Expert: Dorothy H, LCCE - 6/30/2010

Question
in February of 2009 i was in a car accident and had a total of five pelvic fractures, two on my right side and three on my left. i was in the ICU for a week, then went home with a walker, wheelchair and cane for about 6-10 weeks. i started walking and working on my own before advised by my doctor, and physical therapy, although scheduled at first, seemed unnecessary and i never went. since then, ive had hardly any problems besides not being quite as flexible, slight but dull hip pain after standing for eight hours, and popping of my hips every now and then while walking.
i am 7 weeks pregnant now, and i was wondering, in your professional opinion, will i be able to vaginally give birth to this baby or will i have to have a c-section?

Answer
I would suggest that you talk to your OB to get their opinion on that. If your OB has a high cesarean rate, you might want to get a second opinion from an OB with a lower rate to get a true indication of whether or not it would be possible.  Unfortunately, I can't tell you from the information you gave whether or not you are a good candidate for a vaginal birth.

I can tell you though that I have worked with women in labor who had previously had multiple pelvic fractures and were able to give birth vaginally without a problem.

I wish you the best with the rest of your pregnancy!

Dorothy H, LCCE