Pregnant women hear many horror stories and shoulder dystocia is one of the ones that they may hear as they get closer to labor and delivery.
The March of Dimes has a short but thorough “blurp” on this complication which is not necessarily predictable. There are remedies and usually the outcome is good.
If you have diabetes or a history of large babies in your family consult with your doctor and get your questions answered.
“Shoulder dystocia
Dystocia means “slow or difficult labor or delivery.” Shoulder dystocia occurs when a baby’s head is delivered through the birth canal, but his shoulders are too big to get through and he gets stuck inside the mother’s body. This creates risks for both mother and baby.
Shoulder dystocia can happen when a baby is unusually large. Overweight women and women with diabetes are at risk for having very large babies, or babies with macrosomia. It also happens when a mother’s pelvic opening is too small for the baby’s shoulders to pass through.