Second back to back labours..

[SquarePolarBear]

Dc1 was back to back, waters broke early followed by 26 hours of contractions to get to 5cms, then drip, epidural, episiotomy & ventouse-- usual cascade of intervention.

DC2 due any day, also back to back. Am intending to stay mobile as long as poss, and listen to my body more -having done it once I'm presuming it will be more efficient this time round! Also hoping its more likely to turn during labour. But if my waters break early & I'm slow to dilate again, I know I've only got limited time before I'm put on the drip, and then the intervention all over again.... Maybe?

If you've had similar first time round was it the same second time??

:)

[firefli]

No experience, but in a similar position myself. Long difficult first labour, 38 weeks and gp told me this baby back to back too :( I've read forward leaning positions or hands and knees best for turning babies in labour.

Hope to hear some positive stories.

[Fuchzia]

Two back to back 10 lbs boys here! DS1 was awful with the works in terms of intervention. DS2 was much shorter and less painful. I managed on gas and air. Spent the whole labour on all fours which seemed to help and as the baby descended a midwives rubbed my lower back in a circular motion around where the head was which took away the worst of the pain.

[SquarePolarBear]

Thanks fuchzia-- that's very encouraging :) 10 pounders too! Wowsers.

Fingers crossed my labour with DC2 will be similar... And yours too firefli!

I spent most of DC1 pregnancy on all fours to encourage her to turn, plus lots of yoga & swimming-- but she stayed put and was a total stargazer, so this time I must admit I haven't tried at all, just too busy with my 3 yr old to think about it too much... Until now!

[Shellywelly1973]

I've had 5 babies,all back to back apart from dc1.

Dc2 was difficult but they've got easier. No intervention with dc 3,4&5.

All the labours were slow & the last one i actually experienced no pain in my stomach. All the pain was in my lower back& bum.

I'm expecting dc6 & no doubt this one will be back to back like the last 4!

[AmandaPayne]

Yes, first birth like yours, but even longer and with forceps.

Second started off the same, but got intense more quickly. I also did a couple of inversions during contractions (you can look it up on spinning babies) with a lot of support from those with me so I didn't fall. She obviously freed up and moved, because suddenly everything was easy and the pain was much more manageable. She was born very soon after. Whole labour was 10 hours.

[carrielou2007]

2 back to back (born face up) babies here and bumper is transverse grr. Long induced labour with horrid drip with dd, lots of stitches, forceps, 9lb6 and long. Dreading induction with ds though everyone said it will be quicker your body has done it before erc and they were right.

Had the peasary about 2.30pm rolling around by 4.30, was 4cm by 6pm waiti g to go down to labour ward, found pushing at 7.15pm so whisked down to labour ward and he was born at 7.35pm with me still pleading for some pain relief (ok I may have been screeching someone get me a beeping epidural)

It was very very painful, all in my back but I'm still here (looks down at 31 week bump eek)

[NAR4]

All four of mine were back to back as is the one I am pregnant with now (39 wks). Each labour has been very differrent and only my last one turned to come out, but was def the worst labour.

Take a look at the Spinning Babies website for exercises to help baby turn the right way and things to do during labour. Hasn't got this baby to turn for me but hope to have a go at some of the labour exercises to persuade it, also.

[PickleSarnie]

Both mine were back to back. First one, I had contractions for three days. All in my back. Utter agony. Waters broke at 1am. Was 3 cm when I got to hospital. Was 3 cm for hours and hours. Then contractions stopped totally. So ended up syntocin and an epidural. Got me ready for ventouse but managed one last mega push to get DS1 out just before midnight. Was bloody exhausted.

Second one, contractions started at 4am. Very regular right away but very manageable. Called midwife at 8am ( was booked in for homebirth ). They sent me to hospital because BP a teeny bit high. When I got to hospital, blood pressure was perfectly normal so they sent me home. Waters broke in the car on the way home. Midwives arrived, then 4 pushes and 18 minutes later, DS2 popped out. No pain relief other than TENS. Was lovely. A million times better than the first time.

[BusyTiredAndLoveIt]

Dc2 btb-similar, long horrible labour to yours.

Dc3 btb- shortest labour I've had (13 hrs start to finish-9 hrs in hospital) was prepared as there's only 16 months between my youngest two so I remembered well the first btb labour !

Second btb labour was shorter, but the most painful by far (sorry!!) was an easier labour but was horrifically painful. And second btb child was smaller than first btb. So must have just been his position.

Be prepared. Have an open mind. There's no law to childbirth. You can be prepared so much but the rest is down to luck.

