Second birth after shoulder dystocia - experiences?

[edgeware]

Pregnant with number 2. DC1 was a vaginal birth but I had a shoulder dystocia. It was luckily quickly sorted with minimal intervention.

Is there anyone else who had a shoulder dystocia and went on to give birth vaginally again, or did you opt for a c section?

I’m due to meet with a consultant but keen to hear some experiences.

I'm in the same position as you. Mine was also born with shoulder dystocia and I'm now pregnant with number 2. I'd love to know what the chances are of it happening again too.

I had an ELCS after shoulder dystocia, mainly because it meant that I had an awful birth experience as a result and I was very keen to avoid it happening again.

The ELCS was absolutely lovely, but I'm not sure what the risk of the shoulder dystocia happening again is.

With time and hindsight, I'd probably try a vaginal birth again (7 years ago) but I have a slightly less than 2-year gap between my two, and at the time, the memories were still too raw for me to risk it.

This is a difficult one. My first was a shoulder dystocia, not too bad though and the midwife managed a few simple manoeuvres and she was born relatively ok. Second was born without too many problems but then third was a serious shoulder dystocia. She was head out for 6 minutes which is pretty much the maximum time allowed. The midwife managed to break her arm and shoulder in the end whilst she was still trapped in the birth canal. She was in SCBU for monitoring m but thankfully no brain damage, she just has a permanent weakness in that arm but we were lucky. I did go on to have a forth but she was a C section, for obvious reasons.

Hi there, long stories short, I had a very bad shoulder dystocia with DS1 (he almost didnt make it). Alarms, panic, room full of doctors, prepping for c section etc. Terrifying.

DS2 3y later we insisted on having the resuscitator in the room etc but he shot out in a quick, easy, very painful way (was back to back) - but no signs of shoulder dystocia.

DS3 another 3y later, slightly lulled into a false sense of security, all going well until right near the end again when he also got stuck in the same place and I had another shoulder dystocia. Luckily this time I had a male midwife with massive hands who hit the emergency buttons but didn't panic. He managed to unwedge him manually much quicker than the first time and all was well, apart from stitches for me.

Looking at them now (16, 13, 10) you can totally see how and why it happened like this. I am 5ft from a stocky family. DH is 6ft and all his family are tall and slim. DS1 and DS3 have the same build as my side and each other - short, stocky, wide shouldered, round heads - rugby player builds and were always in top percentiles for head circumference. DS2 on the other hand is tall, skinny, very lanky with narrow shoulders and a longer narrower head, average on head circumference.

Luck of the draw I think. But my first birth and sd was terrible and nearly fatal (DS1 had an apgar score of 1, was navy blue and it took over 10 mins to get him out and 8 mins to get him breathing) and i still went on to have 2 more vaginal births, for some reason. So if yours was straightforward and easily resolved I wouldn't have thought there would be any reason not to have another vaginal birth if that's what you want. It will be all over you notes and they will probably have the senior mw and doctors on standby, and no waterbirth, midwife unit etc, but certainly for my number 2 they didn't try and pressurise me for a c section, even after a really bad previous shoulder dystocia.

I’m currently 37 weeks with no.2 after shoulder dystocia with my daughter. I wish I’d have said yes to the ELCS when they offered at 20 weeks. In my head I was thinking it would be okay. I had none of the risk factors last time, but obviously I have the main one this time - the previous shoulder dystocia. I am really regretting it, especially with the current situation, I thought when I turned it down I’d have the support of my husband the entire time but obviously we’re on lockdown and that’s no longer an option so it does freak me out. Your risk of shoulder dystocia goes up to 10% when you’ve already had one.

I had a quick labour last time, 0-10cm was 4 hours which for a first labour is pretty damn quick. So there’s the extra worry of not making it to the hospital in time, which for a shoulder dystocia birth is terrifying!

It’s too late for me to choose an ELCS now, I’ll just have to pray for a much easier birth this time!

if my experience is anything to go by they will keep a much closer eye second time so I'm sure that brings the risk down a lot, don't worry too much xx

I had consultant led births for the DC I had after the first shoulder dystocia. They did keep a closer eye and I had a late scan that estimated the baby to be around 9lb at 37 weeks. They induced me at 38 weeks and she was 13lb. I think that no matter how much they try and keep a closer eye on you it isn't an exact science.

Thank you all so much for your stories. My D1 was 10.5 pounds, I am not slight of build. Both my husband and I have quite broad shoulders. But I really think it’s my diet in pregnancy that made him so big! I ate badly towards the end I think. I had a retained placenta too. But they got
him out very quickly (a second midwife ran in) and I was at no point stressed or worried, I think I knew he was fine on some level. It wasn’t traumatic, so I don’t have that holding me back.

My gut feeling is that I want another vaginal birth but obviously not at the risk of my child’s health.

@kittykat7210 good luck to you - I’m sure you will be fine. Just go to the hospital at the first twinge, even if it’s half the time of your last birth you’ll have plenty of time :)