Anyone had a back to back (OP position) Labour/Birth for first baby?

[catholicatheist]

Hi ladies..I really need to hear some experiences. I am currently 36 weeks pregnant and my little boy decided he wanted a change of view and turned and is now in a back to back position. I have tried everything to turn him (all fours birth ball etc) and he isnt budging. Can people tell me their experiences as I feel I may need to rethink my birth plan (had hoped for just gas and air) but now considering epidural if it is going to be really really painful and long.

ladyinpink..at what point did they let you have the epidural then? Did you need forceps or anything?

DD was back to back but turned as she was coming out. It was painful but only really when my waters were broken. However the epidural worked, I had ventouse and some stitches but all in all a fairly ok birth.

Try not to panic

I had been labouring for 2 days and waters had gone so needed to hurry things on so they took pity on me. DH crying prob helped and me keeping my cool though in obvious agony. You normally have to be 5cm dialated before they even consider it but i guess they preferred me having an epidural instead of emcs as less resources needed - it worked though as i relaxed and let them do their thang and mercifully it worked. Weirdly they called it a "normal birth" on my notes, nothing normal about that.

Didn't need ventousse or forceps (my sis in same situation few weeks later did though as babys head bigger than my DD)

Every birth is different so don't be scared by our stories but just be aware. I was in blissful ignorance as to what a back to back baby's birth meant and thought i was being a wimp with the pain - later i found out by other mothers. My DH still does the washing up in our house if I say can you do as i gave birth to DD - it was 6 yrs ago but the memory still haunts him and he loves me more because of it and appeciates and respects me more too. Bless him

DD was back to back, but nobody realised.

Labour was not too long. Contractions started at about 6pm. I phoned the hospital at 9pm asking to come in. They said as it was my first baby, should wait longer.
Was in a lot of pain in my back (didn't realise but this was a sign DD was back to back).
Phoned hospital at 10pm because I thought I couldn't stand the pain any longer asking if I could come in. They said to wait, was too early :(

Somehow got through another hour and a half of me screaming through every contraction and poor DH despairingly rubbing my back with all his strength.

Phoned hospital and begged to come in, they relented and said I could.

Got to hospital at about midnight, was examined and was actually 8 cm dilated. V relieved. Midwife wanted to do an internal exam but was in so much pain I couldn't let her. So fact DD was back to back was undetected.

Lay down on bed, got gas and air, felt a bit better, got urge to push very quickly.
Midwife remarked that we were lucky baby was not born in the car on the way...

Over one hour of horrendous, fruitless pushing later, no sign of DD, midwife getting concerned, had called head midwife, and taken gas and air off me as it was "distracting me", lots of Drs in the room brandishing forceps and ventouse, telling me I needed to push harder (at that point was lying on my back with legs in stirrups) and pushing with all my might.

Eventually, somehow managed to push DD out without assistance. Honestly it was the most strenuous thing I have ever done, I thought my lungs would rupture from pushing so hard.

When she appeared, everyone said "Ooohhh, back to back, that's why you were having trouble".

DD was quite small, I think that is the only reason I managed to get her out without intervention.

So in my case, progressed v quickly at first, contractions were certainly painful but I did manage to cope with it, it was just at the pushing stage things went wrong. If I had known DD was back to back I would not have laboured flat on my back, I don't think that helped.

Hope things go well for you :)

Ah that is awful..they should have felt your stomach to see her positioning before having you on the bed like that. I would have been so angry. Good you got her out without any intervention though. You would think that ascertaining position would be something they did from the word go as part of their routine? I am not messing about ringing them for them to tell me no I cant come in. I will take the pain as long as I can then I will turn up and refuse to leave.

My second was back to back and as poster before nobody spotted it. Had episiotomy but had one with my first baby as well as being shaved and enema. Most unpleasant that bit.

No pain relief as there was none on offer. She was born in a small mission hospital. It was painful but not more so than my first baby. If there had been gas and air I would have definitely have used it.

Her little face was all squished and she looked like a wee boxer who gone a few rounds and not with great success. Gave me quite a turn when I saw her.

It was painful in my back but so was my first and third so perhaps that's where I feel it.
Think the third was the worst as got to a point in labour where I thought " I remember now how this goes "

Wishing you much luck

Oh thanks highriggs that is ood to know if he comes out looking a bit squashed..how long was it before that subsided?

Hello another positive one here! Both of mine were back to back & both turned during labour. With the first I just had gas & air & pethadine. I did have an epidural (not planned) with the second as it was more painful for some reason, maybe because it was quite quick & the contractions were on top of each other. I had no stitches or tears with either. Maybe just see how you feel but dont rule out an epidural. Good luck

ohnelly..no stitches or tears..I like the sound of that! Gives me more hope..thanks.

Forgot to add - pushed them out without intervension DS1 was 7lbs 14oz & DS2 was 8lbs. It was quite wierd with DS2 I could actually feel his head rotating as it was crowning!

ouch..that sounds painful. Even when this baby turns his head I get a terrible pain in my cervix and keep thinking oh he is turning..but still to no avail.

A few days, I think it is because she came sunny side up and her face was being squeezed against the pubic arch which is bony and gave her a squishing.

