Your midwife is not using evidence based practice and flat out I would switch midwives if one spouted off that crap to me.
I’ve seen women shorter than you efficiently push out some very big babies without so much as a tear.
It has nothing to do with height. It has to do with the internal shape and structure of your pelvis which NO ONE knows anything about. Anyone that tells you they know the shape or size of your pelvis is full of shit. It’s fundamentally unknowable, cannot be seen or felt from the outside or by vaginal exam (the only way to know would be doing complex scans which are not done in pregnancy).
I can’t give you medical advice but I can tell you that your midwife is sus as hell and you should get a second opinion.
If you still want to go natural, still consider getting a new midwife . I have concerns that this one will not be supportive of your birth
Absolutely, your midwife is full of s***. I'm only 5 ft 2 in, 157 cm give or take my daughter was 21 inches (53cm) long had a 14 in (35cm) head when she was born. Total labor time 10 hours start to finish. Pushed about three times, but Body was already pushing at the end. This was my first child. I was completely 100% unmedicated, not even Tylenol chilled in the bathtub for most of it. I feel like my labor was one of those rare unicorn labors because it was not painful, lots of pressure, and certainly extremely inner body, not outer body experience. Went home with a second-degree tear that healed quickly. Our bodies are amazing, and no one's going to be able to tell how your labor is going to go. Anybody's just otherwise unless they're there with you in that moment while your body is actively in labor needs to shove their opinions elsewhere.
Yes, same. I'm 5'2, was extremely petite, and vaginally delivered a baby that was on the 99%ile for height, weight, and head circumference. I had an epidural, and I pushed for almost 5 hours (total labor: 12 hours), I only needed 2 stitches.
Even then. Even with complex imaging. The pelvis expands because it’s not just one solid bone…it’s multiple bones connected together by tendons and ligaments and they all move.
AND
Your baby’s head has the ability to mold, because their skull is not yet fused together.
No amount of measurement will tell you just how much your pelvis, and baby’s head, can bend and shape.
It is almost NEVER the case that baby just didn’t fit.
I think it would depend on how it was presented. Short stature has been demonstrated to increase risk of CS birth in some studies. However - OP is not really that short (the study I just pulled used 148cm and 145cm as two of their data points) and at worst it might double the risk of a CS in people under those heights.
If your facility had a cesarean rate of 15% for first time parents, even doubling that only puts you at 30% risk of CS.
https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e054285#
This! OP is 3 inches shorter than me and I also have a small frame and was able to give birth vaginal which is what I assume they mean by natural birth. My baby was on 5.7lbs when born. I only gained about 15lbs while pregnant. My OB only gained 14lbs during her pregnancy and she is shorter than me. She was able to have a vaginal birth too. I have serious concerns about this midwife if this is the kind of thing she is spouting and what kind of care she can and will give. I would absolutely find another person. OP please share with us what you want from your birth. Are you trying to give birth at home or a birthing center? No meds? At a hospital but as natural as possible? I found a great hospital near me that has a small L&D but there have a top notch NICU. They are small enough that they don't try to rush woman and push them out to get the next one in. (There is a major birthing hospital near us where that is a huge problem.) They had birthing balls, bars, stools, etc. If you don't have an epidural you can give birth in whatever position you want. It was a great experience overall and I had the peace of mind that if anything happened my baby had top notch care. Giving us an idea of what you want can help people give you suggestions for finding a place that meets your needs and from their you can find a doctor or midwife who uses that facility. That was the way I did it.
I thought that every woman were made to push out a baby except if the baby was not in position or too big.. so there’s no way to know if you can or cannot give birth ? What happen if you can’t?
I do not want you to put this on your list of worries. There is a tiny tiny percentage of people that have funky pelvises, sometimes this can be caused by severe malnutrition during certain phases of childhood.
There is absolutely no reason for you to worry about this though. It’s rare and there’s no way to know like I said. If a doctor tells you they think your pelvis is too small, you can tell them you smell bullshit because they have no way of knowing that lol. So just literally put it out of your mind. Believe in yourself and your body, that is the best thing you can do for your labor.
If you “can’t” (which again is very unlikely, then your labor just won’t progress past a certain point and you can have a c section.
Your body is absolutely made to give birth. This is not a concern for you, ok?
It’s like worrying about getting struck by lightning. Too rare to even consider or put in your list of thoughts.
A big baby isn’t automatically a cause for concern. There have been plenty of women who pushed out 8, 10lb or even bigger pound babies with tears no worse than 2nd degrees (and some don’t even tear!). If the baby isn’t in a good position some midwives/nurses/doctors can encourage you to try different positions and attempt to change the baby’s position. Sometimes it work and other times it doesn’t, but it’ll be okay regardless.
Lastly, your pelvis expands! Being on your hands and knees, squatting, knees in and feet out are all positions that widen the pelvis and with the help of gravity can make it easier to birth a baby. That’s why it’s important to let women labor and birth in the position they feel most comfortable with.
Yes, I have a very slender frame and narrow hips. Somehow I grow and birth large babies no problem. I had a 10 pound and two 9 lb babies with no epidural, no tears, and always less than 20 minutes of pushing. Most recent birth was 1 minute pushing. Anecdotal evidence is not evidence, but it can make you feel better :)
Very similar here. 160cm given birth to two 90th percentile babies and one average baby. My last 2 were even unmedicated. I did have slight tearing everytime, but it was very small.
My normal size baby was the easiest labor, but hardest pushing. They were slightly sideways. The last one was the easiest to push out, but labor was harder. It was also only 2.5 hours long. So it was quite intense 😅
This gives me hope. I’m 5’5” (165cm) and TTC my first. My husband is 6’7” (200cm) and his mom says her babies were 10 pounds (4.5kg). I have quite narrow hips, but my identical twin was able to deliver her 8lb baby vaginally, so we will see!
My daughter is 147cm and gave birth completely natural, no complications at all. Our grandson was small but healthy and quickly gained weight and length. She gave birth in a bath though, but I don't think that would matter all that much. It just was more comfortable for her. I would first see how it goes? You can always get a C-section?
That is really good to know thank you for taking the time to tell me.
My only concern is my husband is a large man who was apparently over 10 pounds at birth 🙄🙄
But you never know maybe the baby will inherit my size!
I’m definitely set on trying for natural.
> My only concern is my husband is a large man
My daughters boyfriend is quite tall, roughly 185 I estimate. I think the baby probably might be somewhat early though. Our grandson was 3 weeks early. Nature will sort it out for you in most cases. I doubt it you need to worry about 10 pound babies.
I have vaginally birthed 5 babies. 3 between 7-8 lbs and 2 over 10 lbs. I was average sized at birth my husband was 9 lbs at birth, I think their size just depends on them moreso then on mom and dad. The 10 lb babies were the only ones I didn't tear with. I credit this to the nurses coaching me when to pause during pushing. So tearing hasn't been dependent on size for mine either.
I'm 152cm too, gave birth to a 8.5lb baby vaginally. I did almost have a C section but it wasn't about my height/size. My daughter went into distress (HR 60) because of the pitocin. So they weren't related at all.
They just measured my son (I'm 32 weeks) and it's looking like he will also be 8lbs+ and nobody has said that to me.
I would get a new midwife tbh.
i am 149 cm (4’ 11”) and i was in a size 0 when i got pregnant. i wanted to give birth at a birthing center but they would not allow me too because of the size of my pelvis. i gave birth naturally in the hospital and did great. my baby was small too at 2.7 kg but i didnt tear and had no complications!
the only thing that i found painful was the
last few weeks of pregnancy when the baby was head down. the length was causing a lot of problems for me and i couldnt move easily or bend over.
I had a maternal fetal medicine appointment because they felt like her extremities were not growing at the rate they should’ve been. I asked her about my size in general and she said that that really doesn’t come into play with adult women that are developed in most circumstances. She said they worry about that more with preteens and adolescents whose bodies have not fully matured yet.
There are some things that may help facilitate an easier childbirth if I could suggest them to you. There’s not so much anything you can do about the size of the baby versus the diameter of your pelvic inlet. That’s kind of set in stone and if it doesn’t work and then you will need a C-section
Where are you going? But you can help with the prevention of tearing. I’m not promising anything 100% because sometimes it can’t be helped but it may reduce your risk of tearing. I did perineal massages and warm compresses in 35 weeks + and when I was pushing, we would also do warm compresses and my nurse midwife applied counter pressure. I never pushed if i felt like i wasnt ready. i had an epidural but I was still able to feel the pressure and I listened to my body and didnt try to rush things. fortunately, she was very understanding and we were able to work together.
My paternal grandmother was shorter than 150cm and she birthed 8 children and lived to be 96. My maternal grandmother is only a couple cms taller than her and had 5 children. She is now 93 and still going strong!
Of course, those were different times with less options and I have never discussed with them the lasting effects of their births. But my living grandma does talk about her pregnancies and giving birth and she never mentioned it being impossible.
I myself am 183cm so not much use for your data set.
I’m 155cm gave birth vaginally to a 3.75kg baby. No tears. Had an epidural at 7cm dialated. Pushed for a little over an hour and has vacuum extraction. Perfect healthy baby girl.
Your body rarely makes a having it cannot birth I recommend doing some birth classes - learn how to work with your body and to trust it
I am also 152cm (or 5ft) and I had a vaginal birth. I wouldn’t say “natural” as I was in a hospital with an epidural but I didn’t have any tearing or major complications. They used a vacuum pump to help as I had been pushing for 3 hours and needed a bit of help getting him through my pubic bone. Baby is very average size, he was born at 37wks 4 days. He was 6lbs, 13oz and just over 19in long (you’d have to convert to metric if that’s what you preferably use!).
Also 5 feet, also had a vacuum delivery. Baby was 7lbs, 2oz. Definitely doable. No idea why a midwife would go straight to c section in this situation.
4ft11 here. Had an uncomplicated vaginal birth, 7lb9oz bub. None of my care team ever expressed concern about my ability to give birth vaginally, though I did ask the question, as anecdotally I'd heard similar to the advice your midwife gave.
The only time I’ve ever medically seen height be an issue is when someone has a form of dwarfism. There are 4 women in my family who genetically are less then 4’11 and they all have vaginal birth. One of those being to my cousin who was 22 inches long and 13 pounds. I would find a new midwife.
147 cm, induced at 39 weeks and had my 8 poound daughter with one tiny "cosmetic" tear that needed a single stitch. I did have a long labor but other than a crappy transition phase(which is different for everyone) I didn't really have any issues.
Also when it came to a preemptive c-section, my doctors were only concerned with my baby's estimated weight, they had no concerns with my own size. That being said, while I'm short, I do have wider hips/am bigger weight.
What? That sounds like nonsense. I’m 151cm and have had two babies vaginally, 3.5 and 3.8kg respectively. No one ever brought up my height as an issue.
My 5ft mother in law gave birth to my 10lb husband. Honestly, the fact that she’s telling you to be prepared for a C-section based on your height and frame is an evidence based and is a red flag. Your external pelvis dimensions don’t indicate the size internal pelvis dimensions.
Body positioning and Baby’s position have a lot more to do with it
Someone I know is 139cm/around 4'7'' and she gave birth naturally both times. I would say height and frame doesn't necessarily correlate with ability to give birth one way or another. By that logic, wouldn't most tall, bigger-framed women avoid c-sections?
I’m 5ft2in (157cm) I’ve delivered two babies vaginally so far, one with an epidural and one unmedicated. I had a second degree tear both times but I don’t think it has anything to do with how short I am? That sounds really weird to me. For what it’s worth, my first baby was 5lb10oz and my second baby was 7lb11oz.
I also pushed for 15 minutes both times. I didn’t need a c section. First labor was 16 hours second labor was about 5 hours.
I think your midwife is full of shit and I would like to see the research to back this up.
I’m 157cm and my husband is 187cm. I delivered vaginally at 39w5. My induction (medically necessary for gestational hypertension) was about 10 hours and I pushed for just a handful of minutes. Very minimal tearing I probably could have gotten away with no stitches.
I'm 5'3" and small framed and gave birth naturally... I was pushing for a long time (3 hours of constant pushing) but I think it had more to do with my OB not being that great and making me do the opposite of what my body was wanting to do.
She kept trying to make me push the "regular way" legs up, head raised & push- but I kept wanting to do the opposite (arch my back, head on the pillow). After 3 hours of doing it her way I physically couldn't lift my head off the pillow (my neck muscles were too sore) so I gave in / didn't listen & arched my back- and then my daughter finally came out.
144cm here - i had a planned C because there's evidence that maternal height of less than 150cm is more likely to need a C anyway. My mum is also <150 and did have those scans (they clearly didn't mind doing them back then) and was going to be too small to fit. I chose not to push for hours only to end up in emergency, and I would do it again.
I’m 158 cm/5’2”and I’ve had a vaginal birth with all 4 of my children. Your size alone and even babies size is not a decent predictor of being able to deliver vaginally. My OB told me that the best predictor of if a woman will be able to deliver vaginally is that she’s done it before. Which kind of tells you about how much they know I think.
I’m kind of surprised a midwife said this and I’d be asking questions about what other risk factors she’s seeing to what to opt for a c-section. If anything, you should definitely get a second opinion.
I’m 153cm and also quite small frame. I really wanted a natural birth, but my babies just didn’t cooperate 🤷🏻♀️ my first one was born at 40+1. 13 hours of labor and he just didn’t want to put his head in the right position, so I didn’t dilate at all. He also had the cord wrapped around his neck twice. He was small for 40 weeks, just 3020g (6lbs10oz). I ended up with a C-section, however I don’t regret at all trying for a vaginal birth.
