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View Full Version : narrow pelvis n birthing ball!!



prats
07-23-2010, 03:17 PM
My gyno just told me that I have a narrow pelvis and also that my baby is not very big but i might have trouble delivering vaginally.............has anyone been suggested to use the birth ball few days before labour to widen the pelvis..........does the birth ball help both b4 and during labour? any other suggestion??

KrisM
07-23-2010, 03:46 PM
I'd be really careful about that OB. Guess ahead of time that your pelvis is too small and you might have problems sounds like s/he is already thinking c-section for you. They used to, like in the 60s or 70s, x-ray women to see if their pelvis was big enough, but it's been determined that there is no way to tell if it'll work until it's time. Women's bodies were made to give birth. Honestly, I'd consider looking for another OB without such antiquated ideas.

daisymommy
07-23-2010, 03:50 PM
Yes, laboring on the birthing ball, with feet spread wide apart, and making your hips go in circular motions, round and round will help open up your pelvis and move baby down. For pushing baby out, I would use any squatting position, or with a squat bar, or birthing stool, as it will open up your pelvis nice and wide. I think they say up to 30% wider than if you were laying down.

I labored on the birthing ball right up until I was getting ready to push my DD out. Labor from breaking water to her being out was 3 hours total. I pushed part of the time on my knees, leaning over the head of the bed which was inclined, and the last part laying on my side. Anything but on my back (did that with #1 and it was the worst!--like pushing a boulder up hill and over a speed bump!).

Katigre
07-23-2010, 03:55 PM
I'd be really careful about that OB. Guess ahead of time that your pelvis is too small and you might have problems sounds like s/he is already thinking c-section for you. They used to, like in the 60s or 70s, x-ray women to see if their pelvis was big enough, but it's been determined that there is no way to tell if it'll work until it's time. Women's bodies were made to give birth. Honestly, I'd consider looking for another OB without such antiquated ideas.
Yes to this - I would switch OB's if they were saying this kind of thing to me.


Yes, laboring on the birthing ball, with feet spread wide apart, and making your hips go in circular motions, round and round will help open up your pelvis and move baby down. For pushing baby out, I would use any squatting position, or with a squat bar, or birthing stool, as it will open up your pelvis nice and wide. I think they say up to 30% wider than if you were laying down.

I labored on the birthing ball right up until I was getting ready to push my DD out. Labor from breaking water to her being out was 3 hours total. I pushed part of the time on my knees, leaning over the head of the bed which was inclined, and the last part laying on my side. Anything but on my back (did that with #1 and it was the worst!--like pushing a boulder up hill and over a speed bump!).
Totally agree with her suggestions - which is why the OB's comment you have too narrow a pelvis is unreliable if you can widen it by so much depending on your laboring position!

swissair81
07-23-2010, 04:24 PM
ITA with everyone above me. Not only are women's bodies meant to give birth, babies are meant to be born. Their skull plates aren't fused so they can slide over each other while descending the birth canal. Women also usually make babies that are the right size & shape for them to birth. Your OB is setting you up so you won't be disappointed when she has decided your labor is too long for her.

prats
07-23-2010, 05:31 PM
i go to a clinic where there is group of OBs.....out of the 4 I see only one has told me this..........so i guess i will be careful not to have her if possible during my delivery....

So will using the birthing ball help me relax or widen pelvis at this stage? or its not gonna make any difference.......I am due on 30th july!!
will it help in thinning n dilation of cervix which havent begun yet!!!

american_mama
07-23-2010, 06:12 PM
>> i go to a clinic where there is group of OBs.....out of the 4 I see only one has told me this..........so i guess i will be careful not to have her if possible during my delivery....


Do you have any ability to control who is at your delivery? If you just have to take whoever is on call, then the only thing you can really do is get prepared beforehand. What matters to you about your birth.... is it avoiding a c section, being free of pain, avoiding an episiotomy, or not getting an epidural? Figure that out and say is clearly and often to those involved in your birth (your husband/labor partner, each ob you see between now and the birth, in your written birth plan, and to the delivery nurse when you arrive at the hospital). How do you relate to your ob's.... do you tend to closely adhere to their recommendations, are you comfortable doing independent researchand making your knowledge and desires known? What will you say or do if your ob starts talking c section in labor but you don't feel it's the right decision or right time? That is probably THE central question for you to answer, and you must think it through and communicate it to people beforehand because labor is no time for rational thought.

