Posterior baby, head not engaged 38 w into 3rd pregnancy

[LillaC]

I'm 38+1 with my 3rd baby. On Fri MW told me baby's moved from having had his back to my left to being completely back-to-back. She was also concerned that the head is only 4/5ths and free and has been for the past 3 weeks.

I'm delivering privately with MW-led care and their policy with mums who've given birth before is to offer a sweep at 39 w - which I would take, it worked wonders with no 2. But MW said if the head hadn't engaged more by then, they would not offer the sweep as it wouldn't do anything. I thought it was common for the head not to engage until in labour in subsequent pregnancies? But MW said that's only 2nd babies and that 3rd time the head should be engaged by now.

MW also said that if baby is posterior and not engaged by 40, I would need to see a consultant to find out why, if there was any reason the head could not fit. She didn't go on to talk about what the consultant might recommend.

I'm trying to work out how to look at this and whether I should be worried. I've had two vaginal deliveries without any issues re position of baby or head engaging but I guess each pregnancy is different!

I've read up about back-to-back labours and they don't sound great! But I guess I will just have an epidural...

I'm doing all I can to encourage baby to move like sitting on a birthing ball, walking lots, being on all 4, sleeping on my left but not sure any of it is working!

Any advice, comments? Similar experiences?

How are you girls getting on? By way of an update I saw my MW this afternoon and hooray baby is now with his back to my left side which is great! Not sure if it was all my bouncing on the ball, going on all 4s or what... Also head was bit more engaged so she gave me a sweep and said cervix was favourable. She said if it works labour usually starts within 24 hours - finger's crossed! Although I'm a bit scared now as I remember vividly the pain from last time! Will keep you posted and best of luck to both of you! :)

Hi LillaC that is wonderful news. I saw my MW yesterday and she told me that my baby has also moved 'the long way around' and now his spine is on my left side and he isnt totally back to back any more, but to be honest it doesnt feel like he has moved so I dont know if I can believe it. Also she did say if they have been back to back for a while then its easy for them to flip back in that position at any time. I am feeling more relaxed though and have been drinking raspberry leaf tea and bouncing on the ball..I just want it over already!
How was the sweep? Did it hurt a lot? Keeping my fingers crossed you will be holding your baby by the weekend! xx

i gave birth to my first - totally OP, and still back to back when she popped out...

agre about mobility - i walked between cont-x, and had cont-x on my bed on all fours - massage for pain relief.

it worked, and out DD1 came!

don't be too scared - it is your third, and my third did some funny things (totally engaged @39 weeks - disengaged by 41....)

and going for long walks helped get her ready to pop out. DD2 still came out with her hand against her head which may have been why she didn't engage fully to begin with...she was also smaller than my previous two.

why do they sweep so early?

The sweep was mildly uncomfortable but not painful at all. She said it was very easy to reach my cervix and easy to do as it was favourable.

I'm at a private hospital (midwife led unit), apparently they offer a sweep from 39w if you've given birth before.

Good luck Kitten30 - pleased position got better and that you feel more relaxed!

I'm trying to focus on the end result - finally meeting my baby!

Good news girls on both fronts - wish I could get a sweep already, I have 6 days to go til 40w!

Am soooo sick of people texting me (especially those who I haven't heard from in about two years crawling out of the woodwork!) to ask 'have you had her yet/ can we come visit?' etc....and I'm just sat here crapping myself about actually having her!!!

Got my next mw appointment on Weds and sweep booked in for the 2nd Dec. Also doing the raspberry tea/capsules thing and hoping that if I need an epidural my uterus will do all the work....!

Best of luck LillaC - how exciting hopefully you will be holding DC3 in your arms by Sunday night x

I am with you there planner, If I happen not to answer my phone everyone is ringing around saying I must be in labour. Horrible isnt it!

Had a false alarm last night. Started contracting around 6.30 and they got quite regular and painful by 11.30 so hospital told me to come in. Once there, the contractions calmed down and got more irregular and I'm still only 2 cm dilated. So I went home and managed to sleep a few hours and now the contractions have stopped! Very annoying as I got the nanny in to mind the kids etc. Feel a bit stupid but it felt just like when I had my DD2. Just want to get it over with now!

Oh no LillaC - how annoying :(

Hope you have more luck today. I've got a sore throat now on top of it all so just planning on sitting around the house watching House all day!

