Shoulder dystocia Puns

Hi everyone

I'm a diet controlled GB. I'm currently 38+4 and based on baby's weight so far, I should (hopefully) be okay to last until my due date before being induced. I say "should" because I have an ultrasound in two days that'll confirm if that's still the course. At 36 weeks baby was approximately 75% percentile.

Lately I have been extremely scared and anxious about shoulder dystocia risk with bigger babies and the increased risk with diabetics. I am debating whether I should opt for a c section if baby is measuring above 8lbs at the ultrasound in two days. I was hoping to hear some positive stories of moms with GB who delivered a 8-9lbs baby vaginally with no issues. Or stories of anyone who did experience shoulder dystocia...what was the baby's weight? How serious was the situation?

Basically I'm wondering how much higher is the risk for a mom with GB if the baby is projected between 4000-4500g?

Thank you in advance.

• one super anxious mama

Hi Mama's!

Had my doctor appointment today and went over my 36 week ultrasound. Baby is showing 85th percentile for weight, 92nd percentile for abdominal circumference and as per a previous consultation with OB it was suggested to induce during 39 weeks, so next Friday will put me at 39+1. Baby has potential macrosomia and I'm 5'3 with higher BMI. BP has been normal entire pregnancy and no GD thankfully.

My mind hasn't stopped racing... Baby girl could potentially be here late next week!! I'm going through all the checklist of what I need last minute, and what I can do to prepare for her arrival.

I am also heavily focused about the induction process.. we are going to cervical check next Tues (38+5) to see if I am dilated at all, and doc will likely do a membrane sweep.

Now that the time is almost upon me I'm debating on epidural, and pain management options.. initially I was all for it. Let's do this. But now I am thinking if baby is bigger and I'm smaller structured the risk of shoulder dystocia is higher so with an epidural I may not be as 'flexible' so to speak, to maneuver to help get her dislodged.

Anyone have any advice on macrosomia babies and smaller Mama's? BMI is higher but I'm not a large frame at 5'3.

Hugs to all and stay safe!

Came to the hospital on Monday aug 16 early for my ob to break my water as I was already 3-4 cm. My nurse who was with me the whole time I wasn’t a fan of. Her cervical check was horrendous compared to my ob and the other nurse that I saw periodically. I told the horrendous nurse to stop checking me twice as it was painful af!My husband even had to step in to tell her to stop. Her argument was that if she can’t check me she can’t give me the epidural to start things. Fine. After this I had such distain for her and I didn’t want her in the room with me and I kept wondering when her shift was going to end. Other nurse checked me. Got set up for the epidural and my anesthesiologist was super nice and laid back. She told my husband to be in front of me and keep me calm as I am nervous as all hell of this part of labor. Husband started falling back and had a blank look on his face- I said “husband are u ok?! “ And he fell to the floor, luckily he didn’t hit his head, couldn’t believe that he fainted! Nurses and an ER dr. came rushing in as my bare back was being set up for the epidural-I was just out there for everyone to see but I didn’t care- just worried about my husband. He got up and they gave him an iv and fell over again! They brought him to emerge- and he was fine. Epidural in, and it was working, but I could still feel contractions. They started becoming more intense as the pressure was building. Felt like I had to poop and so I wanted to push- I told the horrendous nurse and again she said she would have to check me to see if I could start pushing but she called the other nurse to come in and do it this time. She checked me and she said she couldn’t tell if I was 9 or 10 but to do a practice push to see if she could feel baby’s head. And at that point I think she said she could feel her. My ob came and then we started pushing. I swear they didn’t turn up my epidural because I could feel everything. I kept pushing and pushing and I was screaming in pain because 1: baby girl was stuck in the canal and my doc was trying to maneuver her out and 2: burning ring of fire which apparently even if you had an epidural if they don’t turn it up you can feel it. 3: baby girl ended up being 9.5 lbs! So yeah it ended up being traumatic because my baby wasn’t breathing when she was out and because she had a hard time coming out my on had to pull her quite a bit which did some damage to my baby’s arm (brachial plexus) so now I have to take her to a specialist but tha

Was going to just post a short summary in a daily chat but this ended up getting kind of long. I always enjoy reading birth stories so wanted to share mine as well.

Because we did IVF, My doctor did not want me to go past my due date (6/16) so she recommended scheduling an induction for a few days prior. We arrived at the hospital 6/13 around 9PM, got situated in our room and then started cytotec overnight. The 1st dose did nothing but after the second I was about 2-3 cm dilated when I was checked in the morning so they started me on pitocin.

Pretty much immediately after starting the pitocin I started having really painful contractions in my back. My nurse was great about suggesting alternate ways to lay / sit although I was a bit limited by the monitoring equipment and IV.

After that we mainly just hung out and watched TV / movies most of the day. I wasn't allowed to eat anything solid but I could have clear liquids so I did get to have a popsicle and some jello. My doctor was originally going to come in to check me and break my water around lunchtime but ended up being delayed. They were still ramping up the pitocin throughout the day so by the time she came in (I think around 4pm) I was starting to have some pretty bad contractions. The cervix check (4-5cm by now) my doctor did at this point prior to breaking my water was excruciating. I was in tears at this point due to the level of pain so I requested and got the epidural which was heaven. The worst part was the few minutes laying on my back waiting for the medicine to spread where it needed to go.

After that, I was able to mainly rest / nap while dilating from 4 to 10cm so I was very glad I had gotten the epidural. As I got closer to fully dilated, I started having some pain through the epidural so hit the button to up it a few times and generally was doing ok. I started to have some back pain again as well as pain in my lower abdomen (nurse thought this was likely pressure from baby?) The nurse kept trying to reposition me but I could not get comfortable at this point. Lying on my side hurt, leaning back at all hurt. Leaning forward relieved the pain a bit but kept screwing up the monitors. I also was getting nauseous at this point and threw up once so they gave me something to help with the nausea and that seemed to help.

