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Something silly.

(69 Posts)
Whitewavemark2 Thu 21-Oct-21 19:24:28

Dilation pumpkins carved by midwives at Royal Oldham.

Grandmajean Thu 21-Oct-21 22:52:31

One of the midwives in the hospital where I had my daughter said the best advice she could give on how to have an easy delivery was never marry into a family with large heads !grin

Zoejory Thu 21-Oct-21 22:54:33

My poor daughter in law is tiny. Size 4. A truly tiny person. She did try the conventional way but had to go C section in the end.

lemongrove Thu 21-Oct-21 23:25:51

Let’s hope no heavily pregnant women spotted these pumpkins!??
The first time was innocent bliss ( until the birth) the next three.....not so much.

TillyTrotter Fri 22-Oct-21 06:14:01

I’m small - I was a 4lbs baby - and my DH was a 10 lb’er.
Our second child was 9 lbs and although I tried the conventional type of birthing I had to give in to a (difficult) forceps delivery.
Glad that can’t be replicated with pumpkins ? ?!!

GrannyMacawell Fri 22-Oct-21 07:31:12

perhaps it would be nice for some to think whether "boasting " about their birth experiences is ok? to think about whether using phrases like "she tried" but had to "give in" is framing the experience in the right way for women?
when you boast or talk about trying and giving in it creates a hierarchy of births. those who triumphed..those who failed.
birthing isn't a competition...please don't make it one.

LullyDully Fri 22-Oct-21 08:30:32

Just a thought in the current twisting of language shouldn't midwives be mispeople. smile

LullyDully Fri 22-Oct-21 08:31:30

Midpeople! Spell checker again.

Jaxjacky Fri 22-Oct-21 09:45:41

Ah Grandmajean that’s where I failed. At clinic, when DD was about 6 months old, we were referred to a paediatrician because of her head size. He measured her head, then mine, then my ex’s ‘you are a family with big heads’ was his pronouncement!

Grandmajean Fri 22-Oct-21 09:49:24

Jaxjacky this advice was doomed to fail . Horses and stable doors really !
grin

PollyTickle Fri 22-Oct-21 10:18:45

Aha, that explains a lot. The first time I went for riding lessons there wasn’t a hat to fit me.
So it isn’t that I have a dainty little pelvis but I big wide head which my boys inherited.

henetha Fri 22-Oct-21 10:22:09

Oooh, it makes your eyes water just thinking about it.
I was so thin, size 8 I think, back then and my first baby was 9lbs and 12 ounces.

TillyTrotter Fri 22-Oct-21 10:24:38

To explain a bit more: my first experience of childbirth was an elective Caesarian and so I did ask - against medical advice - if I could try to have a natural birth second time around.
I tried my best but could not bring the large 2nd baby. Hence the forceps.

TillyTrotter Fri 22-Oct-21 10:26:15

* Elective Caesar being by medical advice, not my choice.

Germanshepherdsmum Fri 22-Oct-21 10:52:52

In my case my son’s head wasn’t too big, it was his shoulders that got stuck. I will leave the resulting c section and internal stitches to your imagination, though having had an epidural I was able to enjoy it all! Apparently my pelvic opening is too narrow to permit normal birth except possibly with a very small baby, which he wasn’t. You see these archaeologists sexing skeletons by looking at the pelvis so I wonder what they’ll make of me if they ever dig me up?!?

VioletSky Fri 22-Oct-21 10:58:26

Possibly the scariest Halloween decoration ever

Grandmajean Fri 22-Oct-21 11:17:18

PollyTickle that made me laugh !

muse Fri 22-Oct-21 13:07:09

WWM2 brilliant. ?

Sorry GSM. ? Read your question at the end of your post. Then read Violetsky’s post which followed. ?

I’m tall and was size 12 when I had my two. 8:1 and 9:2. Impossible for me to find hat large enough!

leeds22 Sun 24-Oct-21 10:52:22

Size 10 with narrow hips, I had an interminable labour and the local midwife led unit was about to send me 10 miles in an ambulance to Leeds General Infirmary. The thought of that must have concentrated my mind and I then produced an 8:4 baby but lots of stitches.

Naninka Sun 24-Oct-21 11:00:54

Love to all midwives - male and female. Even the midwife who married my ex! (She's very nice actually.) x

Shazzyp Sun 24-Oct-21 11:25:40

Fabulous!

Growing0ldDisgracefully Sun 24-Oct-21 12:00:03

Ooh ow! Wincing and crossing my legs. Only 1 offspring for me - that was enough. I'm only a 5' 2" little squirt but produced a very long baby - he's 6' 2". Nowadays I hasten to add - not at all time if being born.

jane1956 Sun 24-Oct-21 12:04:16

not busy there then

Moth62 Sun 24-Oct-21 12:15:24

That’s really interesting. I’ve never actually seen the centimetres dilated illustrated so graphically. I think they should keep them for teaching purposes!

Janetashbolt Sun 24-Oct-21 12:20:58

re midwife apparently it means "with the woman", gleaned from another thread, so male or female is would still be midwife

sodapop Sun 24-Oct-21 12:26:50

I always remember my doctor saying "you have got good child bearing hips "
Was this a polite way of saying a big a* grin