Best of luck

Watching House is a very good way to spend a Saturday! With two little girls at home there is no chance of this for me but at least DH has taken them to the park for an hour.

Spoke to the hospital again and the MW told me this stop start thing is apparently very common with third babies. She said I'm likely to start contracting again this afternoon - something with the hormones building up during the day! Oh well, I just have to think that whatever happens I will have my baby in my arms soon!

Hi ladies, I am so fed up now. I am having contractions all night which are now in my back so I dont think they are just braxton hicks. I was up from 4am with them last night and I am so sore and heavy I cant see how this could carry on much longer?

LillaC it sounds like your baby is most certainly on the way..at least you know you are dilating. I feel like my cervix is doing something but then it cant have dilated as I havent had a show yet?

This is all really confusing and I just wish he would come today, :-(

Fingers crossed LillaC you've had your little one by now.

Feel sorry for you kitten30 - bet you are struggling to get a proper rest now. Have had a few period-pain type cramps (but intermittent) over the weekend, so hoping that something is happening!

Also feeling sore and 'heavy' too - she feels so low down now! Really waddling at the moment!

Trying to distract myself with anything today....new Harry Potter film (had a couple of painful cramps throughout kept panicking that my waters were going to break!) and just managed a bit of swimming.

Hoping she will be here by this time next week!

I'm still here - no sign of that baby! Apart from some cramping didn't have any contractions all weekend so had another sweep today but this MW said baby's head is almost free again and suggested maybe the head at least was posterior... Sweep went well, very soft and favourable cervix 2-3 cm dilated but still nothing seems to be happening yet!

Kitten30 - I don't think you always have a show, or notice it at least, I didn't with DD1. Hope things have moved on for you - you must be so exhausted from lack of sleep.

Good luck to both of you!!

Lillac-sounds like third baby syndrome! I had 4 stop start episodes-drove me mental

Have you ladies heard about warm-up labour ? This website is great and explains everything. All of this is not in vain or futile. Your bodies are doing a great job of siftening and ripening the cervix so that when labout does eventually kick off, progress should be smooth and swift. Don't lose heart!

Whoodoo - 4 stop/starts would drive me absolutely insane! At least my mum has arrived so I don't have to get the poor nanny to come in if there's another false alarm. It is very strange that this is typical for 3rd babies, I would've thought the body would know exactly what to do third time around!

I do hope this warming-up will help make labour easier when it starts for real!

As long as I will have a healthy baby boy at the end I guess it doesn't really matter when and how he comes out!

Thebreastmilkisonme..thanks so much for that link. I have been having contractions for over a week and only during the night! I know they are ripening the cervix and trying to turn my OP positioned baby. Its nice to read that I am totally right about the feelings I am having, that these pains are not futile and it is the precursor but also doing the prep work ..hopefully the birth wont be so long as a result of all these tiresome nights!

LillaC..oh your still waiting...did your sweep hurt? Would you recommend one?

Yes I'm still waiting!

The sweep didn't hurt at all and took just a minute, but I think it depends if how your cervix is positioned and whether it is ripe/favourable or not. When I had a sweep at 40w with DD2 it was a bit painful.

For me, I think, why not have a sweep if it is offered as it isn't doing any harm, just helping your body and hormones along. And it must be better to try that than to have to be induced at 42 weeks. Saying that, even though they said my cervix was like butter and 3 cm dilated, even after sweep no 2 - nothing is happening (apart from a show)! Going in for sweep no 3 tomorrow but if the first two didn't work, why would the third one? Can't help thinking that the head is in the wrong position and that's why it is not engaging deeper. But DH has to go to New York for work next Thursday so I'll try anything! Would be a shame if he missed the birth!

I'm sure when you go into 'real labour' your body will have already done a lot of preparation and hopefully it will be smooth and quick!

Hey..you never know third time lucky! Gosh I didnt know they would even do it three times. It cant be long for you now if your cervix has made such progress and you have had a show! Has the midwife told you how the baby is positioned? Suggest it..I would. Ah I hope your little one comes tomorrow it would be really a shame for your DH to miss it!

Let's hope third time does the trick! He's not going until next Thu so still have a few days. But I'm getting so fed up now!