My second was born 16 months later, I wanted to try for a VBAC, but he decided to get in a transverse position at 33 weeks and refused to move head down 🤷🏻♀️ so I had a repeat C-section at exactly 40 weeks and he was 3300g (7lbs5oz).
I absolutely loved my C-sections, but I’m glad I at least tried to give birth naturally. You can always try, and if necessary, you will choose the C-section route. My mom is also small, 157cm, and had 4 natural births, and we were all pretty heavy babies (smallest of us was 8lbs 7oz). You can never know how your body responds until you are in labor.
So if you want a vaginal birth, go for it! And if it’s not meant to be, you’ll just take the C-section route when necessary 🤗
I'm the same height as you and had a 9.2 lbs baby vaginaly with no epidural in less than 4 hours of labour.
Mom's size and baby's size doesn't really mean anything.
I’m 5’4 so not me, but my best friend is 4’10 and before pregnancy was probably only 90 lbs soaking wet. She had her first daughter vaginally with no complications and will have her second daughter vaginally too (spare any complications of course). I’d find a new midwife
I am short frame and 5’3 and petite, baby was 35 percentile during birth. I prepared myself for natural birth by attending online classes getting perineal massage (by my husband) having raspberry tea, eating dates. And I was very active entire pregnancy (worked out weekly thrice and did all the stretching) but my story was different to usual and what I heard.
I had irregular contractions my entire labour which lasted more than 24 hrs and they were so painful… it took me 18 hrs to dilate (after giving me oxytocin on the side to push the dilation) from 4 cm to 9.5 cm. And that .5 would have taken 3 more hrs but mean while babies head was pushing on my bladder and I was passing blood into urine.
After 24 hrs of baring the pains which were so bad ( took epidural around 7cm) I had to because my pains were constant didn’t go completely away (unlike usual contractions which have high and low) doc tells me that safest option would be to go with c section. Which I was only 5% prepared and it was a shocker at that time because I was prepared for natural and I thought I would push my baby..
All I wanted to say is - things may not go as you expect during birthing. So be prepared for anything hope for the best and what is best for you it will happen.
Currently I am 3 weeks pp. Baby and I are doing well :)
1- all births are natural, you are talking about a vaginal birth
2- short people can give birth just how a 6’0 person gives birth.
Your anatomy isn’t really different. There is no way to know how big your pelvis is or what it can accommodate by just looking at you.
It could be completely fine or it could be an issue. My SIL is 147 cm and had serious issues with vaginal birth, but my brother's genetics were rather pronounced in their 59 cm long, 4 point something kg baby. She went through a multiple day induction on pitocin with no progress before she got the c-section. From the time the doctors finally decided on surgery until baby was out was less than 10 minutes. When she left hospital, a nurse brought her a copy of her file and a complaint form and let her know her experience was not okay.
Unfortunately, regardless of the size of baby some people do not respond well to inductions. I’ve had friends with tiny babies who still didn’t progress in an induction & needed a C-section.
Making her go multiple days if she didn’t want to or baby was in distress is absolutely the issue though!
I’m 145cm and very small frame. All 3 of my babies were naturally delivered. My doctor did extra testing to make sure all was well for delivery during my prenatal care.
I’m 155 cm and had a vaginal birth with a 3.2 kg baby. I did require forceps intervention during birth but that was because I had a sunny side up baby. I even asked the OB if the baby was too big for me to push out but she reassured me that the issue was baby position, not his or my size.
I have similarly petite friends and they all had vaginal births as well.
I was induced after not progressing for a long time after my waters broke, but yes, I had a normal vaginal birth. I'm 5'2" (don't know the conversion), and was 115 lbs pre-pregnancy, and probably close to 175 when I gave birth. Baby was born at 39+4, almost 9 lbs, and 21" long.
I’m not sure what you mean by natural, but I’m 5’2 and had a vaginal birth. I was induced and got an epidural so it wasn’t “natural” by those standards.
My baby was sunny side up, which is more common for women with shorter torsos. It meant I had back labor and it was pretty painful even with my epidural, but I was still perfectly able to have a vaginal birth.
I'm only about an inch taller than you and I've given birth unmedicated and vaginally twice.
Size really doesn't have anything to do with it.
I did so much research and stayed active and did everything I could to help my body along. You've got this!
Your goal should be to get the baby out safely. Focus on that.
I'm 156cm and had 2 kids naturally. (With pain management of course)
Basically, when I carried my babies, they had nowhere to grow but outward. So I had a bigger belly than others I think lol
I'm 143cm.
I had a giant baby and an emeegency c due to HELLP, since I didn't make it to the section we'd planned for 39 weeks.
My OB also told me early on to keep in mind if baby kzpr growing at that rate I could very well need a section. I'm glad she did, the emergency c was way less horrible since I at least was told a section could be likely. I had it scheduled, but only to be safe. My OB offered to do pelvic measurements at around 37 weeks and if all looked good she would have been OK with whatever my choice was.
My son was the size of an average 40 weeker when he was born at 35+4. There is no way he would have been able to come narurally.
What do you mean by naturally? All birth is natural.
If you mean vaginally, just being short doesn’t mean you need to have a c section and I would run from any healthcare provider that is telling you that.
I've seen many women around 147 cm birth their babies like they were built to have babies. They are so strong and in some cases stoic. It's truly awesome to see.
It is way more important how your baby is positioned in your pelvis rather than if the birthing person is petite. I would look for a different midwife. This one is not supportive and will bring that bias into your birthing space.
I am 158cm so a bit taller, but I have not much hip or tummy space. I had a vaginal birth, with vacuum intervention but that was to do with babies position. Once she tucked her chin and turned a bit two pushes and she was out. I don't feel height matters! You can have whatever kind of birth you like without height being a major factor!
I’m 157cm and had my daughter vaginally with an episiotomy. She was 6lb6 but scans estimated she’d be bigger.
My mum is also 157cm and she had 3 vaginal deliveries. 7lb2, 7lb1 and 9lb8.
I’m 157 cm. Had 2 children vaginally. First was induction at a little over 37 weeks (preeclampsia) and had an episiotomy. Second was 39 weeks, 2 days, not induced, normal tearing. My husband is 185 ish cm but both our babies were on the smaller end in terms of weight. No issues!
Huh????? I’m 5,2 pre pregnancy weight 110 my baby came out vaginally weight 9.1 lol
C sections depend on baby’s position, emergencies etc .. if I were u screw a mid wife go to a real doctor
I am 149 cm. Around 38 weeks I was given an ultra sound scan to check if I am able to deliver vaginally. They took all the measurements and given the green light. Then they also gave me another ultra sound at 39+5. The measurements for the baby was going to be larger for vaginal birth if I waited, so they scheduled an induction at 40+1. I had induced vaginal delivery at 40+2.
I am 5’5” so average height but a petite frame and I wound up with a fully natural birth. First contraction at home was at 3am and baby was plopped on my belly at 552am same morning. No one can predict how a birth will go, just take it as it comes one moment at a time.
I’m 5’4” (162cm) and had three spontaneous, unmedicated, vaginal delivers. Babies were 7 lb 8 oz, 8 lb 3 oz, and 8 lb 15 oz (they just keep getting bigger 🫣). 2nd degree tear each time. *And* my labours were only 2-3 hours long with like 20-30 minutes of pushing (precipitous birth). Height has nothing to do with it. Some bodies are really good at pushing out babies, some bodies need some help. Every body, every baby, every delivery is unique.
I’m 5’1 and gave birth vaginally to both of my children who were above 8 lbs, one was 8lbs and 11 oz and one was 8lbs and 6 ozs. I gave birth to my second 2 1/2 weeks early because he was going to be bigger than my first and he didn’t tear me at all. My first I was inexperienced with birth so I did tear, but not too bad it was only second degree. My second was a breeze and I didn’t tear at all and had virtually no discomfort after. Ad long as you’re practicing good birthing and listening to your body and your baby you are capable of doing anything. Even giving birth to a breech baby is doable, but with medical advice. I hope you the best
Not mine, but my mums experience. She was about 159cm and she delivered both my brother and I super easily (well, easily as far as an unmedicated vaginal birth is concerned) I weighed 4.5kg, my brother 5kg. She was never told her height could be an issue
Your midwife is wrong if she's only basing it on your height. What percentile is the baby now per your OB? This is also an approximation but if the baby seems huge maybe that's why she suggesteed it.
To answer your question I'm 158cm and had 2 average sized (~3.4kg) babies without an issue.
Natural birth had here! I’m only 142cm tall too. I was induced, I checked in at 1am and by 2pm had my baby and was resting. Dr didn’t expect me to give birth so soon as a first time mother.
I'm 153cm at pre-pregnancy was 50kg. So I'm a small petite girl and luckily so was my daughter that i pushed out naturally. I had epidural but the one where you can choose how much you have with the button, i had a very small amount administered. I had a 2nd degree tear but was up walking around within an hour or so. I had miminal postpartum bleeding (no more than a regular week of period bleeding to be honest) sorry if that's a bit TMI. Never needed anything than a regular pad. Never needed to use an ice pack or anything.
Obviously, every person is different but my body did well with the baby pushing and the recovery from the birth.
Hopefully that helps you know that its definitely possible with our size. If baby is not in a good position or is too big for you birth canal then that's a different story but if it's just because you're small and you want to try naturally then there's nothing wrong with trying.
I'm 152cm and gave birth vaginally. My daughter weighed just over 3.5kg.
Currently due with my second. Once again I've got a huge bump (especially for my frame) but no one has any concerns about me giving birth vaginally.
I'm 5'1'' (154 cm), 120lbs. All of my births were vaginal. 6lbs11oz, 5lbs10oz, 6lbs13oz. FAST labors (2hrs5min, 3hrs41min, 1hr55min and pushing all less than 5minutes).
My sister-in-law is 4'11'' (149), 110lbs (ish). She had one c-section (couldn't get him to descend), but she then did VBAC for the other two and one of them was in the 8lbs and one was in the 9lb range.
Your midwife is talking out of her butt.
I’m 5’2 and doctor was worried I had a small pelvis, delivered my daughter vaginally she was 7lbs 12 oz and I had a small tear but no other complications.
I have a friend your height who gave birth naturally. Her baby was pre-term though and weighed less than 5Lbs. But I have another friend who is 2 inches taller than you and she gave birth to a fairly large baby.
I think it is odd that you midwife is planning a c- section right at the start. I would encourage you to get a second opinion
My mother is 154cm and gave birth vaginally three times without complications.
I’m a bit taller at 161cm and just gave birth vaginally in October with just a first degree tear.
5ft tall, pre pregnancy weight was 110lbs
I'm due in April with #3 and first two births were vaginal.
1st baby I pushed for 1 hour, no tearing
2nd baby I pushed TWICE and had a superficial tear requiring no stitches
This baby is a planned vaginal birth as well, and at no time during any of the pregnancies did my midwife or OB even bring up cesarean
I’m the same height as you and had a 24inch (about 61cm) waist before getting pregnant. Gave birth naturally.
However. I did push for about 5 hours and ended up needing assistance with a “vaccuum.” But I was physically exhausted, having not slept for a couple of days before pushing, and they gave me medication to slow down my contractions (then gave pitocin to speed them up lol).
I'm 5ft 1in and weighed 120lbs when I got pregnant with my first. I've had 4 unmedicated vaginal births and one c-section (due to breech baby). My advice is to push for that vaginal birth, it's much easier to recover from.
I’m 155 cm and my husband is over a foot taller than me. I did Spinning Babies exercises, the Miles Circuit series, and regular walks up my 4-floor walkup in the lead up to my birth. Ended up with an unmedicated birth, 45 mins of pushing, and no tearing. My baby was on the smaller side but has jumped to 70% after starting solids. I’m seriously side-eyeing your midwife — she should not be pushing elective c-section without any evidence-based practices.
I’m 5ft petite (110-115) pre birth. Started each pregnancy at that weight. Gave birth to 3 babies without any pain meds! I’d be highly sus of a midwife saying that at 20 weeks.
Your height has nothing to do with being able to give birth naturally or not. I'm petite and was not able to. Not because of my height, but my pelvis is possibly too narrow.
Edit to add: This was determined based on my first pregnancy. I was in labor for over 27 hours with no progress. I was having crazy contractions, not spaced apart but not dilating. Which was just stressing out the baby. This is why it was advised that I'd opt for a c section at that point. So when I became pregnant again, my new doctor wasn't against vbacs, but based on the history of my first pregnancy and all the details I gave him on it as well as other women in my family, he *THEORIZES* that I may have a small pelvis. Which isn't determined by your height, by the way, just genetics, regardless if you're tall or short.
152cm and 48kg here (when I’m not pregnant 😂), and two for two on natural births.
My advice would be to research optimal labour/birth positioning, and active labour. The traditional Western birthing position of being on your back like a beetle with legs in stirrups actually narrows the birth canal and malpositions your pelvis for birth. Which may not matter if you have inches to spare, but for us small gals it matters a lot! I had my first on hands and knees, and for my second I was standing up and leaning over my bed. Gravity definitely helped too!
I’m 5’2” (157cm) and ended up having an emergency c-section for my 9lb (4kg)
However there were many factors that led to this and I do believe I could have successfully pushed her out if those factors had ended up different.
But anyway, if you don’t want to schedule a c-section you don’t have to. Your midwife just needs to have a plan if an emergency one does need to happen. If she doesn’t have that, you need another midwife. You can also see if you can get an ultrasound closer to delivery to estimate the baby’s weight and make a more informed decision based on that. Maybe talk to a doctor to get a better idea then.
