tiny baby, giant head

msteph113 · October 2013

alright so i'm 30 weeks along and i just found out that this tiny baby has a pretty big head. does this mean that my natural childbirth plan will most likely go out the window? i'm a pretty small individual and i'm just very scared of having to get a c-section.

shiway · October 2013

Who says baby's head was big? Generally we don't grow babies that are too big to birth. Trust your body, trust the process. Inform yourself about optimal laboring and pushing positions for best results! Get a doula!!! And don't listen to dr. Professionals or your neighbor when they talk about the "big baby" syndrome! The last three births I've attended as a doula were all 9 lbs or more and all natural and normal! P.s. no one can tell you with certainty the size of your baby

msteph113 · October 2013

my doctor. all the ultrasounds are showing her head is big in relationship to her body. i want a doula but i just don't have the funds

JCWhitey · October 2013

Baby's heads are soft and flexible. And ultrasounds can be WAY off. Don't use them to determine your birth plan. Unless there is something wrong with the baby's development or if you have GD your body will not grow a baby that is "too big for your body".

For the record, my baby was almost 8 pounds and had a huge head. I still had him naturally and without tearing.

aylafsu88 · October 2013

shiway said:

Who says baby's head was big? Generally we don't grow babies that are too big to birth.

I agree with this. Ultrasounds to estimate size are not accurate.

headgear03 · October 2013

All four of my kids were born with head circumferences in the 90th percentile and I have had four natrual births . I only tore with my first because she decided to crown sideways which doesn't happen often. I'm barely 5'4" and very petite and was still able to do it. Like another poster pointed out your baby's head is made to move so it can fit through the birth canal . Now there are things you can do to make that decent a little shorter by giving birth on your hands a knees or birthing stool . As long as you stay off your back you should be good. A very close friend of mine had an almost 12 lb baby almost three years ago all natrual with no tearing and I bet you he had a huge head . She's also patite . Just keep yourself informed and listen to your body it was made to do this .

Soap1 · October 2013

While I disagree with the advice, "Don't listen to your doctor," I do think you should ask more questions before you make decisions. My first was diagnosed with "big head" via ultrasound and I was induced (I was fine with it, I was not coerced), but he turned out to be a 7lb8oz baby with a perfectly average head. Ultrasounds can be WAY off, growth rates can change dramatically over the next 10 weeks of your pregnancy, and most (not all) babies do not require c-section delivery because of size.

jess9802 · October 2013

I can give you anecdotes on either side of the coin - I'm 5'3", and my son has a large head (measured 40 weeks at a 38 week ultrasound). I delivered him vaginally after pushing for 40 to 50 minutes, and had a second degree tear. He was just a hair under 8lbs. My SIL, who is about my height, required a vacuum assist after 2 hours of pushing with her first son, who was just over 6lbs but had a good size head (though he was two weeks early). With her second son she pushed for 2.5hrs, he never descended, and she had a C-section. His head hadn't even molded. (He weighed 8.5lbs.)

Every woman and every baby are different, so hearing anecdotes from friends or strangers on the Internet doesn't say anything about your ability to give birth vaginally to the baby you're carrying right now. Yes, if there is a mismatch between your pelvis shape and size and your baby's head, you may end up with a C-section. But you don't know whether there will be a mismatch until you're in labor, so why borrow trouble now?

shiway · October 2013

Try to find a doula that is still working on her certification. They generally are much less. Check Dona.org and you can find doulas by the state

rooftop · October 2013

I see all these comments about the big head but no one is addressing the small body side of this which is important because this disproportion can be a symptom of growth restriction. Whether or not your body is able to birth the head no matter what size, you may need to be induced for baby's safety. Induction however does not guarantee a loss of natural birth. You just need to be prepared for that possibility.

LittleMommaBlueHen · October 2013

My first LO was 7lbs 4 oz but his head was the size of an average 9lb 8oz baby (according to the pediatrician and my midwife). I am 5 feet tall with a tiny frame and I had a natural birth. The female body is amazing in what it can do during childbirth.

CDMay2006 · October 2013

smsalat said:
I guess that when ladies say that "your body won't produce a baby that is "too big"" is true most of the time....I know of someone in real life that went into labor, and ended up having to have a c-section because the baby's head, did not fit through the mother's pelvis the head "molded" but could not pass through, and the poor thing had a huge cone head and was bruised due to the pushing on the pelvic bones. He would not descend through the pelvis. The mother was average framed. So there are chances/reasons why doctors voice concerns, they try to error on the side of caution and want you to be aware of possible situations....I am not saying that it is typical, but it is possible that baby and mom are NOT compatible.

This is what happened to me. He wasn't too big, but the size and shape of his head could not fit through my pelvis (despite extensive molding)s. I had no complications during pregnancy (gd, etc.).
That said, it isn't common. I wouldn't plan for that to be an issue, though I would recommendlearning about what would happen if you were to end up needing a c-section. I was so sure I wouldn't need one that I didnt learn about anesthesia, after care, etc. and that made the situation unnecessarily stressful for me.

CDMay2006 · October 2013

Oh, and to best prepare your body and baby for success, look into positios and exercises for optimum positioning. That can make a major difference during labor and delivery.

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