Birth Plan after shoulder dystocia

Need Advice

Hi ladies, I’m writing this post to get advice or read about similar experiences to help me decide how I should deliver my December baby. I’m 5ft and my husband is about 5ft 8in. We had our first in 2022 vaginally. She measured 19 in and weighed 6lbs 10 oz. I pushed for two hours and unfortunately experienced shoulder dystocia with her. She was without oxygen for 30 secs and came out purple. She spent 1 night in the Nicu but thankfully since then has become a thriving toddler.

The OB who delivered said that with future pregnancies I should speak to my OB to see if it’d be better to deliver via c-section or vaginally especially if baby is bigger. From my anatomy scan at 21 weeks the Dr. mentioned that he was weighing 10% heavier than the average. I know that chance of recurrence is 1%-25%. Has anyone had a successful vaginal birth after having shoulder dystocia previously? Would it be safer to go with a c-section ? I prefer vaginal birth due to recovery but will ultimately do what is safest for the both of us. TIA!

Posted Sep 29, 2025, 11:23 PM UTC

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