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Childbirth

Back to back babies

51 replies

toadierocks · 07/08/2016 14:31

Hi

I'm 34 weeks with my 2nd and I have an anterior placenta so I always knew there was a possibility of the little cherub being back to back but it's just been confirmed by the midwife he's literally 180 degrees the wrong way round if you see what I mean - head down and engaged but just needs to pivot.

I've been on the spinning babies website etc and I'm trying to turn him naturally before the big day BUT I'm looking for anyone with advice or experience who had a back to back labour where the baby didn't turn - did you get them out alright (albeit sunny side up)?

I'm set to have a home birth so just need to keep my confidence/realism in a good balance but I'm debating getting myself to hospital instead.

Thoughts please :)

OP posts:

Report

Polyethyl · 07/08/2016 14:34

I was back to back when I was born and my mum had a dreadful time. When I gave birth my baby was back to back as well. It really is painful.
Go to hospital, have the drugs.

Missgraeme · 07/08/2016 14:37

One of my ds was back to back (they had told me he was a girl at the scan) labour was longer and they had me on a monitor. Flat on my back he started to get distressed and they mentioned a section. I asked them to let me turn onto my side instead ( the way I slept in bed) and his heart rate returned to normal. Don't be afraid to questions /make suggestions -he was fine even tho labour was hard on me!!

GobblersKnob · 07/08/2016 14:40

Both of mine were back to back (op) Ds had to be delivered with forceps, but that was because the cord was wrapped around his neck three times and too short for me to push him out.

Dd was op and face presentation, but came out eventually with no intervention albeit a LOT of pushing.

General consensus seems to be that labour is more painful with an op baby but that is pretty subjective and I have no idea who decided that.

Ds's labour was long and painful but he was my first and I was very frightened and in a bit of a state tbh which didn't help in the slightest.

With dd I was super relaxed, the labour itself was extremely short and not particularly painful, the pushing bit was aaaaggges and horrible but that was because no one realised she was face presentation until she appeared (that what happens if you give birth in the dark.....)

Jenijena · 07/08/2016 14:42

I've had two back to backs. DS1 was 8lb3, rotated at the very last push as the forceps were being discussed (as his heart rate wasn't great and I'd been on a drip). 3 stitches, tiny graze. DS2 came out b2b, 7lb3, in the pool. No stitches. Gas and air fit both of them but very much recommend moving around during labour. It doesn't have to be hideous!

toadierocks · 07/08/2016 14:45

Ha! In the dark - That's what I was planning for my homebirth. lots of candles with no artificial light but I suppose others would consider that I'm giving birth in the dark

I got my DD out without any pain relief and I'm not scared of pain or feeling the burn, just not sure how safe it is to be at home as I'm so far away from the nearest hosp. Just had my confidence knocked

OP posts:

toadierocks · 07/08/2016 14:47

Thanks so much for the information and shares - I wanted to be at home as then I can crawl round the room to my hearts contents and hang off the end of the sofa etc. I was on all fours for the majority of my labour with DD and in squat for delivery - just seems to be a natural position for me ..... The hosp midwife kept trying to get me onto the bed which I didn't like

OP posts:

Tokelau · 07/08/2016 14:48

My baby was back to back. We didn't know this until I was in labour. The labour was very long and painful. I wasn't able to push her out myself, so I needed forceps and an episiotomy. I was able to push her out so far, but she kept getting stuck. I was pushing for nearly six hours.

If I had to do it again, I would go to hospital and have an epidural. The pain beforehand was unbearable, but the epidural was fantastic. Gas and air and pethidine didn't touch the pain. I started off in a birthing pool, but the pain was awful and I had to get out.

For my second baby, I requested a caesarian, which I had. It was fantastic, and I recovered much more quickly than from the forceps birth.

Sorry, I'm sure that's not what you wanted to hear.

PinkFondantFancy · 07/08/2016 14:49

Two back to back babies, two straightforward homebirths. You can do it. Stay mobile, stay positive.

PinkFondantFancy · 07/08/2016 14:50

Also strongly recommend hypnobirthing, worked like a charm. Had a birthing pool but didn't even have gas and air.

toadierocks · 07/08/2016 14:56

No I want to hear all sorts or stories and outcomes - thank you for sharing! I need to make an informed decision - knowledge is power and all that

OP posts:

PinkFondantFancy · 07/08/2016 15:00

toadie I carefully assessed all the risks before doing it. My view was there's not much that can go wrong that you don't get advance notice of, that would be dealt with differently by the hospital than the midwife. You're being very carefully monitored - the midwives will have a very low threshold for sending you into hospital if there's any signs of distress/anything going wrong.

PinkFondantFancy · 07/08/2016 15:01

*carefully monitored in labour.

GastonsPomPomWrath · 07/08/2016 15:03

Both of my back to back babies have been the chunkier ones. Not sure if that's relevant at all or just the case with me.

The first one was my first baby. He was 9lb 2oz and had to be delivered by ventouse. The labour was stop start and so long. I had a really rough time. But the epidural was brill.