Well, the MW's are all saying slightly different things! At 38 w the MW I saw then said he was completely back-to-back and seemed concerned the head wasn't more engaged. At 39 w a different MW said he was in good position with back to my left and head a bit more engaged. On Mon a different MW again said his head had moved up and the back was on my right and that maybe, she wasn't sure, the head was posterior and that's why it wasn't more engaged. But she said it doesn't matter as the head will turn when I go into labour.

Depending on what the MW I see today says I might book an appointment to see my consultant just for my piece of mind.

How about you Kitten30 - when is your next appointment with MW/Hospital - and what is their policy if you go overdue? Your due date is on Sat like me, right?

Yes my midwife seems unsure when she is feeling the position which annoys me as really if they are not one hundred percent they shouldnt say. She told me my little guy had begun to move around from being totally back to back but I am not so sure.

I have a midwife appointment late tomorrow afternoon then I have a further appointment next week (I think weds but not sure) at a medical centre where I think they will give me the first sweep. I dont really know the policy on being over due but I shouldn't think its more than two weeks. I just cant believe I got this far as I had a scare at 30 weeks and really thought I was going to have a premature baby.

My midwife told me last week the baby was 2/5 as in 3 sections were in my pelvis! I bloody hope he hasnt moved, although to be honest I cant imagine he has because the pressure (esp on my back..never known constipation like it)is still there a great deal. I can barely move now, this last bit really is horrible. I cant believe I have had night contractions since last monday, I cried to DH this morning as I was in so much pain and its so draining now as its gone on for so long.

Oh gosh I would think your baby would come by next Thursday, gosh I dont want to still be here in this position this time next week. Saturday is dee day so hopefully we wont have to wait much longer! Keep me updated. xx

Hmm, MW today said baby is in right position but head is again higher, from 2/5 a week ago to 4/5 so just 1/5 in my pelvis. So there was no point doing another sweep. She doesn't think there's any problem just that baby is not ready yet. She just get telling me that I need to relax and think of something else - I felt a bit like she was talking to a child - quite annoying.

Anyway - I'm having a glass of wine now and trying to set my mind on it not happening until next week sometime...

Let me know how you get on tomorrow!

Hi ladies I'm still here too but a bit of good news at the midwife this morning - she has moved into a better position, not as back to back, and has also engaged herself a bit more.

Am trying to relax a bit more and be positive that she will move round even more.

LillaC - can't believe DC hasn't arrived yet! Poor you - got my fingers crossed baby shows up before DP has to go away, though at least you have your mum there too.

Kitten30 - I also have a sweep booked in for next week, but mine is on Thursday morning. Am hoping she might have put in an appearance by then, but also not trying to get my hopes up too much.

Back to the biscuits and House....!

LillaC..I have read tho if its not your first they can bob in and out of your pelvis because there is room to manoeuvre. I have read that for some women the baby doesnt engage until the day they give birth so I wouldnt be too disheartened.

Planner what is your due date? How far will you be when you get your sweep? Sounds like your baby is the same as mine ..still not positioned but less OP.

So this morning doing the school run I was trying to walk like the MW told me yesterday - rocking my hips (walking like a model is how she described it!) rather than waddling. I must've looked like a real fool but if this will help baby engage, I don't care! Although a model is the last thing I look like!

So in the spirit of trying to relax and thing of other things today's project is trying to get someone to come here and give me a pedicure. Also considering the cinema but my mum's come down with a cold so maybe unfair to leave her in charge today... At this rate the girls will wear her out before the baby's even here!

Kitten30 and Planner26, my consultant who I spoke to yesterday and really rate, said that it doesn't matter so much if the positioning of the baby is a bit posterior because 90% of babies turn during labour without too much problem so perhaps you don't need to worry too much about it!

That's good news - fingers crossed they will move then!

D-day is today (!) - hopefully she won't turn up though as we've had a roof leak in our bedroom with the snow, what a nightmare!

Will be 41w exactly when I get my sweep, then midwife said they would want me in for induction on the Monday/ Tuesday after that. God I hope it doesn't come to that I REALLY don't want the drip.

I tried to find a reflexologist in our area to get things going, but can't find anyone that will practice on a pregnant lady, how annoying. Also found out our little niece (whom has been getting lots of kisses and cuddles from me this week) has gastroenteritis, and I have had a dodgy tummy all morning - just really hoping it's the start of labour rather than illness :(