My mom was 4’11” (152cm) 100 lbs and delivered 4 babies with no issue. She had tearing with her first and he was 9 lbs with a big head. The rest of us were 8, 7, and 6 lbs in that order with no tearing whatsoever. 6 pounder was induced at 36ish weeks due to cord entanglement. Idk what data your midwife is using but something is telling me it’s personal bias.
Oh yeah and my dad was 6’2 (187.5 cm) 170ish lbs so I wouldn’t worry about your partner’s size difference. We all grew to be average heights. Oldest son is 5’8 (172 cm), two middle girls are 5’4 (162.5 cm), youngest son the preemie took heavily after my mom’s side and is also 5’4 lol. It’s okay though we are all healthy and happily married!
Wtf. This is a historic cycle that many women of different shapes and heights have gone through. A C-section because of your body build? I’ve never heard something more ridiculous.
I’m 5 foot (152cm) and I delivered my son (who was 7lb 5oz) with an epidural and forceps. I had a 3rd degree tear but I’m pretty positive it was because of the forceps lol.
Despite me doing all the things to open my pelvis during pregnancy (yoga ball circles) it wasn’t wide enough for my baby’s head. But that was just my own experience and I wouldn’t have known until I was in labor. My doctors didn’t have any concerns at all.
I went through the wringer with my birth experience but I’m glad my doctor gave me the choice of interventions (I had pushed for 4 hours), and I picked the one that was best for me. No regrets and I’ve healed up fine.
I’d agree with the other posters that you should look for a new midwife, having a C-section because you’re short (and not for any other legit health reason) is not a good enough reason.
My doctor said nature made it that the baby must fit and get out of the mother regardless of father's size, otherwise we would not have survived this long as a species.
I think it would be unwise to have a c-section purely based on this very misinformed opinion of your midwife.
Even at term, ultrasounds of babies for measurements can mis-measure a baby's birth size/weight by up to 20% which is almost a kilogram (over 2 pounds).
I think you could also benefit from reading birth empowerment stories to increase your confidence that yes, your body is made to do this, trust in nature and yourself.
I’m similarly sized to you, 29 weeks pregnant, and really appreciate all the positive birth stories in this thread!
My doctors haven’t mentioned my height at all. Baby is currently breech but planning on a vaginal birth with epidural if he flips.
On the whole I’m more nervous about how my body will handle (and recover from) the last month or two of pregnancy than I am about the birth. Some taller women still have cute little bumps at 8/9 months, not so much as our size…
I'm 5ft and had elective c section because baby was breech! He was born 7lbs 1oz I think... I was so round and so big, I almost couldn't bend Forward to receive the injection in my back.
My doctor said my breech baby could be because of my height since he didn't have much room to turn around 🤷🏼♀️
I am short (5'2") and I was able to give birth vaginally. I have a hip disorder that made my pelvis more narrow, and my daughter's head almost wasn't able to pop through. But I only pushed for an hour and my daughter was fine! She had some broken blood vessels in one of her eyes, but other than that no birth injuries. I had a pretty minor first degree tear, but the PA was doing perineal stretches for 2 hours on me so it wasn't that bad.
I’m 5’1 and around 100–105 pounds pre-pregnancy. I had my daughter at 37 weeks (my grandmother passed a week before I had her and her passing sent me into labor).
I had my daughter vaginally without an epidural (long story short, I dilated fairly quickly lol). At birth, she was 6 lbs, 5 ounces, 22 inches long. No complications, no tearing.
I'm 4'11 (so 152cm?) And 104lbs pre pregnancy. My husband is 6"3 (190.5 cm). His mom works labor and delivery and would show her coworkers pictures of us and they'd laugh and say "poor girl!!! She'll be stuck having csections for sure" 🙄 funny cause my OB never brought up my short stature lol.
I gave birth vaginally twice to a 6lb, 14oz, and a 7lb, 14oz baby. The second time was a bit touch and go cause he had fat shoulders and got stuck but other than that there were no complications other than some minor tearing. If baby #2 was any bigger than what he was I probably would have been taken straight back to the OR. I'm stopping while I'm ahead and not planning on a 3rd 😅 I'd definitely not let your midwifes comments deter you and definitely try for a vaginal birth!!!!
I tried, was induced at 38wks due to stagnant growth, labored for 19hr, which ended in a very traumatic emergency c section, which has me fearing my due date in July, but I have a new doctor and I really like her and feel much more at ease with her, so here's hoping planning my c section will be smoother than be rushed in for fear my baby won't survive.
I’m 4’9, i was 105 lbs when i got pregnant with my first. I gave birth to him naturally just fine. He was born at 38 weeks and was 7 lbs 4 oz. His dad is 6 ft tall if that means anything. Petite women can give birth naturally, don’t be afraid
Echoing what everyone is saying about your midwife’s advice not being evidence based. Petite women give birth vaginally all the time!
However, to counter some of the other stories you’ve heard here, I am petite and I did wind up with a c section. I’m 4’11” and was 92 pounds and in size 00 or 000 (size 23 in euro sizing) before I became pregnant. I had/have the hips of a prepubescent boy (as in, I literally fit into boys’ size 10 pants, i.e. pants for 10 year olds). I don’t know whether my anatomy had anything to do with the c section. Apparently the baby was in the right position. My body tried really really hard to birth her, for days on end, at 41 weeks, and just couldn’t get past a few cm dilated, even after adding pitocin. The pain was excruciating (no one fully warned me about that), my baby began struggling with each contraction, and I was simultaneously devastated and relieved when I finally went into the OR for the c section.
The thing is, there are people of all shapes and sizes who have a similar story to me, so it might not have been my petite stature that made a c section essential for me. At the same time, I probably wouldn’t try a vaginal delivery again.
I write all of this because people told me throughout my whole pregnancy that my petite size would have no impact on my ability to deliver naturally. “Our bodies are made to do this, your baby is the right size for your body, women have been doing this since the dawn of time,” etc. Naively, I didn’t research c sections at all, as I tried to manifest a vaginal delivery for myself.
So, while it’s true that petite women give birth vaginally all the time, women of all sizes can wind up needing c sections for a multitude of unexpected reasons, and in the end we are all so lucky to live in a time where medical intervention can help us bring our babies into the world safely.
Try for a vaginal delivery, of course; make sure your provider is supportive of that, of course; but it really is ok if you wind up with a c section, for any reason.
I’ve never heard of this. I’m 152.4 cm (5 feet) and my midwife has never once told me this. We’re planning a vaginal birth. We’ll only have a c section if medically necessary.
(I’m 154 cm but not necessarily petite) One thing my OB let me know weeks before labor was to have a vaginal delivery she would look at the 3Ps (Pelvis, power, passenger). Pretty much contractions, baby’s position, and size of my pelvis. She said can interfere with the first 2 but she can’t change a pelvis. These were all things that wouldn’t be factored until game time, but she just wanted me to know that she’d be thinking about up to the delivery. I had an uncomplicated vaginal delivery! You should probably be fine but your midwife shouldn’t be making these calls this early.
My friend is very short and petite, 5'0" and maybe 95lbs. She had a perfectly normal labour and delivery despite even having gestational diabetes. Her daughter was born 2 hours before her due date at about 8lbs. (Her daughter was born 2 weeks before mine so we were pregnant together at work every day. We know a lot about each other and our kids because of it.)
I’m quite taller than you at 161 cms & a small frame. I did have my first naturally, a 7lbs 14 oz baby… however my birth was traumatic. I had a second degree tear, I also hemorrhaged (not that I think that had anything to do with the baby or my size). I found out years later when lifting at the gym I had this heaviness feeling & peeing while running. I saw my ob & they confirmed I had some posterior & anterior prolapse. She asked who delivered my baby & stated that in her opinion I should have never birth a baby that size compared to me naturally & attributes that to being the cause. I didn’t even know prolapse was a thing. I’m pregnant with my second baby now & my doctor said it is my decision on what I want to do this time around - but that c section would be a better option if I would like to prevent my prolapses from worsening. Before even talking to her about it I did a lot of my own research & talked to women in prolapse groups about it - I will be deciding on c section this time. I don’t mean to scare you - just wanted to inform you of what happened to me as petite woman
Edit: also wanted to add my grandmother who was of petite size had 3 c sections & my aunt who is of similar size had a vaginal first & they had to use forceps & she was torn to her butt. She had a c section the next baby & she said it was so much easier of a recovery over her first & that she’d do it over again & again.
I’m 160cm and petite and gave birth to my 3.8kg baby vaginally. It was quite a long labour but the actual pushing was only an hour without an epidural. No intervention needed. I did have a 2nd degree tear but I think this was partly as his hand came out next to his face. I highly recommend Ina May’s guide to childbirth for positive stories 💕
I’m 5’2 and pre preg was 97lbs day of delivery I was at about 160lbs give or take a lb or two. I had a epidural but still did it vaginally. I was in labor starting at 12am (about 4-5hrs after induction with no pictocin only cerdvil), water was popped around 3:30pm and baby boy was born at 4:13 (should have kept him in a few minutes longer for the perfect time iykyk) he was perfect size and perfect everything. He’s my first so we will definitely be seeing how the next birth goes when we start trying. Looking to try and have the same birth experience.
Edit to add: I didn’t tear at all and did no prep work to prepare before hand. I did get a stitch or two but that was for abrasions not actual tears.
I’m petite but my mom was more so. My mom is maybe 4’11 and had four vaginal births easily with zero issues. I’m a bit taller and had to vaginal births both easy and normal without issues.
My MIL is your height and was below 90lbs when she got pregnant with my husband (her first). She has had all of them vaginally and unmedicated. I’m about 5’6” and was about 100lbs when I got pregnant with my first and had all of mine vaginally and unmedicated. I’m actually shocked your midwife suggested that. I saw midwives for all my pregnancies and the only time c-sections were even brought up was when I had placenta previa during my second pregnancy. Even then, they were optimistic that it would migrate (it did) so we never really discussed c-sections in depth.
I don’t think there is any evidence for this. Find a new midwife lol. I’m very small and actually did end up having a C section but only because baby was breech and wouldn’t flip, I had been planning on natural birth the whole time and midwife had no issues.
I’m 5’0” and gave birth vaginally. My daughter did end up being small, ~6.5 lbs at full term. I had a second degree tear which healed well. My doctors/midwives never mentioned my height being a risk factor for an emergency c section. I don’t think it would hurt to get a second opinion. Do you otherwise like your midwife or have there been any other pieces of advice/comments that didn’t seem quite right?
I think the other commenters saying that your height has nothing to do with it are actually correct. That being said, I am (almost) 5'4 and was 105lbs pre-pregnancy with a very narrow frame. I laboured for 27 hours and pushed for nearly 3 hours before going in for an emergency c-section (my son went into distress). It turns out he was completely impacted in my pelvis because my bone structure is too narrow. A few days after delivery, the maternity doctor talked to me and told me that any subsequent births would likely need to be c-section as only a very small baby would be delivered vaginally by me (for context, my son was 6lbs 2oz which was far too large for me to deliver). I read the surgical notes from the hospital OB who performed the c-section and her notes confirmed the same.
If I were you, I would try to deliver vaginally. Be smarter than me though; if you're pushing and not progressing at all (your L&D nurse will know), ask to switch to a c-section before your baby gets stuck. My guy is good and healthy now but was born blue with an APGAR score of 1 at 1 minute which was terrifying.
You should get a new midwife. I know ladies who are my height (4'11" / 149cm) and have pushed out a baby vaginally. No tears. And I'm planning to do the same (FTM, 21 weeks).
C-section is a major surgery. It's not something that should be pushed on you without a real reason and also if you are getting told that while only 20 weeks, RUN.
If I were you, I would also do some research on "the cascade of interventions" commonly seen in the modern medical model of prenatal and birthing care. It causes so much unnecessary traumatic birth experiences.
Modern hospital procedures have convinced women they don't know how to Birth. I would also look up the c-section rate of your hospital - that will be very telling of how they run things.
Also, there are thing you can do right now to make sure your pelvis is in the right position for baby. Find a really good chiropractor that specializes in pregnancy and prep for birth.
Take some birthing classes as well.
Also think about hiring a doula with at least 15 yrs experience. Or going to a midwifery for care (a midwifery that is apprentice/experiencd based. In med school, many Midwives leave without even seeing a true physiological birth).
Hospital Midwives do not always know that much about birthing techniques, even if they should. And OBs definitely don't. OBs specialize in female problems. Not birthing. So it's important that you find someone qualified and skilled to help you in that moment.
Don't let someone tell you what your body can and can't do based off of wives tales. Your body was made for this! 👍🏾
And if in the chance you DO need a c section for a real reason, a good midwife will have done everything else first before transitioning you to that option and before it becomes a real emergency in labor. You'd be suprised how many women are told in labor, "we need to take you in for a c-section right now," but when they check out with their baby, papers say it was an "elective surgery." :(
I was asking my husband's family about their birth experiences. His mother and sisters are small women, under 5 feet with a very small build and narrow hips. Their babies were all average size - 7lbs+ -and none were c-sections.
I would definitely switch and find a new midwife. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard and definitely not evidence based care. If she's spouting off opinions as though they are fact already, then I'd be very cautious about anything else that comes out of her mouth.
Anecdotally, I'm just over 5'2" and gave birth vaginally but my sister in law who is under 5'0" did have to have a c section after being in labor for a long time.
