Will short pregnant women definitely have difficulty in giving birth? Many women of short stature worry about their ability to get pregnant and give birth safely. In fact, a person\’s height is not necessarily proportional to the size of the pelvis. As long as the diameter of the pelvis is long, there won\’t necessarily be problems during delivery.
Recently, Mr. Liu from Chengdu encountered a trouble: his wife is only 1.44 meters tall and has been married for more than two years. Mr. Liu has always wanted a child. His married life with his wife was not harmonious. One wants a child, while the other is trying to avoid pregnancy. It was not until more than two months ago that my wife became pregnant unexpectedly. In order to save the fetus, Mr. Liu knelt down and was finally forgiven by his wife. When the mother knew that her daughter was pregnant, her attitude was very firm: if she wanted to keep the child, she had to cut off the relationship between mother and daughter! The wife felt very embarrassed: on the one hand, her mother who gave birth to her, and on the other hand, her beloved husband…
Does being short in stature necessarily cause difficulty in childbirth?
The mother-in-law did not agree with her daughter\’s pregnancy and childbirth, as she was worried that her short stature would make it difficult to give birth. Although this concern is reasonable, is the problem really that serious?
In fact, this worry is unnecessary. A person\’s height is not necessarily proportional to the size of the pelvis. Height mainly depends on the length of the thigh and femur of the lower limbs and the length of the tibia and fibula of the lower leg. Although the pelvis is anatomically a lower limb bone, its size and shape have nothing to do with the length of the thighs and calves. The size of the pelvis is expressed by the distance between the bones – the diameter of the pelvis. The diameter of each person\’s pelvis is also different. If the shape of the pelvis is normal but the diameter is short, there is still a possibility of dystocia. However, although the shape of the pelvis is somewhat abnormal, as long as the diameter is long, there may not be problems during delivery.
Whether the fetus can be delivered successfully is also related to the shape of the pelvis. Some tall women do not necessarily have large pelvises. Their hips are not large and they have human-shaped pelvises. The pelvic cavity is funnel-shaped, with thick bones and a small and deep inner diameter. It is difficult for the fetus to pass. In contrast, many short women have wider hips, a typical female pelvis. The pelvic cavity is barrel-shaped, wide and shallow, with thin bones and large inner diameter. The fetus passes easily, so difficult labor due to pelvic problems is rare.
Whether the size of the fetus is commensurate with the pelvis is also a factor in determining whether a vaginal birth can occur. In addition, due to genetic factors, the size of the fetus is often similar to that of the parents. The pelvis has a size, and so does the fetus, and the fetus is small. Even if the shape of the pelvis is slightly abnormal or the diameter is slightly smaller, vaginal delivery can be successful. By measuring the pelvis, you can initially estimate whether the shape of the pelvis is normal, and modern ultrasound examination methods can also accurately measure the size of the fetus.
Therefore, pregnant women with short stature do not need to worry about childbirth.
What can short expectant mothers do to avoid difficult labor?
Pregnant women with a height of less than 1.50 meters and short stature have a higher incidence of dystocia than ordinary pregnant women due to their relatively narrow pelvis. Therefore, the health care focus of short pregnant women is to prevent dystocia. Three major factors in childbirth (fetus, birth canal, uterine force) abnormality is the main cause of dystocia. Fetal factors and birth canal factors are relative. For every childbirth, regardless of whether the pelvic size is above average, as long as the birth canal (mainly refers to the pelvis) is large enough for the fetus to pass, delivery can be successful; otherwise, it will cause dystocia (called fetal head-pelvic asymmetry), which is slightly narrow A pelvis with a small size can successfully give birth to an underweight fetus, while a medium-sized pelvis cannot give birth to a giant baby.
So, how can short pregnant women prevent dystocia? The correct approach is:
1. Increase nutrition in an appropriate amount, and avoid overnutrition during pregnancy to avoid growing a larger fetus, thereby increasing the possibility of dystocia;
2. Properly exercise and do housework to strengthen abdominal muscles and other muscles related to childbirth to facilitate normal childbirth;
3. Strengthen prenatal examinations, especially measuring the shape and diameter of the pelvis and the size of the fetus to determine whether the fetus can be delivered normally;
4. Follow the doctor’s advice. It is best to go to the hospital to give birth. During labor, doctors can predict whether it will be normal or difficult. If you need cesarean section or other assisted delivery methods, you should be admitted to the hospital about 1 week in advance to wait for delivery. Even if there is dystocia, there are also caesarean sections.