I was finally fully dilated and ready to start pushing around midnight. The nurse said that the amniotic fluid appeared to have meconium in it so they let the NICU

I know this might be a long shot but has anybody with GD diagnosis also have any experience with shoulder Dystocia?

My last child was born 8 lbs, 13ounces and suffered from shoulder Dystocia (the shoulders are too wide and get stuck in the birth canal). Luckily we were able to get her out with some manipulation (that was extremely uncomfortable and scary) with no side effects! I was NOT diagnosed with GD that time.

Fast forward to this baby. Currently 37 weeks with GD, history of shoulder Dystocia now, and measuring ahead. Doc has mentioned c-section but is ultimately leaving it up to me if I want to do a vaginal birth and I am so torn! I feel like I want to agree to c-section because I am scared for the shoulder Dystocia and how big he may be but my head is saying I’m crazy for wanting a c-section!

I had a growth scan at 35w2d and my baby was measuring over the 99th percentile in her abdomen and approximately 7lbs.

I went back for another growth scan today at 38w2d and baby is still measuring ahead specifically in her abdomen. in this area, she was measuring close to 41 weeks, 95th percentile, and they estimated overall weight to be 8lbs6oz currently. her head is measuring normal in the 67th percentile.

My doctor knows I want a vaginal delivery, but he is also concerned with her abdominal size and the increased risk for shoulder dystocia. because of this, we decided we would try for a vaginal delivery should she come on her own before my May 24 due date. if she's not here by then, he recommended a c-section and it's now on the calendar for May 25th. he does not recommend induction for a large baby. Fwiw, I don't have GD and baby is looking totally healthy. I'm not sure why she is gaining so fast in her abdomen/belly.

I have mixed feelings about the plan. Ultimately I just want to do what is best/safest for my baby.

Any other mamas going or gone through something similar? I'm scared and anxious and a little sad and just hope she decides to come on her own before scheduled c section.

So I had my 36 week ultrasound about 2 weeks ago and was told my baby weighed 7lbs 8oz. A few days later at my appointment my doctor gave me some readings and a waiver to sign about shoulder dystocia. I also found out I'm still severely anemic since my 28th week of pregnancy. I am terrified! I honestly don't know what to do, I had my 2 oldest children vaginally. & it doesn't help that every ultrasound tech I've had since (had 2 l&d visits since my appointment) have mentioned how big she is. Any other momma's experienced this? Any stories to share or encouragement or links to learn more about this?

A year ago when I delivered my first born, we experienced shoulder dystocia during delivery. This is when the baby’s shoulder gets stuck behind the pubic bone on its way out. She’s fine, thankfully, although she did have a broken clavicle and needed to some assistance with her breathing but was fine after that. Basically they tried to hyper extend my hips, which didn’t work. According to my husband, my midwife basically stuck her arm in and pulled the baby out.

My question is if anyone experienced shoulder dystocia with one delivery, did it happen again? I’m terrified that if I get pregnant again, that I won’t be able to deliver in a safe place where they can identify and correctly respond to shoulder dystocia - aka, randomly on the side of the highway or something.

Cross posted. Sorry this is so long but wanted to get my story out there because reading other women's stories helped me a lot! My baby measured 9 lbs at a 2nd growth ultrasound right before the 40 week mark and my doctor said if I exceeded 40 weeks, they'd schedule an induction at the 41 week mark (1/9) and I could have an elective c-section because the baby measured big with risk of shoulder dystocia and I had prediabetes. I pretty much panicked - I was not prepared for a csection, I was only educated on vaginal birth because that was what I planned to do. But I was so scared of the risks with shoulder dystocia (broken bones, brain damage from lack of oxygen, death, etc.) that I didn't know if c-section was the better option. After debating back and forth, I went forward with the induction but was open to an emergency csection if the doctor saw any problems during labor.

I went to get induced the night of 1/9. I was 3 cm when I went in and they started me off with cervidil to soften the cervix around midnight (so 1/10). They would take the cervidil out 12 hrs later. I woke up around 8am to contractions which where very painful. I was still 3 cm which was discouraging and I wanted an epidural because the pain was getting intense (I was sort of against an epidural but once I got a taste of the pain, that went out the window lol). They said to wait until 4 cm to get the epidural. At around noon, I was 5 cm and had the epidural which wasn't too scary, they took the cervidil out, and I started my first round of pitocin and penicillin (I had strep b). It took 3 hrs to get from 5 to 9 cm with a peanut ball which was pretty amazing but then I stalled at 9 cm for a few hrs.

I'd like to point out that when I got the epidural, it helped a lot with the pain but I could still feel my legs a bit. Around 8pm I started to feel the pain come back and the extra doses of epidural weren't helping. I was also starting to feel pressure with each contraction so we called the nurse and she confirmed I was at 10 cm to start pushing. Wow I could feel everything at this point, epidural was useless 😅 not only that but the baby started putting pressure on a nerve on my hip and the pain was EXCRUCIATING. My husband tried to help by moving my left leg around but it did nothing. I literally wanted to give up - the hip and contraction pain and the breathlessness I felt with each push (mild asthma doesn't help) was overwhelming. But the staff just makes you keep going, it seemed like

During the birth of my first daughter, I delivered vaginally and the baby experienced shoulder dystocia. I didn't know what it was at the time, and didn't think much about it or how serious it was when it happened, as the nurse and midwife were calm and worked very quickly to get my baby out. It wasn't until after that I looked into it a little more and realized how serious of a complication it could have been.