Best wishes x

[exexpat]

Both mine were back to back and quite big (4kg+). With DC1 the hospital insisted on continuous monitoring, and because of his position, every time I moved around they lost the heart beat, so I ended up spending most of the labour flat on my back. Progress was very slow, I dilated unevenly, I was exhausted, they ended up trying and failing to use ventouse, and finally a medic was up on the bed pushing down on my stomach to help him out . (all that with zero pain relief by the way - they don't offer pain relief for childbirth in most hospitals in Japan)

So, four years later when DC2 was also back to back and looking likely to be big, I didn't want to go through all that again. 2nd time round I was much more assertive and refused continual monitoring so I could move around and spend much more of the time upright, and that time everything was much easier and quicker, no intervention necessary.

[SquarePolarBear]

Thanks everybody for your experiences!

Looks like mobility and an open mind is the key.. I'll come back and add my second labour story when it's over, hopefully v soon!

[hiss]

Had similar and awful induced and augmented labour with dd1 but happy to inform you that dd2 was a btb labour and was so much easier. She was scanned as occipatal transverse at 36weeks and I promised I'd get down to some exercises to help her into better position but due to pelvic pain, 19 month old and very big bump (was told huge baby) I never did. Waters broke and she was born at 37+3 weighing in at a tiny 6lb 5. She turned op during labour and felt the awful pressure in the bottom of my back for last 1-2 hours but midwife assured me she would turn and I had her out minutes later with her right way round and only a nick in comparison to dd1 and only from her waving with her hand on her cheek. 10 hours from water breaking and only an hour or 2 of any real pain. Still smile when I think of her birth. Good luck SquarePolarBear. Looking forward to your story. Btw I walked and walked in labour with dd1 and was exhausted at end. Interestingly this time I sat for alot of my labour as the pain became too intense when I walked and dd2 still turned. My advice is to trust your own instincts and body on the day.

[derbyshire]

Had two BTB labours and 2nd soo much easier.
1st was 2 days ending in epidural and rotational forceps. Awful!
2nd was 10 hours, just Gas&Air and gave birth on my hands and knees! Couldn't bear to be on my back so midwife did only one internal.
Felt great afterwards - up and having a shower an hour later. And he was over 10 lbs.
Completely diff experience so dont despair OP!

[duchesse]

My second BtB was half the length of the first. I was mobile throughout (I had her at home) and can distinctly remember pacing the living room in circles half the night. My waters broke at 9:30 am on a Tuesday and she was born at 11:00 on the Wednesday but I was only in labour from about late afternoon on the Tuesday. With DS it was Thursday evening to Saturday afternoon...during which time I was mostly mobile but more restricted being in hospital. I found that being in the shower really helped.

[EarnestDullard]

Two back-to-back labours/deliveries here. DD1 was delivered with ventouse after 2.5hrs trying to push her out.

DD2 I pushed out all by myself It was still hard bloody work but overall a much more positive experience than DD1's birth. Spent most of labour, once established, standing up and leaning on the (empty) birthing pool. And sucking on G&A like there was no tomorrow Had a 2nd degree tear, but even that seemed more manageable, and recovery seemed easier, than after episiotomy with DD1.

They do say 2nd births are easier, and that was certainly the case for me. Hope it's the same for you too :)

[Sugarkane]

Two back to back here, DC1 was perfect apart from the involuntary pushing from the start of labour, that seems to come with my back to backs. DC2 back to back, no one would give me any meds and refused gas and air as his heart rate was dropping, I couldn't get in the zone and everything felt out of control although shorter labour I ended up having forceps.

I think your plan of listening to your body is the best way, I just wish I had been allowed to with DC2 and something that I made sure I did with DC3. Good luck

[SquarePolarBear]

Hi everyone, just wanted to come back & share my story as it was so helpful hearing all of yours, thankyou!

So dc2 was born on thurs (21st) at 8pm. My waters broke at 4am in bed, and contractions started at about 10am.. Exactly the same start as Dc1. I knew I only had a certain time frame before I would be put on antibiotics then the drip, so keeping this in mind I kept moving, and literally tried to embrace each contraction knowing that each one was moving me closer to the goal posts! By 3pm they were quite intense so went off to hospital. They put me in a room with a pool etc which instantly gave me confidence. By 6pm it was full on so they did a check and I was 8cms dilated.. Phew! So relieved. Not long after I was in the pool & trying to push, but he wasn't coming out so I got out & lay on my back for another check. Being on my back actually seemed a lot more effective & he was born very soon after. I had a small tear so a few stitches, by 10pm we were all cuddled up having tea & toast! It was such a world away from dc1 labour. I think research & putting myself in the right frame of mind really did the job, plus I'm sure my body just knew what to do second time around.

I hope my story helps someone else have confidence second time round!
:)

[EarnestDullard]

Congratulations Square

Sounds like a positive experience, glad it was so much easier than your first. Well done you