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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Petite wife and not so petite OH

26 replies

CalaLilly · 22/04/2009 16:35

I'm sadly not preggers but I'm a forward planner and have been doing some thinking about the future. As I'm only 5ft and OH is a 6ft3 playing rugby player, do you think I may need a c-section? I know it's not as simple as that and the midwife would probably carefully monitor the head circumference inutero and then make an educated decision but I wondered what, in all likelihood, may happen based on the experiences of others!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

MayorNaze · 22/04/2009 16:36

i am 5'4 and my dh is 6'2.

not quite as big a difference but i had no probs at all

HeadFairy · 22/04/2009 16:36

You will only have a baby you can deliver. Mother nature is clever enough not to give you a baby that's too big to deliver.

Flibbertyjibbet · 22/04/2009 16:42

I am 5'2" and dp is 6'2"

no probs pushing ds1 out.

ds2 was a section but thats cos he was being awkward and laying transverse.

As far as I know they can't monitor the head circumference in utero, anyway the head is designed to squash as you push it out.

I have tiny friends who have tiny husbands and produced 10lb babies naturally.

On the other hand I have some tall friends who ended up with emergency sections to delivery real tiddlers.

I think you are thinking too deeply about it at the moment and should concentrate on practising trying to get pregnant

lynniep · 22/04/2009 16:42

aw bless you. there are a thousand and one reasons women need c-sections. But I don't think you need fret just now on the possibility just because OH is a big lad.
(example - my dad 6ft4 - my mum 5' - me born 7lb (and I was 2 weeks overdue) )

tiredemma · 22/04/2009 16:43

Im 4'11"- no problems with either of my two. DS1 was almot 8lbs.

Original poster

CalaLilly · 22/04/2009 16:44

Thanks for the reassurance guys!

HeadFairy- That was my inkling but sadly it is just not true. I've worked in special care baby units and looked after many huge babies whose Mum's had gestational diabetes and some other whoppers who got stuck on the way out and needed rescued via section. It's cos of my children's nursing knowledge that I'm so scared actually- I need to up my obstetric knowledge a bit too though to figure out if there is exceptions and rules to baby sizes or if it's all just a myth! ie. the fact that my feet are a size 3 and his are a 12 scares me greatly!

OP posts:

Original poster

CalaLilly · 22/04/2009 16:48

ps. head circumference can be assessed by antenatal ultrasound and is often used to produce gestation estimates in Mum's that present late at maternity care.

OP posts:

HeadFairy · 22/04/2009 16:49

Ah well, gestational diabetes is a different matter. In the general scheme of things, I think it's unusual to be unable to deliver a baby if you're tiny and the baby's father is huge. But with your experience I'm sure you'll have seen a far greater number of newborns than I have. I thought babies were more likely to get stuck if they are in a difficult position or their pelvis is an odd shape. My sister broke her dd's collar bone delivering her because she was in a funny position so her passage through the pelvis wasn't that easy.

crumpet · 22/04/2009 16:53

Hi there is a big differnece in size between me and my dh, but both dc were under 7lb (apparently my FIl was a whopping 13lb, which had worried me!). Idid end up with a cs for both mine, due to pre-eclampsia rather than size. As you've already mentioned, there are a number of reasons which govern the size of a baby, and also the method of birth, and I don't think a size difference between the parents is the most (or even a) significant factor

Original poster

CalaLilly · 22/04/2009 16:53

You'd think I would have noted the size of the Mum's and Dad's but I rarely have I may do some snooping to see if colleagues have been more observant than I!

And yup, difficult position/ pelvic problems often result in sections but size of baby can be a factor too. It is 3rd degree tares on small teenage Mum's whose babies were massive that make me most fearful. But then I would want to avoid a c-section at all costs anyway!!!

OP posts:

ohdearwhatamess · 22/04/2009 16:54

I am 5'2, dh 6 ft and a big man. Both dcs were small but had/have big heads (as does dh). No problems at all pushing them out .

Wonderstuff · 22/04/2009 17:02

My midwife was concerned because I have a low bmi, I kept reassuring her that it would be fine! My mum is very, very, slim, size 3 feet, only 5'2" BUT delivered all 8lbs of me without needing a stitch, ditto my db, both of us 2 weeks overdue.

I had a textbook delivery of my dd, she was 7lbs10 and was bang on average at every scan, my dh is tall, but no probs.

I don't think maternal size is a big factor, you have every chance of a normal delivery, but even if you do have a c-section it really isn't the end of the world, I have friends who have been really happy with there c-sections, healthy baby is what matters really.

MadBadandDangerousToKnow · 22/04/2009 17:02

I too am 5'2 and dh 6ft and a big man. DD was pretty big - 9lb - with a large head. I had am emergency c-section, in which cephalo-pelvic disproportion was a factor.