Today I had my six week appointment and my OBGYN asked me about it. I hadn't thought much about the dystocia since birth, since baby was doing fine. But I asked her how it would affect subsequent pregnancies, and she said if it happens with the first, there's a chance it could happen with a second. She said options with a second pregnancy could be an elective c-section or a growth scan to monitor baby. I also waited until 41 weeks to get induced the first time, and could consider an earlier induction next time.

If we have another, we won't start trying for at least a year. But it would be nice to start planning ahead mentally about possibilities. How did you all approach subsequent births after a shoulder dystocia? Did you go vaginal again? I would like to avoid a c-section for the recovery process. But I also don't want to put future baby at risk.

My first had a shoulder dystocia. I asked my doctor about how this might affect the next baby and she said subsequent babies can be bigger and I may need to consider a c-section to avoid another shoulder dystocia. I'm not pregnant again yet, but this possibility is factoring into my decision to have a second. I didn't know how dangerous it was when it happened because the nurse and midwife jumped into action and got my baby out so swiftly. But reading about it all after made me grateful my baby came out safe. I don't want to experience that with a second. But then again you never know what complications can happen with pregnancy. What were your experiences?

My first was born at almost 42 weeks weighing 7lbs 8oz and had a mild shoulder dystocia (she was mostly fine, I had to have an episiotomy). Now I’m 32 weeks pregnant with my second and he has been measuring 4 weeks ahead since 26 weeks based on fundal height and growth ultrasounds. I mentioned the dystocia to my doctor back in the first trimester and she said we could discuss inducing a week early maybe. But now as we get closer to birth and the baby is measuring so large I’m getting really nervous about the risk especially since I have a history of should dystocia with a baby that never once measured big.

I’m wondering if anyone had any similar experiences with their first and how it turned out for their second births? Should I be bringing up possibly opting for a csection this time around? Or inducing sooner? I’m open to anything that gets the baby out and keeps us both healthy.

Hi everyone! I'm writing this because I really enjoyed reading the good, the bad and the ugly parts of labor and delivery. I'm also writing this because my birth story has an 8% chance of occuring to someone else and I wanted to make sure you are not alone. I was diagnosed with preeclampsia on Wednesday and went in that night for induction. Baby was healthy and I was healthy. My due date was originally father's day (the 21st). Thursday morning I had contraction after contraction, going from 1CM to 3CM in ten hours and then from 3CM to 7 CM a few hours after that. They didn't even use pitocin until I started pushing for stronger contractions. I ended up getting an epidural and it worked enough to take the edge off which I was grateful for. Then a few hours later I got this huge urge to poop and the nurses saw I was ready to start pushing. Due to the epidural half working my timing on contractions were off which had me pushing for three hours. Thirty minutes before my son's birth a C-section was mentioned as a possibility since his head wasn't out yet. I had a second wind and pushed as hard as I could. Within those thirty minutes he was born. Now the awful part. He got stuck: Shoulder Dystocia. The nurses and doctors were amazing and acted quickly. My Epidural was almost gone by that point so I just pushed him through an episiotomy. I was in alot of pain but at the time I knew I just HAD to keep pushing. Within a few minutes of them announcing he was stuck he was delivered. They immediately put him on my chest but then we all realised he wasn't responding. Throughout my pregnancy and labor he was a very active boy, even up to the delivery. This was a shock to us. After a few seconds he was removed from my chest and given CPR and oxygen. They were able to resuscitate him after a few minutes and stabilize him. He was transferred to a stage four NICU where he will be for atleast the next week. I'm currently waiting to be discharged while recovering from my fourth degree episiotomy. It's definitely really rough but it really is just sore and scary regarding pee/bowel movements. It would be the same soreness as if you got whiplash plus kicked in the hoohah. The staff taking care of my son is amazing. He's already close to breathing on his own and his brain is constantly monitored for any damages/bleeds due to the trauma of him coming out of me. He's currently on a cooling pad and sedated which is a part of cooling procedure to ensure there is no internal bl

So I've posted several times here throughout my pregnancy and now it's time for baby's arrival via induction. I was REALLY hoping I wouldn't have to get induced because of the horror stories I read about it hurting worse than spontaneous labor and lasting longer (like 48 hrs). But since I'm 41 weeks with an estimated 9 lb baby (+/-1 lb), the doctor scheduled an induction. I was warned that there's risk of shoulder dystocia because the baby is big which can lead to the baby getting nerve damage, brain damage from lack of oxygen, or even death, so it's even recommended I do an elective c-section. I'm not prepared for that AT ALL (surgery is scary!) so my anxiety is through the roof. I'm going forward with the induction but I worry I'm making the wrong decision - is it better to do the induction and take the risk with shoulder dystocia or just do the elective c-section to avoid shoulder dystocia but absorb surgery risks and harder recovery? I keep asking myself this...I really hope the induction goes well. I guess I'm looking for anyone who's been in this position before with hope things will be ok

My sweet baby girl is finally here after a long overnight induction! Decided to do an elective induction to ensure that my ob would be the one delivering my baby, she is an absolute angel.

I was scheduled to come in 9/26 @ 8pm but the appt was pushed back an hour due to overcrowding. By the time we got checked in it was around 10pm. The worst part of early labor was getting my iv placed...it took 5 tries and the anesthesiologist using an ultrasound before it was placed and I was feeling like a sore pin cushion.

My cervix was starting out at a 3 and 50% effaced so we jumped straight to pitocin at 12:30. The pitocin was increased by 2 every other hour but I didn’t feel contractions the entire night. I attempted to sleep but I was hooked up to the iv, fetal monitors, and blood pressure cuff so it was impossible to get comfortable.

