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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

Back - to Back baby... chances of C-Section?

28 replies

CupcakesHay · 03/02/2011 21:18

I'm currently 40+4 - went for a sweep on tuesday and the m/w reckons the baby is back-to-back and couldn't do the sweep although I am 2cm dilated.

I have a feeling I might be induced, and was wondering if I'm more likely to have a c-section because of the baby's position.

i'm doing the exercies, etc for optimum foetal positioning.. but just wondering in case that doesn;t make my baby boy move! Smile

OP posts:
wintersniffle · 03/02/2011 21:23

My DS1 was back to back and came out that way round (turning during labour is pretty common so this might happen for you). I've just had DS2 and was expecting labour with a well positioned baby to be totally different and far less painful, was disappointed that it felt exactly the same!

Best of luck either way but try not to worry about the back to back thing too much.

NotJustKangaskhan · 03/02/2011 21:42

All of mine have been back-to-back (with one coming out that way -- with her arms wrapped around her shoulders to make it extra awkward). All natural births. While it's said to cause more back pain in labour, I don't think it leads to more c-sectons.

TCOB · 03/02/2011 21:47

Two back-to-back labours: one hell on earth and one incredible homebirth. Agree with Notjust that whilst it's meant to make labour more painful it doesn't necessarily have a bearing on actual delivery. Got to say that DD (homebirth) was totally mindblowing in a good way, midwives were shocked when she came out face-up as the labour had gone so smoothly. Don't worry - good luck, keep doing the exercises and enjoy if you possibly can - there's no reason you won't have a fab labour Grin

marriednotdead · 03/02/2011 22:29

Don't know if there are any stats to support your fears, it will happen whichever way nature intends I guess.

DS was back to back throughout my uncomfortable pregnancy and was eventually delivered by EMCS after getting stuck at 9cm.

A slightly bruised forehead and a rather shocked mum were all he had to show for it Smile

Original poster
CupcakesHay · 03/02/2011 22:30

Great - thanks for making me feel a little better about it all! Smile

OP posts:
AnnieLobeseder · 03/02/2011 22:33

I had DD2 at home in a pool. The MWs seemed a little concerned about how the 3rd stage was going but after the extended horror that was DD1's hospital birth, I was happy enough.

When she finally popped out, the MW said "Oh! She's the wrong way up! That would explain it!"

So it turned out she was back to back, but it was a far easier birth than DD1, who wasn't!

jbells · 03/02/2011 22:37

DD was back to back and it did involve a lot more pushing and forceps to get her out i didnt need a c-section

thisisyesterday · 03/02/2011 22:41

my best labour out of my 3 was my second, and he was back to back
didn't turn during labour either, so came out the wrong way round

6 hour labour, 1.5 hours pushing (so was a bit tough to get out), but lovely... had him at home with no pain relief, he was 9lb 5

It was so much nicer than either of my other births. So I don't think it needs to be a problem it might just slow things a little or make your pushing stage a bit longer... but it definitely can be done

try and keep upright if you can. I had to walk around for most of my labour, it just felt awful if I stopped... and I gave birth kneeling up over the sofa which the MW said afterwards is a really good natural position to give birth in, so i don't know if that helped it def worked for me!

Original poster
CupcakesHay · 03/02/2011 22:44

Smile Keep these stories coming! Grin

OP posts:
kitten30 · 03/02/2011 22:57

Unless he is distressed they wont do a c section. I wish I had of had one now as I ended up with an instrumental delivery and a very badly stitched episiotomy which may need to be re done. At one point during my labour a doctor stuck her whole hand up there and tried to manually turn him. I was on a drip to speed things up and it still took 12 hours. Some women have no problems with back to back labour but if I knew mine was back to back again I would opt for an epidural. Good Luck, most babys do turn at some point during the labour so you will probably be fine.

kitten30 · 03/02/2011 22:58

Ps I read lots of stories about the baby looking bruised etc, my boy was born perfect and not a mark on him. Also he was ventouse and didnt have a cone head whatsoever!

kitten30 · 03/02/2011 23:00

This discussion helped me when I was pregnant as actually my birth did turn out like a lot of those described.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/childbirth/1071718-Anyone-had-a-back-to-back-OP-position-Labour-Birth-for-first-baby/AllOnOnePage

BuzzLightBeer · 03/02/2011 23:00

all 3 of mine were back to back, all regular deliveries, although the first was very very long. the second was quick but traumatic at the end and the third was a piece of piss really. All of them stargazers.