I was emphatic throughout the pregnancy that I didn't want a c-section but, having traded birth stories with women who sustained horrible tears and having been fortunate in that I healed quickly, I can now see that there are worse things!

serenity · 22/04/2009 17:05

SIL is tiny, around 5ft/5'2" maybe - very slim. DBro is around 6'5". She's had three big babies (last was 10lb+ iirc) and has had 3 CS, first was emergency, next two were elective. I don't know if she could have done a VBAC instead, she didn't want to, Doctors didn't want her to either.

On the other hand my friends (5'4" and 6'5") had fairly average sized babies, no great complications, no CSs.

I think it's more complicated than just the size of the parents tbh.

TheCrackFox · 22/04/2009 17:14

My best friend is 5ft and her DH is 6 ft 6 both her babies wwighed around 7lb and were both delivered vaginally, no problems.

busybeingmum · 22/04/2009 18:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

traceybath · 22/04/2009 18:11

Well i'm 5ft and dh is 6ft4.

I've had 2 c-sections - one emergency and one elective but both my babies had big heads - 99th centile.

I also have small feet - a scant size 3 which is meant to indicate a small pelvis although not sure how true that is.

Don't think though that if you're small and dh is big you'd definitely need a c-section - its pretty hard to predict i think.

ChocEclair · 22/04/2009 18:21

Hi there

I'm 5'4 (petite build)and DP is 6'0 (solid build). I just had our 10lb 1oz baby 2 weeks ago! My bump was massive even from 36 weeks or so, and by the time I was induced at 40+12 it was enormous. I did ask if the baby was going to fit out of me but nobody seemed unduly concerned!

After an 18 hour labour and 2 hrs pushing (inc forceps attempt) the Dr finally admitted she just wasn't going to fit (big head and in an awkward position as well) so had an em cs.

Having said that, it went very well and was a positive birth experience. I think I would probably go for an elective cs if we have another child as the 2nd may be even bigger!

I would say trust your instincts - I always felt she was going to be a big baby, even though on scans she appeared average.

Good Luck!

lizziemun · 22/04/2009 18:48

Well i'm 5ft 1in and dh is 6ft 1in.

I have had 3 dc.

DD1 9lb 4z
dd2 9lb 2oz
ds 8lb.

With both dd's i had very easy delivery, ds was worse but that was because he was back to back. I was never scanned in connection to baby size in any of the pg's.

MiniMarmite · 22/04/2009 19:36

I'm 5'5 and DH is 6'5'. I had a huge bump and said for my whole pregnancy that I wanted a long thin baby and that's what I got! A 9lb DS on the 98th centile for height. When people saw him in his pram (so couldn't see all of him) they assumed he was about 7lb. I did have a ventouse delivery (but not related to the baby's size).

BeehiveBaby · 22/04/2009 19:45

I am going to surrogate for my step sister who is 5'8" and her DH who is a big guy. I am a small framed 5'3" so am relying on the won't grow a baby bigger than I can cope with theory! Child bearing hips though

dinkystinky · 22/04/2009 20:49

I am 5"4 and DH is 6"2 - was massively overdue with DS1 and induced and delivered vaginally with no real problems. He was a tall baby and 9lbs. DS2 not so tall but another good size baby - 8lb8oz at a week and abit early - and delivered no problem. He's now a tall lad at 2 months old. Head circumference for both boys was above 75th percentile for when they were born...

doulalc · 23/04/2009 02:19

CalaLilly.....unless your pelvis was measuring unusually narrow you just won't know what size baby you can deliver until you have the opportunity. Small feet does not mean your pelvis would be too small. That's like saying all men with big hands have big....well, you know...;)

Your positioning during labour and birth, along with baby's position...and sometimes inductions, will be the biggest factors in whether or not you would have trouble with a good sized baby.

It is rare a woman will grow a baby too large for her to give birth to.

twinsetandpearls · 23/04/2009 03:32

5"2 and husband was a foot taller, it was quite hard work crrying dd she battered my innards but I dont think it was hard work giving birth, well it was but you know what I mean. She was long and lean.

babyignoramus · 29/04/2009 08:49

I'm 4'11" and Dh is 6'1" - DS was 7lb 6oz and I couldn't get him out - I didn't dilate all the way and he became distressed. I've only got size 3 feet. TBH though I think it was the struggle of carrying him at the end of the pregnancy that really caused the problem. My back was shot to pieces and I was knackered so labour was probably harder than it should have been. I had not an inch of space inside me so think it was harder for cx to move him IYSWIM. Midwife actually told me to book the cs next time!

My sister is 5'1" (with size 7 feet ) - her DD was 8lb, delivered no problem at all. She had a much quicker labour as well.

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