By 6am my pitocin was at a 10 but I still wasn’t feeling contractions. The doctor checked my cervix and I had made absolutely no progress through the night. I was feeling super discouraged but thankfully pain free so far. She decided to up my pitocin to 14 and break my water to kick labor into gear.

Breaking my waters changed everything pain wise. By 7am I was having crampy contractions and back pain every 2 minutes. I tried to ease the pain by bouncing on the birthing ball with husband holding a heating pad on my back. I was able to spend around 45 minutes rocking to music and deep breathing before I started to consider the epidural.

I originally went into labor unsure if I would want the epidural or not but I did a lot of hynobirthing research just in case. I opted to get the epidural out of sheer exhaustion and the desire to finally sleep. The anesthesiologist placed it at 8 and did an awesome job. I did however have a lot of nausea and shakiness throughout the day as a side effect.

I was able to nap and rest pain free for most of the morning until the epidural started to wear off around noon. I increased the epi multiple times with no luck and ended up having to get another form of anesthesia after an hour of very painful contractions and nausea. I labored with the new anesthesia and a peanut ball until I was completely dilated at 6pm.

I started practice pushing shortly after while waiting for my ob to arrive. I felt quite a bit of cramping and pressure during the practice pushes but they were very effective and her head was “right there”. My ob arrived around 6:30 and 20 minutes later my sweet girl was born with n

My son is 2.5 and we are expecting our second in August. During delivery my son had a shoulder dystocia and his birth was pretty traumatizing, especially for my husband who was helplessly watching. Thankfully, because of our amazing OB, our son was delivered unharmed and he is perfectly healthy now.

This time around our OB (the same one) said she wouldn’t tell us not to try another vaginal delivery, but she would also support us if we opted to have a C-section. I know the likelihood of having another shoulder dystocia is higher given that we’ve had one in the past, but there are risks and benefits to both options. I’d love to try a vaginal delivery again, but I don’t want to put the baby at risk. However I’m also wary of the potential risks involved with a C-section, but do love the idea of having the baby on a schedule.

I’m trying to weigh the pros and cons of both options. Does anyone have experience with this on either side?

Baby #2 had a long shoulder dystocia, over 4 minutes. I was advised to plan on a c section for any subsequent births. I would rather not, if possible. So, for those who’ve experienced shoulder dystocia, how did subsequent births go?

I’ve had two pretty traumatic deliveries, both ended in the emergency bell being called and babies coming out very lifeless and blue.

Shoulder dysocia, big babies 8lb 9oz and 9lb 10oz. Had to stay in hospital for a week for IV antibiotics for me and babies. Born in meconium, episiotomy and second degree tear.

Both children now are well now they are 8 and 10 and have not had any problems following their delivery.

Now when I had my second child I was assured the shoulder dystocia would be unlikely to happen again and it did!

So this time I’m thinking it’s safer for baby to have a csection although in the UK it would be classed as elective but I have support from consultant and midwife if that’s what I choose.

Other options include being induced early but I had complications with the induction not working with my second child. Consultant stated new evidence to include early after growth scan for smaller baby. Midwife wasn’t as in favour of that as induction itself is increasing the risks of further complications.

Just would like everybody’s thoughts and views

My daughter weighed 11lbs 4oz when she was born. 23 inches long. No gestational diabetes, and nothing from her to suggest anything wonky about our blood sugars. She got stuck on the way out, shoulder dystocia, for 48 seconds. They did a maneuver and got her out, I didn't even need stitches. She broke her collarbone, but it healed fast and everything was ok. Now I'm 9 wks pregnant with #2. I haven't met with the OBGYN yet, just his nurse. She said they'll do extra monitoring this time around. What kind of monitoring? Has anyone been here before to give me some idea of what to expect if this baby is big too?

Hello everyone,

Is there anyone out there who has shoulder dystocia with their first who would be willing to share their story of subsequent birth (s).

My daughter was induced at 40 weeks due to her size (9lbs 1 against my 5'1.5 on a good day) And got rather stuck. Forceps and a 2nd degree year got her out okay but things were close for a while.

Due in November with another and know the odds of a similar situation are high. I know I'm going to refuse an epi this time as it didn't really work/caused a few issues last time. Just a bit worried really.

Tell me your stories?

(LONG story warning!) TLDR: see the title + induction was scheduled but labor started the day before, all went well, one hour of actual pushing even though her head was huge, minor tearing, epidural was awesome but recovery has been horrible. Sleep deprivation is the worst.

I went in for a growth check at 34 weeks and most(all?) measurements of my little girl via my high risk doc’s ultrasound were in the 90+ percentile. Even though I passed my GD glucose testing (I did finger pricks over a few days rather than the drink) they had me test again the next week. The glucose for some extra carby meals wasn’t good so they had me alter my diet to align with a GD diet until I delivered. My next growth check would be 38 weeks at which point we would decide what to do next.

At 38 weeks their weight estimate for my little girl was 8 lbs 13 or 15 oz. …. In the high 90s for most measurements including head… Nearly 9 lbs of baby! My doctor was worried she could get much bigger before I went into labor naturally and we decided to schedule an induction for me at 39 weeks, We would start Cervadil/foley cath at the hospital on Sunday the 19th assuming there were enough beds for me.

Well… on Saturday the 18th around 1pm my mucus plug started coming out and mild contractions began, and never stopped. It was mostly back pain and it hurt, but they weren’t terribly regular. I had planned to go out to our wedding venue for an anniversary dinner with my husband because our 2 year anniversary was on the 21st and we would likely be in the hospital or with baby. We ended up not going cause my contractions were too uncomfortable and I didn’t want my water breaking there or something. Contractions ranged from 3-7 mins apart through the rest of that day and night. I may have gotten an hour and a half of sleep total, I called into L&D and asked to go in to my induction appointment early because I was pretty sure I was at least in early labor and they said sure. I like to say that all we needed to do was send her the eviction notice (schedule the induction) and she packed her bags for us.