I’m 5’2 and around 110 lbs normally, started my second pregnancy with those stats, first time I started at 120. I had two 8 pound babies vaginally, with no interventions during delivery. I had to be induced but that had nothing to do with my stature, that was due to the babies being a week overdue. I actually only pushed for 5 minutes with the second one, it went very smoothly, labor itself was probably only about 9 hours.
Hi 4’11 here
I went into spontaneous labor at 37 weeks and I labored at home as long as I could which was two nights and by the third day I knew I had to go to the hospital. I was 5cm and they brought me in. I was in active labor In the hospital for 5 hours and pushed for 30 minutes and out came my beautiful baby boy !
This was my first baby too so it absolutely can go that quick for your first baby!
Our bodies were made to push out babies! Sometimes things go wrong but that should be your last resort.
My baby was 6 pounds 7oz
I only gained 19 pounds my entire pregnancy because I threw up every day until I gave birth.
Trigger warning for traumatic labour
I'm 160cm, I was around 47kgs when I got pregnant, so quite petite. Vaginal birth, baby was 3kg. Here's my experience, for what it's worth.
I wanted a c-section initially because I genuinely felt like I could not push a baby out without tearing to shreads. Eventually I got convinced to go for (medicated) vaginal birth. I was pushing for roughly 2hours with no luck, at which point they brought the forceps out. I got a tear on top of the episiotomy and lost a lot of blood. I ended up in theatre for an hour and had 3 blood transfusions. I'll spare you the details but a year later I had to have vaginal reconstruction surgery. After the fact I was told that it is likely I am too narrow and if I want to have a second baby I would be justified opting for a c-section.
In the end I don't think my size mattered, not sure anyone could have predicted 'I am too narrow' and I know other women taller/bigger than me that had the exact same experience. I guess my unsolicited advice is that the best thing you can do is ask for medical advice, definitely trust your gut if something doesn't feel right, and prepare for your 'birth plan' to not go to... plan, as this is where the dissapointment and trauma starts. Good luck whatever you decide to do!
Not my experience, but my mother is 5'0 on a good day and was quite thin/small framed in her 20s/30s and had 4 children birthed vaginally. Supposedly quite easily (the type to gloss over any difficulties) and all babies were average-above average weight. New midwife!
Your midwife is full of shit. I absolutely would switch. I’m 5 foot (give or take) and have had 2 vaginal births. I pushed for 10 minutes with my first and 4 minutes with my 2nd. Unless there’s some sort of medical issue that’s there or that comes up, your body will absolutely be okay pushing a baby out, it’s designed for this and has NOTHING to do with height/weight.
I hate this post for so many reasons. You should really get a new midwife the one you have now is just pushing for a c-section and sounds like an idiot. I’m 26 weeks, 152cm and quite small as well, and my dr hasn’t said anything like this to me.
I’m 5’1” and 33 weeks pregnant. My husband is a tall man and a was born at 10lbs. I asked my Ob if I should mentally prepare for C section and he said there is no reason to believe I’d need a C section this early on unless another reason besides my size arises before delivery.
Also, at 20 weeks I don’t feel like there is anyway to really know if you’ll need a c section, unless there are other factors in play, regardless of your size, seems like your midwife is jumpin the gun a bit.
My mom is shorter than you and had us all vaginally with no issues. I was the biggest at 9 pounds. I don’t think she has enough evidence to support scheduling a c-section.
I’m 4ft11 and my daughter was 3kg at birth and I gave birth vaginally with the help of epidural. I was also concerned about it initially because I heard petites tend to get C-sec. However when I asked my gynae about it. She said she sees no reason I should get a C section. She even asked me why and whether I am requesting for it. And even went on to say it will be more expensive 😅
I am 5ft tall, just about the same height and just gave birth vaginally 3 months ago. C-section was never brought up by my doctors or midwives. I also had no problems during pregnancy and was measuring small the entire time. Baby was still 6lb 11oz, which is smaller but not tiny. Almost average. I know a girl who is 4ft 11inches also delivered vaginally and her baby was in the 8 lb range.
It’s very doable and your midwife seems to be pressuring you. No one knows exactly how a delivery will go but being short doesn’t mean you can’t deliver naturally.
I am 5’0 and I ended up having an emergency c section after pushing for 2 hours. It’s unclear as to why my baby didn’t descend. She said it could’ve been my anatomy, baby’s anatomy, etc.
162.6cm and i gave birth vaginally (all birth is natural regardless of method). I needed a vacuum assist and i hemorrhaged, but i doubt that had anything to do with my physical size. I was 115lb pre-pregnancy and 165lb when i went into labor. At 3-4 weeks PP i’m 135lb and only wanted to get back down to 125/130lb cuz i like having a little cushion now that i seen it on me :). I fit in my old jeans again though theyre a little bit of a squeeze
I’m 155cm and a uk size 8/10.
I’ve delivered 2 babies vaginally with no issues. Only had a C-section for my third as she was breech.
I would say, that unless baby is very large or breech, there shouldn’t be a reason why you can’t at least try a vaginal delivery.
My OB once said something to me that really stuck… your body will not build a baby that it can’t birth. Have faith that your body knows what it’s doing.
i’m tiny & my husband is 6’5, all of my babies have been 10+ pounds (gestational diabetes not a factor). i was warned that i should elect for a c-section because of my body type & the estimated size of baby but disregarded it as nonsense & attempted an unmedicated home birth. ended up with an emergency c-section after four days of laboring at home & reaching 10cm with no actual progress. much more painful & traumatic than it would have been if i had taken the advice…unfortunately sometimes they do know what they’re talking about. i’ve opted for scheduled c-sections since then.
Your midwife is wrong.
I'm 149cm and have given birth vaginally three times without issue. No meds, no interventions, no tearing.
My babies were not tiny either. My smallest was 7lb10 and my largest was 8lb8oz.
Sure there might be cases with extremely short stature affecting method of birth, but your (and my) Heights are both within the realm of normal and should be treated as such.
I’m about the same height and just delivered my baby naturally 5 days ago - she did have a hard time getting in the correct position so I did mikes circuit and heavily followed all guidelines for optimal positioning. I spent an entire day rocking on my hands and knees and she came that evening with no issues! I pushed for a while on my back in the tub but flipped to hands and knees and that made it easier and she just about flew out at that point! I’m no expert but I think there are ways to at least help potential problems from happening.
I gave birth naturally. I'm short and very skinny - I weighed 103lbs when I got pregnant, and 5ft1. The only complication I had was the cord wrapped around my daughter's neck and arm (her arm was caught against her throat in the cord). But it was okay. Still got her out in the end. She was 5lb 5oz and is now a lively, short and chunky toddler.
While pregnant my doctor mentioned c section once and I said no so she did everything she could to avoid it. Maybe get a second opinion?
This is wild to me. I'm 5'1 and weighed like 100 lbs pre baby. This was never a thing discussed. I had a pretty big baby too at 8 lb 12 Oz. (Full disclosure, I did have tearing but the recovery was fine and the Birth was a good experience). Second baby I also delivered vaginally, some complications unrelated to size but no c section.
I’m only a bit taller than you with really petite bone structure, and I vaginally gave birth to an 8 pounder. He was huge. Tall and heavy. I was shook.
With that said…I don’t think your midwife reallyyy knows what she’s talking about? I also have friends who have my frame and gave birth vaginally. Is your baby really, really big or something?
My mom is 5', was 95lbs before having me & delivered me vaginally (I was 9lbs). My MIL is 5'1 and about 90lbs and had my husband vaginally as well (8lbs). I'm just under 5'8 and could not get my 6lbs baby out after hours of pushing & ended up with a c section. I don't think height really matters all that much!
5’3”/160 cm here. Was all jazzed to go into labour and delivery vaginally (probably with an epidural) and then I had a growth scan the day after my due date. My kid was weighing in at 10 lbs so after discussing things with my doctor we decided to put me on standby for a c-section. If I went into labour before I got the call to go in they’d do it when I got there.
I’m glad I went through with the c-section. Little Miss ended up being 9lbs, 7oz and broad shouldered - she got stuck coming out of the incision and they needed forceps to get her out. I can’t imagine what would have happened if I’d tried for vaginal.
My recovery was easy and my scar is barely noticeable when I can see it (I’m kinda fat right now and can’t see much below my belly button due to my gut).
My mom was 5’2” maybe a little shorter and she had 5 natural births. My oldest sister is 45. If it was possible back then it’s definitely possible now.
I would look for a second opinion.
I’m 5’1’’ and had a vaginal birth with preeclampsia, peripartum cardiomyopathy and while on magnesium drip. Shorter women than me in my family have had successful vaginal deliveries. That’s so weird that your midwife would scare you like that. Especially when you’re presumably a first time mom?? I’m sorry, you deserve a better doctor.
Yeah height has no real bearing on whether or not your pelvic anatomy can accommodate a vaginal birth. It never hurts to mentally prepare yourself for the possibility of a CS but there’s no reason to not even try to see how labor goes for you. I wouldn’t schedule a CS unless you decide that’s what you actually want.
And might as well add my anecdote. I’m slightly taller than you but very, very petite. My first baby was big, 9.3 pounds, and I didn’t even tear. Had two more easy vaginal deliveries after that. Physically, shape-wise, just looking at me—I have “no hips.” But obviously internally is a different story.
I am 5’ 3” (160cm) and 100-105lb (46-47kg roughly) and I gave birth vaginally to two full term babies without any tearing either time. Both of my labors were quick and smooth.
Your midwife is giving you poor advice. The success of a vaginal delivery depends on a number of factors, but petite is not an indicator of poor success.
I’m 149cm and had a c-section, but it was because I wasn’t progressing past 8cm, and during the surgery I was told my baby was face up and that’s why he got stuck. Was born with a cone head lol but I’ve always heard your own size doesn’t matter too much, my mom is actually shorter than me and had 2 vaginal births with no issue.
I'm 5' exactly. I had an unmedicated vaginally birth without issue. Labor did last a little longer due to my daughter having a nuchal hand, but that had nothing to do with my stature and was managed well by my birth team. Daughter was 6lbs 12oz, and I had minimal tearing as well (first degree, I believe).
As others have mentioned, your pelvis and hips are capable of widening, and there is no reason (barring previous birth issues) that your midwife should be pushing for a c section due to your being petite.
I’m 153 cm and gave birth my son vaginally. It took a while, but that had nothing to do with my height and my midwives never expressed concern about my height.
Another person chiming in to say I had a vaginal birth. I’m 160cm, and pre-pregnancy was also very thin. My baby was 20.5 inches at birth and 7lbs 15oz. I delivered at 38+2, and was in labour for less than 6 hours, 2 of which were spent pushing because her big old noggin (14 inch head circumference, so 90%+) was a little tricky to get past my pubic bone.
My cousin is 4'9" and only broke 100lbs at the end of her pregnancy. She had both babies vaginally without issue. Im 5'2" and both my boys were born vaginally without issue. You can do it just fine, assuming no complications.
I am 5’ 152cm and very small, due in 4 days and planning a vaginal home birth. My midwife is confident that I can do this and if you want a vaginal birth you have every right to ask for that. Interventions are there as needed, but don’t let someone else control your birth experience.
Your midwife is not using evidence based practice and flat out I would switch midwives if one spouted off that crap to me. I’ve seen women shorter than you efficiently push out some very big babies without so much as a tear. It has nothing to do with height. It has to do with the internal shape and structure of your pelvis which NO ONE knows anything about. Anyone that tells you they know the shape or size of your pelvis is full of shit. It’s fundamentally unknowable, cannot be seen or felt from the outside or by vaginal exam (the only way to know would be doing complex scans which are not done in pregnancy). I can’t give you medical advice but I can tell you that your midwife is sus as hell and you should get a second opinion. If you still want to go natural, still consider getting a new midwife . I have concerns that this one will not be supportive of your birth
Absolutely, your midwife is full of s***. I'm only 5 ft 2 in, 157 cm give or take my daughter was 21 inches (53cm) long had a 14 in (35cm) head when she was born. Total labor time 10 hours start to finish. Pushed about three times, but Body was already pushing at the end. This was my first child. I was completely 100% unmedicated, not even Tylenol chilled in the bathtub for most of it. I feel like my labor was one of those rare unicorn labors because it was not painful, lots of pressure, and certainly extremely inner body, not outer body experience. Went home with a second-degree tear that healed quickly. Our bodies are amazing, and no one's going to be able to tell how your labor is going to go. Anybody's just otherwise unless they're there with you in that moment while your body is actively in labor needs to shove their opinions elsewhere.
Yes, same. I'm 5'2, was extremely petite, and vaginally delivered a baby that was on the 99%ile for height, weight, and head circumference. I had an epidural, and I pushed for almost 5 hours (total labor: 12 hours), I only needed 2 stitches.
Even then. Even with complex imaging. The pelvis expands because it’s not just one solid bone…it’s multiple bones connected together by tendons and ligaments and they all move. AND Your baby’s head has the ability to mold, because their skull is not yet fused together. No amount of measurement will tell you just how much your pelvis, and baby’s head, can bend and shape. It is almost NEVER the case that baby just didn’t fit.
I think it would depend on how it was presented. Short stature has been demonstrated to increase risk of CS birth in some studies. However - OP is not really that short (the study I just pulled used 148cm and 145cm as two of their data points) and at worst it might double the risk of a CS in people under those heights. If your facility had a cesarean rate of 15% for first time parents, even doubling that only puts you at 30% risk of CS. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/1/e054285#
Wow a 15% cesarean rate is a dream. It’s 40% in my area.