Not all ventouse babies have the bruises but my DS2 had really awful bruises and cuts to his head, I'm told this is unusual though.

exexpat · 03/02/2011 23:01

Both mine were back-to-back, didn't turn so came out the 'wrong' way up, but no c-section here either Smile

harecare · 03/02/2011 23:05

Both my 2 were back to back and all 9 of my Mum's! All delivered naturally. All were long, tiring 24 hour labours. DD1 was 13 days over and not induced. I wish I'd spent less time in the labour being active and on all 4s and walking and just lied down on my left hand side to rest between contractions as it completely knackered me out.

Kirisox · 03/02/2011 23:07

I gave birth 5 days ago, as far as I was aware until the end of 2 hours of pushing he was the correct way round. Amid much confusion why my great efforts had failed to move him below -1 station, the MW and doctor realised he was back to back and maybe had turned during labour. Unfortunately he was too high up for any instrumentation so I had an ecms and sobbed with the shock of it most of the way through, as I had been pretty happy with my labour.
Due to other complications after birth we have been in hospital since and hope to tomorrow as soon as humanly possible!
Good luck, I'm so glad that he's here that I really don't care how it happened....

Highlandgirl · 03/02/2011 23:13

What about back to back and breech...?

Original poster
CupcakesHay · 04/02/2011 06:08

thanks for those - feel a lot better about it all.

Hope you finally get home kirisox Smile

OP posts:
saffy85 · 04/02/2011 06:26

DD was discovered to be back to back when I was already about 7cm dilated and came out "looking at the sky" after 3 hours of pushing and a total of 11 hours in labour with no pain relief.

She is my first and only birth so far as DC2 not due til June so I can't compare the pain to a normal delivery but was told back to back is harder to deliver as obviously wrong way round and also it's a huge strain on your back. Not helped by by giving birth on your back because no one is interested in helping you change positions Hmm (yes I'm bitter).

FutureNannyOgg · 04/02/2011 09:36

Not directly but...
An op baby won't have his head resting optimally on the cervix so you might not dilate well. It might just take a bit longer and require patience, but slower progress might make them want to give synto which does increase the liklihood of instrumental birth or cs.
Your best bet is to do all the ofp and active birth stuff you can (homebirth.org has a great page of tips for op babies at different stages) and don't go to hospital earlier than you have to as the longer you take up a bed,the more pressure you will be under to accept intervention.

Phlebas · 04/02/2011 14:17

I had a horrid OP labour with my first - pre labour rupture of membranes, head was very high (midwives were worried she was actually breech) and poorly applied to the cervix. I got to 5cm reasonably quickly, 7cm after 30 hours of active labour (it was active, un-medicated labour in a ML birth centre). Transferred to CLU because I was pyrexic (membranes had been gone for >70 hours), baby showing signs of distress.

Had an epidural, antibiotics, scalp electrode fitted & last ditch attempt on syntocinon. After 45 mins baby was not in good condition & cervix was swollen, went to theatre for emergency section. dd looked absolutely dreadful when she was born, bruised and battered. I had an atonic uterus from prolonged labour & had a very large PPH, dd was extremely jaundiced, had phototherapy for a week & narrowly missed an exchange transfusion.

We shouldn't have been left in the MLU for so long - I don't know that earlier transfer for active management would have avoided the section, but we could've made the decision sooner & dd & I would've been in far better condition.

I did all the OFP stuff from 32 weeks onward (for all the bloody good it did).

Nagoo · 04/02/2011 16:21

1st baby b2b, 8 hours (2 hours pushing though)9lb7oz. Did it though! SO relieved that baby was out was back pain was gone! tens machine and very active labour helped. Couldn't have lain down if i tried! No one told me baby was OP at any point, but they must have known.

2nd baby very fast labour, 1h20, 2 mins pushing, right way round so definitely easier!

AnnieLobeseder · 04/02/2011 18:55

Most of the stories of good back to back labours have been mobile births, particularly home births, which tend to be more relaxed. I was floating about in a pool, so mostly upright and optimally positioned.

Another poster said she walked about - I go all funny when I'm in labour and can't walk - it's very weird but my legs fail me completely. That made the pool such a godsend cos I'd have been on my back otherwise.

I think the take-home message is to try to make sure you're optimally positioned, either upright, kneeling or in water. And relax as much as you can.

Good luck!

Zimm · 04/02/2011 19:51

DD1 was back to back. 19 hour labour but I was at home for first 12 and was fine, using TENS for last couple fo hours. I was very mobile - walked miles during labour, could not have sat down. Last 5 hours in hospital, was 7cm when I arrived. All went very well until the very end when I just could not get her out (was very close) so I had the ventouse on for not much time at all just to wiggle her round the bend - totally fine.