Petite women - experiences of natural childbirth ?

[Sunandsea13]

Hi everyone, I am 34w and just thinking about birth options. I am 5ft and have a small frame and always planned on an ELCS. I now have had a wobble and am thinking of giving natural birth a go as would rather not have such a big operation if I don’t have to. Just wondering if anyone has experience (good and bad) with natural labour when a petite size and any tips or ways to handle it? I am worried about the baby getting stuck!

I’m 5 foot 3 and a size 6 (or I at least was at the time) when I gave birth to my first over 5 years a go. I was in labour for 2 days and it ended in emergency c section due to ‘failure to progress’ I always hated that phrase.

He came out 8lbs 13oz and I was 41+4 by the time he came out. The first thing the midwife said to me after my c section and I was wheeled back in to recovery was ‘That’s why it never progressed, with your frame you were never pushing a baby that big out’ and I don’t know how true that is because I know of many with small frames who’ve given birth vaginally and been fine.

My neighbour although taller by a couple of inches she is very, very slim, perhaps a size 4 and she gave birth naturally, her baby was quite small though and I think he came early.

Does being shorter make that much difference to giving birth? I'm about medium height but only just over 8 stone and gave birth naturally to a 9lber. I don't think there's any reason for you not to have a natural birth.

I’m 5ft, just, and around 48kg. I have had 3 vaginal deliveries. No forceps or interventions. No stitches.

All pretty straightforward. Babies were 6-8lbs.

I'm 5ft and had a 7lb baby natural. He decided to spin at the last minute and came out back to back (not a short person issue just awkward boy) and I had to have forceps to help him along. I would do natural again all the way if I were to have another .

Not at all true. I'm just under 5ft husband 6ft2. Baby was 7lb. You tend to produce what your body can birth with the odd exception

I have two friends who are extremely small framed. Around 48kg. They both had natural deliveries but with significant complications including grade 4 tearing (to the anus, requiring surgery).
This type of tearing could happen to anyone. But they had both received medical advice (at separate hospitals) that they were at greater risk because of their frames.

Wow thanks so much everyone! This has massively reassured me :)

5' teeny hips size 3 feet.

First was 7lb 6oz

Then they went 10lb 6oz and a couple just under 10lb.

All vaginal unassisted deliveries despite being induced for all of them.

5ft 2, must under 8lbs had an ELCS, was fine. Tens machine didn’t touch my period pain would have done zero for labour.

Also under 5ft and had two natural births, but did need episiotomy.

Well, I had two vaginal births which were long and I did have tearing but ok ultimately. I would say that my husband is tall and generally of a very large build. Both babies were over 9lb with head circumference apparently on the 99th percentile! 2nd was a home birth and the midwife did say she'd recommend me being in hospital if I had a third.

To add to that, my MIL is very small and when my very large husband was born he arrived a month early, but normal sized. I assume he'd reached the limit of the space available.

I'm 5 foot 1 and have two children now, both water births with no assistance, one 7 pound 11 and the service 8 pound 10. I did have second degree tears both times and a couple of stitches but overall it was fine 😁

Exactly the same size here, right down to the shoes. Was absolutely fine, don't listen to the old wives tales OP

Oh and if you're not already, start drinking the RLT, it really does help

This post and replies has helped me! I have been so worried, as all I ever hear are horror stories about vaginal birth. I'm 5ft, 7.3 stone currently and have just been so worried about whether it's even possible to give birth that way at my size. Midwife has said that they will measure baby size etc as it gets closer, and I know that we can never really fully know what's going to happen on the day. But it's good to hear that not all petite women have issues and that some don't even have tearing, forceps etc! Thanks all!

I'm 5ft 3 so not as little as some of you but I do have extremely narrow hips. I had two babies vaginallly. The first was only 7lbs but the second was nearly 9lbs but I had a home birth with no issues, didn't need any drugs and didn't have to have stitches. I remember the births so fondly (although yes they hurt a lot at the time!)

My mum was about 5ft 1 and had a smaller frame than me- she also had two natural 'easy' births.

I got my DH to do perineal massage during pregnancy which I do think helped me avoid too much tearing.

But so much of it is luck. Good luck with whatever you decide, and hope the birth goes well.

Ooh yes, another vote for Raspberry leaf tea from me.

And another anecdote- I went to antenatal yoga classes. The teacher was a size 6 and about 5ft. She had a 10lb baby at home with no interventions- just breathed it out 😂

I have a tiny frame, often mistaken for male when younger. People would always tell me how I'd never be able to give birth naturally. All 3 of my children were born naturally.

Im very petite, small boned and also have a narrow looking pelvis (boyish) and I have had four vaginal births (one back to back which presents a wider diameter of the baby’s head to be delivered)

None of my babies were small, first baby nearly 8lbs with a bigger than average head circumference.

i never have short labours, but all manageable pain wise and with a patient midwife who feels confident to allow descent and time for pushing I’ve been fine and all my babies were born totally fine, no fetal heart rate issues, no meconium, no long term issues from having to navigate my pelvis, no significant pelvic or perineal injury no use of ventouse or forceps.

I was lucky I had patient and confident midwives who let me eat, drink, move around father than wallop me on my back, starve me ‘just in case’ and they kept doctors itchy fingers away from me 😂

I expect I’d have ended up with a CS at least two of my labours had that not been the case because I don’t follow the expected ‘rate of dilation’ of the chart they use, but I did progress constantly, just slowly and as I say babies were always fine during labour, no concerns so no justification for interventions apart from Drs not liking it taking a bit longer than they’d like and I’m glad my midwife advocated watch and see because me and baby were doing fine.

Im 5ft 2 and was 7!/2 stone when I had my son 35 years ago. I clearly remember being very worried about the birth.I had a very short labour and the midwife was amazed how fast the delivery was.

I'm 5 foot I had both my children naturally with no issues. Everyone's body is different though so it's difficult for anyone to give you advice

Small frame and 5'2. Vaginally for both. Dc1 was a forceps and episiotomy delivery. 7lbs 13oz. Dc2 super quick minor tear and 6lbs.

Each birth and delivery is different, and all women have different experiences.

Good luck x

Oh and dh is 6'6

Really? Why don't maternal health workers/ob-gyns tell women this?