MW thinks the baby may be slightly OP, but couldn't be sure

[Bumperlicious]

I have a HB planned, which has taken quite a lot of soul searching to decide. I'm worried that if the baby is OP that this will lead to a long and risky labour.

She thinks this because I have a slight flat dip around my tummy button which is apparently a sign of OP. But I showed her where I thought the feet were (tucked right away on my mid left side) and she couldn't really tell.

Is there a sure fire way to tell? I do have back ache which apparently is a sign. What should I do to make sure the baby is in the right position. I'm 38 weeks, should I be worried?

Both my babies were OP

DD turned during labour and shot out after 2 pushes

DS didn't turn and still delivered him vaginally with just gas and air

Try to get on your hands and knees as much as possible and use a birth ball

my DD was OP, she was a VBAC, she did not turn in labour aand was born face up. long slow latent phase o labour, but established labour was quick. 3 cm to baby out in 3 hours 15 minutes..

be upright and mobile, use a birth ball, don't sit/lie in labour as much as possible.

i also had terrible pain in my back and found firm deep pressure on my lower back v helpful

OP is not a disaster, but can make labour slower and harder to establish

check out the website spinning babies. it'd been suggested by both a midwife and dula I know.

everything lulumaam said!

i had HB with my secodn child who was OP. I knew because of the dip in front between his knees!
labour was 6 hours from start to finish. pushed for an hour and 20... it was a big effort to get him out
i needed to be upright, so i guess it was my body tgelling me the best position to be in. had him on my knees leaning on a beanbag on the sofa.

all went really well though, my best labour/birth out of all 3 of them!

he came out the wrong way round and MW said "oh, that surprised me" lol

Thanks all, that makes me feel better. I'm planning a water birth (if I get the pool filled up in time!). DD was a quick labour (5 or 6 hours) so I anticipating this one being pretty speeding too. I could really do without the 2.5 second stage I had last time though.

Seeing the mw again next week for another feel.

try not too worry too much, mine was for weeks and moved in labour

IME the water made a biiiig difference Bumper ...

DD was deffo back to back on morning i went into labour as the MW checked as i had a sweep

My whole labour was only 7 hours from start to finish and the pool was brilliant - am sure it helped the whole process and enabled DD to turn as i was in a good position and well supported by the water

Hope it goes well for you

Mine is OP too (39 weeks) despite efforts to turn. I tried the spinning babies inversion last night - crawling down the stairs! - and have already been side lying, ball bouncing, and doing as much hands-and-knees as my pelvis can handle. Ultimately I can't control it though, so am trying to let go of feeling too anxious about it.
Am also hoping for a HWB and just keeping my fingers crossed for baby to turn in labour, or come out sunny-side up without too many problems. Good luck Bumper!

also, it's good you're going for homebirth as far less chance of the MWs or docs trying to augment labour - keeping the waters intact until they go spontanously is far better when baby is not in a great position.. the water helps them to rotate.

also being in water yourself allows you to moev more easily and adopt comfy positions and work with your body !

best of luck c

Thanks everyone. I'm just worrying as it has taken a lot for us to decide to have a HB, I love the idea, but am still slightly worried about something going wrong. I'm just worried that this is one of those situations where one thing can lead to another...

Will try not to worry and crawl around a lot! Wich is obviously exactly what I want to be doing when I am exhausted and in 7 kinds of pain all over my aching body

IME, OP is not as bad as people fear. i think about 1 in 10 babies are OP. many do turn in labour

if they don't, it's not the end of the world! I was never told DD was OP< it was only afterwards when she was born and i started my doula training that i put 2 + 2 together.

at least you are forewarned and you know the strategies that can help you

you are more likely to progress and be able to work with your body at home, without too much clock watching..don't get in the pool too early though, as it can slow things even more.

Is that true Lulu, about the pool? Problem is with a quick labour first time round I don't know how long this one is going to be. There was none of this cm dilated business, I just went into hospital, they ignored me for an hour until a MW checked me and said 'the only thing stopping you having this baby is your waters, so we just going to whisk you into a little room' (the delivery unit was full!). How will I know when it's the right time to get into the pool?

MY DD was Op - turned in labour. All my contractions were in my back, the pool helped enormously! Also I had a very active birth - walked up and down loads of stairs which really helped also. Labour not too bad - 19 hours (first baby) but the only the last six were really painful. I did have ventouse at the end (not in theatre and no spinal and it was only little wiggle she needed) but this was because I was tired, to be honest I think i could have pushed her out but MW decided I was too tired...

