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.

Sarah Lou8 what is meptid? Is it available in all hospitals? Also was it really painful when she turned? And did you just 'know' that she had?

Meptid is a weaker version of pethidine, with much less impact on the baby, I've been offered it with all three labours. It calms and relaxed you and allows you to rest between contractions. I'm sure it is widely available.

I didn't feel her turn, I was just suddenly aware of the curve of her back along my front left side during those last few minutes, followed by that urge to push - as if my body suddenly said 'ok she's in the right place now, go for it!'

My contractions definitely changed at the end, only lasting 20 seconds with 20 seconds inbetween. I knew she had turned on the way out too because her nose got stuck and I could feel that too (not that its big or anything!)

Have faith in your body. I was so worried about this before I went into labour. If your baby wants to turn, it will do, if not, you will get through it ok - especially if its the labour you're worried about as mine was a b2b labour till the bitter end!

cheers Sarahlou8 I am seeing the midwife tomorrow re birth plan and will ask about this as I didnt want the pethidine because of the sleepy baby etc and breastfeeding but this stuff sounds like it might be an ideal option!

I had a back to back labour with my first and second baby, my third was in a better position. The difference with a back to back is that the contractions seem to be continuous because of the pain that is experienced in your back.I felt that there was no rest phase between contractions and I was unable to prepare myself for the next one. My first labour ended in a forceps delivery as my son was nearly 9lbs.

My suggestions would be to keep upright if possible and move around as much as you can. Getting on all fours can help take some of the pressure off your back and may help the baby to turn slightly. My layman's understanding is that the presenting part of the baby, ie the head, is trying to come through the cervix at it's widest part which can prolong the labour. My labour lasted twelve hours, which I didn't think was too bad, but if it looks like you are in for a long haul, I wouldn't rely on gas and air. I think I would opt for an epidural. I didn't, I used pethidine instead but that made me so muzzy I couldn't focus on the birthing process. Much better to have a clear head I think!

Don't worry too much, there is still the possibility that your baby will turn. This could even happen after your labour has started. Good luck.

my first child was back to back. Was induced and had incredibly long labour. Delivered a 9lb10 boy by forceps but did it all with just gas and air so it is possible. I did lots of deep breathing and held off the gas for as long as possible to really appreciate it when needed it.

I should add that I was not being negative about gas and air. I used it for both my other labours and found it really helpful. Just make sure someone shows you how to use it properly. Don't be embarrassed, I wasn't using it correctly the first time. The best thing about it is that it is so short acting, you can concentrate on the labour and remember it all. My regret with my first labour is that I 'lost' about three hours of it because of the pethidine I had.

My daughter was back to back. I had a homebirth with only gas and air. The back pain was BAD. But keeping active really helped. Keep an open mind. Good luck :)

Try and give birth standing up (leaning on bed) or squatting.
Have a very hard back rub during contractions - only way to relieve the pain of the sledgehammer feeling in your lower back.
Warm baths and walk around the delivery room.
Pain was bad but not unbearable (you just can't bend double to ease it). Managed it without drugs - so it's definitely do-able.
Second birth (DS2) was far far worse being much quicker and that wasn't back-to-back. I was happier with the back labour of DS1.

2 back to back labours. First one lots of stop start contractions, wasn't sure I was really in labour but phoned lovely midwife at MLU and she told me to come in. No contractions at all on 40 min journey to unit but turns out was 5cm dilated by the time I got there. Had waterbirth with G&A and baby out in 4 hours. Water really helped with positioning.
Second one a homebirth which stalled when I was around 7cm. Midwife remarked that she wished she had a student there as my coccyx was being pushed out by baby's head - apparently classic back to back sign. They got me walking up the stairs sideways but were scratching their heads a bit so glad when my waters had meconium as they got to transfer me back to hospital. Once there had great midwife who assured me she could get the baby out. She put me on my left side, put her hand up me and got a bit veterinary during a contraction, told me to rest for the next one and push on the one after. Baby born half an hour after arriving at hospital. Apparently being on your left side helps baby's head turn round.
But to answer your question, more backache but no more painful for me and a better result than my other 2 births (ventouse and emcs). Deep massage around your lower back during contractions also really helps.

Thanks ladies! Gosh after reading all of these experiences it has really calmed my nerves especially when people are saying their back to back was not as bad as some 'normal' births.

