United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

I just wondered...When it was apparent my baby's shoulders were stuck, I stopped pushing. My doctor strongly encouraged me to push. He encouraged me to push hard. I didn't see him yank on the baby's head. Could my hard pushing have cause this injury?

Simple answer, no. It takes between 40 -100 pounds of TRACTION to cause a bpi. Traction meaning pulling on the infants head. You couldnt have seen him yank on the baby's head, you were at the other end.

From all the research that I have done about when the doctor realizes that the baby is stuck the first thing they are supposed to do is take their hands off the head and tell the mother to STOP pushing. My doctor screamed at me to push too, but that just impacts the shoulder further. It is NOT your fault. The doctor is supposed to be the trained professional and should know what to tell the mother to do. I don't know how old your baby is, but I felt a lot of guilt early on too. It does pass with time after you learn more about the injury and what causes it.

I'm glad you asked that question. I've often wondered the same thing.

I am sure that many of you will disagree with me on what I am about to say. Fist though let me strongly say, it is not your fault in any way. God lays on us only what can make us stronger, and believe it or not, good changes come out of bpi children. Now, on to what everyone will hate for me to say...I had a very quick labor, no pulling or forceps. I went into labor at 3:30 and by 4:48, I had Julia, she was 8lbs and 3 oz. The doctor had told me to take a minute and breathe, not to push, but for all the mom's out there, like you know, your body has a natural push. There was no stopping the labor, and because I have a slightly tipped pelvis, Julia ended up with LBPI. Should I have had naturally delivery with a tipped pelvis? I would not do it again, but I have two older children who do not have any injuries. Had I known that this could of happened, it would have been a C-Section with all three of the girls. Basically what I am saying is, you have choices...but when the baby it out to its shoulders, the doctor can either deliver the baby by helping it, and there is a chance of injury, or can leave it and the baby will die. I am the first to help with anyone who has had a doctor at fault, but over the past few years, I have found that not all doctors are at fault, SOMETIMES it was the only choice they had, and SOMETIMES the doctor is careless and causes a child to have a different life than expected.

Parents have posted here before about children with bpi whose labour was short and uncomplicated with no pulling on the head, & I have met a woman who went into labour at home and delivered by herself, it took a total of 1 hour (!) and she did not touch her baby until he was born, but he still had a bpi. These cases are rare, I think the vast majority of cases are physician caused but there are some that are not.

I have heard that bpi can be caused in utero if the mother has fibroid cysts pushing on the babies neck. I also heard that it can be caused when a mother has the chicken pox virus while pregnant. I also read recently that it can happen when a baby is delivered breech as well. I guess maybe the chin gets caught under the pelvic bone? So many unknowns:-(
I have also pondered the thought of the sd becoming a life and death situation. I just read that the Ob has 8-8 1/2 minutes until permanent brain damage can be caused. 8 minutes is a long time to try various sd maneuvers.
It's hard for me to comprehend that a womans uterine muscles can push with that much force to cause a torn or avulsed nerve. Thats some serious pushing!!!!!

Null,
Melanie's injury was probably caused from pushing for 3.5 hours. She was on the larger size but her shoulders did not get stuck, I did not require any stitches, my husband confirmed there was no pulling at all. She had a mild injury, recovered by nine weeks.

Cindy

My daughter weighed 10 1/2 lbs at birth and was induced 2 weeks early. She came out to the tip of her ears and then no more. The dr. called an emergency c-section because she had coded once stuck. The dr. did a procedure called a "cephalic replacement" where her head and body had to be pushed back up through the birth canal and then taken by emergency c-section. Once out, my daughter had no heartbeat for 29 minutes. They were going to call time of death and she took her first breath then. Her apgars for the whole 29 minutes were all 0's. Yes, brain damage did occur, but considering her start she has beaten all the odds she faced. She can read, walk, talk, play softball, ride horses, etc. We are the extreme of what can happen for a severe brachial plexus injury. Be thankful for just brachial plexus problems, and when we tried to sue, we were told he did everything right. Right in whose eyes? They haven't looked at her struggles and daily routines and see life through her eyes.

I found this to be helpful
http://www.shoulderdystocia.com/