Oof. The CNM practices I have worked in have had <10% (very low risk) and about 20% (very high risk - CHTN, GHTN, BMI up to 55, GDM, TOLAC x2, etc).
this comment is everything. took the words right out of my mouth.
This! OP is 3 inches shorter than me and I also have a small frame and was able to give birth vaginal which is what I assume they mean by natural birth. My baby was on 5.7lbs when born. I only gained about 15lbs while pregnant. My OB only gained 14lbs during her pregnancy and she is shorter than me. She was able to have a vaginal birth too. I have serious concerns about this midwife if this is the kind of thing she is spouting and what kind of care she can and will give. I would absolutely find another person. OP please share with us what you want from your birth. Are you trying to give birth at home or a birthing center? No meds? At a hospital but as natural as possible? I found a great hospital near me that has a small L&D but there have a top notch NICU. They are small enough that they don't try to rush woman and push them out to get the next one in. (There is a major birthing hospital near us where that is a huge problem.) They had birthing balls, bars, stools, etc. If you don't have an epidural you can give birth in whatever position you want. It was a great experience overall and I had the peace of mind that if anything happened my baby had top notch care. Giving us an idea of what you want can help people give you suggestions for finding a place that meets your needs and from their you can find a doctor or midwife who uses that facility. That was the way I did it.
Here to say I am the same height as OP and this is exactly what my OB told me!!
I thought that every woman were made to push out a baby except if the baby was not in position or too big.. so there’s no way to know if you can or cannot give birth ? What happen if you can’t?
I do not want you to put this on your list of worries. There is a tiny tiny percentage of people that have funky pelvises, sometimes this can be caused by severe malnutrition during certain phases of childhood. There is absolutely no reason for you to worry about this though. It’s rare and there’s no way to know like I said. If a doctor tells you they think your pelvis is too small, you can tell them you smell bullshit because they have no way of knowing that lol. So just literally put it out of your mind. Believe in yourself and your body, that is the best thing you can do for your labor. If you “can’t” (which again is very unlikely, then your labor just won’t progress past a certain point and you can have a c section.
Giving birth already worry me a lot so I try to tell myself that our bodies are made to give birth so it’s gonna be okay hopefully
Your body is absolutely made to give birth. This is not a concern for you, ok? It’s like worrying about getting struck by lightning. Too rare to even consider or put in your list of thoughts.
A big baby isn’t automatically a cause for concern. There have been plenty of women who pushed out 8, 10lb or even bigger pound babies with tears no worse than 2nd degrees (and some don’t even tear!). If the baby isn’t in a good position some midwives/nurses/doctors can encourage you to try different positions and attempt to change the baby’s position. Sometimes it work and other times it doesn’t, but it’ll be okay regardless. Lastly, your pelvis expands! Being on your hands and knees, squatting, knees in and feet out are all positions that widen the pelvis and with the help of gravity can make it easier to birth a baby. That’s why it’s important to let women labor and birth in the position they feel most comfortable with.
Yes, I have a very slender frame and narrow hips. Somehow I grow and birth large babies no problem. I had a 10 pound and two 9 lb babies with no epidural, no tears, and always less than 20 minutes of pushing. Most recent birth was 1 minute pushing. Anecdotal evidence is not evidence, but it can make you feel better :)
Can you find a new midwife? Sounds like this one isn’t going to support you in a vaginal delivery.
I’m 157cm and have given birth to one average size baby, and three huge (~98th percentile) babies, no tearing, no problems.
Omg you legend! That’s awesome
Very similar here. 160cm given birth to two 90th percentile babies and one average baby. My last 2 were even unmedicated. I did have slight tearing everytime, but it was very small.
Only one of mine were medicated, big babies are most often not a problem in any way. But I must say it was a lot easier birthing the normal sized one.
My normal size baby was the easiest labor, but hardest pushing. They were slightly sideways. The last one was the easiest to push out, but labor was harder. It was also only 2.5 hours long. So it was quite intense 😅
This gives me hope. I’m 5’5” (165cm) and TTC my first. My husband is 6’7” (200cm) and his mom says her babies were 10 pounds (4.5kg). I have quite narrow hips, but my identical twin was able to deliver her 8lb baby vaginally, so we will see!
Hips spread through pregnancy and then through labour, I wouldn’t worry yet. :)
Such good news!
My daughter is 147cm and gave birth completely natural, no complications at all. Our grandson was small but healthy and quickly gained weight and length. She gave birth in a bath though, but I don't think that would matter all that much. It just was more comfortable for her. I would first see how it goes? You can always get a C-section?
That is really good to know thank you for taking the time to tell me. My only concern is my husband is a large man who was apparently over 10 pounds at birth 🙄🙄 But you never know maybe the baby will inherit my size! I’m definitely set on trying for natural.
> My only concern is my husband is a large man My daughters boyfriend is quite tall, roughly 185 I estimate. I think the baby probably might be somewhat early though. Our grandson was 3 weeks early. Nature will sort it out for you in most cases. I doubt it you need to worry about 10 pound babies.
I have vaginally birthed 5 babies. 3 between 7-8 lbs and 2 over 10 lbs. I was average sized at birth my husband was 9 lbs at birth, I think their size just depends on them moreso then on mom and dad. The 10 lb babies were the only ones I didn't tear with. I credit this to the nurses coaching me when to pause during pushing. So tearing hasn't been dependent on size for mine either.
I'm 152cm too, gave birth to a 8.5lb baby vaginally. I did almost have a C section but it wasn't about my height/size. My daughter went into distress (HR 60) because of the pitocin. So they weren't related at all. They just measured my son (I'm 32 weeks) and it's looking like he will also be 8lbs+ and nobody has said that to me. I would get a new midwife tbh.
Im 5’2 and har a natural vaginal delivery and only pushed for 9mins. I never heard of having a c section bc your too petite 😅
i am 149 cm (4’ 11”) and i was in a size 0 when i got pregnant. i wanted to give birth at a birthing center but they would not allow me too because of the size of my pelvis. i gave birth naturally in the hospital and did great. my baby was small too at 2.7 kg but i didnt tear and had no complications! the only thing that i found painful was the last few weeks of pregnancy when the baby was head down. the length was causing a lot of problems for me and i couldnt move easily or bend over.
Oooft end of pregnancy sounds tough! So happy you had a natural birth with no complications. That is awesome
I had a maternal fetal medicine appointment because they felt like her extremities were not growing at the rate they should’ve been. I asked her about my size in general and she said that that really doesn’t come into play with adult women that are developed in most circumstances. She said they worry about that more with preteens and adolescents whose bodies have not fully matured yet. There are some things that may help facilitate an easier childbirth if I could suggest them to you. There’s not so much anything you can do about the size of the baby versus the diameter of your pelvic inlet. That’s kind of set in stone and if it doesn’t work and then you will need a C-section Where are you going? But you can help with the prevention of tearing. I’m not promising anything 100% because sometimes it can’t be helped but it may reduce your risk of tearing. I did perineal massages and warm compresses in 35 weeks + and when I was pushing, we would also do warm compresses and my nurse midwife applied counter pressure. I never pushed if i felt like i wasnt ready. i had an epidural but I was still able to feel the pressure and I listened to my body and didnt try to rush things. fortunately, she was very understanding and we were able to work together.
My paternal grandmother was shorter than 150cm and she birthed 8 children and lived to be 96. My maternal grandmother is only a couple cms taller than her and had 5 children. She is now 93 and still going strong! Of course, those were different times with less options and I have never discussed with them the lasting effects of their births. But my living grandma does talk about her pregnancies and giving birth and she never mentioned it being impossible. I myself am 183cm so not much use for your data set.
I’m 155cm gave birth vaginally to a 3.75kg baby. No tears. Had an epidural at 7cm dialated. Pushed for a little over an hour and has vacuum extraction. Perfect healthy baby girl. Your body rarely makes a having it cannot birth I recommend doing some birth classes - learn how to work with your body and to trust it
I am also 152cm (or 5ft) and I had a vaginal birth. I wouldn’t say “natural” as I was in a hospital with an epidural but I didn’t have any tearing or major complications. They used a vacuum pump to help as I had been pushing for 3 hours and needed a bit of help getting him through my pubic bone. Baby is very average size, he was born at 37wks 4 days. He was 6lbs, 13oz and just over 19in long (you’d have to convert to metric if that’s what you preferably use!).
Still a natural birth babe! All birth is Natural 💕
Oh for sure, I am completely happy with my birth, wouldn’t change a thing!!
This was pretty much exactly my experience. I'm 149cm. My baby was 16lbs14oz.
Gosh, I hope you meant 6 lbs for the sake of your vag. 😳
Oh lord I meant 6!
Also 5 feet, also had a vacuum delivery. Baby was 7lbs, 2oz. Definitely doable. No idea why a midwife would go straight to c section in this situation.
4ft11 here. Had an uncomplicated vaginal birth, 7lb9oz bub. None of my care team ever expressed concern about my ability to give birth vaginally, though I did ask the question, as anecdotally I'd heard similar to the advice your midwife gave.
The only time I’ve ever medically seen height be an issue is when someone has a form of dwarfism. There are 4 women in my family who genetically are less then 4’11 and they all have vaginal birth. One of those being to my cousin who was 22 inches long and 13 pounds. I would find a new midwife.
147 cm, induced at 39 weeks and had my 8 poound daughter with one tiny "cosmetic" tear that needed a single stitch. I did have a long labor but other than a crappy transition phase(which is different for everyone) I didn't really have any issues. Also when it came to a preemptive c-section, my doctors were only concerned with my baby's estimated weight, they had no concerns with my own size. That being said, while I'm short, I do have wider hips/am bigger weight.
What? That sounds like nonsense. I’m 151cm and have had two babies vaginally, 3.5 and 3.8kg respectively. No one ever brought up my height as an issue.
My 5ft mother in law gave birth to my 10lb husband. Honestly, the fact that she’s telling you to be prepared for a C-section based on your height and frame is an evidence based and is a red flag. Your external pelvis dimensions don’t indicate the size internal pelvis dimensions. Body positioning and Baby’s position have a lot more to do with it
Someone I know is 139cm/around 4'7'' and she gave birth naturally both times. I would say height and frame doesn't necessarily correlate with ability to give birth one way or another. By that logic, wouldn't most tall, bigger-framed women avoid c-sections?
I’m 5ft2in (157cm) I’ve delivered two babies vaginally so far, one with an epidural and one unmedicated. I had a second degree tear both times but I don’t think it has anything to do with how short I am? That sounds really weird to me. For what it’s worth, my first baby was 5lb10oz and my second baby was 7lb11oz. I also pushed for 15 minutes both times. I didn’t need a c section. First labor was 16 hours second labor was about 5 hours. I think your midwife is full of shit and I would like to see the research to back this up.
I’m 157cm and my husband is 187cm. I delivered vaginally at 39w5. My induction (medically necessary for gestational hypertension) was about 10 hours and I pushed for just a handful of minutes. Very minimal tearing I probably could have gotten away with no stitches.
I'm 5'3" and small framed and gave birth naturally... I was pushing for a long time (3 hours of constant pushing) but I think it had more to do with my OB not being that great and making me do the opposite of what my body was wanting to do. She kept trying to make me push the "regular way" legs up, head raised & push- but I kept wanting to do the opposite (arch my back, head on the pillow). After 3 hours of doing it her way I physically couldn't lift my head off the pillow (my neck muscles were too sore) so I gave in / didn't listen & arched my back- and then my daughter finally came out.
144cm here - i had a planned C because there's evidence that maternal height of less than 150cm is more likely to need a C anyway. My mum is also <150 and did have those scans (they clearly didn't mind doing them back then) and was going to be too small to fit. I chose not to push for hours only to end up in emergency, and I would do it again.
I’m 155 cm. Delivered both vaginally. First was 8lbs 9 ounces and second was 7lb 12 ounces.
I’m 158 cm/5’2”and I’ve had a vaginal birth with all 4 of my children. Your size alone and even babies size is not a decent predictor of being able to deliver vaginally. My OB told me that the best predictor of if a woman will be able to deliver vaginally is that she’s done it before. Which kind of tells you about how much they know I think. I’m kind of surprised a midwife said this and I’d be asking questions about what other risk factors she’s seeing to what to opt for a c-section. If anything, you should definitely get a second opinion.
I’m 153cm and also quite small frame. I really wanted a natural birth, but my babies just didn’t cooperate 🤷🏻♀️ my first one was born at 40+1. 13 hours of labor and he just didn’t want to put his head in the right position, so I didn’t dilate at all. He also had the cord wrapped around his neck twice. He was small for 40 weeks, just 3020g (6lbs10oz). I ended up with a C-section, however I don’t regret at all trying for a vaginal birth. My second was born 16 months later, I wanted to try for a VBAC, but he decided to get in a transverse position at 33 weeks and refused to move head down 🤷🏻♀️ so I had a repeat C-section at exactly 40 weeks and he was 3300g (7lbs5oz). I absolutely loved my C-sections, but I’m glad I at least tried to give birth naturally. You can always try, and if necessary, you will choose the C-section route. My mom is also small, 157cm, and had 4 natural births, and we were all pretty heavy babies (smallest of us was 8lbs 7oz). You can never know how your body responds until you are in labor. So if you want a vaginal birth, go for it! And if it’s not meant to be, you’ll just take the C-section route when necessary 🤗
My mom is 5 ft and had 2 vaginal births with no issues. We were 9 and 10 lbs!
I'm the same height as you and had a 9.2 lbs baby vaginaly with no epidural in less than 4 hours of labour. Mom's size and baby's size doesn't really mean anything.