Next back to back was my last one. She was 10lb 5oz. I tried for a home birth but my body just wouldn't progress for the size of her and the dodgy position she'd got herself into. I ended up in hospital with the drip and even that didn't work terribly well. I'd definitely recommend a position that allows for gravity to work with you.
It was very hard, i think it's a different pain from 'normal' contractions. Mine felt very... woolly, like they were not being effective if that makes sense? I pushed for a long time, they started to make noises about a c section but I asked for an episiotomy and as soon as I had it her head was born. I did do it without pain relief and was out of hospital 6 hours after having her.

NeedACleverNN · 07/08/2016 15:06

My ds was back to back.

My god it was so painful. He was my second born so I knew labour hurt but his birth was worse.

He was pushing on a nerve coming out which was causing my leg to cramp. I couldn't get comfortable in any position.

I wish I had taken all the drugs I was offered at one point but by the time he was seen to be facing the wrong way, it was too late

ApocalypseNowt · 07/08/2016 15:07

I also have chubby back to back-ers.

DD1 - induced, painful labour for 34 hours, EMCS, 10lb 10oz

DD2 - EMCS, 9 and a half lb.

PragmaticWench · 07/08/2016 15:07

My DD was back to back and ended up as an emergency c-section under general anaesthetic when her heart rate crashed. Once they got in there they discovered she was pushing down with her face, so her head was being pushed backwards, hence becoming distressed. If I'd had the water birth I'd hoped for then we wouldn't have known her heart rate had crashed and we were told she wouldn't have survived.

I'm all for natural, calm birthing but I thank heaven I was somewhere where they could get a c-section started within three minutes.

EndofSummerLooming · 07/08/2016 15:11

Go to hospital. Epidural needs to be available as does an obstetrician.

ittooshallpass · 07/08/2016 15:19

I'm all for keeping it natural, but wouldn't take any risks when it comes to making sure my baby was delivered safely.

Is there a compromise? Hospital birth... in pool with lights out and candles? Best of both?

What does your midwife advise? I'd go with what she recommend to be honest.

I had emergency c-section. From baby in distress to being born... 12 minutes.

PinkFondantFancy · 07/08/2016 15:42

Why wouldn't heart rate have been monitored in a water birth?? What a load of rubbish - mine was.

MintCakeMavis · 07/08/2016 15:51

My second was back to back and face presentation. It was slightly more painful than my first but not hugely so. I still has gas and air but was standing and walking throughout most of the labour and then on all fours for the birth. It was still straightforward and would have been a homebirth if there had been enough midwives where I live to continue the service. I was also home within 7hrs, discharged straight after the newborn check DC2 needed.

Duckie17 · 07/08/2016 16:04

2 back to back babies here, neither turned. DS delivered by forceps with a epidural 7lb 7oz, incredibly slow and painful. DD, 8lb 13oz a totally different story, much quicker (still 16 hours!) and delivered naturally with a little gas and air at the end. No experience of a "normal labour" though. Good luck x

Heatherbell1978 · 07/08/2016 16:11

DS1 turned B2B at 39 weeks and didn't turn. I gave birth naturally, gas and air only and was in the water until I had to push. Only reason I got out the water was my waters needed broken so mw had to do it. I was knackered after about 12 hours of labour so only position I could stay in was lying on my back which is the worst especially for a B2B baby! I did it though, baby was pushed out.
In the weeks before birth every MW told me I would need drugs and should rip up my birth plan....but at the birth centre they barely mentioned baby's position which helped I think. Every MW after said 'wow, that must have hurt'. Well yes, but doesn't it always? Nothing to compare it to so for me it was a nice uncomplicated birth.

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29redshoes · 07/08/2016 16:27

DD was back to back, I knew from about one week beforehand. Midwives didn't seem hugely bothered, they just casually mentioned it!

Labour was six hours in total from waters breaking to DD entering the world. Laboured in water but gave birth on the bed. Needed an episiotomy but DD's head was on the 98th percentile so that may have had something to do with it! Only had gas and air, but then my labour was short - had it been longer I think I would have asked for an epidural. It did hurt a lot, but DD's my first so I don't know if the fact she was back to back made it more painful.

I felt nothing in my tummy at all, all the pain was in my back. When others talk about their contraction pains I can't really relate as it sounds like mine were completely different.

Honestly, it really wasn't that bad. And it was only three months ago so it's not that I've forgotten it. Compared to some of the other things you go through with a new baby (e.g. the trials of establishing breastfeeding) I preferred childbirth!

daisydalrymple · 07/08/2016 16:38

All three of mine were back to back. Both boys came out looking frontwards, dd turned at the last minute as I was pushing. First delivery ended up with ventouse, but DC 2&3 I managed both on G&A.

Was set to have dc2 at home, but a couple of hours in when my waters went there was meconium, so I was rushed in last minute incase she was in distress and she arrived soon after.

Dc3 I was mostly on my knees and that's how I delivered, really quick labour.

I think the pain / complications with dc1 were as much to do with him being my first as being op.

Good luck, totally manageable!

WhatwouldRuthdo · 07/08/2016 17:05

My DS was back to back, but he must have turned that way pretty late on, and no one realised until the Consultant appeared. He was displeased with the midwives on that one. Ended up with forceps and episiotomy - but the good news is that, for me, the pain before hand was manageable with gas and air. I'd do it again, so it can't have been that awful!

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