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.

Oh, just wanted to add that I considered mine to be a positive experience - both at the time and now. Not sure if that really came across in my description though!

MiniMarmite yours sounded 'ok' I think? Apart from the bit about them lying you down, stirrups and the ventouse.

I've had two back-to-back labours now - DS (now 7) was a horror story BUT DD (3 months) was born at home in 5h hours with just gas and air...my DH said the midwives turned a funny colour when DD came out looking up at the ceiling! They had no idea she was in that position but as I didn't either it meant I had an absolutely brilliant labour (ignorance being bliss?). Maybe it was more painful than it would have been otherwise but it really wasn't bad at all. I was on all fours all the way through, apart from some time on the birthing ball, but gave birth on my side as my knees were killing me by the end. I too tried everything to make sure both were in a good position - I don't have the stereotypical desk job that's meant to cause the increase in OP babies - but some bubs just ain't for turning...!

Oh is it desk work that's supposed to do it? My mum had one of us back-to-back as well (she being a very non-desk based worker!), maybe there's some familial link... I do think as with many things in pregnancy, an experienced, calm and focussed MW solves many potential problems. Having something to squeeze very tightly during contractions helped too - in my case, my mum's right arm (poor woman she was black and blue after)

My first DC was back to back and I only remember the back pain - I dont remember the pain of the contractions. Unfortunately, with contractions you get breaks in between but with the back pain it is constant. I persevered for hours, on all fours, birthing stool, lots of walking but eventually I was advised to have an epidural and a c section as I was shattered and the baby was starting to get distressed. It seems he wanted to come out as much as I wanted him to come out but he was stuck.

I'm pleased to say after lying down for 5 mins on the operating table waiting for someone who had to be there, DS shot out of his own accord and the CS was not required.

My second DC was born at home in a birthing pool and from what i can remember, the pain the first time round was not as strong as the second time round, just constant the first time rather than sporadic.

Good luck with trying to get the bugger to move. Don't give up hope - it might happen when you least expect it

Mckenzie..so the pain of your back to back was not as strong?

Omaoma I have read 9and a few on this thread have concurred) that they are more likely to go back to back if your placenta is anterior as they tend to face the placenta. Mine is anterior so that makes sense and also explains perhaps why your mother had a back to back. In the days before scans people didnt really know where the placenta was I suppose.

Wish I could remember where I saw the thing about desk work (i.e. being sat down for long periods)- that seemed to be the thinking at the time I had DS (2003)but I'm not convinced it's that straight-forward as lots of women with active jobs seem to get OP babies. Second time around it may have been because the placenta was in front so it was maybe more natural for DD to be facing it? Whatever the reason though - I wish you a birth as lovely as the one I had with DD whether baby moves or not!

I always remember a phrase from hypnobirthing classes that was really helpful - whatever happens with your labour, this is the day you meet your baby, which was a lovely way to look at it rather than being worried when contractions start that 'o god here is the shit bit what's going to go wrong', which i have to admit i was kind of thinking!

TCOB yeah I think sitting in a 'reclining' position is certainly not meant to help as the baby swings back as if they are in a hammock towards your back. Basically you have to turn the hammock the other way hence the all fours etc but I have tried that and I can feel him having a go and trying to move around but he just cant. :-( Your DD's birth sounds great for a back to back experience.

DD's labour was 22 hours and she stayed back to back throughout. I put the TENS on with the first proper contractions and walked walked walked. Went to hospital at 8cm, she was born 5 hours later after gas and air.

I only felt comfortable upright and gave birth kneeling over the back of the bed, but I used a birth ball a lot - sitting on it with my legs wide apart and my head in DH's lap, also kneeling and leaning against it.

I did tear because pushing was uncontrolled, the midwife told me after the pain got worse that baby was back to back and it would be another 2 hours before I would deliver. Three minutes later she was pressing the emergency button as her head emerged.

DS was back to back but he finally changed position before being born which was excruciating. I also had a long labour 19 hours. With both my waters didnt go until the very end, I think their positioning meant they were blocking it up. Used TENS and gas and air again and it was actually lovely (apart from the turning). Pushing was quick and painless and I only had an hour of actual discomfort as he turned. All the pain went as soon as I pushed properly. This time I gave birth on my back (well, sort of hanging half on and half off the sofa), but I never could have done that with DD, it was far far far too painful when she was in the back to back position.

With both children initial dilation was very slow, with DS it took me 17.5 hours to dilate to 6 cms and I went the last 4 cms in less than an hour once he turned. With DD it took me 17 hours to get to 8 but I walked so much more with her.

