QuestionHi there, I'm 33 years old and 29 weeks pregnant and broke my coccyx back in 1995 attempting snowboarding! Unfortunately it has healed in a more right angled position,towards my birth canal.As the baby's face comes out directly in front of the coccyx, will he or his face suffer injury during, what I hope can be a natural childbirth?Thanks for your help.
AnswerYour tailbone is actually supposed to curve in a little bit most of the time. The coccyx is actually composed of several bones, and when we speak of a "broken" tailbone what we really have is more of a severe sprain of the ligaments and tendons holding those bones together. It is flexible, though, and is designed to bend out of the way as the baby passes through the birth canal. This prevents it from doing damage to the baby.
However, it is important to remain upright during labor and delivery. If you are sitting, lying down on your back, or semi-reclined, you are putting pressure on your coccyx, and forcing it to remain curved inward instead of moving out. In addition, you reduce the size of your pelvic outlet by 15-30%. The combination of the bony coccyx obstruction and the smaller pelvis can keep a baby from coming out easily. The best position for delivery is either squatting or kneeling, even on hands and knees. This allows your coccyx to be free to be pushed out of the way, and creates more room in your pelvis for the baby to move through.
Congratulations on your pregnancy!