The best ways to avoid a c section are: don't go to the hospital too early, move around during labor/walk/change positions (might mean delaying an epidural until you've reached a certain point of dilation), and try not to give birth on your back (might be hard to avoid if you have an epidural). At least those are ones that seem relevant to you.

I'd strongly consider hiring a doula if you can afford it, because you are really short on time to get yourself really well-researched. I havent' read it, but "Creating Your Birth Plan" by MArsden Wagner might be good for you, http://www.amazon.com/Creating-Your-Birth-Plan-Definitive/dp/0399532579

>> So will using the birthing ball help me relax or widen pelvis at this stage? or its not gonna make any difference.......I am due on 30th july!!
will it help in thinning n dilation of cervix which havent begun yet!!!

I don't think a birth ball before labor will help widen the pelvis, but it might help move your baby into an ideal position in case he/she is not. If your baby is big and/or pelvis is small (two big IF's), then getting baby into the ideal position matters all the more. Check out www.spinningbabies.com. I do think sitting and rotating on a birth ball during labor can help baby rotate and descend, and it helps keep you upright, gives you and your partner something to focus on and do.

As for thinning and dilation of the cervix, I don't recall the normal timing of that so everything may or may not be on target. But taking evening primrose oil should help and can't hurt. It helps soften and ripen your cervix. I took mine orally, although some think inserting it into the vagina is better, and I got mine at CVS. I don't recall the dosage, but you can google it.

daisymommy
07-23-2010, 07:58 PM
What you need to realize (and what doctors fail to remember) is that the pelvis is not a fixed size that stays that way, set in stone. It opens up and expands to fit your baby through it. Think positive, and try the suggestions here. You can do it!

SnuggleBuggles
07-23-2010, 09:23 PM
Blah. Sorry, but a small pelvis can not be diagnosed without a trial of labor and delivery- in a position other than flat on your back, ideally without your membranes ruptured either. Your pelvis will naturally widen during birth, especially if yuo try different labor and delivery positions. Don't let them do a c-section if all is well and pushing is taking a while. Take a break, regroup, labor down and get on your hands and knees. My midwives wanted me to birth my 9+lb baby on my hands and knees if there was any sign of him not coming down easily since that position opens your pelvis up 30% more than being on your back.

When they try and diagnose "too big baby" before labor that means you need to know your stuff and be prepared to try different things if you want to increase your chance of a vaginal delivery. No one can tell from the outside of you what the inside is capable of. I am petite, small framed and birthed 2 bigger babies. Some larger, broader women have trouble- you just never can tell!!

Birthing ball in labor is a great thing, btw!!

Beth

AshleyAnn
07-23-2010, 09:31 PM
I'd also question the OB's motives. My OB noted that I am quite petite and did mention if the baby took after her father I may have a rougher labor but said to worry about it in the last trimester when we had a better picture. He thought the opening in my pelvis felt small at 9 weeks but also said he had no idea how much it would widen as the pregnancy progressed. In the end I had an induction and had an epi but did successfully deliver vaginally without any issues from my pelvis

SnuggleBuggles
07-23-2010, 09:41 PM
Dilation and effacement before labor is pretty meaningless, which is why I didn't bother getting checked with ds2. I was so excited to be 1-2cm, 70-80$ at 37 weeks but I still went to 42 weeks. At 41w5d I was a whopping 2cm and 90% so not a lot happened but I still went into labor naturally and had my baby. Try not to worry about what's going on in there, except for the good link about baby's ideal positioning. When baby is ready for labor to start it will start whether you are high and closed or have been 4+cm for weeks.

Beth

AshleyAnn
07-23-2010, 10:54 PM
I agree with Beth about dialation and effacement. I was so excited at 32 weeks to be at -1 station, 1 cm dialated, and very very thin. I held those exact stats for 3 weeks. Before my induction and even then it took 12 hrs of cervidal and 4 of pit to get my body to make any more progress.

When I did dialate it was FAST - 1.5 cm to 9 and crowning in under 15 minutes and the baby was here 10 minutes later. This was with a midgrade dose of pit and having my waters broken for me.

citymama
07-24-2010, 01:31 AM
If women with seemingly narrow pelvises couldn't deliver vaginally, there would be no Chinese or Indian kids! Seriously, as the others have said, you can't eyeball that without a trial of labor and I would be very wary of any OB saying that. What does he/she get out of that other than reducing your confidence and prepping you in advance for a c-section? That's total BS.