My third baby was a back to back labour. First was induced after rupture of membranes and second was ELCS.Went to hospital 8pm contractions every 5 mins, 3cm dilated. Asked for waters to be broken but first an epidural was sited as it was a trial of labour because of vbac. Felt nothing at all, midwife said at 5am you're fully dilated we'll try a few little pushes. Two pushes and didn't think anything was happening then felt a real urge and dd emerged face up at 5.30am on the third push.I always say it was my best birth by far tbh

My second was back-to-back. It was a bit more painful than my first, or rather it was a different sort of pain, I think, but it was a short (4 hours) uncomplicated home birth and I had no pain relief. Being on all fours and wiggling my bum from side to side during contractions helped a lot.

Hi CA, add me to the list of back-to-back first deliveries that really weren't so bad (not that I have anything to compare it to, yet!). It was very tiring, it seemed to go on for a long time, but I managed on just gas and air. Agree it's a good idea to try lots of different positions- my MW was fab and really encouraged this- and then just stick to whatever seems to work for you. Good luck!

Just gonna be really honest here OP....

My first baby was back to back, although I didn't know until after she was born . Yes it was horrendously painful, but everyone had told me labour was horrendous so I thought nothing of it, IYSWIM. I had a 10 'start to finish' labour, with 2.5 hours of pushing, which was very painful, although I did only use gas and air, and a TENS machine. I had SPD and previous sacrum/pelvis problems and so the pain that felt like my sacrum breaking in half I thought was just cos i had pelvic problems, so again, just got on with it...it was only when the MW told me afterwards that that pain was the babies spine rubbing down my own (ouch!) that it made sense!

I had no intervention, if by that you mean forceps or ventouse etc, and I had 3 stitches only.

DD2, born 2 years later, was NOT back to back, and slid out like a wet fish....easy peasy....

Good luck, I hope your baby turns, but if not, I hope it all goes well anyway. I can honestly say I didn't find me first labour that bad at the time, it was only when I had DD2, that I realised how much harder DD1 had been.

Just re-read my post and I sound like a bit of a thicko....I'm honestly not, and I am a Physiotherapist aswell, so I talk about pain all day long......(yawn).

My first and fifth were back to backs. With the first I was quite ignorant (with hindsight) and not aware of b to b or that I was experiencing one. Severely sore labour - of the 28 hours the last 14 were excrutiating. Two lots of pethidine and gas and air for that one. Then three quick 'normal' deliveries. So was not really looking forward to labour fifth time round when I knew it was another b to b. Labour lasted 14 horrible hours - one lot of pethidine and gas and air. But you know what?? at the end of it you get this gorgeous little bundle and really, you'd go through anything for that llttle tot. All the best x

Yes my first was OP. Delivered naturally in a MLU. Don't be pressured into thinking it's got to be a medicalised birth. I would recommend keeping as mobile as possible, as being flat on your back won't help.

i had a back to back but i had had an epidural and all the gas and air i wanted from four onwards and didnt feel a thing bar the crowning , i felt very relaxed and was able enjoy my birth experiance but the docs did have to do a lot of fiddiling down there because of the epi

OP, I had a back to back for my first and only DD, who is now 19 months.
I got the hospital when I was 6cm, so I did really well in the early stages - contractions seemed to develop really quickly, I was on gas and air, but I didnt notice any extreme back pain. Everything then slowed down, and it got really painful, at which point I had a pethidine - still not knowing baby was back to back. They then proceeded to put me on a drip, and still nothing happened. I had a top up of pethidine, and after a 14 hour labour and being 9cm dilated, the doctors announced baby was back to back, and an emergency c section was needed.
I was prepped for theatre, arrived in theatre, got a spinal block, DH came in all scrubbed up - and then the doc did a final check and said there was no need; baby was very close to being born. They helped her along with a ventouse, and she was born in the next 15 minutes, in theatre, with about 11 doctors/staff looking on and a male obs pulling her out ever so gently( )

And guess what was written on birth plan?

"gas and air and no male doctors please." HA!

It actually sounds horrendous - but it wasnt as bad as it sounds. Honest!
Good luck!

