# Soft spot and C-section?



## simplykate (Jan 11, 2009)

my baby's soft spot is about the size of the tip of my finger. I noticed this at three or four weeks.
I had a c-section after a planned home birth because she never dropped down and I didn't dilate past a 4.
Nobody really knew why, possibilities mentioned were that my pelvic bones didn't spread for some weird reason, my baby's head wouldn't ,old, she was slightly posterior.... it's just kind of unknown
I remember all my siblings and nieces having big soft spots that you had to be careful with. It's hard to even find my DD's.
Now I wonder if such a little soft spot would keep her head from molding enough to drop down in my pelvis?
Does anybody know anything about this?


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## simplykate (Jan 11, 2009)

Anyone?


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## LisaG (Feb 23, 2003)

Kate - I practice craniosacral therapy, so I pay a lot of attention to heads







As the skull bones form, they primarily grow out of a membrane "sandwich". There's a top membrane and a bottom membrane and the bone cells in between the membrane. These membranes form a sort of template for the bones. Over time, the bone cells ossify, or harden. There a lot more to it, but this is the simplified version.

There are 3 bones that make up the edges of the soft spot (anterior fontanel). One of the bones is still in 2 pieces at birth (the forehead bone).

There are 2 reasons that I can think of as to why the soft spot would be smaller - 1. the bones are starting to ossify and knit together prematurely or 2. there are compression patterns in the head that are causing the bones to be a bit out of alignment. Does the shape of your daughter's head look odd at all?

In terms of the ramifications for birth - if her head were really ossifying prematurely then yes, that could possibly interfere with her being able to descend. Have you mentioned her soft spot to your pediatrician? I'm sure there's a variation for normal, but if it were my daughter I'd want to have it looked at because the first 2 years have so much brain growth going on that it's important that the skull bones are able to accommodate it. If your ped says everything is normal, then I personally would be inclined to have her seen by a craniosacral therapist that has pediatric experience. Sometimes the way a baby lies in utero can create different compression patterns that could benefit from being released.

Hope that helps.


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## mommy2two babes (Feb 7, 2007)

DS had very small fontanels when he was born and I remember the MW mentioning to keep an eye on it. It took a bit for me to find even, not at all like DD.
He descended fine and was born at home.


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## simplykate (Jan 11, 2009)

Thanks for your replies.
Her head doesn't look funny at all. I'll probably make a ped appointment for her this week.
I may post over in life with a babe and see of anyone has had this experience.


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