body will only grow a baby it can safely deliver. I am just over 5ft and weigh around 7 stone when not pregnant. I put on roughly 2 stone in pregnancy (all bump) and I delivered both my babies vaginally with no tears or stitches. Both babies were under 7 pound at birth but the eldest will soon tower over me.

I was worried about this when I was pregnant but I've given birth twice and I was absolutely fine. And one of my babies was fat.

Like shelling peas for me
4ft 11, well 10 really. I had 3 dc with a total 4 hours.

I really recommend Effective Birth Preparation by Maggie Howell. Read it and you'll see you were built for this. X

I am 5ft 3 and I weigh around 6-7stone and I’ve given birth naturally

However my dd was 5lb 14oz and my ds was 5lb 3oz so

4ft 11 , size 3.5 shoe. I've had 2 babies 7.12 and 7.7 , both natural.

Bit bigger than the rest of you, but I do look very petite and slim (5"4, 8st) and had numerous people (not medical professionals) tell me I'll have to have a c-section. Anyway, ds was born at 41 weeks, weighed 7lbs14. Good, straightforward birth with no complications. No stitches needed and was home the same day. Good luck and congratulations

I'm five foot nothing, I have a very petite frame so much so that I had an xray on my pelvis to see if I could have a vaginal birth. I managed to deliver babies weighing between 7 and 8 pounds with no intervention. My dgm who was four foot nine had my df without help or pain relief and he weighed almost 11lbs.

Thank you so much for the responses! I feel a bit more reassured now. I weigh less than 7 stone so I was a bit concerned but you're all strong women!

I am small and petite but I had to have a caesarean due to my son being breach. However, my mum was roughly 4' 9" and she gave birth vaginally to 4 babies, all weighing between 8-9lb. My sister is a little bit taller, very slim and light as a cloud and she had a 9lb baby (first born) and 3 more after.

5' 6st 3 before my first child with very narrow hips (my skinniest size).

Largest baby 10lb6oz- all fine, only 1 stitch in 4 births all induced and all over due...

Looked like a whale tbf.

RandomMess over 10lbs?? Wow. Well done

On the other end of the size spectrum for perspective and reassurance, I'm 5ft 7 and a size 12 with classic "child bearing hips" and never got more than 4 cm dilated and ended up with an emergency c-section. Baby was only 7lb so by no means a whopper. Your own size really is no indication of the outcome.

You'll be fine. I promise

Another shorty here, just 5 ft and had two beautiful babies delivered vaginally with only minor grazing. It’s amazing what our bodies can do.

Im 4ft 11 I did give birth vaginally but I had them at 34/5 weeks my babiesv were under 5Llb but they did prep me for a section so I was prepared it might happen,

I'm petite (5' nothing and weighed comfortably under 8 stone when having the DCs) and have had 2 incredibly easy pregnancies and births.

My obstetrician told me "petite women tend to have petite babies" (6.5lbs and an ounce under 8lbs) but I really believe the size of your frame has nothing to do with it.

My tiny grandmothers both had a brace of 10 to 12 pound babies at home with zero issues (one of which was born during a bombing raid).

On the other hand I'm 5'8 and my six pound nine ouncer had to delivered by emergency section after his giant head wedged itself in my sub optimal pelvis.

It's massively individual, with hindsight I should have asked about dh's family head sizes before getting pregnant...I will also add that c-section recovery is also hugely individual. I've had 2 emergencies (yay for huge headed babies) and had really easy recoveries with minimal pain/no issues whatsoever.

My mum is teeny and she gave birth to four big babies (I was over 8lbs and I was the smallest one) with nothing but gas and air and actually enjoyed the experience!

I'm tall and broad but ended up with a section!
Have a chat with your midwife. Many tiny women capably birth their babies.
Good luck