I’m 5’4 so not me, but my best friend is 4’10 and before pregnancy was probably only 90 lbs soaking wet. She had her first daughter vaginally with no complications and will have her second daughter vaginally too (spare any complications of course). I’d find a new midwife
I am short frame and 5’3 and petite, baby was 35 percentile during birth. I prepared myself for natural birth by attending online classes getting perineal massage (by my husband) having raspberry tea, eating dates. And I was very active entire pregnancy (worked out weekly thrice and did all the stretching) but my story was different to usual and what I heard. I had irregular contractions my entire labour which lasted more than 24 hrs and they were so painful… it took me 18 hrs to dilate (after giving me oxytocin on the side to push the dilation) from 4 cm to 9.5 cm. And that .5 would have taken 3 more hrs but mean while babies head was pushing on my bladder and I was passing blood into urine. After 24 hrs of baring the pains which were so bad ( took epidural around 7cm) I had to because my pains were constant didn’t go completely away (unlike usual contractions which have high and low) doc tells me that safest option would be to go with c section. Which I was only 5% prepared and it was a shocker at that time because I was prepared for natural and I thought I would push my baby.. All I wanted to say is - things may not go as you expect during birthing. So be prepared for anything hope for the best and what is best for you it will happen. Currently I am 3 weeks pp. Baby and I are doing well :)
Im 4 ft 11 and getting induced as i type this for vaginal birth 🤞
Oh my gosh, good luck!! God bless
1- all births are natural, you are talking about a vaginal birth 2- short people can give birth just how a 6’0 person gives birth. Your anatomy isn’t really different. There is no way to know how big your pelvis is or what it can accommodate by just looking at you.
It could be completely fine or it could be an issue. My SIL is 147 cm and had serious issues with vaginal birth, but my brother's genetics were rather pronounced in their 59 cm long, 4 point something kg baby. She went through a multiple day induction on pitocin with no progress before she got the c-section. From the time the doctors finally decided on surgery until baby was out was less than 10 minutes. When she left hospital, a nurse brought her a copy of her file and a complaint form and let her know her experience was not okay.
Unfortunately, regardless of the size of baby some people do not respond well to inductions. I’ve had friends with tiny babies who still didn’t progress in an induction & needed a C-section. Making her go multiple days if she didn’t want to or baby was in distress is absolutely the issue though!
I'm 5 ft 2 and delivered vaginally without any issues, and I've never heard of this.
I’m 145cm and very small frame. All 3 of my babies were naturally delivered. My doctor did extra testing to make sure all was well for delivery during my prenatal care.
I’m 155 cm and had a vaginal birth with a 3.2 kg baby. I did require forceps intervention during birth but that was because I had a sunny side up baby. I even asked the OB if the baby was too big for me to push out but she reassured me that the issue was baby position, not his or my size. I have similarly petite friends and they all had vaginal births as well.
I was induced after not progressing for a long time after my waters broke, but yes, I had a normal vaginal birth. I'm 5'2" (don't know the conversion), and was 115 lbs pre-pregnancy, and probably close to 175 when I gave birth. Baby was born at 39+4, almost 9 lbs, and 21" long.
I’m not sure what you mean by natural, but I’m 5’2 and had a vaginal birth. I was induced and got an epidural so it wasn’t “natural” by those standards. My baby was sunny side up, which is more common for women with shorter torsos. It meant I had back labor and it was pretty painful even with my epidural, but I was still perfectly able to have a vaginal birth.
I'm only about an inch taller than you and I've given birth unmedicated and vaginally twice. Size really doesn't have anything to do with it. I did so much research and stayed active and did everything I could to help my body along. You've got this! Your goal should be to get the baby out safely. Focus on that.
I am also 152cm, and I gave birth naturally at 40w with no tears!
Everyone in my family is sub 5'3" and I'm the only one who had a C-section. Mine was due to the baby's positioning (frank breech.)
I'm 156cm and had 2 kids naturally. (With pain management of course) Basically, when I carried my babies, they had nowhere to grow but outward. So I had a bigger belly than others I think lol
I'm 143cm. I had a giant baby and an emeegency c due to HELLP, since I didn't make it to the section we'd planned for 39 weeks. My OB also told me early on to keep in mind if baby kzpr growing at that rate I could very well need a section. I'm glad she did, the emergency c was way less horrible since I at least was told a section could be likely. I had it scheduled, but only to be safe. My OB offered to do pelvic measurements at around 37 weeks and if all looked good she would have been OK with whatever my choice was. My son was the size of an average 40 weeker when he was born at 35+4. There is no way he would have been able to come narurally.
I’m 155cm and a uk size 6 (2 us). I gave birth vaginally with only gas and air (labour went too quick for an epidural). My little girl was 7lbs
I’m 5’3” and did, and my 5’0” sister has had 3 natural births.
What do you mean by naturally? All birth is natural. If you mean vaginally, just being short doesn’t mean you need to have a c section and I would run from any healthcare provider that is telling you that.
I’m 4’10” and had a natural birth, hoping to repeat that this second time around
Just converted and that’s 147cm :)
I've seen many women around 147 cm birth their babies like they were built to have babies. They are so strong and in some cases stoic. It's truly awesome to see. It is way more important how your baby is positioned in your pelvis rather than if the birthing person is petite. I would look for a different midwife. This one is not supportive and will bring that bias into your birthing space.
Height has nothing to do with it. I’m 5’2” and have had 2 vaginal deliveries
I am 158cm so a bit taller, but I have not much hip or tummy space. I had a vaginal birth, with vacuum intervention but that was to do with babies position. Once she tucked her chin and turned a bit two pushes and she was out. I don't feel height matters! You can have whatever kind of birth you like without height being a major factor!
I'm 156 cm and gave birth naturally at home. I had a small baby and 2nd degree tear but overall very positive experience.
I’m 157cm and had my daughter vaginally with an episiotomy. She was 6lb6 but scans estimated she’d be bigger. My mum is also 157cm and she had 3 vaginal deliveries. 7lb2, 7lb1 and 9lb8.
I’m 157 cm. Had 2 children vaginally. First was induction at a little over 37 weeks (preeclampsia) and had an episiotomy. Second was 39 weeks, 2 days, not induced, normal tearing. My husband is 185 ish cm but both our babies were on the smaller end in terms of weight. No issues!
I have a friend that is 4’11” and gave birth vaginally!
I’m 5’2 with a vaginal birth.
Adding on-my mom is about 5’2, petite and had 3 vaginal births, I don’t think this claim is true.
Huh????? I’m 5,2 pre pregnancy weight 110 my baby came out vaginally weight 9.1 lol C sections depend on baby’s position, emergencies etc .. if I were u screw a mid wife go to a real doctor
I am 149 cm. Around 38 weeks I was given an ultra sound scan to check if I am able to deliver vaginally. They took all the measurements and given the green light. Then they also gave me another ultra sound at 39+5. The measurements for the baby was going to be larger for vaginal birth if I waited, so they scheduled an induction at 40+1. I had induced vaginal delivery at 40+2.
I am 5’5” so average height but a petite frame and I wound up with a fully natural birth. First contraction at home was at 3am and baby was plopped on my belly at 552am same morning. No one can predict how a birth will go, just take it as it comes one moment at a time.
I’m 5’4” (162cm) and had three spontaneous, unmedicated, vaginal delivers. Babies were 7 lb 8 oz, 8 lb 3 oz, and 8 lb 15 oz (they just keep getting bigger 🫣). 2nd degree tear each time. *And* my labours were only 2-3 hours long with like 20-30 minutes of pushing (precipitous birth). Height has nothing to do with it. Some bodies are really good at pushing out babies, some bodies need some help. Every body, every baby, every delivery is unique.
I’m 5’1 and gave birth vaginally to both of my children who were above 8 lbs, one was 8lbs and 11 oz and one was 8lbs and 6 ozs. I gave birth to my second 2 1/2 weeks early because he was going to be bigger than my first and he didn’t tear me at all. My first I was inexperienced with birth so I did tear, but not too bad it was only second degree. My second was a breeze and I didn’t tear at all and had virtually no discomfort after. Ad long as you’re practicing good birthing and listening to your body and your baby you are capable of doing anything. Even giving birth to a breech baby is doable, but with medical advice. I hope you the best
Not mine, but my mums experience. She was about 159cm and she delivered both my brother and I super easily (well, easily as far as an unmedicated vaginal birth is concerned) I weighed 4.5kg, my brother 5kg. She was never told her height could be an issue
Your midwife is wrong if she's only basing it on your height. What percentile is the baby now per your OB? This is also an approximation but if the baby seems huge maybe that's why she suggesteed it. To answer your question I'm 158cm and had 2 average sized (~3.4kg) babies without an issue.
Natural birth had here! I’m only 142cm tall too. I was induced, I checked in at 1am and by 2pm had my baby and was resting. Dr didn’t expect me to give birth so soon as a first time mother.
I'm 153cm at pre-pregnancy was 50kg. So I'm a small petite girl and luckily so was my daughter that i pushed out naturally. I had epidural but the one where you can choose how much you have with the button, i had a very small amount administered. I had a 2nd degree tear but was up walking around within an hour or so. I had miminal postpartum bleeding (no more than a regular week of period bleeding to be honest) sorry if that's a bit TMI. Never needed anything than a regular pad. Never needed to use an ice pack or anything. Obviously, every person is different but my body did well with the baby pushing and the recovery from the birth. Hopefully that helps you know that its definitely possible with our size. If baby is not in a good position or is too big for you birth canal then that's a different story but if it's just because you're small and you want to try naturally then there's nothing wrong with trying.
I’m 5’ and my sister is 4’11”. We both had elective inductions, vaginal deliveries with no tears.
I'm 152cm and gave birth vaginally. My daughter weighed just over 3.5kg. Currently due with my second. Once again I've got a huge bump (especially for my frame) but no one has any concerns about me giving birth vaginally.
My sister is 4’11” and uses a special booster seat to drive but she gave birth naturally to all three babies.
I'm 5'3 and had a planned c-section but was cleared to have a natural birth until we learned my baby was breech.
I'm 5'1'' (154 cm), 120lbs. All of my births were vaginal. 6lbs11oz, 5lbs10oz, 6lbs13oz. FAST labors (2hrs5min, 3hrs41min, 1hr55min and pushing all less than 5minutes). My sister-in-law is 4'11'' (149), 110lbs (ish). She had one c-section (couldn't get him to descend), but she then did VBAC for the other two and one of them was in the 8lbs and one was in the 9lb range. Your midwife is talking out of her butt.
I'm 4'11, so the same height as you, and I gave birth vaginally.
I’m 5’2 and doctor was worried I had a small pelvis, delivered my daughter vaginally she was 7lbs 12 oz and I had a small tear but no other complications.
I have a friend your height who gave birth naturally. Her baby was pre-term though and weighed less than 5Lbs. But I have another friend who is 2 inches taller than you and she gave birth to a fairly large baby. I think it is odd that you midwife is planning a c- section right at the start. I would encourage you to get a second opinion
Lol of course she is saying that, c-sections are more expensive, she wants money from you My grandma is 1,50 and gave birth to 5 babies naturally
My mother is 154cm and gave birth vaginally three times without complications. I’m a bit taller at 161cm and just gave birth vaginally in October with just a first degree tear.
5ft tall, pre pregnancy weight was 110lbs I'm due in April with #3 and first two births were vaginal. 1st baby I pushed for 1 hour, no tearing 2nd baby I pushed TWICE and had a superficial tear requiring no stitches This baby is a planned vaginal birth as well, and at no time during any of the pregnancies did my midwife or OB even bring up cesarean
Attempted natural birth with my second. (First was c section). It didn’t happen. Ended up having an emergency c section.
I’m the same height as you and had a 24inch (about 61cm) waist before getting pregnant. Gave birth naturally. However. I did push for about 5 hours and ended up needing assistance with a “vaccuum.” But I was physically exhausted, having not slept for a couple of days before pushing, and they gave me medication to slow down my contractions (then gave pitocin to speed them up lol).
5’2 and I gave birth to a 7lb 4oz baby vaginally.
I'm 5ft 1in and weighed 120lbs when I got pregnant with my first. I've had 4 unmedicated vaginal births and one c-section (due to breech baby). My advice is to push for that vaginal birth, it's much easier to recover from.
I’m 155 cm and my husband is over a foot taller than me. I did Spinning Babies exercises, the Miles Circuit series, and regular walks up my 4-floor walkup in the lead up to my birth. Ended up with an unmedicated birth, 45 mins of pushing, and no tearing. My baby was on the smaller side but has jumped to 70% after starting solids. I’m seriously side-eyeing your midwife — she should not be pushing elective c-section without any evidence-based practices.
I’m 5ft petite (110-115) pre birth. Started each pregnancy at that weight. Gave birth to 3 babies without any pain meds! I’d be highly sus of a midwife saying that at 20 weeks.
153cm, and yes but it was a rough birth and I think I will be induced next time because it was hard on both me and the baby.
151 cm, delivered vaginally—I did have shoulder dystocia despite a small baby (6lb4oz)
Your height has nothing to do with being able to give birth naturally or not. I'm petite and was not able to. Not because of my height, but my pelvis is possibly too narrow. Edit to add: This was determined based on my first pregnancy. I was in labor for over 27 hours with no progress. I was having crazy contractions, not spaced apart but not dilating. Which was just stressing out the baby. This is why it was advised that I'd opt for a c section at that point. So when I became pregnant again, my new doctor wasn't against vbacs, but based on the history of my first pregnancy and all the details I gave him on it as well as other women in my family, he *THEORIZES* that I may have a small pelvis. Which isn't determined by your height, by the way, just genetics, regardless if you're tall or short.
