I was born at 7lb 5 oz and they had to use forceps to get me out. The Dr. told my Mom that had I been any larger they would have had to do an emergency c-section as her pelvis was barely big enough for me to fit through.
13 years later, my Mom had my brother and they guestimated his weight at 7lbs. He was actually 8lb 10 oz. She was in active labor for over 12 hours before they realized he was too large for the birth canal and she ended up with an emergency c-section.
Since I'm built JUST LIKE my Mom, is it likely that I've carried on the small pelvis trait? They guestimated little boy at over 8 lbs at my last appt. I'm going to ask the Dr. this afternoon, but... what do you think?
I'd hate to go through hours and hours of labor just to end up with a c-section when perhaps it was an issue that could have been known about and planned for in advance...
Re: How do they know if baby is too big for your pelvis?
They can't really tell beforehand - u/s are not precise measuring tools. Also, most women CAN actually birth the babies they are growing. True exceptions to this are very rare - not that modern medicine would back that up, of course. Oftentimes doctors will tell a woman that she's too small to give birth, when in fact she's just not laboring in the right position, or with the right support to encourage her pelvis to fully open. Your pelvis can separate, and the baby's head does mold to fit. Read this article for more info.
I would say ditto to this.
I agree with pp's. I don't think you'll know until you try! You may be built like your mom, but things could go very different with your labor/delivery. Even if baby is big, he could be in a better position or you could open up more than your mom did....