DS (2 weeks old today ) was probably back to back from the start, but I didn't realise.

Sorry if this is really long, it is all still rather recent.

Waters broke at about midnight after some weird cervical pain during the evening.

Contractions started pretty smartly thereafter and were much more painful than I had imagined they would be.

Went to triage ward at hospital, and was 2cm on examination. They suggested going home and coming back in a couple of hours at which point I vomited up all my dinner (from pain) and had some really messy gushes of waters, and was clearly in no state to get back in a taxi so they found me a bed. Walked/squatted/all 4s for several hours, then re-examined and only 3 cm.

Finally got G&A which helped, then it all got too much and I re-considered my position on pethidine (had been very anti). This helped, and I got to 5cm by about 11am.

Moved to Labour ward, and was offered epidural as pethidine wore off. I was exhausted and really in too much pain to be active so said yes.

By 24 hrs labour I was 8cm and they detected he was back to back and brow presentation on internal examination.

We then had a serious discussion with the obstetric team as this is not deliverable (he would need to flex or extend his head) and my contractions were slowing. So it was syntocin drip to 10cm, 1 hr non-active 2nd stage and then a trial of pushing to see if he would move. All this was done in the knowledge he would likely need an instrumented delivery in theatre with possible c-section if he got distressed or didn't move his head.

I pushed for 20 mins, he got decels and hadn't moved down or changed position of his head. We went straight to theatre and had a section, so I was very glad to have had the epidural.

He was 100% fine when born (slightly swollen brow)and screamed the place down. I was a wreck and a bit freaked out by not being able to move from the waist down!

I don't know if he turned before or during labour, but my instinct says before.

My advice would be: don't rule anything out in terms of intervention or pain relief. Good Luck

I have no idea if it's more painful coz I have only done it once!

Pain wise I could definitely have coped with just g&a. The problem was that it was a very long labour (64 hours ) most of which nothing was really happening. (This didn't alert the medical professionals to the fact that DD was b2b ) At my antenatal check earlier on in the day labour started (at 11pm) DD was the right way round, so she must have turned before labour as the pain wads in my back from the word go!

I ended up with an epidural, but only because I was just so exhausted having not slept for 3 nights! MWs were worried I wouldn't be able to cope with pushing because I was so tired. As it happened I did end up with a forceps delivery, and they still didn't know DD was b2b and put the forceps over her eye :( But I would say it wasn't a bad experience, even though it wasn't what I had planned.

FWIW DD had been back to back on and off for a few weeks anyway & I had been trying to move her...it just didn't work! (She was fairly small so still had lots of room to move about!)

Sorry, that was really long and probably TMI

Umm I had a very long labour back to back and have just worked out that it was an absolutely shocking 576 hours from start to finish - eight days! Tbh I think mine was very unusual - I had great antenatal and postnatal care but the actual care in labour was a bit shit really.

I was fobbed off with the fact that I was in latent labour at 3 cm for 8 days - regularly contracting every 4 - 5 mins. In early labour it would begin around 11pm every night and go on through regular as clockwork till 8 or 9 then become irregular during the day - every 10 - 15 mins. After the first 3 or so days it was every 5 mins all the time - I stayed in hospital a couple of nights over the week for monitoring but was given the option of returning home, so did.

Unfortunately my back to back was only spotted on day 7. By then my waters had gone and been meconium stained for five days - however when I came into hospital this was dismissed, so when my son was eventually born he was very, very poorly with mec inhalation and infection. I had a large pph because of the long labour and a couple of transfusions and had an infection and spent 2 days in itu, my son 7 days in itu.

Guess the positive spin to take on it is that if you feel worried and know that something is not right - really do make a fuss and be assertive as it may be something important. I wish I had been more assertive then - it almost cost me a lot

Whoops that should have read 192 hours - I cut and pasted my credit card bill! [embaressed]

wow i thought they swooped in on you the minute meconium was spotted in waters... I was threatened with instant hospitalisation and intervention should it be spotted during my home birth [goes off to ponder differences in care around the country]

Both mine were back to back and both came out face up.

Induced for both, very very long with dd, I did have an epidural eventually but it only patially worked but at least helped a tiny bit, forcepts, tearing, 9lb 6, me never ever having another baby. EVER. Did not have sex for two years to make sure.

The one time I (a tiny) sort of did makes my ds, also OP (also both had placenta at the front) also on that horrible drip, no pain relief whatsoever (not for want of screaming then swearing for it) when I was found pushing on the induction ward only then was I allowed down on the labour ward

Ds was not quite so big 8lb13 I did get some gas and air for my stiches.