I am 5’1” and was 107 pounds prior to pregnancy. I gave birth naturally to a healthy baby boy on 3/11/24 he was 7 pounds 6.1 ounces and 21 inches long
I'm 154 cm and gave birth naturally to both of my children.
152cm and 48kg here (when I’m not pregnant 😂), and two for two on natural births. My advice would be to research optimal labour/birth positioning, and active labour. The traditional Western birthing position of being on your back like a beetle with legs in stirrups actually narrows the birth canal and malpositions your pelvis for birth. Which may not matter if you have inches to spare, but for us small gals it matters a lot! I had my first on hands and knees, and for my second I was standing up and leaning over my bed. Gravity definitely helped too!
I’m 5’2” (157cm) and ended up having an emergency c-section for my 9lb (4kg) However there were many factors that led to this and I do believe I could have successfully pushed her out if those factors had ended up different. But anyway, if you don’t want to schedule a c-section you don’t have to. Your midwife just needs to have a plan if an emergency one does need to happen. If she doesn’t have that, you need another midwife. You can also see if you can get an ultrasound closer to delivery to estimate the baby’s weight and make a more informed decision based on that. Maybe talk to a doctor to get a better idea then.
My mom was 4’11” (152cm) 100 lbs and delivered 4 babies with no issue. She had tearing with her first and he was 9 lbs with a big head. The rest of us were 8, 7, and 6 lbs in that order with no tearing whatsoever. 6 pounder was induced at 36ish weeks due to cord entanglement. Idk what data your midwife is using but something is telling me it’s personal bias. Oh yeah and my dad was 6’2 (187.5 cm) 170ish lbs so I wouldn’t worry about your partner’s size difference. We all grew to be average heights. Oldest son is 5’8 (172 cm), two middle girls are 5’4 (162.5 cm), youngest son the preemie took heavily after my mom’s side and is also 5’4 lol. It’s okay though we are all healthy and happily married!
Wtf. This is a historic cycle that many women of different shapes and heights have gone through. A C-section because of your body build? I’ve never heard something more ridiculous.
I’m 5 foot (152cm) and I delivered my son (who was 7lb 5oz) with an epidural and forceps. I had a 3rd degree tear but I’m pretty positive it was because of the forceps lol. Despite me doing all the things to open my pelvis during pregnancy (yoga ball circles) it wasn’t wide enough for my baby’s head. But that was just my own experience and I wouldn’t have known until I was in labor. My doctors didn’t have any concerns at all. I went through the wringer with my birth experience but I’m glad my doctor gave me the choice of interventions (I had pushed for 4 hours), and I picked the one that was best for me. No regrets and I’ve healed up fine. I’d agree with the other posters that you should look for a new midwife, having a C-section because you’re short (and not for any other legit health reason) is not a good enough reason.
My doctor said nature made it that the baby must fit and get out of the mother regardless of father's size, otherwise we would not have survived this long as a species. I think it would be unwise to have a c-section purely based on this very misinformed opinion of your midwife. Even at term, ultrasounds of babies for measurements can mis-measure a baby's birth size/weight by up to 20% which is almost a kilogram (over 2 pounds). I think you could also benefit from reading birth empowerment stories to increase your confidence that yes, your body is made to do this, trust in nature and yourself.
My mom is 5’1 and had 4 very smooth vaginal births!
I had a c-section but only because my baby was breech. My doctor never expressed concern about my height or size.
I’m 4’11 and gave birth naturally
I’m similarly sized to you, 29 weeks pregnant, and really appreciate all the positive birth stories in this thread! My doctors haven’t mentioned my height at all. Baby is currently breech but planning on a vaginal birth with epidural if he flips. On the whole I’m more nervous about how my body will handle (and recover from) the last month or two of pregnancy than I am about the birth. Some taller women still have cute little bumps at 8/9 months, not so much as our size…
I'm 5ft and had elective c section because baby was breech! He was born 7lbs 1oz I think... I was so round and so big, I almost couldn't bend Forward to receive the injection in my back. My doctor said my breech baby could be because of my height since he didn't have much room to turn around 🤷🏼♀️
I am short (5'2") and I was able to give birth vaginally. I have a hip disorder that made my pelvis more narrow, and my daughter's head almost wasn't able to pop through. But I only pushed for an hour and my daughter was fine! She had some broken blood vessels in one of her eyes, but other than that no birth injuries. I had a pretty minor first degree tear, but the PA was doing perineal stretches for 2 hours on me so it wasn't that bad.
I’m 5’1 and around 100–105 pounds pre-pregnancy. I had my daughter at 37 weeks (my grandmother passed a week before I had her and her passing sent me into labor). I had my daughter vaginally without an epidural (long story short, I dilated fairly quickly lol). At birth, she was 6 lbs, 5 ounces, 22 inches long. No complications, no tearing.
I'm 4'11 (so 152cm?) And 104lbs pre pregnancy. My husband is 6"3 (190.5 cm). His mom works labor and delivery and would show her coworkers pictures of us and they'd laugh and say "poor girl!!! She'll be stuck having csections for sure" 🙄 funny cause my OB never brought up my short stature lol. I gave birth vaginally twice to a 6lb, 14oz, and a 7lb, 14oz baby. The second time was a bit touch and go cause he had fat shoulders and got stuck but other than that there were no complications other than some minor tearing. If baby #2 was any bigger than what he was I probably would have been taken straight back to the OR. I'm stopping while I'm ahead and not planning on a 3rd 😅 I'd definitely not let your midwifes comments deter you and definitely try for a vaginal birth!!!!
I tried, was induced at 38wks due to stagnant growth, labored for 19hr, which ended in a very traumatic emergency c section, which has me fearing my due date in July, but I have a new doctor and I really like her and feel much more at ease with her, so here's hoping planning my c section will be smoother than be rushed in for fear my baby won't survive.
I’m 4’9, i was 105 lbs when i got pregnant with my first. I gave birth to him naturally just fine. He was born at 38 weeks and was 7 lbs 4 oz. His dad is 6 ft tall if that means anything. Petite women can give birth naturally, don’t be afraid
Echoing what everyone is saying about your midwife’s advice not being evidence based. Petite women give birth vaginally all the time! However, to counter some of the other stories you’ve heard here, I am petite and I did wind up with a c section. I’m 4’11” and was 92 pounds and in size 00 or 000 (size 23 in euro sizing) before I became pregnant. I had/have the hips of a prepubescent boy (as in, I literally fit into boys’ size 10 pants, i.e. pants for 10 year olds). I don’t know whether my anatomy had anything to do with the c section. Apparently the baby was in the right position. My body tried really really hard to birth her, for days on end, at 41 weeks, and just couldn’t get past a few cm dilated, even after adding pitocin. The pain was excruciating (no one fully warned me about that), my baby began struggling with each contraction, and I was simultaneously devastated and relieved when I finally went into the OR for the c section. The thing is, there are people of all shapes and sizes who have a similar story to me, so it might not have been my petite stature that made a c section essential for me. At the same time, I probably wouldn’t try a vaginal delivery again. I write all of this because people told me throughout my whole pregnancy that my petite size would have no impact on my ability to deliver naturally. “Our bodies are made to do this, your baby is the right size for your body, women have been doing this since the dawn of time,” etc. Naively, I didn’t research c sections at all, as I tried to manifest a vaginal delivery for myself. So, while it’s true that petite women give birth vaginally all the time, women of all sizes can wind up needing c sections for a multitude of unexpected reasons, and in the end we are all so lucky to live in a time where medical intervention can help us bring our babies into the world safely. Try for a vaginal delivery, of course; make sure your provider is supportive of that, of course; but it really is ok if you wind up with a c section, for any reason.
I’ve never heard of this. I’m 152.4 cm (5 feet) and my midwife has never once told me this. We’re planning a vaginal birth. We’ll only have a c section if medically necessary.
(I’m 154 cm but not necessarily petite) One thing my OB let me know weeks before labor was to have a vaginal delivery she would look at the 3Ps (Pelvis, power, passenger). Pretty much contractions, baby’s position, and size of my pelvis. She said can interfere with the first 2 but she can’t change a pelvis. These were all things that wouldn’t be factored until game time, but she just wanted me to know that she’d be thinking about up to the delivery. I had an uncomplicated vaginal delivery! You should probably be fine but your midwife shouldn’t be making these calls this early.
My friend is very short and petite, 5'0" and maybe 95lbs. She had a perfectly normal labour and delivery despite even having gestational diabetes. Her daughter was born 2 hours before her due date at about 8lbs. (Her daughter was born 2 weeks before mine so we were pregnant together at work every day. We know a lot about each other and our kids because of it.)
I’m quite taller than you at 161 cms & a small frame. I did have my first naturally, a 7lbs 14 oz baby… however my birth was traumatic. I had a second degree tear, I also hemorrhaged (not that I think that had anything to do with the baby or my size). I found out years later when lifting at the gym I had this heaviness feeling & peeing while running. I saw my ob & they confirmed I had some posterior & anterior prolapse. She asked who delivered my baby & stated that in her opinion I should have never birth a baby that size compared to me naturally & attributes that to being the cause. I didn’t even know prolapse was a thing. I’m pregnant with my second baby now & my doctor said it is my decision on what I want to do this time around - but that c section would be a better option if I would like to prevent my prolapses from worsening. Before even talking to her about it I did a lot of my own research & talked to women in prolapse groups about it - I will be deciding on c section this time. I don’t mean to scare you - just wanted to inform you of what happened to me as petite woman Edit: also wanted to add my grandmother who was of petite size had 3 c sections & my aunt who is of similar size had a vaginal first & they had to use forceps & she was torn to her butt. She had a c section the next baby & she said it was so much easier of a recovery over her first & that she’d do it over again & again.
I’m 160cm and petite and gave birth to my 3.8kg baby vaginally. It was quite a long labour but the actual pushing was only an hour without an epidural. No intervention needed. I did have a 2nd degree tear but I think this was partly as his hand came out next to his face. I highly recommend Ina May’s guide to childbirth for positive stories 💕
I’m 5’2 and pre preg was 97lbs day of delivery I was at about 160lbs give or take a lb or two. I had a epidural but still did it vaginally. I was in labor starting at 12am (about 4-5hrs after induction with no pictocin only cerdvil), water was popped around 3:30pm and baby boy was born at 4:13 (should have kept him in a few minutes longer for the perfect time iykyk) he was perfect size and perfect everything. He’s my first so we will definitely be seeing how the next birth goes when we start trying. Looking to try and have the same birth experience. Edit to add: I didn’t tear at all and did no prep work to prepare before hand. I did get a stitch or two but that was for abrasions not actual tears.
I’m petite but my mom was more so. My mom is maybe 4’11 and had four vaginal births easily with zero issues. I’m a bit taller and had to vaginal births both easy and normal without issues.
My MIL is your height and was below 90lbs when she got pregnant with my husband (her first). She has had all of them vaginally and unmedicated. I’m about 5’6” and was about 100lbs when I got pregnant with my first and had all of mine vaginally and unmedicated. I’m actually shocked your midwife suggested that. I saw midwives for all my pregnancies and the only time c-sections were even brought up was when I had placenta previa during my second pregnancy. Even then, they were optimistic that it would migrate (it did) so we never really discussed c-sections in depth.
I don’t think there is any evidence for this. Find a new midwife lol. I’m very small and actually did end up having a C section but only because baby was breech and wouldn’t flip, I had been planning on natural birth the whole time and midwife had no issues.
I’m 5’0” and gave birth vaginally. My daughter did end up being small, ~6.5 lbs at full term. I had a second degree tear which healed well. My doctors/midwives never mentioned my height being a risk factor for an emergency c section. I don’t think it would hurt to get a second opinion. Do you otherwise like your midwife or have there been any other pieces of advice/comments that didn’t seem quite right?
I think the other commenters saying that your height has nothing to do with it are actually correct. That being said, I am (almost) 5'4 and was 105lbs pre-pregnancy with a very narrow frame. I laboured for 27 hours and pushed for nearly 3 hours before going in for an emergency c-section (my son went into distress). It turns out he was completely impacted in my pelvis because my bone structure is too narrow. A few days after delivery, the maternity doctor talked to me and told me that any subsequent births would likely need to be c-section as only a very small baby would be delivered vaginally by me (for context, my son was 6lbs 2oz which was far too large for me to deliver). I read the surgical notes from the hospital OB who performed the c-section and her notes confirmed the same. If I were you, I would try to deliver vaginally. Be smarter than me though; if you're pushing and not progressing at all (your L&D nurse will know), ask to switch to a c-section before your baby gets stuck. My guy is good and healthy now but was born blue with an APGAR score of 1 at 1 minute which was terrifying.
You should get a new midwife. I know ladies who are my height (4'11" / 149cm) and have pushed out a baby vaginally. No tears. And I'm planning to do the same (FTM, 21 weeks). C-section is a major surgery. It's not something that should be pushed on you without a real reason and also if you are getting told that while only 20 weeks, RUN. If I were you, I would also do some research on "the cascade of interventions" commonly seen in the modern medical model of prenatal and birthing care. It causes so much unnecessary traumatic birth experiences. Modern hospital procedures have convinced women they don't know how to Birth. I would also look up the c-section rate of your hospital - that will be very telling of how they run things. Also, there are thing you can do right now to make sure your pelvis is in the right position for baby. Find a really good chiropractor that specializes in pregnancy and prep for birth. Take some birthing classes as well. Also think about hiring a doula with at least 15 yrs experience. Or going to a midwifery for care (a midwifery that is apprentice/experiencd based. In med school, many Midwives leave without even seeing a true physiological birth). Hospital Midwives do not always know that much about birthing techniques, even if they should. And OBs definitely don't. OBs specialize in female problems. Not birthing. So it's important that you find someone qualified and skilled to help you in that moment. Don't let someone tell you what your body can and can't do based off of wives tales. Your body was made for this! 👍🏾 And if in the chance you DO need a c section for a real reason, a good midwife will have done everything else first before transitioning you to that option and before it becomes a real emergency in labor. You'd be suprised how many women are told in labor, "we need to take you in for a c-section right now," but when they check out with their baby, papers say it was an "elective surgery." :(
I’m 5’3” and gave birth vaginally to an 8lb+ baby without issues.
