Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

Feet size and speed of delivery... myth or truth?

39 replies

MrsMar · 12/04/2007 10:40

I'm quite tall (5'10") with pretty big feet (size 9/43) and I'd always heard that with bigger feet you tended to give birth faster (and hopefully more easily!) I've also got something called hypermobility syndrome, which means my ligaments are stretchier than normal even before pregnancy. I remember a physio saying to me once that I'd give birth in no time as my ligaments are so stretchy. Is this all just guff or is there some truth in it?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
InTheHouse · 12/04/2007 10:45

This reply has been withdrawn

This post has been withdrawn due to privacy concerns

squeakybub · 12/04/2007 10:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

bundle · 12/04/2007 10:47

SIL only just got to the birthing centre in time this morning - gave birth just under an hour later to her 2nd baby and I think her feet are a size 5 or 6

squeakybub · 12/04/2007 10:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

MerlinsBeard · 12/04/2007 10:49

i had a 3.5 hr labour and a 1 hour labour and i have size 7 feet. Have to say though that i had no hips at all until after DS1 was born. I looked like a boy..flat chested and no hips!

whywhywhy · 12/04/2007 10:58

size 6.5 feet, 5 ft 6, big sticky out hip bones and apparently according to one mw my pelvis is huge 'for a caucasian' whatever that means.

first ds out in 7,5 hrs; ds2 out yesterday in 2.5! no tears, etc.

Original poster
MrsMar · 12/04/2007 10:59

It's very interesting.... thanks for the input. I've got very big hips. I'm not sure how much is fat and how much is bone structure, there's a 15" difference between my hips and waist (when I'm not pregnant) I am the archetypal hourglass, but I always thought that was fat, rather than having a wide pelvis, until someone mentioned my feet!

OP posts:
littlelapin · 12/04/2007 11:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DimpledThighs · 12/04/2007 11:01

size 7 feet, 2 quick labours.

willywonka · 12/04/2007 11:01

I'm 5'9" with size 8.5 feet and delivered really quickly. However a good friend is 5'1" with size 3.5 and she was lucky to reach the delivery room so am not sure how much the old wives' tale is true

doddle · 12/04/2007 11:03

I am 5ft2, have big hips, big feet (size 7) but both DSs got well and truly stuck and had to be removed by C section!

Maddison · 12/04/2007 11:07

I am 5'1" with size 3-4 feet. My labour with DS1 was 15 hours and i was pushing for about an hour but.....

With DS2 I was in labour for 2 hours from start to finish and pushed him out in 4 minutes.

Make of it what you will, cos I'm not sure

pmsl at sounding like a hobbit though!!

Bensonbluebird · 12/04/2007 11:12

I've got hypermobile joints too and had a relatively quick first labour (8hrs, second stage 6 mins) but quite small feet, size 4.5 and I'm 5'4". Hoping for another quick one in the the next few weeks...

LunarSea · 12/04/2007 11:28

ds1 - 53 hours from waters breaking to his eventual appearance (about 14 hours established labour).
ds2 - 30 minutes (and that was only from holding him in until the paramedics arrived!).
And no my feet didn't get dramatically bigger in between!

InTheHouse · 12/04/2007 11:33

This reply has been withdrawn

This post has been withdrawn due to privacy concerns

MiaWallace · 12/04/2007 11:35

Size 3-4

18 hour labour followed by cs

littlelapin · 12/04/2007 11:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

JodieG1 · 12/04/2007 11:38

I'm 5ft 3 size 5 feet and I gave birth in about 3 hours the first time, 3 hours the second time and they have it down as under an hour the third time but I'd say under 3 hours as from 3cm I was in pain. All natural deliveries and I still have no hips.

JodieG1 · 12/04/2007 11:39

littlelapin - how tall are you if you don't mind me asking?

JodieG1 · 12/04/2007 11:39

Forget that, just seen you said below.

littlelapin · 12/04/2007 11:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

theflumpsmum · 12/04/2007 11:59

My midwife said the 'foot thing' was rubbish but when I had my Dd I had to be rushed to theatre,as I wasn't progressing(this was after 15 hours of labour),the doctor said it would be either forceps or an emergency c-section.

When I was prepped and in theatre he took one look at my feet asked me what size they were(3) and said forget the forceps we'll go straight for a section.I did ask him afterwards about the feet size v speed of delivery and he said your feet size is more to do with your pelvis size not delivery speed.

Having said that my cousin is the same size as me (4 ft 11') and she has had 4 children and all she's had to do it is virtually sneeze and out the come .

nappyaddict · 12/04/2007 12:03

rubbish. mum is a size 2 and gave birth in 20 minutes!

Original poster
MrsMar · 12/04/2007 13:20

These are great, thanks guys!!! I guess I'm going to have to face up to the fact this baby ain't going to be dropping out of me a la the woman in Monty Python's meaning of live (oooh, get that would you love? Ta!)

OP posts:
Nicki10 · 12/04/2007 16:53

I'm 4ft10 and my feet are a size 2. A doctor once told me that I would have to have a c-section as the size of your foot determind the size of your pelvis.

Many years later i am now pregnant with my first and MW hasn't mentioned it yet and new doctor said they'd decide nearer the time. I'm glad to see some short people have managed a natural birth.

Swipe left for the next trending thread