Tips for Posterior Labour - Do-able without epidural?!

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Hi,

I am currently 32W and midwife says DC1 is currently lying in posterior position. I realise that she still has time to move herself, but was also told that office jobs are not great for getting baby into position so am just trying to prepare myself for her not turning.

I would like to give birth without an epidural, but a couple of friends have had posterior labours and both ended up opting for it. Has anyone got any tips in dealing with the pain if she doesn't move? Has anyone given birth with back labour and no epidural?

Thanks!

My DS was posterior.. they only realised when I was already in labour.

My amazing midwife turned him and I had a normal vaginal birth, no stitches.. all cool.

I did have an epidural but because of baby's position it didn't actually help that much anyway..

Everything will be fine. Hope somebody else can come along with something else more helpful..

ds1 was born still facing the wrong way and i managed it without any pain relief.... in fact he was the easiest of my three labours

Try not to get too stressed about it, worrying about something only makes you tense up more and makes it less likely that you'll be able to manage without pain relief.

Be prepared for the pressure (urge to push) to start well before you're dilated enough and don't panic when it feels like the contractions are becoming too intense to handle... just zone out, breathe and know that it's almost over at that point

good luck!

this is wroth a look. I also recall some research which says that position in labour is more effective in assisting them to turn, more than all of these exercises you can do in the run up...but it can't hurt!

Both DS's were back to back so I have no comparison to 'normal' labour but I didn't have epidural with either, and DS2 was delivered with the help of 2 paracetamol (not my choice!!)

I still had fairly speedy deliveries - 6hrs ish from waters breaking to delivery - but both were a few weeks early and quite small. I have heard that waters are more likely to rupture early if baby is posterior.

You won't know until you are labouring exactly how you are coping, and what level of pain relief you may need.

Is 'posterior' the same as 'back to back'? If so, I did it without an epidural.

And I second the early urge to push.

Good luck!

Both DD1 and DD2 were posterior - DD1 ended in EMCS but got to 10cm dilated and pushing with just gas and air. DD2 VBAC natural delivery just G&A.

I found it was agony whenever I had to be on my back e.g for examinations but bearable kneeling against back of bed or in pool.

Labouring in water helped enormously (not allowed for DD2 sadly)and I delivered DD2 kneeling upright against back of bed.

I had an epi with my 1st who was an OP baby and I would advise against it for 2 reasons:

Being immobile flat on your back does not help the situation.

and

I found that I could still feel all the pain in my back, which was excruciating, even after 3 repositionings of the epi and I thought to myself 'I would prefer to be in agony and be able to move rather than be in agony and paralysed.' So never again will I have an epi.

I even had 2 spinals which were heaven but only worked for an hour or so each time.

Thanks for all your advice - gonna keep using my exercise ball and hope she turns but otherwise there is nothing much I can do about it. Just hoping I can cope with the pain and am not a total wimp on the day!

Hoping to use the birthing pool, which I've read can help and puts you in a good position. mamsnet hope I have as much luck as you!

My ds stayed back to back and birth was fine, I had a small amount of G&A but no epidural and the pain was honestly not that bad - but there is plenty of time for baby to turn.