Moms of many: Head circumference Girls or Smaller sizes = Easier labor?
 

Had a conversation with my sisters about head circumference and birth. Sis 1 (all girls) said she labors easily and fast because she has good hips. SIL 1 said, "I doubt it's because you have good hips, girls heads are smaller than boys heads." she added her girls (eldest three) were the easiest and that the next two boys were harder than the first three combined. SIL 2 said she had easy births and they were all boys, but that the more relaxed she was (home birth verses birthcenter birth verses hosp birth) the less painful it was. I went back to my baby book and looked at head circumference and noted that my hardest labors also had the biggest heads, but were not necessarily the biggest weights and agreed with SIL 1.

What was your experience? Were your girls easier than your boys? Or smaller heads = easier labors? Or do you think it was your surroundings that allowed you to relax more and have easier labors? Or genes?

DS had a HUGE head. Once his head came out, being larger than his shoulder and body width, he slid right out.

The labor itself was long and hard, but I'm almost positive had I not gotten into an accident that day and stressed myself the hell out, I wouldn't have gone into labor. So I think that was why it was so long and slow.

ETA: My head was larger than all of the boys in my family. So don't discount big headed girls ;)

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Re: Moms of many: Head circumference Girls or Smaller sizes = Easier labor?
 

IMO - bigger heads = harder labors, regardless of the gender of the baby and the environment.

All of my kids have huge heads, ranging from 90th percentile to off the top of the charts. My C/S baby was "only" 9 lbs. 10 oz., but his head is in the 110th percentile and has always been. I totally blame his head size over his birth weight for the reason I couldn't push him out. And I don't think it was environment - I was relaxed, with my OB, we tried every pushing position he and the midwife in the room next door could think of, etc.

Re: Moms of many: Head circumference Girls or Smaller sizes = Easier labor?
 

That was my feeling too, that big heads = longer, harder labors. My longest and hardest labor was my last. He was 16 days over due and was in the 110% for head circ. :(. My SIL's boys were in the 75% and had shortest labors. Boy was I green with envy LOL! My "easiest" labor was also the smallest head circ. at 95%.

Re: Moms of many: Head circumference Girls or Smaller sizes = Easier labor?
 

I agree that girls heads can be big too! Her boys heads were huge though, much bigger than her girls heads, and I was mostly agreeing with her in "size matters" during labor. I did read about 10 years ago that girls generally have smaller head circ. and the charts read smaller than boys. I don't know if that is true so much anymore with better health care? :dunno:

Re: Moms of many: Head circumference Girls or Smaller sizes = Easier labor?
 

I don't know about girl vs. boy, but DS2 had a much larger head than DS1 (and weighed 8oz more) and he came out lightening fast, within 1 minute of my water breaking. I barley even had to push. I had to push HARD for about 15 minutes to birth my smaller headed baby. I only had skid mark tearing with both.

Re: Moms of many: Head circumference Girls or Smaller sizes = Easier labor?
 

My easiest baby was in the middle size wise. My hardest baby was my smallest and had the smallest head...but he had his hand on top of it! Second most painful was my biggest, my first boy. I think there are a lot of different things that factor in .

Re: Moms of many: Head circumference Girls or Smaller sizes = Easier labor?
 

Was your labor longer/harder before pushing? Or was it easier all around? I remember reading Indi's birth story :wub:, but I don't know anything about Lennon's.

Re: Moms of many: Head circumference Girls or Smaller sizes = Easier labor?
 

You are right about how the baby is presenting can make laboring far more painful and difficult! I know back labors can be far worse than regular labors to.

It's great to hear about the different perspectives about personal birth experiences! I think I hear a lot (to much) from my family, who is highly opinionated about how easy birth is for them, and they were, "Built for breeding" and I think, "There has to be more to it than just that!"

Re: Moms of many: Head circumference Girls or Smaller sizes = Easier labor?
 

DS's head was 15 inches. He was 10 lbs 2 oz so also my largest and 1st. My water broke at 3:30 and contractions began at about 6. He was out at 7:20 so not quite 4 hrs after water broke and not quite 1.5 hrs from when contractions began.

He was def my quickest, but I wouldn't classify it as easier or harder. Pushing didn't seem any different for him either