Pelvis not opening during labour

[sparkling123]

Please can someone explain this to me. My Mum said this is what happened to my Aunty, but she can't give me anymore medical detail around it. I am trying to google the condition but all I'm finding is info about the pelvis being too small.
This was over 25 years ago with both her children so maybe terminology has changed but it was the reason given why she had a c section.

There is no medical condition here. What happens is that there is a failure of the baby to pass through the pelvis. This can be caused by an awkwardly shaped pelvis, an awkwardly positioned baby or inefficient contractions.
Your mum is just telling you how she understood it at the time.

I've heard of something like this - although it was described more like an awkwardly shaped pelvis. The woman had 3 DCs, all by CS. Apparently she was never even allowed to go into labour, so the doctors must have thought there was a major problem in her case.

My auntie had this too, but it was caused by a tilted pelvis which didn't allow a baby through.

Like PP, she had 3 DC's by CS and was never allowed to go into labour.

I failed to dilate during labour - my cervix didn’t open. Could this be what she means?

@SputnikBear, no I'm pretty sure not, as I mentioned could it be this as well, as I think that is a lot more common. No, Mum said it was the pelvis not widening during labour. She didn't even have trial of labour with second baby, he was emergency c section as soon as her waters broke.

So it sounds more likely that it was actual pelvis shape than the pelvis not actually opening during labour. It's just something there isn't much info on really. I am trying to find out more.

Also sounds quite rare.

Before 1950, having pelvic malformations as pretty common caused by rickets in childhood. This caused obstructed labour, meaning emergency surgery. Its incredibly rare now which is why you can't find much about it.

@Imnotaslimjim I don't think my Aunty had rickets as they are a healthy family but she was born breech and I was told she was very ill as a baby (think my granny had a very long and hard labour too).
I'm potentially putting 2+2 and getting 5 here but that fits a little with what you're saying...

I think there is not much information because the idea of the pelvis being too small for delivery has pretty much been disproved so it’s not part of modern practice. Usually if labour isn’t progressing it is because of other factors such as the position of the baby or the strength of the contractions. Exception would be pelvic malformations but as PP pointed out these are very rare now.

@Darkstar4855 thank you. Yeah, it's a strange one but reassuring that it's not really common nowadays.