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Should I be worried about Shoulder dystocia?
When I was born my shoulders were stuck. They used forceps (and effectively cut open my ears for which I still have scars) and eventually ran out of time and had to push me back in and perform an emergency c-section to deliver me safely. I hadn't thought much of it until I saw this on a labor and delivery show and they mentioned it could be fatal to the child or cause nerve damage causing paralysis of the arms. Naturally, I freaked out. I am wondering if I should take this up with my Dr. (which I know I probably will anyway) but also looking for comfort and/or reassurance here. I know that every pregnancy is different, but it's my first and even how often i've been getting the hiccups worries me. Thanks in Advance.
3 Answers
- srobersonncLv 51 decade agoFavorite Answer
My daughter's shoulder got stuck but my doc was awesome- she saw it coming, calmly called for help, and a nurse helped her perform some maneuver involving laying across my belly that positioned her so she could come out. It was over before I knew anything was wrong, except hubby didn't get to cut the cord because they wanted to check her out quickly. She was just fine.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
No. Your labor, and your body, is not your mother's. There are so many factors to consider, like:
were you a big baby? And by big I mean more than 9 lbs. Nowadays doctors consider anything over 8 lbs big, which is really quite average.
did your mom have an epidural? was she lying flat on her back? Some dystocias can be treated with the McRoberts maneuver, in which mom lies flat on her back and flexes her knees towards her shoulders. However, the lithotomy position - with legs up in stirrups - actually makes it harder to give birth.
The mom's positioning can have a lot to do with how easy/hard it is to push out a baby. Squatting can open the pelvis, but llying flat can actually narrow it. Some shoulder dystocias occur when the mom is induced with Pitocin; some happen naturally and can't really be avoided, but can be treated with an experienced care provider.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
Don't watch any more labor and delivery shows, please! They'll make you freak out and are unrealistic. Go ahead and talk to your doctor about it. He/she can reassure you with the statistics. Very rarely are forceps used to deliver babies these days.