Edensmum
07-24-2010, 11:22 PM
There is no way for them to know how the baby will fit and no reason for them to say something to shake your confidence. You body is made to deliver this baby. Changing position and having great support during labor are your best bets. Not listening to OBs who say ridiculous things like this too. Do you have a good doula? That will really help, the birth ball is a good idea. As is changing position, avoiding medication and not consenting to intervention without true medical need. The OB saying this to you now is a real red flag that they are thinking of a lot of intervention before you are even in labor. Please remember that you do not need to consent to things you do not want, a doula can help you with further info. You do not need to stay with a provider just because it's late in the game. You can do this.

marymoo86
07-26-2010, 02:26 PM
Been doing a lot of reading about the use of birthing balls and seems like a good thing for me with back problems - for both before and during labor.

Anyone tried/recommend the regular round ball, egg shaped, or the peanut? The round shapes are easily found but no the other two.

brittone2
07-27-2010, 09:18 AM
Yep, echoing the PPs I'd have my doubts about this OB.

The pelvis is not a fixed structure. There are *tons* of ligaments that hold it together, and one cannot predict how much or how little these ligaments will stretch in labor. Many women have ligaments that have more give even w/ a small pelvis and have absolutely no problem. The hormonal changes of pregnancy make those ligaments more lax for a reason!!!


I'd definitely look at laboring in different positions (hands and knees, birth ball, tailor sitting, etc) and use those positions to your advantage.

Do NOT allow this OB to undermine your confidence in your body. Please.

eta: Penny Simkin is a physical therapist that does a lot of work with birth positions, etc. She's what got me interested in natural childbirth in the first place, because as a PT a lot of standard practice things for pushing, etc. made no sense to me from an anatomical standpoint.
http://www.pennysimkin.com/ I've seen her books at B&N

Positions for labor:
http://transitiontoparenthood.com/ttp/parented/pain/positions.htm

swissair81
07-27-2010, 09:20 AM
Been doing a lot of reading about the use of birthing balls and seems like a good thing for me with back problems - for both before and during labor.

Anyone tried/recommend the regular round ball, egg shaped, or the peanut? The round shapes are easily found but no the other two.

I've seen the peanut on ebay & in regular shops that sell balls. My DS' PT wanted me to get one for him & I started noticing them all over after I bought one.

prats
08-01-2010, 08:35 AM
hey guys i delivered a healthy and adorable baby gal vaginally..........i laboured at home for as long as i could and so was dilated upto 8 , when i reached the hospital!!!
thanks for all the help

swissair81
08-01-2010, 08:38 AM
hey guys i delivered a healthy and adorable baby gal vaginally..........i laboured at home for as long as i could and so was dilated upto 8 , when i reached the hospital!!!
thanks for all the help

Congratulations! That's great news. Glad everything worked out.

prats
08-01-2010, 08:54 AM
Congratulations! That's great news. Glad everything worked out.

hey thanks!!!

i was looking for a good band for post partum tummy...............i want to try one whether it works or not!!.........do u have any recommendations? want to buy one today

swissair81
08-01-2010, 09:07 AM
Gotta be honest & say I've never used one. I was thinking of it for this time. No experience with any though.

KrisM
08-01-2010, 09:15 AM
hey thanks!!!

i was looking for a good band for post partum tummy...............i want to try one whether it works or not!!.........do u have any recommendations? want to buy one today

Congrats!

No recs for you - I'd start another thread for that.

liamsmom
08-01-2010, 12:23 PM
Congratulations on the birth of your DD! :yay:

I started reading this thread with a lot of concern--"narrow pelvis" being a red flag and all--and it turned out so well! Very happy for you.

SnuggleBuggles
08-01-2010, 08:32 PM
That's fantastic! Congratulations on your new baby!!! :)

Beth

essnce629
08-02-2010, 05:59 AM
Congrats on your baby!!! That's awesome that you were able to stay home for as long as you did!

I wore a postpartum band after both of my births and I think it helped a lot. I just got mine at BRU the first time around. This one I think:
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2864114

The second time around I had a pull-on stomach-cincher-thingy that I had wore for my friend's wedding a few years ago when I was her maid of honor and I just wore that. It was not a "postpartum" support and was pull-on so it was harder to put on and I had to wait till a few days after birth to start using it, but it was more comfortable than the one I had with DS1 (the velcro had been kind of scratchy). It was similar to this one: http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=224130