So does anybody know the chances of death while giving birth? Is it more predominent in smaller people, or anything like that? My friend loves kids, but wants to have tons of kids, but she is constantly freaking out because she thinks that since she is tiny...5'4" and very petite....and from what she has told me, she is pretty small in the pubic region...dont know if its that she is tight or if she has a narrow canal...but im honestly getting pretty annoyed because when i hang out with her and her fiance all she talks about is kids and then it turns into uh oh what if.
Fri, 08/24/2007 - 19:32
#1
Death While Giving Birth Statistics
Oh and one more part to my question...is there a sort of test (medically) or like physical you can have done to see if it is safe to have children? so that her fears will subside?
Regarding death during birth, there are factors which cannot be determined. For the most part, when she is ready have her talk to her Gyn. There is no "automatic" risk. This is too complicated to explain, do a google search but there is no need to know from a site re: info...talk to the gyn (her & her husband) when ready.
A couple of quick thoughts, although I agree with Sera that your question is too complicated to go into all the factors and possibilities here.
1. "Small" women in this country can opt for birth by Cesarean section (if the doctor agrees it is advisable) and avoid vaginal delivery, so pelvic size is no longer a life-and-death issue.
2. I was 5'6" and the father of my baby is 6'6" and all of his brothers were born over 9 pounds. I wasn't surprised when my son was born at over 9 lbs. His side of the family, obviously. Natural vaginal birth. So if a petite woman's baby was sired by a petite man, I bet it would work out just fine.
3. Constantly freaking out over this? Sounds a bit overdramatic to me, probably not someone ready for motherhood.
In the industrialized world the maternal death rate is quite low and varies by location - really socioeconomic level of the area.
The only meaningful measurement would be pelvic dimensions. The vagina, unless malformed in some way, makes little difference.
She should either discuss this with her doctor or forget about it. It could be a way to explain the possibility of future failure.