What Does This Mean??? - Chicago,IL

It is one of the assessments a doctor or midwife makes of the pelvis during the physical exam (along with things like ischial spines, side walls, sacral promontory, etc). Usually during the initial prenatal exam the provider takes measurements of the pelvis, (not formal measurements like with a tape measure, but rather with their hand/fingers) to get an idea of weather or not the pelvis is favorable for a vaginal delivery. A "classic" female pelvis has a subpubic angle of about 90 degrees, a narrower arch COULD make for a more difficult vaginal delivery. It is just one of many factors a provider may take into consideration at the end of the pregnancy or during labor. It alone would not be a reason for an early induction or scheduled c-section, just something they might keep in mind if they feel you have a large baby or labor is not progressing well. It is possible that you will need to consider "alternative" positions to facilitate labor, but it is certainly not something to stress about right now. It probably was not mentioned because is is such a small factor by itself, it is not anything you can change, there is no decision to be made, and it simply may case undue worry or stress for you. Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy.

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What site did you go to online to look it up?
I found the above site, that shows the different common shapes of the pelvic bones. It sounds like there are 2 varieties of narrowed subpubic arch. One is more likely than the other to interfere with delivery of the baby. Smaller babies might not have problems, but larger ones may have trouble descending through. So it may make you more likely to end up with a Csection. At least, that's the conclusion that comes to my mind. I'm not a doctor. And I didn't sleep at Holiday Inn last night, lol.

I'd ask your doctor specifics about the findings and see what they have to say.

I would talk to your new doctor. Have him/her verify that, and talk to you about what it means.

I strongly suggest that you call the doctor that wrote that note and ask her.

Don't stress out! Remember that your body was specially designed to birth a baby.

The pubic arch is a joint, with ligaments that will stretch during labor (and sometimes during pregnancy) due to the hormones that your body releases. This enables your baby to pass through the pelvis into the birth canal. Also remember that different positions can increase the amount of space in this opening. Squatting while birthing can increase the opening of your pelvis significantly (whereas lying on your back or in a semi-reclined position actually offers the least amount of space) so make sure to tell your doctor that you would like the freedom to push in any position YOU like.

It may have been just an observation and not really matter very much but I'd check with your doctor. They'll be able to explain it to you.