Have read that OP birth is sore in the back because the bony part of the baby's skull is against your bony sacrum so it is important not to lie on your back in labour.

It was a surprise to give birth to a boxer so don't be too upset if the same happens. I thought I would see a lovely wee girl when the midwife said it's a girl. Not Mike Tyson

You'll be fine and don't fear it but just be ready to change your plans if the baby doesn't turn.

yeah someone else on the thread mentioned their baby was squashed too. Good to know as I probably would have freaked out thinking it was permanent.

sorry wont lie to you.. first ds was back to back.. sorry but it was agonising and I left it too long for an epidural and ended up with forceps and loads of stitches.

the back pain was agony and totally unexpected and I didnt get any pushing sensations at all. gas and air and pethedine didnt even dent it..

other 3 labours not back to back and a doddle compared to the first one..

honestly my advice to you would be to get an epidural in early.

best of luck hun..

thebody ... nope if he stays back to back I am going to ask for the epidural I think. But it is a problem when they will give it to you. Hopefully I get a decent midwife who understands that a back to back shouldnt be treated the same as a normal positioning...otherwise someone could get hurt..lol.

yes, recoiling with surprise is never good when presented with your baby.
Sometimes ponder on harder squishing in the teenage years.

I had a long long labour -5 days. I had a cs in the end. The hip pain was the worst for me. I had g&a and diamorphine, no epidural.

So, not great, but everyone is different. I did not feel that I needed an epidural although I could have done with a few days' fewer contractions.

I got to 10cm with water and a tens machine, it was painful but not unbearable at all, and it didn't occur to me to ask for more pain relief (I was at home btw).

A lot of people report feeling all the contractions in their back - I didn't, but I do remember having some back ache at some stage.

The thing I found hardest about it was the length of labour - despite active birthing DD never did descend and was born after 50 hrs with the help of forceps!

I hope you have a smooth and safe birth :)

good luck and if you can take dh or dp or someone kick ass with you into the labour room it always helps.. so they be your champion..

if you decide on an epidural then get it in early iyswim.. giving birth isnt a contest.. you cant fail if you have pain relief...

really wish you the best of luck and u will be fine..feel it in my water!!!

My midwife had told me that my DD was back to back at our last meeting before I went into labour, I didn't think anything more about it at the time, reading this, sooooooooooooooooooooo many questions have been answered about why I had a 36 hr labour!

The worst thing that happened with me was that my DD decided she didn't want to be back to back during the final stage so the midwives were kindly telling me that she was 'corkscrewing' her way out (ouch!) The pushing stage was over really quicky (25 mins) and I didn't need any 'help' however I ended up being badly grazed because of her spinning antics - it took over an hour of stiching :(

DD was back to back but not fully engaged when I went in to labour so that may have made it easier for her to turn.

It was long - 26 hours from first contraction - but I had her at home without intervention. A bath and gas and air from 8cm really helped!

I spent at least 12 of the 26 hours on my hands and knees mooing like a cow. There's no way anyone would have got me to lie down on my back!

There are good stories... although I'm petrified I won't be so lucky this time around :-)

MrsTumbles That midwife should have really warned you. I am terrible for looking things up and as soon as I felt my baby flip I knew he had changed position so I sat and read up about it. Then I asked the midwife to tell me for sure, which she did. She was quite blasé about the whole thing but did say try to turn him now before he further engages. The fact your midwife didn't at least prepare you for what it could mean for you (like such a LONG labour..eek) really she failed you.

Msbossy I like your story..I imagine if they try making me lie down someone will end up being punched as I have read so much and everyone says all fours is how it needs to be really.

Ok wanted to give a positive back-to-back story - I knew DD was b2b for weeks bfore birth; i did look up techniques to turn (apparently the one with the shawl where somebody vigorously shakes it across your bump is v good?) but was kind of too lazy to do it properly!

There was a bit of a complication during labour - DD's head seemed to be pressing down on the cervix in the wrong position so after a few hours of contractions, the midwife couldn't tell how dilated I was because the edge was stretched around her head, rather than her head crowning through it (if that makes sense). I could tell MW was worried about this. BUT, baby descended fine and I had my home birth without any medical intervention. 12 hours from start to finish.

Had a waterbath and gas and air for pain relief. I have to admit I used a lot of gas and air! But my mum who is a midwife and was there said she was sure the water helped. Got out for the last stage of labour and did a lot squatting over a birthing ball, then did the last bit using my husband as a birthing stool! him sat on sofa, me on his knees.

My advice would be: DON'T LET THEM LIE YOU DOWN - being active, squatting and hands and knees positions are all really helpful. Practise those positions with your partner so you both get used to them and can build up some musclage (my lovely DH supported my entire weight for a couple of hours as I squatted on his hands!) I think birthing stools are brilliant invention, not very 'attractive' but perfect to utilise gravity. I also wanted to push against the sides of the bath with back and feet during contractions and apparently pressure against your back can help.

I can't deny, b2b labour seems to trigger a lot more nerve endings than otherwise - it can be intense. But you can absolutely do it, doesn't have to be any more of a problem than normal positioning. Talk through with your MW her ideas to help descent, there are lots of tricks of the trade.