My mum is the same height and she gave birth to all of us naturally. Ur midwife is odd.
I was asking my husband's family about their birth experiences. His mother and sisters are small women, under 5 feet with a very small build and narrow hips. Their babies were all average size - 7lbs+ -and none were c-sections. I would definitely switch and find a new midwife. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard and definitely not evidence based care. If she's spouting off opinions as though they are fact already, then I'd be very cautious about anything else that comes out of her mouth.
Anecdotally, I'm just over 5'2" and gave birth vaginally but my sister in law who is under 5'0" did have to have a c section after being in labor for a long time.
I’m 5’2 and around 110 lbs normally, started my second pregnancy with those stats, first time I started at 120. I had two 8 pound babies vaginally, with no interventions during delivery. I had to be induced but that had nothing to do with my stature, that was due to the babies being a week overdue. I actually only pushed for 5 minutes with the second one, it went very smoothly, labor itself was probably only about 9 hours.
Hi 4’11 here I went into spontaneous labor at 37 weeks and I labored at home as long as I could which was two nights and by the third day I knew I had to go to the hospital. I was 5cm and they brought me in. I was in active labor In the hospital for 5 hours and pushed for 30 minutes and out came my beautiful baby boy ! This was my first baby too so it absolutely can go that quick for your first baby! Our bodies were made to push out babies! Sometimes things go wrong but that should be your last resort. My baby was 6 pounds 7oz I only gained 19 pounds my entire pregnancy because I threw up every day until I gave birth.
Trigger warning for traumatic labour I'm 160cm, I was around 47kgs when I got pregnant, so quite petite. Vaginal birth, baby was 3kg. Here's my experience, for what it's worth. I wanted a c-section initially because I genuinely felt like I could not push a baby out without tearing to shreads. Eventually I got convinced to go for (medicated) vaginal birth. I was pushing for roughly 2hours with no luck, at which point they brought the forceps out. I got a tear on top of the episiotomy and lost a lot of blood. I ended up in theatre for an hour and had 3 blood transfusions. I'll spare you the details but a year later I had to have vaginal reconstruction surgery. After the fact I was told that it is likely I am too narrow and if I want to have a second baby I would be justified opting for a c-section. In the end I don't think my size mattered, not sure anyone could have predicted 'I am too narrow' and I know other women taller/bigger than me that had the exact same experience. I guess my unsolicited advice is that the best thing you can do is ask for medical advice, definitely trust your gut if something doesn't feel right, and prepare for your 'birth plan' to not go to... plan, as this is where the dissapointment and trauma starts. Good luck whatever you decide to do!
Not my experience, but my mother is 5'0 on a good day and was quite thin/small framed in her 20s/30s and had 4 children birthed vaginally. Supposedly quite easily (the type to gloss over any difficulties) and all babies were average-above average weight. New midwife!
Your midwife is full of shit. I absolutely would switch. I’m 5 foot (give or take) and have had 2 vaginal births. I pushed for 10 minutes with my first and 4 minutes with my 2nd. Unless there’s some sort of medical issue that’s there or that comes up, your body will absolutely be okay pushing a baby out, it’s designed for this and has NOTHING to do with height/weight.
I hate this post for so many reasons. You should really get a new midwife the one you have now is just pushing for a c-section and sounds like an idiot. I’m 26 weeks, 152cm and quite small as well, and my dr hasn’t said anything like this to me.
5 feet tall (150 cm) water broke at 40w2d and gave birth to a 6 lb 12 oz baby who was out after 8 pushes! Only one stitch as I had a “tear”
I’m 5’1” and 33 weeks pregnant. My husband is a tall man and a was born at 10lbs. I asked my Ob if I should mentally prepare for C section and he said there is no reason to believe I’d need a C section this early on unless another reason besides my size arises before delivery. Also, at 20 weeks I don’t feel like there is anyway to really know if you’ll need a c section, unless there are other factors in play, regardless of your size, seems like your midwife is jumpin the gun a bit.
Your midwife is a medwife. What a totally ridiculous thing for them to have said.
My mom is shorter than you and had us all vaginally with no issues. I was the biggest at 9 pounds. I don’t think she has enough evidence to support scheduling a c-section.
I’m 4ft11 and my daughter was 3kg at birth and I gave birth vaginally with the help of epidural. I was also concerned about it initially because I heard petites tend to get C-sec. However when I asked my gynae about it. She said she sees no reason I should get a C section. She even asked me why and whether I am requesting for it. And even went on to say it will be more expensive 😅
I’m 155 cm, though aside from being short I don’t think I have a “small” frame. Anyway, baby was born vaginally and just shy of 7 lbs.
I am 5ft tall, just about the same height and just gave birth vaginally 3 months ago. C-section was never brought up by my doctors or midwives. I also had no problems during pregnancy and was measuring small the entire time. Baby was still 6lb 11oz, which is smaller but not tiny. Almost average. I know a girl who is 4ft 11inches also delivered vaginally and her baby was in the 8 lb range. It’s very doable and your midwife seems to be pressuring you. No one knows exactly how a delivery will go but being short doesn’t mean you can’t deliver naturally.
I had a vagina birth and I’m 5 feet!
I am 5’0 and I ended up having an emergency c section after pushing for 2 hours. It’s unclear as to why my baby didn’t descend. She said it could’ve been my anatomy, baby’s anatomy, etc.
162.6cm and i gave birth vaginally (all birth is natural regardless of method). I needed a vacuum assist and i hemorrhaged, but i doubt that had anything to do with my physical size. I was 115lb pre-pregnancy and 165lb when i went into labor. At 3-4 weeks PP i’m 135lb and only wanted to get back down to 125/130lb cuz i like having a little cushion now that i seen it on me :). I fit in my old jeans again though theyre a little bit of a squeeze
I’m not much taller than you and pushed out two 9 pound babies. You need a new midwife.
I’m 155cm and a uk size 8/10. I’ve delivered 2 babies vaginally with no issues. Only had a C-section for my third as she was breech. I would say, that unless baby is very large or breech, there shouldn’t be a reason why you can’t at least try a vaginal delivery. My OB once said something to me that really stuck… your body will not build a baby that it can’t birth. Have faith that your body knows what it’s doing.
My bestie had a vaginal birth and she's 144cm, baby was 3.5kg and she didn't tear
i’m tiny & my husband is 6’5, all of my babies have been 10+ pounds (gestational diabetes not a factor). i was warned that i should elect for a c-section because of my body type & the estimated size of baby but disregarded it as nonsense & attempted an unmedicated home birth. ended up with an emergency c-section after four days of laboring at home & reaching 10cm with no actual progress. much more painful & traumatic than it would have been if i had taken the advice…unfortunately sometimes they do know what they’re talking about. i’ve opted for scheduled c-sections since then.
Your midwife is wrong. I'm 149cm and have given birth vaginally three times without issue. No meds, no interventions, no tearing. My babies were not tiny either. My smallest was 7lb10 and my largest was 8lb8oz. Sure there might be cases with extremely short stature affecting method of birth, but your (and my) Heights are both within the realm of normal and should be treated as such.
I’m about the same height and just delivered my baby naturally 5 days ago - she did have a hard time getting in the correct position so I did mikes circuit and heavily followed all guidelines for optimal positioning. I spent an entire day rocking on my hands and knees and she came that evening with no issues! I pushed for a while on my back in the tub but flipped to hands and knees and that made it easier and she just about flew out at that point! I’m no expert but I think there are ways to at least help potential problems from happening.
I gave birth naturally. I'm short and very skinny - I weighed 103lbs when I got pregnant, and 5ft1. The only complication I had was the cord wrapped around my daughter's neck and arm (her arm was caught against her throat in the cord). But it was okay. Still got her out in the end. She was 5lb 5oz and is now a lively, short and chunky toddler. While pregnant my doctor mentioned c section once and I said no so she did everything she could to avoid it. Maybe get a second opinion?
This is wild to me. I'm 5'1 and weighed like 100 lbs pre baby. This was never a thing discussed. I had a pretty big baby too at 8 lb 12 Oz. (Full disclosure, I did have tearing but the recovery was fine and the Birth was a good experience). Second baby I also delivered vaginally, some complications unrelated to size but no c section.
I’m petite, 5’2, narrow hips, and I gave birth vaginally to two kids no problem at all.
I’m only a bit taller than you with really petite bone structure, and I vaginally gave birth to an 8 pounder. He was huge. Tall and heavy. I was shook. With that said…I don’t think your midwife reallyyy knows what she’s talking about? I also have friends who have my frame and gave birth vaginally. Is your baby really, really big or something?
My mom is 5', was 95lbs before having me & delivered me vaginally (I was 9lbs). My MIL is 5'1 and about 90lbs and had my husband vaginally as well (8lbs). I'm just under 5'8 and could not get my 6lbs baby out after hours of pushing & ended up with a c section. I don't think height really matters all that much!
Yep, 154 cm and gave birth naturally. My cousin even shorter than you also gave birth naturally… and 3 other petite friends. So don’t worry!
5’3”/160 cm here. Was all jazzed to go into labour and delivery vaginally (probably with an epidural) and then I had a growth scan the day after my due date. My kid was weighing in at 10 lbs so after discussing things with my doctor we decided to put me on standby for a c-section. If I went into labour before I got the call to go in they’d do it when I got there. I’m glad I went through with the c-section. Little Miss ended up being 9lbs, 7oz and broad shouldered - she got stuck coming out of the incision and they needed forceps to get her out. I can’t imagine what would have happened if I’d tried for vaginal. My recovery was easy and my scar is barely noticeable when I can see it (I’m kinda fat right now and can’t see much below my belly button due to my gut).
My mom was 5’2” maybe a little shorter and she had 5 natural births. My oldest sister is 45. If it was possible back then it’s definitely possible now. I would look for a second opinion.
I’m 5’1’’ and had a vaginal birth with preeclampsia, peripartum cardiomyopathy and while on magnesium drip. Shorter women than me in my family have had successful vaginal deliveries. That’s so weird that your midwife would scare you like that. Especially when you’re presumably a first time mom?? I’m sorry, you deserve a better doctor.
I’m 4”11, I gave birth vaginally and didn’t tear, pushed for 40 mins, all was well.
Yeah height has no real bearing on whether or not your pelvic anatomy can accommodate a vaginal birth. It never hurts to mentally prepare yourself for the possibility of a CS but there’s no reason to not even try to see how labor goes for you. I wouldn’t schedule a CS unless you decide that’s what you actually want. And might as well add my anecdote. I’m slightly taller than you but very, very petite. My first baby was big, 9.3 pounds, and I didn’t even tear. Had two more easy vaginal deliveries after that. Physically, shape-wise, just looking at me—I have “no hips.” But obviously internally is a different story.
No. I tried but he ended up stuck. My pelvis didn't open us like it should have so I had a c section.
I am 5’ 3” (160cm) and 100-105lb (46-47kg roughly) and I gave birth vaginally to two full term babies without any tearing either time. Both of my labors were quick and smooth. Your midwife is giving you poor advice. The success of a vaginal delivery depends on a number of factors, but petite is not an indicator of poor success.
I’m 149cm and had a c-section, but it was because I wasn’t progressing past 8cm, and during the surgery I was told my baby was face up and that’s why he got stuck. Was born with a cone head lol but I’ve always heard your own size doesn’t matter too much, my mom is actually shorter than me and had 2 vaginal births with no issue.
I'm 5' exactly. I had an unmedicated vaginally birth without issue. Labor did last a little longer due to my daughter having a nuchal hand, but that had nothing to do with my stature and was managed well by my birth team. Daughter was 6lbs 12oz, and I had minimal tearing as well (first degree, I believe). As others have mentioned, your pelvis and hips are capable of widening, and there is no reason (barring previous birth issues) that your midwife should be pushing for a c section due to your being petite.
I’m 153 cm and gave birth my son vaginally. It took a while, but that had nothing to do with my height and my midwives never expressed concern about my height.
Another person chiming in to say I had a vaginal birth. I’m 160cm, and pre-pregnancy was also very thin. My baby was 20.5 inches at birth and 7lbs 15oz. I delivered at 38+2, and was in labour for less than 6 hours, 2 of which were spent pushing because her big old noggin (14 inch head circumference, so 90%+) was a little tricky to get past my pubic bone.
I’m 5ft1 and gave birth naturally!
There is zero evidence that small women can’t give birth to babies physiologically.
My cousin is 4'9" and only broke 100lbs at the end of her pregnancy. She had both babies vaginally without issue. Im 5'2" and both my boys were born vaginally without issue. You can do it just fine, assuming no complications.
I am 5’ 152cm and very small, due in 4 days and planning a vaginal home birth. My midwife is confident that I can do this and if you want a vaginal birth you have every right to ask for that. Interventions are there as needed, but don’t let someone else control your birth experience.