Bumper, Waterbirth by Janet Balaskas is really good, has lots of info about the pros and cons of getting in the water at different stages. IIRC, the optimum time is somewhere between 4-6cm dilated but check it out for yourself. Also talk to your MW, if she's attended lots of HWB she'll be able to advise.

DS1 was OP and it was long and v painful in my back- however, he was my 1st which can make for a long labour anyway, and I didn't really know about labouring on all fours etc. The stuff to do during labour section on spinning babies is v good. And my SIL just had her 2nd OP baby, 1st experience was similar to mine but 2nd time round was v quick and straightforward despite being OP again. Mainly because she knew what to do this time and managed to get baby turned during labour. You know this stuff so you will be fine.

Am planning a HWB this time too, pool arrives next week, yey!

I found the Spinning Babies website mind boggling at first (it's huge) so here are some links:

Posterior info

stuff to do whilst pregnant

stuff to do in labour

Also, have you seen the homebirth UK website? Plenty of info on HWB there. Some nice inspiring stories too.

Finally, if you have the time or inclination, I just read Sheila Kitzinger and Ina May Gaskin. Both a bit hippy dippy and v pro homebirth but have left me feeling much more confident that I've made a good, safe choice and that my body will function as required when the time comes!

HTH

my first was homebirth of OP baby - MW said that turning the baby would take time...DD1 was born 20 mins later, facing the wrong way after 3 hours total of fairly intense labour.

I didn't have water but walked during labour (between contractions) to try and move the baby down as fast as possible.

As HBs tend to progress faster anyway, this may be the best way to avoid a drawn out labour. And also as HBirthers tend to report lower pain levels - hopefully a less painful wy.

Ds was op, and it bloody hurt.

After several hours I begged for an epi - which was fab. I ended up having a cs as my cervix had gone into spasm and stopped dilating - was 9 cm for hours.

Maybe if I hadn't had the epi that wouldn't have happened, but the pain was such that I was too delirious to do much of the stuff that might have helped.

So not sure if the epi led to the cs, or the op led to my cervix misbehaving, or my cervix led to the epi...

Of course it's perfectly possible that I am a total wuss

lulu that's interesting about waters remaining intact helping the position of the baby. My waters went at the beginning of labour and dd didn't descend properly (got stuck moving from op to ot resulting in deep transverse arrest). I have wondered for years if it was partly because my waters went before labour started meaning she wasn't able to get into a good position. The obs consultant who provided a debrief didn't think there was a link.

oh, oh, oh.
Early on I laboured in the bath (was an en suite delivery room), which helped a lot.
Ds was also my first.
Oh and a day or so before he was beautifully positioned according to my mw, albeit head not engaged. So if he managed to get in the wrong position at 40+5, I imagine your baby should be able to get into the right one!

Thanks for all the messages. Baby is very engaged apparently, 2/5 palpable I think. Will that make it harder for it to move?

Been sitting on the ball tonight and actually that was quite painful! Maybe because the baby is so far down? Been swimming tonight too hoping that would help. I don't thing it has moved, all the bits feel in the same place as before.

Am going to check out the baby spinning links, thanks. That reminds me too, I have an Ina May book from the library that I must read.

God, I hope I didn't scare you Bumper.

It was painful - and quite how painful it was scared the bejesus out of me. However, I was suggesting to dp that we started trying for #2 as they wheeled me to the postnatal ward (after a suitable period of confinement - not there and then in the hospital, you understand!). So it couldn't have been that bad

Thanks for all the messages and tips. Just seen mw again and she seems to think the baby is now if the right position and head completely engaged, can only feel shoulders. That'll explain the shooting pains in my fanjo then!

Does this mean things are imminent or am going to be walking around with a bowling ball between my legs for 2.5 weeks?!

Oh brilliant! Do you want it to be imminent? I'm not ready for mine yet, still haven't managed to finish work.

I don't know - I'm starting to panic a little bit! About labour more than having a baby though.

Is this your first baby? Read that Ina May Gaskin book, it will make you feel more confident. Wish I'd read it before DS!

It is a scary prospect so there's no point saying don't worry. It's lovely being at home though, I'm looking forwards to it believe it or not!

If you're feeling a bit stressed when you start in labour, a bath and a glass of wine does wonders. Best of luck :)