Only 5ft - likely to give birth earlier?

[FiveFoot90]

Hi all,

I’m currently 27+4 weeks and feeling very big and uncomfortable already! I’m only 5ft and I’ve seen a few posts that suggest if you’re smaller that you might have baby earlier?? I’m due to see my midwife for my 28 week appt next week so not sure if that will give me any answers.

One of my concerns is my Maternity Allowance application. I was planning to stay working as long as possible, take a week annual leave before my due date and then start my mat leave the week I’m due. Now I’m wondering whether or not that’s sensible? Conscious that I need to apply for it soon and don’t want to put a late date and then end up having baby much earlier!

Thanks

Not heard this before. Same height and my 3 all arrived at 39+6, 40+0 and 40+2.

I have not heard about that one? I would ask you mw see what she thinks.

As far as I'm aware there is no correlation whatsoever between premature delivery and maternal height.

I'm just over that and had my first DC at 40+1.

I don't know how true it is but I'm 5,2 and both my babies arrived at 38 weeks.

You've got plenty of getting bigger and more uncomfortable to do I'm afraid! Natures way of making you want the baby out I think.

I'm short too and my baby did arrive a few days earlier than the due date.

There's no way of telling when your baby will arrive - the midwife won't be able to tell you any more. The baby might be two weeks late, might be a week early.....

I'd just stick to your original plan re Maternity Allowance.

Hi op @FiveFoot90 ☺

Personally have never heard of this before...a friend of mine is petite like yourself and ended up going 2 weeks over and she ended up having a Cs to get her LO out!

Regarding mat leave, I worked up until the week before my due date and still had to wait 2 weeks after that for lo to make an appearance!
Unless you have an obligation to use up your annual leave I would save it and add it onto the end of your mat leave, you will appreciate the time a lot more at the end before having to go back to work! Whereas if you took it before your mat leave I worry you may find it to have been a waste iyswim. But up to you of course! By the time I was that heavily pregnant I didn't want to do anything and was 1000% over it just waiting for baby to arrive!

Had a think about this and here are some stats from people I know who’ve not been induced:

I’m 5ft 8” and had my babies at 39+4 both times.

Friend 1 is also 5ft 8” and had her babies at 39+3 and 39+2.

Friend 2 is 5ft and delivered at 40+3 and 40.

My Mum is 5ft 5” and delivered at 40+14 and 40+7.

Friend 3 is 5ft 2” and both babies born at 40+14.

My grandmother is 5ft and delivered at 40+18 and 40+12 (this was back when you could go over as far as 18 days past your due date!)

Based on my very unscientific study, the taller you are the earlier you deliver.

My friend is 5 ft and never gone in to labour naturally and had to have a c section with all 3 labours over due. I also know women of the same height who have gone in to labour and given birth naturally no problem at all. There’s no coronation between being short and earlier labour

Also I am 5”6 and went in to labour 4 weeks early I really don’t think height makes a difference. Try not to worry x

There has been a correlation between height and duration of pregnancy, studies have shown this. However, it would be foolish to try and plan leave around a potential date. The fact is, you have no idea when your baby will be born.

Not true for me.

I'm 5ft 2" and both my DC were really overdue - 40+14 and 40+10.

Not true for me. I'm 5ft and DS arrived late.

I am 5ft and have 5 dc all born between 38+2 and 40+2

5’1
DC1: 37+3
DC2: 38+6
DC3: 40+ 30

There’s absolutely no correlation between height and premature/early birth.

In 5ft and I was a week over my Sil is the same and she had to be induced so I don't think so.

Thanks for your replies everyone!

Never heard of that, I'm 5ft 2 and had my babies at 39+5 and 39w.

My Aunt and my Mum believed that all short women had caesareans and told me for years that that was my only option for giving birth. That was a load of rubbish too, my sister and I both had normal births as did my Mother who is shorter than me!

4'11 and both dd's came 10 days late

I'm 5ft and my son was born five weeks early but I have never once thought that my size had anything to do with it! My sister who is a similar size to me went to full term.

I’m 5ft 1 and both babies were ‘late’. DS was born at 42 weeks exactly.

I'm 6'
Dc1 - 40+13
Dc2 - 40+7

This was a little pet theory of mine, that tall women would give birth later than shorter women, but perhaps this is entirely bollocks!!

Best of luck op

I’m around that height and all of mine came on their due date plus or minus 2 days.

I'm five foot one and my oldest was ten days late and my second four days late and my little one born on his due date I've never heard this ?