Pain at the front of pelvis when crowning? - please help

[Kess]

I asked this before, a couple of years ago, but there are many more people had babies in that time, and it's worrying me again so I thought I'd ask again.

When I had my son, before and as he was crowning I didn't feel any ring of fire or anything, no stinging, just a hellishly strong and sharp pain at the front of my pelvis above the vaginal opening (sort of beneath my clitoris) every time his head advanced. It eased somewhat each time his head receded, and at the point his head stayed on the brink of being born because the pain didn't ease that time I actually begged the MW to "Push him back in" (yeah, very sensible I know ) as the pain was so severe. I'd been fine the rest of labour, contraction pains were easily coped with, no transition to speak of, I'd dilated very quickly and was just chilling with G&A in the pool. But this pain was something else, it didn't feel like the rest of labour. It felt deeper, not skin stretching or muscles working.

And delivering his head took longer than expected, MW's notes say over and over every 5 minutes or so "vertex almost crowning" - "vertex visible" first written at 00:20, 01:40 "vertex now crowning" and it was 01:54 when his head was actually delivered. I don't know what is normal in terms of time taken, but I got the impression from MW that it was longer than expected.

Delivering his shoulders hurt badly too, but was quicker and I desperately wanted it over with and just kept pushing.

My MW said it was the symphisis pubis stretching as LO had a larger than average head (36cm) and I'm petite. We're planning TTC soon and I'm scared. Rest of labour, a doddle, this pain... making me hesitate. I am scared of feeling it again - I can still remember it exactly nearly 3 years later. And I'm scared incase it was a matter of a tight fit - what if the next one is bigger? What if the next one actually gets stuck?

Can anyone offer any similar experiences, advice, or extra knowledge about what may have been going on? Any professionals explain at all?

 

[UniqueBeauty]

I didn't want to read and run but don't let it ruin trying for another baby. Every birth is different and there's always pain relief too. A friend of mine had her baby last year and she went through so much bless her, long story short her baby got stuck and she was sent for a C-section. Baby and mother were fine!

 

[Eleanor ace]

Ooh this sounds similar to what I felt with DS. Yeouch!! Like you I was fine with the rest of labour, a bit of gas and air, a bit of the ol' rocking of hips, nothing too bad. Then pushing happened and it felt like my pelvis might infact burst apart and out of my body . It took 2 hours to push DS out and his head kept going back in, I narrowly avoided intervention, thankfully. DS came out with his hand up by his face and the MW told me that this is what was causing the pain at the front. So maybe your LO had his hand or arm up and pushing on your pelvis and brought it back just before he was delivered?
My 2nd birth was different, it took 14 minutes to push her out and I didn't get the front of pelvis pain .

 

[OnjNairne]

I'm not sure that I had the same pain, but I can tell you, with my 1st, it was definitely the head coming out that scarred me. Remembering that pain made me terrified for the next. With my 2nd, although it still hurt, it took 1/2 the time to push baby out, and there was no such pain involved (and my 2nd was bigger).

If you are hoping for another, I wouldn't let that pain be your deterrent!


Good luck!!

 

[Kess]

Thank you all for taking the time to reply.

I didn't want to read and run but don't let it ruin trying for another baby. Every birth is different and there's always pain relief too. A friend of mine had her baby last year and she went through so much bless her, long story short her baby got stuck and she was sent for a C-section. Baby and mother were fine!

Pain relief other than G&A and birth pool a no-go at home unfortunately, and I can't imagine having a baby anywhere but home. But I guess is baby truly gets stuck there's the option of transferring for a c-section, that's true.

Ooh this sounds similar to what I felt with DS. Yeouch!! Like you I was fine with the rest of labour, a bit of gas and air, a bit of the ol' rocking of hips, nothing too bad. Then pushing happened and it felt like my pelvis might infact burst apart and out of my body . It took 2 hours to push DS out and his head kept going back in, I narrowly avoided intervention, thankfully. DS came out with his hand up by his face and the MW told me that this is what was causing the pain at the front. So maybe your LO had his hand or arm up and pushing on your pelvis and brought it back just before he was delivered?
My 2nd birth was different, it took 14 minutes to push her out and I didn't get the front of pelvis pain .

Yes, that's it, like your pelvis might just burst apart! I'm glad to hear your second was easier. Fingers crossed that's the same for me! My Mom says my pelvis may be bigger now as DS pre-stretched it for the next one.

I'm not sure that I had the same pain, but I can tell you, with my 1st, it was definitely the head coming out that scarred me. Remembering that pain made me terrified for the next. With my 2nd, although it still hurt, it took 1/2 the time to push baby out, and there was no such pain involved (and my 2nd was bigger).

If you are hoping for another, I wouldn't let that pain be your deterrent!

Good luck!!

I want another baby more than I'm scared of that pain, but I don't want the fear of the pain to slow labour or make it harder. I'm glad even though your second was bigger you didn't get as much pain.

I think maybe I ate too much with DS, he was a big baby and I was starving all the time through pregnancy (eating was the only thing to stave off my all-day sickness for the first 4 months, so I ate nearly constantly). It's one of those things though - was he big because I ate too much, or did I eat loads because he was big and 'asking' for the nutrients?