pelvic bone structure??

[petal80]

Hi all

New mum / new member

had an emergency ceaser after long drawn out labor
this was due to the bone structure in my pelvis - flat pubic bone or something like that.... apparently this is something that is unable to be picked up until you are in labor (and in my case fully dialed and up to the pushing stage)

Ive been told I'll never be able to have a natural birth - which doesnt phase me out too much as I went thru 36hours of labor - 4 spent pushing - so i figure that Ive done enough labor to last a life time. I think that I was only a little shocked cause Im not a small woman - curvey size 16.... I always conciderd myself to have 'good child baring hips'

just wanted to know if anyone else has the same 'condition' ??

BB

[dee dee]

Hi,

I don't have the same condition, so I can't offer any support on that front sorry. But I do know that physical size(eg 16,18) isn't an indication that childbirth will be easy. My OB actually sent me for a pelvic x ray several weeks before my dd was due just to make sure that my pelvis could accommodate her.

[petal80]

its funny about the asumptions that we make in life,
I just always thought that I could have a natural birth,
I find it interesting that you were sent for an x-ray - was your baby not engaged? or just a fluke that your OB sent you there?
As Roxy was fully engaged

[cath]

Hi there,
I had my son Patrick 11 days ago and like you am a curvy size 16 and thought I would have no dramas with natural childbirth - has been the one consoling thought about having these hips. However after being induced for 17 hours ( 5 hours full on contractions) I only dilated 1 cm and Paddy's head would not engage. I was told by my Ob. after ending up having a caesarean, as it realistically didn't look like I was ever going to give birth naturally to my boofy headed boy, that my pelvis was not big enough from front to back -not side to side so had nothing to do with my hip size.
You poor thing with you 36 hour labour -4 hours of pushing is a bloody long time. You must have been exhausted. At least our babies are out and safe and I personally have no qualms about my decision to have the caesarean and am highly likely to have to do it again (didn't think about my husbands round head and broad shoulders when conceiving - likely to always have decent size babies -Paddy was 9lb,1.5oz). Hope all is going well with you.

Cath

[JanetF]

You might like to read this.
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/pelvis.asp

I'm not saying it's impossible but I'm saying it's pretty unlikely that you have a defective pelvis. You would also benefit from the Pink Kit which teaches you how to understand the shape of your individual pelvis and work with it to maximise your birthing potential. You can buy it in Australia and many birth support groups are also happy to lend it out.
http://www.birthingbetter.com/

[dee dee]

Petal80,

My OB sent me because he said he liked to explore all avenues. After much discussion I decided to have the x rays done. Pelvis was fine, but after 41+ weeks of pregnancy dd was not engaged and my cervic was still not ready.

[petal80]

cath

glad to hear you went thru the same thing - well not glad but you know what I mean

Roxy was 9lb 11oz -

Yes I was so exhusted at the end of my labor (which is another reason for the ceasar) but I kept pushing myself along thru it. I went on thurday 8pm night and was induced with the gel - contractions started at 1am Friday morning - long story short - it took forever for me to dialate, they broke my waters (ouch) and used the drip etc etc - got down to saturdy morning was fully diatalted - started to push ... but after almost 4hours the midwife my OB and I decided that it wasnt working - they explained the problem with my pubic bone to me and roxy had also shifted position a bit too + I was exhusted - so ceasar it was.

and once they say your having a c-section its pretty quick from there .. as you would know

[Mamaduke]

Janetf,
You are dangerous.
According to you, no one has any excuse for having a c/s and everyone should try vbacs and natural births regardless of what specialists have said.
You need to be careful about what you preach and the messages you are conveying to people.
You can't just assume that because you prefer it (a natural birth), then that is what's best for others.
I wonder if you were legally bound to your opinions and advice (as doctors and specialists are), if you would be so forthcoming and adamant.
Carly
mama to...
Jesse 4
Lucas 16mths
- my two beautiful c/s boys!!!!

[Kat]

Because I see that there has been some 'issues' raised in this thread I'm going to tell a little bit of my birth story here to shed some light on why exploring *all* our options and allowing all opinions to be expressed is a good positive thing. (regardless of whether we agree or disagree, are soothed or scared by other's stories / opinions / posts)

After 20 hours of labour I had a caesarean. I was bullied into it. I was told that I needed to have it 'before my baby went into distress', this after 18 hours of unhelpful comments like "you've been at this a while haven't you dear, and you just don't feel like you're getting anywhere do you?" among other things. My ob. told me on day 4 (the first day he deigned to appear) that I had CPD and could vaginally birth a *smaller* baby but not one that big again. (my DD was 10 lb 7 oz)

However...

I know NOW that I had other complications causing me to be in more pain that strictly necessary also I now give full credit to my body's 'flight or fight' response - I felt nothing but frightened, negative and unsupported and unsafe in the hospital - and therefore 'held' my baby in. I have researched this and know its possible. I'm not claiming that all mothers do it, or should do it or anything. Just letting others know I don't need a debate started on the whole fight or flight thing. If you disagree with my conclusions about my own labour, please I don't need to hear it - just take your disagreement and do your own research, or simmer quietly to yourself!

Also I am the lucky owner of a CT scan of my body as at 7 months post-labour post-caesarean. And I find I have a pretty 'small' pelvis (according to obstetric information anyway) at JUST under 10cm diagonally! This CT scan was taken with me lying flat on my back, breath held.

It is well documented among midwifery & birth research that the pelvis is up to 3cm (I think its 3 could be 2cm) more and less open depending on the positioning of said pelvis. Roughly translated that means that my pelvis *was* big enough to birth my daughter's giant head, as long as I was in an open-pelvis position such as squatting.

Also the article that Janet linked was a very good one, there is nothing to abuse about the link...in the opening paragraph it states

. Pelvises open at three stretch points—the symphisis pubis and the two sacroiliac joints.

This is a known fact - ask any physio. Pelvis's are flexible (or are meant to be) at these joints. Obviously there are mitigating factors for everyone's pelvis.

I'm not saying that anyone who has been told they have CPD and choose a second elective CS is wrong. Thats YOUR choice! I'm saying that *some* of us who in hindsight see how we allowed ourselves to be manoevered into caesareans we didn't want or need (my DD had apgars of 9 and 10 - she was not in ANY danger) who are reading this information can benefit greatly from the glimmer of hope given by posts that permit us to recognise and explore our innner truths - that we are able to choose vaginal birth without fear of baby 'getting stuck'

That is my story. That has been my journey of hope and healing. Because of people like Janet I have grabbed hold of my 'life-raft' and now am more confident of my future birth choices and options.

For me having a caesarean was a physically, mentally and emotionally devastating experience. I am healed by realising how I went wrong, who I believed when I shouldn't have etc etc. Now I am just praying my DH can also recover from HIS traumatic experience - he is still experiencing severe Post-traumatic side effects from the caesarean that didn't need to be (except to help me wise up for next time)

Kat
(I am not a doctor, nor medically trained. I write from the perspective of a woman who is sharing what she's experienced, and researched. Nothing more and nothing less.)

[Mother Duck]

Kat - thank you for posting your birthing experience

It was well written, even keeled and good of you to share with us.



I wish you best of luck and care with all your future birthing and if it does end up being a CS (for the right reasons not for bullying) well then so be it - once again healthy baby happy mummy!