Sunday morning we stop for a bagel and head to the hospital. We arrive and I get into triage. The nurse says they are super busy so if I’m not very far along in labor I may be sent home. I think I was taking the contractions pretty well so she thought maybe I just came mostly cause my induction was scheduled as well and I might be having more BH type pain and prodromal labor.

After what felt li

My son is now 21 months old. I had a really rough pregnancy due to having constant vomiting up until 24 weeks, then vomiting almost daily up until a couple of months after he was born. I passed out regularly throughout the pregnancy and by the time we reached 35 weeks I was in a wheel chair as my hips kept slipping out of place. My son was born at 41 weeks 5 days.

I was only 8stone when I found out I was pregnant and my son ended up being born 8lb14oz. The labour itself was fairly uneventful up until I was told to push after 12 hours, i pushed unsuccessfully for 3 hours until a ventouse was performed. I was given a picotin drip to increase contractions however on the third push I accidentally ripped the drip out. I remember the babies head being born and asking if the worst was over and the doctors and midwives laughing and saying yes. The next thing I remember was an alarm going off in my room and doctors flooding in, I remember a midwife jumping up and down pushing my stomach to try and shift the baby. He was born and is to this day an extremely healthy, active, bright little boy. It was later explained he had been stuck by his shoulder and it was quite a bad case of shoulder dystocia.

As the doctor stitched me back up I remember the midwife commenting on the amount of blood I had lost and the doctor telling her I was fine. A couple of hours after having the baby I fainted, when I came around I rang for the midwife who got me a drip and said I was just tired. They tried to stand me a while later to go to the bathroom but I passed out in a puddle of blood, we did this twice as well as 2 more bags of fluids. A midwife finally took a blood sample and I had lost a lot of blood. Over the next 3 days I had 2 blood transfusions and iron tablets but still couldn’t sit up or walk to look after my baby. After being discharged I got an infection in my episiotomy scar so landed back in hospital where I passed out again and received more fluids and antibiotics. It took about a month until I could walk more than a few steps without feeling I was going to pass out. I still have anaemia now despite never suffering with it before giving birth.

My episiotomy scar has never healed properly and was meant to get sorted before Covid hit, I’m now waiting on a hospital appointment to discuss next steps but the doctor has said they’re wary of doing too much incase I decide to have another child as it could rip back open. It tears every time I have sex or undergo a medical.

Hi everyone-- I'm really freaking out over possible complications due to potential shoulder dystocia, and I'm hoping to get feedback on personal experiences.

Here are my details-- I have GD, I'm overweight, latest ultrasound today shows baby weighs 8lbs15oz... Which, with the +/- 1pound rule at this stage could mean he's actually 9lbs15oz.... Putting the baby at juuuuuust the cutoff for an elective C-Section at my hospital. Ultrasound also shows the baby's shoulders and abdomen are larger than his head-- which is what REALLY worries me.

I see midwives at my hospital-- I like most of them, there are a couple I'm not super fond of. One of the ones I'm not super fond of is scheduled to be at my induction and she is the one I spoke with today about the possibility of a C-Section. She said she spoke with the Ob/gyn and because I'm under the cutoff a C-Section is not warranted. She also bragged a bit about how she's an expert with Shoulder Dystocia, and how she's even in a video about how to deliver babies with SD. This actually makes me MORE worried as I feel like she's thinking she's got something to prove.

My main worry is coming from more research tonight which is telling me that one of the complications of SD is that if the head is delivered, but the body is not delivered within 5 min it can lead to permanent brain damage. To me, given the size of his shoulders and how close the baby is to the cut off, it seems like it's not a risk worth taking!

Don't worry, I'm not just relying on strangers on the internet for this... I left a message with the midwife telling her how concerned I am and asking if a C-Section was totally off the table.

My question to all of you I guess I two-fold.... Am I overreacting? Would you also be feeling like a C-Section is the safer option? Or would you go for the induction (on Wed!) And, do any of you have experience with SD as a complication? If so, how did it turn out?

Right now I'm just feeling that while a C-Section is generally not the optimal, in this case I feel like if there is even the hint of a risk of brain damage, why go there!? I'm feeling super anxious and upset about this possibility and I know if anything happened I would feel like I could never forgive myself when it could have been easily prevented with a C-Section. I'm due to be induced on Wednesday, so I'm really freaking myself out about this..........

Hi ladies, I'm 5'8, long torso, hourglass figure wide shoulders and hips. So - long story short - I've been measuring a week ahead since about 25 weeks. Last Wednesday, at 38 weeks, I had my growth scan and the tech said the baby is about 20.5 inches and 8.5lbs. She sent the info (head circumference, abdominal circumference, femur length, amount of amniotic fluid)along to my OB practice and I got a call from one of the doctors I've seen once and she said from the time of the scan until my due date (May 10th) I'm at a moderate risk for shoulder dystocia and if I wanted to I could elect to have a C-section. I've Googled until I can't Google anymore. I've read the American and British studies. I'm looking for some first hand experiences - what was your diagnosis, did you choose vaginal birth or elective cesarean, was there any harm/distress for you or the baby. It seems like such an inexact science and rare occurrence, but of course you don't want to put your child in a risky/harmful situation. I see my OB tomorrow and have a list of questions to ask - were there any you wish you asked prior to giving birth. Thanks in advance!

Simon was born on June 10, 12:36 AM after a little bit of a dramatic entrance.