This is a POSITIVE story, I won't lie to you, the pain was like something I can not explain, I was being sick with every contraction, they were one on top of the other, I'm getting a bit sweaty thinking about it now but I did it. I thought I was going to die but I didn't and I have my gorgous ds to show for it.

Good luck and if you feel you want any sort of pain relief go for it, healthy baby at the end is all that matters not how said baby gets here.

I've only done it once, too, so don't know about more painful but DD was back to back at the start of labour but came out the right way round. So they can definitely turn in labout. And I only had gas and air - I forgot to ask for anything else which I hope shows that it really wasn't that bad (I would certainly have asked for more pain relief if I'd wanted it, didn't have any particular desire to have a really painful time).

I also vomited a lot, but not through pain, I think sometimes that's just what happens.

Both mine were back to back but totally different labours:

DS1 went on for bloody ages (induced Wed eve delivered Fri am) & brings me out in cold sweats when I think back to how distressing it was despite finishing well with a natural delivery numbed by epidural.

DS2 was over a pound bigger (9lb10) and first twinge to delivery was under 6 hours with only 2.5 hours proper contractions -feck me it hurt but I delivered without any pain relief & not a single tear/cut.

IMO being strapped flat on my back to a hospital bed with DS1 as opposed to walking round the birthing centre until delivery in squatting position with DS2 says it all.

In case you didn't mine or a few others hint: DO NOT LIE DOWN

Good luck
LCN

We didnt know DD was back to back and until her head popped out looking up--both midwives said "oh!" in surprise, which was not what I was expecting. With hindsight it was obvious she was back to back as all my pain was in my back. I kept active throughout my labour and used a birthing pool which was brilliant. I kept saying to DH "I'm not in labour, this doesnt feel anything like the books say" as my contractions were all felt in my achey sore back. I pushed for a while when we thought I was ready, but it turned out to be DDs head pressing against a remaining lip of my cervix which was horrible and knackering and a waste of energy. When I finally got to push for real (prior to this I'd used g&a and had a shot of meptid after exhausting myself pushing stupidly) I pushed for 2 hours until she came out and hated every second of it!

BUT the whole labour took 10 hours (first baby) and I managed to push her out without intervention. They monitored her during the 2 hours of pushing and she never got distressed--had she done I'm sure her delivery would have been quite different.
I NEVER want to deliver another back to back baby again although I have nothing but positive memories of that wondeful night and DD is SO worth it.

Dunno if it helps, but I do love reminiscing about my labour with DD!

Good luck!

My DD was back to back for most of late pregnancy and I did lots of time on the birthing ball, all fours etc. She was still back to back when was in labour but turned herself during labour. She was born normally and I only used g&a for pain relief.

Thanks ladies..so many experiences for me to think about. I am going to keep reading over this thread I think until he is born just so I can formulate in my mind what I may do under the circumstances because I dont want to make the wrong decisions because I feel dis-empowered by the medical staff..also you are so vulnerable in Labour and that scares me, that they are in control in so many ways.

I had a back to back labour the first time and it was unbearable until I had the epidural. The pain quite honestly was as bad near the beginning as near the end of my second labour where I only had gas and air.

I had never understood how women could have such different experiences and now I know its not just down to how scared or stressed you are a big part is the position the baby is in. I felt like a right wimp after my first as was literally crying in pain from quite near the beginning and I normally have a high threshold. It was a long horrible labour so bad I was repeatedly vomiting so badly I had to be given medication, my waters also had to be broken.

The second birth was almost enjoyable by comparison my waters broke before I went into labour and it lasted just 5 hours. After the first birth I was very stressed starting out in case I was in for a repeat experience but it never happened so it can't be put down to I was more relaxed. The baby was in a good position and the pain was completely bearable and I didn't even consider an epidural. I didn't cry with pain at all even at the end and I didn't tear although I had double stitches with my first.

I would go for an epidural as early as possible if you are in real unbearable pain I could have saved myself 8 hours of pure hellish torture if I had.

In a way I am glad that I had such different experiences as child birth like every thing else with mothers can be quite competitive. I try to tell as many people as possible that some labours really do need more than gas and air and those that are lucky enough not to really shouldn't judge others as they have no idea of what they could be going through.

Summermadness..you are quite right. I realise now from reading every story and the quite different experiences that people's experiences are totally unique in many ways. Women who have had easy problem free births probably wonder what all the fuss is about but its a lot clearer when you are seeing it from both sides I suppose.