*ETA*My confession: My baby was born "early" on purpose.
- 810 Replies
I started having strong contractions about 4 hours later, and about 16 hours later I was holding my perfectly healthy, 8 lb 1 oz baby boy!
OB said I was lucky to not have gone another 4 weeks or he'd have been over 10 lbs and I wouldn't have been able to deliver vaginally. She's pretty sure they had my due date wrong.
I know it's stupid to rush your baby's birth and I don't suggest or recommend it to ANYONE. My husband still has no idea I did the castor oil.
There. There's my confession.
ETA; Because I'm not going to explain it 60 times, my OB didn't say it was IMPOSSIBLE to deliver a 10 lb baby. I'm well aware women do it all the time. However, *I* do not have a wide enough birth canal to barely accommodate an 8 lb baby, let alone 10 lbs. At 8 lbs 1 oz, delivery tore my pelvic floor muscle, tore my rectal muscle, I needed 40+ stitches, and broke my sons collar bone on the way out. My OB said had he gone another 4 weeks, I *PROBABLY* would've ended up with an emergency C section.
So I repeat, she never once told me no one in the history of the world has ever delivered a 10 lb baby, regardless of YOUR stature, YOUR experience, what you, your sister, your husbands long lost cousin was only 5'0" 90 lbs and gave birth to a 13 lb baby. Every woman's body is different and it makes me sad for the female race that this has to be explained.
Quoting Bellarose0212:I'm glad this turned out okay for you.
However, in general, such actions could turn out really poorly.
You could land your baby in the NICU.
The biggest issue is not women who may take castor oil though, but a medical community obsessed with due dates as if they are expiration dates and inducing or planning c-sections at unnecessarily earlier and earlier gestations.
You couldn't have possibly known he was ready so you risked his life for your comfort.
Your OB is an idiot if he said that, MANY women have large babies vaginally.
You not only risked your kid having a healthy birth but there are other risks to preterm babies - an increase in SIDS, health issues and an increase in learning disabilities. There is also some talk of an increase in autism among preterm babies but hey as long you're comfortable that is all that matters right.....
No, some woman are just built small.
My midwives, who have the lowest c-section rate in the state, are trying to keep my current baby under 10 pounds in fear that I won't be able to deliver him vaginally if he is much bigger than that.
Now they are not going to throw int he towel and not let me try a vaginaly delivery, but going by the size of my birth canal and my last birthing experince, it COULD become dangerous for both me and baby if he is much bigger than 10lbs. They are going to push for a vaginal delivery until it becomes dangerous for baby and I.
Plus bigger babies are not always healthier, we start worrying abotu blood sugar once he is 10lbs.
I want to try natural things to try and induce once I am full term. The midwives have suggested membranes stripping at 38-39 weeks. It is all something we are researchign and discussing.
Quoting bowribbonmama:
Because can-sections are easier for them to do.
Quoting LadyBugMom09:
You most certainly can deliver a 10 lb baby vaginally. Why do OBs say that???
But anyways, congrats that your baby was healthy.
Quoting Anonymous:
Well a 10lb baby can be delivered vaginally so that's silly. And your body must have been ready or that wouldn't have worked. Lung development is very important. My SIL had an 8lb baby born at 38 weeks and she was sent to the nicu for 2 weeks and had to come home with an oxygen tank. She used that for about a month. Not very bright my dear. You are lucky he's healthy.
size of the baby is usually not a factor, I think OBs say that just to bypass labor and go straight to c-sections.
The 2nd and 3rd babies come out much easier than the first (in most cases). I pushed for an hour with DD (almost 9 lbs) and only 5 mins with DS (almost 10 lbs).
Congrats on your baby!!! :)
Quoting Ms.Pteranodon:My midwife has said that MY body can not deliver a baby MUCH bigger than 10lbs. I have a small frame and I had a really hard time delivering DS who was 9lbs 12 oz. I had a 3rd degree tear and was pushing for almost 5 hours.
Him his shoulders had been any bigger he would have been stuck.
Some woman are built bigger than others and have much wider hips and can deliver 13-14lbs babies vaginally. Then there are some that can't get a 6lb baby through their birth canal.
Every woman's body is built different.
Quoting LadyBugMom09:
You most certainly can deliver a 10 lb baby vaginally. Why do OBs say that???
But anyways, congrats that your baby was healthy.
Quoting Anonymous:castor oil does not work her body was ready. I used castor oil when i was close to delievery due to nothing else was helping my constpation ( salads, other over the counter meds the dr told me i could do even fiber did not help and guess what castor oil helped a little but i did not go into labor ( i was 9 months to).
I answered this in a different reply. But I am built small and I have had a close to 10lb baby and it was an ALMOST deadly situation.
Quoting LadyBugMom09:
Why couldn't you deliver vaginally if the baby is over 10lbs? Just curious....
Quoting Ms.Pteranodon:I will keep the castro oil thing in mind ONCE I am full term and ready to pop.
I plan on trying "natural" ways to induce after 37 weeks. My goal is to keep this baby under 10lbs so I can deliver vaginally.
That's the ugliest name everrrr!!!