Natural Birth, why can't I?

[bfluck90]

Hi, I'm a mom of two beautiful little girls, 5 years and 11 months. I've always wanted to give birth naturally but couldn't with my two girls. With my first my obgyn tried to induced me at 40 wks and after a night and a day of trying nothing worked so we went with a c section, she was 9lbs 5oz with her head in the 90th percentile and body in the 70th, yes a very big baby. I was told that her size was the reason I couldn't go into labor.

With my second I was at 39 weeks, and no sign at all of going into labor anytime soon so we did an ultrasound to see how big the baby was and they were estimating that she was going to be 9 pounds, so we went with a c section again. She was the exact same as her sister, 9lbs 5oz.

My question is why did I give birth to "three months old" and why did I not go into labor after trying everything under the sun at home and in hospital with my first, and trying tons at home with my second? I'm 5ft 8inchs and roughly 175lbs, so I'm not tiny at all and can handle it. I've always wanted to go into labor naturally and have a natural birth, so why can't I?

 

[Eleanor ace]

I would think that your OB inducing you so soon probably played a big part in it. If you're not readyfor labour induction can take a while or not work. Int he UK you're usually left to go to 40+12 before induction because of the failure rate for induction before this (and going naturally generally being better for mum and baby). My 1st DS was on the large side (9lbs 15oz) and I'm quite small (5"2) and although he was predicted to be 10ish lbs I was told tat that wouldn't be a problem as far as starting labour went but that we could face some issues with pushing him out (although I was also told that with larger babies gravity is on your side which can help with the baby descending and with pushing them out).
I would check with your doctor whether there is any medical reason they are aware of why you didn't start labour but if not then I would personally hold off induction until you're overdue and readier for labour- as long as all is well with you and the LO of course. You may well find that your LO's just need a little more time to bake and that with an extra week they are ready to come naturally.

 

[bfluck90]

He did the induction at 40 wks cause I was measuring between 41 to 42 weeks and so far he has not found a reason why I couldn't go into labor. My mom also had a c section with me and my sister and I was 9lbs 10oz and my sister was 9lbs but they said she had to have a c section because she has scoliosis.

 

[MindUtopia]

Based on what you've said, it sounds like it could be because you've never been supported properly in a natural birth, nor given accurate information by your Obgyn. There's absolutely no medical reason to induce labour at 39 or 40 weeks because of a 'big baby'. There's no clinical research to support this leads to healthier babies or more natural births. But really, 9lbs 5oz isn't a big baby. It's a perfectly normal size for a full term baby and no reason you couldn't have birthed naturally. 11 lbs is a big baby, but plenty of 11 lb babies are born naturally. In fact, I have a friend who had her daughter who was 11lbs at home naturally, no pain relief at all, not even a tear. But it's because she was supported in that decision and given the right information to help her in making this choice. Several other friends have had 9lb+ babies naturally at 40 weeks with no problems and with total support from their midwives. Having an obgyn who isn't knowledgeable about natural birth or what's 'normal' and what isn't can be a huge obstacle to having a natural birth as you can get a lot of misinformation and not as much support as you deserve. I would also say just the decision to induce so early is much more likely to lead to intervention, either an instrumental delivery or c-section. 39 weeks is just the cusp of what's considered a safe time to offer induction, so it's really, really early, as is 40 weeks. Plenty of pregnancies go 41 or 42 weeks or even 43 weeks before labour starts naturally and that's perfectly fine. Again, there's no need to jump the gun and try to start things when baby isn't ready just because of a concern about size. If your labour had started naturally, and you hadn't been able to birth baby because she was too big (which is incredibly, incredibly rare, usually due only to genetic deformities of the pelvis which rarely happen in our modern age), you could have opted for a c-section then. More than likely, you would have had a natural birth just fine, but what you needed what a doctor who believed in that, had the right information and was used to supporting women during natural births. Unfortunately, too many obgyns now aren't used to that because it's faster and easier for them to induce or do a c-section rather than wait out a natural birth. But it IS possible. And there's absolutely nothing faulty about your body that means you couldn't do it with the right support system and the right medical advice.

 

[Iveneverseen]

I'm not sure but ive never herd of not going into labour because of big baby, i had a 9lbs 4oz baby and many big babies born in my family normally.

 

[bumphope]

I find the difference in approaches between the US and the UK incredible. Great advice here from you girls... I personally was planning to go to 42 weeks before accepting a sweep and 43 weeks before entertaining induction for fear of intervention. I've also been told (not that I've experienced this) that a big baby can come out more easily because they can better use gravity... Good luck love x

 

[shinona]

I agree with all of the above. My babies were 9lbs 3.5oz and 10lbs 14oz. Both labours started naturally and they were born at 40+12 and 40+11. A suspected big baby is not a medical reason to induce. You were just induced too early x

 

[CaT1285]

Agree with everyone above. If you're planning on another and you want a natural birth, maybe you need to switch docs. Maybe there are some good midwives in your area. There are some here who deliver in hospitals and there is also a birthing center. Not all do VBACs but some do.

 

[Feronia]

As the others have said, switch care providers... and look into a midwife! Why wouldn’t your OB allow you to go past 40 weeks? Plenty of women go well past 40 weeks with everything being normal. Ultrasounds are also horribly inaccurate at estimating fetal weight and can be off by 1-2 lbs at term. Chances are that you would have been able to have a large baby naturally! More often than not, and unless there is a structural problem or a complication like GD, your body won’t make a baby that it can’t push out. And give your body a chance to go into labour on its own!

 

[sethsmummy]

you didnt give birth to "3 month olds" .. you gave birth to perfectly healthy weighing newborns. Your body just obviously creates baby on the bigger side of the scale. Your body has never been allowed to attempt to even go into labour so that is why you have not been able to do it.

There is no reason to induce at 39/40 weeks just because of a suspected 9lb baby, this is misconduct on your obgyns part in my eyes and seems it was done for their convenience.

my sisters last 3 babies were all 10lb plus and were birthed naturally and fine. Your due date is just an estimate and does not mean your baby and body will be ready to labour then. Your body can be ready any time from 38 weeks to 42 weeks. IF your body is not ready then no matter what you do it will not bring on a natural labour. And even when hospital inductions do work they tend to lead to you needing more intervention during your birth. I was induced at 40+5 due to pre-eclampsia and ended up needing a forecep delivery because my son just wouldnt descend. x

 

[xxyjadexx]

I feel the same as you. I was induced at 39 weeks for high BP with my 1st and induced at 10 days overdue with my 2nd.

 

[bfluck90]

Thank you everyone, sorry I haven't had the chance to reply sooner, you have all given me hope that if I do choose to add more to my family that I can do it the way I want to. Now is it possible to do a vdac with two csections?

 

[Feronia]

Yes, it's certainly possible to have a vbac after 2 c-sections! Look around carefully for a supportive care provider.

 

[Kess]

Just to add to the chorus of condemnation of your OB!

My LO was born at 9lbs 5oz (bit of a surprise for 5'2", 110lbs me!), a natural birth at home at 40wks 4days. I know in America babies are often smaller due to induction-happy OBs, but really, 9lbs 5oz isn't huge, and anyway, there is no accurate way to judge size before birth - ultrasounds can be a pound or more either way inaccurate in 3rd trimester!

I can't comment on VBAC I'm afraid, but I wish you luck in getting the birth you want.