Throughout the week my amniotic fluid levels were being monitored since they were lowering. They were a 6 on Wednesday and on Friday (the 9th) I knew when I woke up feeling very dehydrated that I was probably going to be induced that day. Sure enough, my fluid levels were now a 4 and I was sent to the birthing center to be induced.

The labor itself wasn’t horrible. I was already 2 cm and 70% effaced, so nothing else was needed except the pitocin. From about 1 PM (the time I was induced) to around 7 PM I didn’t feel much pain, just the usual cramping. Suddenly it became very intense and I requested an epidural. From that point on it feels like labor progressed rapidly. By 9 PM I was 6 cm and by 11:45 I was told that I was ready to go and start pushing.

I got pretty tired of pushing about 30 minutes in, but I kept going with the hope that every push would be my last. I remember them saying “this push should do it!”, only to have to keep going and getting pretty frustrated.

The final minutes were a bit of a haze. I remember a really intense pressure, and suddenly being told to get on my hands and knees. I don’t know how I did it, but I flipped over very fast and with a few final pushes managed to get the baby out. When I looked around the scene had changed from what I remembered earlier. All the lights were on, every nurse was in the room, and the majority of them were swarmed around my baby. I didn’t hear him cry for a few minutes, but the nurses assured me everything was ok.

Simon got his shoulder stuck in my pelvis, which is known as shoulder dystocia. This was pretty unexpected as this occurs more frequently in large babies and he was only 7lbs 9 oz at birth. On his way out his left humerus got fractured and he had some trouble breathing, but his heart rate was good and he could breathe on his own, just a bit labored. He had to go under an oxygen tank to make sure he was getting all the oxygen he needed, though, and I wasn’t able to see or hold him, which was rough.

I had an episiotomy during the labor to help get him out and while I was getting stitches they told me what had happened and explained that, since the hospital didn’t have a NICU, he would have to go to a hospital 45 minutes away to be put under a CPAP machine and just be monitored to be safe. They had every reason to believe he would be ok, but they didn’t want to take chances.

They allowed me to

Okay so this morning I go in for my last "not overdue" appointment. My NP pretty much immediately got me in, sat me down, and said that after reviewing my chart they saw that my son had shoulder dystocia during his delivery. I don't remember this, like at all, but the NP said it was very mild (like 30 seconds) but they were concerned because this baby seems to be measuring a bit large as well. The plan was to get an U/S, check the weight, then decide if we induce or plan a c section because my body is showing no signs of labor. Cue them sending me straight over to get an ultrasound and my anxiety skyrocketing because I want to avoid a section at all costs.

Baby is measuring 8.6 lbs, which is consistent with what the Dr. was thinking.

Okay so I pretty much tell the NP I want to be induced. I do not want to gamble on the fact that the U/S can be off a pound either way. If I wait a week and have to have a scheduled C-section because of size ill be pissed. If I wait a week and go into labor and am not able to deliver baby due to size and have to have a section, I'll be pissed. Lets go ahead and induce now and even if she is a pound less then 7.6 is very reasonable. I'm 40 weeks tomorrow. This should be a pretty easy decision.

Well now I'm waiting until my induction gets "approved" by the high risk dr. Wtf. And they scheduled me an appointment for Monday morning so I guess they're going to deny the induction.

Why must my uterus be so comfy and hold onto babies forever?!

After a growth scan (which I know are incredibly inaccurate, especially at 39w2d), my lil dude is measuring 10lb6oz. My doctor is pressuring me toward a c-section, which I REALLY don't want.

I dug through heaps or research, and even in the case of 10+ lb babies, c-sections aren't outright recommended. But the things my doctor is saying about shoulder dystocia is really scaring me. So I have a few questions for you:

1. Did any of you experience difficulty delivering the shoulders of your baby (whether he/she was big or not)?

2. If so, what happened during your labor to fix the situation?

3. Were there any permanent effects for your kiddo? Or for you?

4. If you were given the choice, would you opt for the c-section to avoid that situation again?

Thanks!

I'm sorry if this has been discussed here before; I looked but didn't find anything. I tried Google (is that ever a good idea?), but I'm looking for anyone with past experiences or legitimate medical opinions (from professionals or trustworthy written sources).

Here's the background: when my son was born, he had shoulder dystocia (his shoulders got stuck during delivery). It was very scary, probably the longest few minutes of my life. Nobody told me what was going on, but suddenly there were 3-4 nurses standing on my bed, pushing on my belly. The midwife was having trouble getting him out, and everyone seemed to be in a panic. They finally managed to get him out and thankfully he was fine overall, but he did have a lot of bruising on his shoulder and head. Once he was out, the midwife said to me in an exasperated tone, "don't ever have another baby vaginally!" I was terrified, still didn't know what had happened at this point, and nobody bothered to give me any details.

Fast forward two years and I'm pregnant again. At this point I didn't know how serious the dystocia was, but my husband suggested I bring it up at an appointment with my OB (different practice than before). After I told her the whole story, she seemed very concerned. She informed me that since there is no way to predict a dystocia or to know if it was the size of the baby or my body that caused it. She highly recommended that I plan on having a C-section with this baby, saying if another dystocia occurred, the risks to the baby would be high.

Here's my question: have any of you experience a shoulder dystocia and gone on to safely deliver subsequent babies vaginally? Or, do any of you know of a good source to find a second opinion? I would much prefer a vaginal delivery to a c-section. I trust my doctor, and I'm obviously going to do whatever is best for my daughter, but I would very much like to get all the information I can before making a decision.

