Too Big for Vaginal Birth

My doc predicted I would have a 9 lb baby give or take a pound, and he came out at 10 lb 5oz. I delivered vaginally, and didn't have any problems with him getting stuck in the birth canal (at size 8 prepregnancy), however I did tear quite a bit. Now I am on baby #2 and I am already measuring bigger than baby #1 at this same time. For some reason it scares me more to have a csection than to deliver vag, and I wonder which recovery is worse. Its a scarey thing, but I guess, when it comes down to it, I would rather have a csection than have a broken baby. And I did fine the first time even though recovery was really hard, but I imagine it would be just as bad with a csection. If I had to do it again, I would do it the same. I'm glad I got to deliver w/o surgery and the baby was perfectly fine with no vacuums or assistance from doc. Maybe we were lucky, I don't know. But any bigger of a baby and I just don't know!

It is so difficult for docs to predict which babies will be big and how much trouble you will have. With my first son, I did not "measure" big and the OB kept reassuring me that the baby was not going to be big even though I had gained over 50 lbs (starting pregnancy at 118 and ending over 170). My son was 9 lbs 8 ozs, and when the OB saw his head crowning she started to cry and gave me an episiotomy right away. His head got stuck...then his shoulders got stuck...then his hips got stuck...somehow we both came out uninjured, but it took me over 26 hours to get him out. Now I'm pregnant with my second and due in a few weeks and they are watching me closely and have sent me to a high-risk perinatologist for ultrasounds several times. I have one more at 37 weeks, next week, and I guess they will decide then if they will allow me to go to term or induce me early. They swear this one is average size, but that's what they said about the last one, LOL.

Before I had my daughter I was in love with the idea of natural childbirth as nature intended, and selected a midwife who would help me deliver. My midwife allowed me to get to 43 weeks pregnant and was reluctant to induce even then. It wasn't till the hospital insisted I be induced or they wouldn't accept the liability of me being there that she agreed. I was induced, had 24 hours of contractions with little progression, finally I got pitocin. Then I reached 10 cm and pushed for almost 7 hours. My daughter was sunny side up coming down the birth canal and ended up weighing 9 lbs.2 oz. (I was a smal narrow hippedl size 6 (well 8 now, lol) I pushed for 7 hours until finally my midwife (who had a "vaginal delivery no matter what mentality" and who allowed me to get to 43 weeks pregnant in the first place) call ed a OB in. The OB used a vacuum assist method and my daughter was out in 17 minutes after that. I now suffer from bladder prolapse and cannot run anymore because of the constant vaginal pressure. I am considering surgery. If I knew then what I know now, I would have chose an OB from the beginning, been induced earlier and considered a C-section if needed.

I was told that my baby would be 13lb born. I was terrified and although my doctor was encouraging me to try to deliver her normally I was seriously considering an elective section. I did however deliver her vaginally and she only weighed 8lb 6.5oz. I did tear quite extensively and am experiencing some stress incontinence. I am unsure as to the decision I would make if I were told I was having a large baby in the future, but I think it is important for the mother to be to make an informed decision.

I delivered my first child when I was 19 years old. At that time I was in terrific shape. My daughter was 6 pounds 15 ounces. During that year I had absolutely no problems with leakage. Less than 2 years later I delivered a son. He was 9 pounds 8 ounces. His head size was 115 percent for his weight, and I delivered him after 36 hours of labor vaginally. His collar bone broke during delivery. He was big. I had problems with leakage after that. I somehow managed to get back into shape with the help of lots of Kotex. Eight years later I had another son who weighed 9 pounds 5 ounces after a much faster vaginal delivery. The leakage was worse. Jumping jacks are out of the question. I can barely jog. It's been 15 years. It's time to look into getting this fixed. I've gained 50 pounds because I just don't want to exersize. I plan to look into surgery. I'll let you know what happens. Kegels don't help either.