When is a baby too big too deliver vaginally?

[carang]

oh, my goodness, what an awful story! you and your poor baby!

i have a friend who was in labour for FOUR days trying to deliver vaginally, without luck. she just didn't dilate. she ended up having a c-section. her baby was just over 6 lbs, not a large baby by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[Matty]

I remember Dr Dawkins bragging a few months ago ( not that he did any of the work) that he had helped deliver a 5kg baby vaginally!

 

[carang]

poor woman!

 

[joyofliving]

I am 5 feet and 5 inches (Medium built), my husband is close to 6 feet and my daughter was 3.5 kgs/ 20 inches at birth. Still she was too big for me to deliver. After 3 hours of intense pushing with no success, the doctor did an episiotomy (3rd degree) and used vaccum extractor. She was born blue due to the respiratory distress she suffered during long labour, had be resuscitated right after and put on oxygen for few days. I think with a big baby its always a good idea to do a C section rather than put the mother and baby at risk. A good doc should be able to figure out the baby's size and decide whats best.

 

[Koan]

My baby was too big for me. I'm 5'8, my husband is 5'7. Baby was 4.75kg and 23in. I pushed for hours and he didn't move. I had vacuum extraction and the dr was tugging like crazy trying to get him out. I couldn't sit down for weeks afterwards. Nobody had ANY idea the baby was that big. They told me later had they known, they would have done a c/s. By the way, I delivered at a public hospital.

 

[carang]

holy cow! that's almost 10.5 lbs! you poor thing!
hearing these stories, i'm so glad i didn't experience labour at all, for either pregnancy!

 

[bekyboo44]

Me too! C-sections tend to get a bad rap but I will always be greatful for the emergency c-section that enabled my son to be born healthy and well.