TL;DR: Had a severe shoulder dystocia during my first delivery, OB recommends c-section with this baby, looking for as much information as possible to make the best decision.

http://www.haveeru.com.mv/english/details/34602

TW: Shoulder Dystocia, Resuscitation

I am 10 months PP. My baby was measuring large so I was induced 39 weeks pregnant. My OB told me there was a 20% chance that my baby would have shoulder dystocia but told me not to worry, the odds were in my favor and even if it happened they would have extra team members on stand by to come in and reposition me while I was in labor. I asked about a C section and was told they don't opt for them as they were a conservative practice. My OB was so reassuring about everything being fine, that I literally did not worry. After being induced and in labor for 30 hours my baby became stuck when it was time to push, the extra team members came in repositioned me but he was still stuck and then code red was called. Every single doctor on call in the L&D unit piled into the delivery room. It was pure panic I could tell that this was not going as plan. It was the scariest moment of my life. The entire time I was crying out to God to save my baby. As soon as he was delivered he wasn't crying and he was whisked away. I laid there helpless with my husband until we were told what happened. My son's arm was ultimately broken in order to get him out but while he was stuck his umbilical cord was compressed. He was not breathing when he was born, had an apgar score of 0 and took his first breath on his own after 8 minutes of resuscitation. They immediately put him on cooling therapy for 72 hours which is suppose to slow down/ stop further brain damage. It was so hard to watch him lay there freezing cold and not be able to hold or touch him after all he went through. During those hours he had a couple little seizures. I watched my 9lb 10 oz baby hooked up to breathing and feeding tubes and couldn't figure out how we got here. My pregnancy was a breeze. He was by far the largest baby in the nicu, he wasn't suppose to be in here (I know that's not correct but I couldn't understand it at the time). We learned he had brain damage to the motor/verbal area of his brain and left the hospital after a couple weeks with no other answers. We were told we won't know how his brain damage will effect him until the issue presents itself. He is now 10 months old and has surpassed so many obstacles. Each milestone he reaches is the biggest celebration and I count each one as a blessing. I will never forget my husband telling me the day he was born, no matter what happens next, the fact that he is here is a gift. The number of doctor appointments and

My husband and I are expecting our second baby in April and we are so excited! We delivered our first son at a hospital and had a good experience. One thing that makes me nervous this next time around is that my son had shoulder dystocia and they called a code blue. It was super scary! We were thinking about delivering at a birthing center instead this time around but with the shoulder dystocia, we just don’t feel comfortable. The reason we were thinking about doing a birthing center is because they let you go home a lot sooner than the hospital does. I really want to be able to go home as soon as I possibly can after delivering this next baby. Obviously if there’s a complication I’m more than willing to stay but I’m kind of wondering if everything goes smoothly if I can just leave? I don’t plan on having medication‘s this time around and would really prefer to just go home after having the baby. Has anybody else dealt with this? I just hate leaving my firstborn at night and our hospital has restrictions on kids so we can’t bring him. I would just really feel more comfortable being able to go home. Any tips on what I can do?

Hi all! Graduated Saturday; first time mom. Planned induction due to concern for large baby (ultrasound predicted almost 10 lb if we went to term. After they moved our induction date approximately 4x we finally settled on a 39 week induction (initially 38 weeks was recommended).

I was a little disappointed as I had read a lot up on natural births and was hoping to go through this unmedicated, but was also happy to have a plan that would minimize need for a c section due to size! I just wasn’t entirely clear on exactly how much monitoring I’d need or how that might impact my plan for using a lot of positional movement during labor.

We went in at 7:30 am morning of, and immediately were set up for fetal heartbeat monitor and contraction monitor, and IV. Anesthesia came in to talk through potential plan if I did want an epidural and advantages/disadvantages. MFM came in to talk what it would possibly look like at time of delivery because of baby’s size with concern for shoulder dystocia so we would be prepared for who all may be in the room. We touched base with our midwife and nurse who did a cervical check. Lots of talking with everyone who might be involved which was amazing, we got so much info right off the bat!

I was fairly disappointed after my cervical check because a) it hurt way worse than the one in the office I had at 37 weeks and b) I was not at all dilated or effaced. Because of this they wanted to place cytotec first, so they did that and we settled in to wait for four hours.

Cytotec really did stimulate my contractions right away but they were not particularly painful. I really enjoyed seeing them pop up on the monitor! When we got checked after 4 hours I had only dilated 1.5 cm and was 25% effaced. They offered option of a balloon catheter as the best way to increase dilation next so that’s what we did - insertion was unpleasant and contractions were also way worse while I had the catheter, plus I was stuck in one position for the most part.

Luckily the catheter didn’t take a full 12 hours but instead brought us to 3 cm a few hours later! They felt like I did not really need to start pitocin yet because my contractions were still going and suggested we wait and see what happens and check to break my water later if need be. So back to waiting! I was able to spend several hours on a birthing ball instead of in bed which was great - I could still feel contractions but they were way more mild there. I also did an hour in bed on my side w

Sorry this is so long but wanted to get my story out there because reading other women's stories helped me a lot! My baby measured 9 lbs at a 2nd growth ultrasound right before the 40 week mark and my doctor said if I exceeded 40 weeks, they'd schedule an induction at the 41 week mark (1/9) and I could have an elective c-section because the baby measured big with risk of shoulder dystocia and I had prediabetes. I pretty much panicked - I was not prepared for a csection, I was only educated on vaginal birth because that was what I planned to do. But I was so scared of the risks with shoulder dystocia (broken bones, brain damage from lack of oxygen, death, etc.) that I didn't know if c-section was the better option. After debating back and forth, I went forward with the induction but was open to an emergency csection if the doctor saw any problems during labor.

