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

[midominga]

Originally Posted by rumblepurr 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?

I only had boys but I had fairly easy births n very fast labors...the one with the biggest head (#3) was a very easy birth it was a water birth at a birth center although I wasn't happy I had to share with another pregnant woman who sounded like she was on one of those birthing tv shows(one where it sounds like ur dying) so wasn't as relaxed as I'd hoped to b, that labor lasted 7hrs. Altho my second largest head baby (he was #4)was only 3hrs n was very easy. My youngest baby had one of the smallest heads was a very hard labor which only lasted about 45mins...all my others were very easy.
The shorter the labor the faster u dilate n to me it was a lot more painful although short lived.

Now as far as genes my family had horrible birth experiences so I doubt it's genes. Now my hips aren't even so I just always thought it had to do with that. I do believe ur surrounding play a big part but it helps set your mind...if your surroundings are peaceful ur mind is at peace n therefore your body is at peace.

[sarchamar]

I can see the logic, but it didn't hold true for me. My boy had the biggest head AND was my easiest delivery. His head is still off the charts today.

But we're talking about a quarter-inch more in head circumference and maybe ten minutes less of pushing for him vs. my younger DD, so it's not like any of them were markedly different. I'm a very small person and all of my kids have bigger-than-average heads (75th, 90th, and off the charts, respectively), and yet my average labor time was six hours and I never pushed more than 25 minutes.

[tibeca]

My largest baby (9# 3oz) was by far my easiest birth.

DD1 was 7.7. I tore horribly. Long recovery.
DD2 was 9.3. No tearing, fast labor (3 hours). Pushed twice.
DD3 was 8.7. No tearing, but posterior. Pushed for 1 hour. Total labor 4.5 VERY INTENSE hours.

[Kiliki]

My largest baby (DS) was my middle baby. He was 9lbs 3oz, 15.5 inch head circum. and that labor was 1.5 hrs start to finish.

I pushed, I think, 4-5 times total, 2 of those pushes were unproductive b/c of my position. So, just 2-3 pushes in the right position and he came out.

My two DD's were a little more difficult.

DD1 7lbs 4oz, don't remember her head size, but it was MUCH smaller - she was tiny and had an itty bitty head - maybe 11 inches circum.? She was really tiny. I pushed for 20 mins. HOWEVER, I was in hospital and "required" to push in a lithotomy position. Active labor was about 4 hrs.

DD2 7lbs 8oz, don't remember head size, probably around 12 inches circum., she was also tiny. I pushed through maybe 3 contractions and out she came. Active labor was about 3 hrs with her.



So, I've had two small babies, and one big one. The big one birthed the fastest and easiest, BUT I tore far worse (3rd degree). The two smaller ones took longer to birth but I had less significant tearing.

I am due with another boy, so we will see if my boys are just big and my girls are just small! I am excited to see if this will be another BIG baby!

[Kiliki]

My largest baby (DS) was my middle baby. He was 9lbs 3oz, 15.5 inch head circum. and that labor was 1.5 hrs start to finish.

I pushed, I think, 4-5 times total, 2 of those pushes were unproductive b/c of my position. So, just 2-3 pushes in the right position and he came out.

My two DD's were a little more difficult.

DD1 7lbs 4oz, don't remember her head size, but it was MUCH smaller - she was tiny and had an itty bitty head - maybe 11 inches circum.? She was really tiny. I pushed for 20 mins. HOWEVER, I was in hospital and "required" to push in a lithotomy position. Active labor was about 4 hrs.

DD2 7lbs 8oz, don't remember head size, probably around 12 inches circum., she was also tiny. I pushed through maybe 3 contractions and out she came. Active labor was about 3 hrs with her.



So, I've had two small babies, and one big one. The big one birthed the fastest and easiest, BUT I tore far worse (3rd degree). The two smaller ones took longer to birth but I had less significant tearing.

I am due with another boy, so we will see if my boys are just big and my girls are just small! I am excited to see if this will be another BIG baby!

Guess I should add: my first girl was a hosp birth, then my next two were both homebirths.

And I have "Birthin' hips" !!!

[2much2luv]

My toughest labor with with my fourth, a girl, who had an average size head but MASSIVE WIDE shoulders. My labor and birth with my fifth, a boy, was a cinch comparatively. He was tiny compared to the fourth (9lb2 to his 6lb13) and had an average sized head.

[peaches330]

I may be the odd man out, but my biggest baby with the biggest head was by far my easiest to get out. I didn't even push, he literally just flew out and not only was his head big, but he didn't get the conehead thing from crowning at all so there was no adjusting to fit through. His head is still huge BTW .

[BeccaSueCongdon]

Originally Posted by rumblepurr 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!"

They may have just hit the genetic lotto on having wider pelvis' and smaller/average babies?

Both of my babies had close head circumferences. 15" and 14 3/4". My first was a boy but he presented posterior and acynclitic so his presenting diameter was much larger than that. I ended up with a CS even after trying 5 hours of every lots of pushing positions. Never did all fours though and have always wondered I that'd help. My dd was a quick labor. I was home and definitely WAY more relaxed and had more freedom to move into all fours and upright (couldn't with first bc of induction and epi). Once her head came out she flew out literally and almost hit the floor.

For me I think it was positioning and allowing the baby room/time to move around so they can present anterior with chin tucked. I could be wrong but my experience and gut tells me that with my big babies the presentation is the deal breaker. :-) and by big I had a 10 lb 12 oz (CS) and a 9 lb 15oz.

[coquelicot]

If girls' heads are smaller than boys' heads, I'm in serious trouble when it comes to labor this time around! DD's head circumference was usually in the 95th percentile or higher all throughout her first year. I ended up with a C-section with her mainly because she flipped face-up, then that big ol' head got stuck in my pelvis to the point where she had to be popped out, not pulled out. I don't know if I could have had her vaginally even if she had stayed face down. She was only 7 lbs, 5 oz, so she was far from huge. It was just that...HEAD!

I have a friend whose daughter had a huge head, then her son had a much smaller head and was much easier to push out. So I have no clue what to expect.

[songbird516]

I guess I missed this when it was originally posted...but as for me I think that both of my babies had average-sized heads. Neither was smooshed at all, though, and do thank my grandma for the "birthing hips". Both of my labors were short and my second was born with his hand up by his face with only a few pushes and no tearing at all. However I do think that my hips are even wider since he was born! ugh.