My first was back to back, more than 40 hours long and (sorry) really really painful. My second was right way round and popped out in about 3 hours. Please don't think you have failed in any way if you have an epidural - you might need one so you can sleep to have the energy for the very final stage. I had one about 14 hours from the end. If your labour does go on a really long time you might be gagging for an epidural as I was. I have to say the pain was really very very intense and the epidural was amazing as I could finally rest a teeny bit and no more pain! I was with midwives all the way through and about 20 mins from the end a doc came in, looked at my chart and said 'right lets prep her for theatre' so it might be the case that if you keep going for a very long time you will have a ventouse/section at the end. However, I just did one big huge push and out came my ds..

DD was back to back, and so painful I'm afraid. I was puking very frequently whilst at home, so had to go on a drip at the hospital. Puked as soon as I tried G&A, so tried pethidine. Don't remember much about that, but DH says I was still in pain, just seemed out of it. Back pain was MUCH worse than contractions, and I found it really hard to stop myself from pushing every time I had a contraction, so I reluctantly had an epidural. Pain went, but everything progressed quite slowly. I ended up with forceps in theatre (so ready for c-section) as DD was in distress. Had an episiostomy because of the forceps, but it healed very nicely. DD was VERY sleepy after the birth, so I'm very reluctant to do pethidine this time round.
However, one of my friends had back to back with her DD a few months later, and she got by with G&A and bouncing on a ball to try to turn baby. All ok, and no intervention at all!
I think with any kind of birth, it's just the luck of the draw, so be prepared, but try not to worry too much.

DD was back to back and I had a home birth.

The biggest deal was that the labour was long.

If I'd been in hospital I would have been pushed to have a drip to speed things up or possibly even a section as 'failure to progress'. This is not me making things up, this is what the midwives looking after me said afterwards. (possibly wouldn't have said it to just anyone, but they knew my mum :) )

Having said that, once I got to the actual birth things were fine. She had turned on the way, which is why things took so long. The delivery itself was almost enjoyable (on hands and knees)after having been in labour for so long! The contractions weren't agonising as I was able to move around and get into positions that made the pain more bearable. Having a TENS machine helped although that may have been more to do with feeling able to do something than actual pain relief.

If you're planning a hospital birth I'd be really careful to stay at home for as long as you feel able to manage without pain relief.

There's lots of advice on optimal fetal positioning available online if you want to try and get the baby to turn before labour. But, there's also a theory that for women with certain hip shapes the baby will have to enter the pelvis in a OP so working on gettint the baby OA can be counter-productive or no use.

Some babies start of OA but turn to back to back just before or at the start of labour. Some babies start off OP but turn on the way. Some are persistantly OP, which means they stay that way even as they're born -but this is the least common.

(sorry if I've duplicated something someone already said)

Oh, and rupturing the membranes artifically removes the cushion around the cervix, and if the baby is still not in a great position can really increase the pain. If it's suggested I'd want to make sure the midwives/doctors really spelled out why they wanted to do it - and if it was only that progress was slow or not conforming to their chart/hospital policies I'd refuse.

To echo others- depends totally on the circumstances I think. Ds2 was back to back, pain was not worse than ds1 just in a more localised area (lower back rather than general pelvis & tum). For me it was gas and air only, although not through choice- I was begging for an epidural with both about 1 hr before they were born but by that time it was too late!

He didn't turn, and I only had a small tear and a few stitches as per ds1. Plus both ds1 and 2 were relatively short and straightforward labours- both about 5 hrs from start to finish.

So it doesn't necessarily follow that if your baby is back to back it will be horrific.

I don't think that when you're in the zone you'd think "oh this isn't really this bad it doesn't hurt that much" ;)- It's gonna hurt whether it's a 5lb tiddler that comes out in a textbook manner or whether it's a whopper of 11lb who is back to back and needs forceps. But here's the really good bit- YOU CAN DO IT and yes it will hurt like mad and you might not think you can carry on but you will, and then it won't hurt anymore.

Good luck!

Thanks anastaisia. I am planning on using a birth centre with a pool and if necessary I will be transferred to the delivery suite. I am hoping that being in the pool may help turn him sooner and hopefully I wont need the intervention I may get if I went straight to delivery suite.

Thanks Redsalamander..I am hoping now that I can do it without needing an epidural and I have decided to plan for a water birth. If needs be I can go over and have the epidural but I am now remaining optimistic rather than assuming it will be an assisted delivery etc. i think it really is very hard to say one way or another so best to remain positive. :)