I went to get induced the night of 1/9. I was 3 cm when I went in and they started me off with cervidil to soften the cervix around midnight (so 1/10). They would take the cervidil out 12 hrs later. I woke up around 8am to contractions which where very painful. I was still 3 cm which was discouraging and I wanted an epidural because the pain was getting intense (I was sort of against an epidural but once I got a taste of the pain, that went out the window lol). They said to wait until 4 cm to get the epidural. At around noon, I was 5 cm and had the epidural which wasn't too scary, they took the cervidil out, and I started my first round of pitocin and penicillin (I had strep b). It took 3 hrs to get from 5 to 9 cm with a peanut ball which was pretty amazing but then I stalled at 9 cm for a few hrs.

I'd like to point out that when I got the epidural, it helped a lot with the pain but I could still feel my legs a bit. Around 8pm I started to feel the pain come back and the extra doses of epidural weren't helping. I was also starting to feel pressure with each contraction so we called the nurse and she confirmed I was at 10 cm to start pushing. Wow I could feel everything at this point, epidural was useless 😅 not only that but the baby started putting pressure on a nerve on my hip and the pain was EXCRUCIATING. My husband tried to help by moving my left leg around but it did nothing. I literally wanted to give up - the hip and contraction pain and the breathlessness I felt with each push (mild asthma doesn't help) was overwhelming. But the staff just makes you keep going, it seemed like I didn't have

Hello all,

I plan to be joining you beyondthebumpers any day now! Just went in for a check up at 39 weeks 4 days and they baby is measuring somewhere in the 8.5 lb range. I know that the weight is just an estimate but the doctor said that we're definitely between 8 and 9 lbs. I was told that Shoulder Dystocia was a concern if the baby gets much bigger, has anyone here experienced this?

I'm going to try all of the home remedies I've heard of to try to get the process moving along to avoid induction since the doctor doesn't want me going longer than 41 weeks based on weight...so also taking suggestions as to that if you have them :)

TIA!

So our story begins with symptomatic preeclampsia starting last Friday morning. I was told to come into the hospital to get checked out. I was 36+4 and was planning on getting induced the following Monday. Once I got to the hospital they sent me to the birthing center which told me that I was definitely going to start the induction that day.

At 4pm they placed cervadil and told me I was close to 1.5 cm dialated and about 40 percent effaced at -3 station. I was put on magnesium for the preeclampsia and was starting then on a clear liquid diet. After 12 hours they took out the cervadil and checked me again. There was pretty much no change.

They started pitocin quickly after they took the cervadil out hoping that the pitocin would put me into labor possibly. I had contractions while on the pitocin but they were not painful and they weren't doing anything to my cervix. I was on the pitocin for over 12 hours and by this time I had gone more than 24 hours without really something to eat. I was also on the magnesium the whole time which does not make you feel very good. I was already suffering from nausea during pregnancy. So that combined with the magnesium and not eating made me feel absolutely terrible.

After they determined the pitocin wasn't working the doctor decided that the best course was to redo the cervadil and see what happens. I cried about this because I already felt so miserable and didn't feel like this induction was going anywhere. In my mind I was preparing for a C section. Somehow I made it through the next 12 hours.

Now it is Sunday morning. They checked me again and said I was almost 2 cm now a little more effaced and cervix was stretchy. This made me feel hopeless but they were very happy about it and started the pitocin again. The doctor came in around noon to break my water in which she told me I was not at 2 cm but in fact still 1.5 cm. she still decided that she could break my water and finally after 44 hours I was in labor!

The first couple hours after they broke my water wasn't too painful but right around 2pm it started becoming really painful. However, I was managing well. At 4 they checked me and I was dialated to 2 freakin cm! But she said that she could stretch me to 3.5. Then they decided that I should get my epidural right then and then rest as much as I could. I was a little worried about getting an epidural so soon but I trusted them and that they knew what they were doing and I'm glad I did.

The epidural took a little w

So our story begins with symptomatic preeclampsia starting last Friday morning. I was told to come into the hospital to get checked out. I was 36+4 and was planning on getting induced the following Monday. Once I got to the hospital they sent me to the birthing center which told me that I was definitely going to start the induction that day.

At 4pm they placed cervadil and told me I was close to 1.5 cm dialated and about 40 percent effaced at -3 station. I was put on magnesium for the preeclampsia and was starting then on a clear liquid diet. After 12 hours they took out the cervadil and checked me again. There was pretty much no change.

They started pitocin quickly after they took the cervadil out hoping that the pitocin would put me into labor possibly. I had contractions while on the pitocin but they were not painful and they weren't doing anything to my cervix. I was on the pitocin for over 12 hours and by this time I had gone more than 24 hours without really something to eat. I was also on the magnesium the whole time which does not make you feel very good. I was already suffering from nausea during pregnancy. So that combined with the magnesium and not eating made me feel absolutely terrible.

After they determined the pitocin wasn't working the doctor decided that the best course was to redo the cervadil and see what happens. I cried about this because I already felt so miserable and didn't feel like this induction was going anywhere. In my mind I was preparing for a C section. Somehow I made it through the next 12 hours.

Now it is Sunday morning. They checked me again and said I was almost 2 cm now a little more effaced and cervix was stretchy. This made me feel hopeless but they were very happy about it and started the pitocin again. The doctor came in around noon to break my water in which she told me I was not at 2 cm but in fact still 1.5 cm. she still decided that she could break my water and finally after 44 hours I was in labor!

The first couple hours after they broke my water wasn't too painful but right around 2pm it started becoming really painful. However, I was managing well. At 4 they checked me and I was dialated to 2 freakin cm! But she said that she could stretch me to 3.5. Then they decided that I should get my epidural right then and then rest as much as I could. I was a little worried about getting an epidural so soon but I trusted them and that they knew what they were doing and I'm glad I did.

The epidural took a litt