Kathy D wrote:

>You may have broad hips and a large pelvic outlet, you may have
>narrow hips and a large pelvic outlet.

Kathy or anyone else, is this pelvic outlet dependably measurable before
conception?

A physician recently told my daughter who is average size and was very well
nourished as a child, that she had "a narrow pelvis and might have trouble
with births." Perhaps she was considering the pelvic girdle instead of the
outlet.

I have a niece who is about 4'9" and was a tiny preemie at birth. She is
small all over, but she had 6 full-sized babies, including a set of twins
who were about 6 pounds at birth. Her births were vaginal and without
complication.

I also have a small Korean friend who delivered a 9 pound baby at home
without any complications or vaginal trauma. Of course, she was in optimal
health and had prepared herself and her perineum very well.

I know that Susan clarified her situation with her "stuck" baby, but this
discussion is a good reminder that of all of the mothers who are told that
they must have a c-section because the baby is too big, some are being
"misled." It is terrible frightening to be told during active labor that
your baby is "too big" to come through your small birth canal. It is not a
time to debate the issue.


Pat Gima, IBCLC
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Mailto:[log in to unmask]

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