my head is done in about baby being back to back

[hostelgirl74]

When I first got pregnant (first timer) I was terrified about the labour ahead - crying, thinking about it all the time etc. It has always been something that freaked me out. As time went on and all was going well with the pregnancy - no problems, i started to get my head round it and was feeling quite positive that i could handle things. I planned for a water birth at the birthing centre.
I visited the midwife yesterday (baby now afew days late) and she said the baby has now (since last visit 2 weeks ago) gone into a back to back position. I did not realise this could happen so late on. I am gutted as I know this means a longer harder labour. Plus the fact that it is late also means I may have to be induced at some point. I already know it is on the larger side as well (the chart shows it as about 9lb 2oz). This didn't bother me at first but now it is as if all these factors are conspiring against me.
I can't help but be stressed about all this. I am trying to get into helpful positions as suggested to try and coax the baby back but my head is really done in. I know I should be pleased that the baby and I are healthy but all i can think of is a horrible long labour that will probably end in forceps or something. I wanted to go to the birthing centre but again I can't help but think now that i will end up being transferred to the labour ward instead.

oh sweetie :(

where to start?
growth scans- notoriously unreliable. up to 20% margin of error. just do an advanced search on here and you will come up with literally hundreds of people who have been told to expect a big baby only for it to arrive and be quite a bit smaller!

back to back baby? well, yeah it might be a bit longer. but that doesn't necessarily mean it'll be terrible,
My second baby was back to back and my labour was 6 hours from start to finish. Yes, I had a long pushing stage, but it was fine. He was 9lb 5 and I didn't tear or anything.
In fact, it was the best out of all 3 of my births. Again,t here are plenty of positive birth stories of back to back babies on here.
another thing to bear in mind is that most OP babies DO turn during labour.
but you can help by staying as active as possible, give birth kneeling up and bending forward (i did this naturally and afterwards MW said it was a great position for an OP baby)

induction- you do not have to accept induction if it isn't what you want. you can request daily monitoring instead and allow baby to come in his/her own time. midwives etc can advise, they cannot make the decision for you.

I honestly don't think that any of what you have said means that it's inevitable that you will end up with a long hard labour and lots of intervention. I really don't.
Have you considered hiring a doula? it might be helpful to have someone really positive with you during the labour/birth who can fight your corner with regard to intervention etc and who has experience in labour and birth?

My DD (8lb) was back to back and my labour and birth was fine, I do wish tens machines had been around back then though .
Stay upright as much as possible, imo back to back is better then having a hand up by the face and baby's head will not be a funny shape either.
I also went 15 days over and went into labour naturally, 24 hrs before they wanted to induce me.

I had a back to back baby (first). I had an easy labour (about 15 hours start to finish, most of which was easily managed at home with no pain relief). She turned before birth and I didn't need forceps or ventouse or any of that, though I did have a long pushing stage. I promise you that back to back need not mean a horrible labour.

Honestly, try not to worry. Both of my DCs have been back to back and neither of them turned for delivery. I was transfered to the hospital from the MLU for DC1 as he got stuck but the ambulance ride actually did me a favour and shook him loose so by the time I got there I was 8cms and he was born an hour later after a 10 minute second stage with no intervention and no tearing or stiches. DC2 appeared after just a 5 hour labour in the MLU, I had wanted a water birth as well but it all happened so quickly they didn't have a chance to run the pool. For both of my births I've managed with just G&A and TENs and I'm the biggest wimp going.
As PP have already said back to back doesn't have to equal awful. I'm currently 36+3 with DC3 and if it was that terrible I really wouldn't be doing it again.

my first dd1 was born back to back, my labour was long and i had no pain relief (i stupidly wrote it on by birthing plan), it was not a forceps delevery but was hard work. I did find it a hige shock as i never expected labour to be like that but it was soon forgotton when i was holding my dd1. I opted for an epidural with my 2nd and had a very fast, pain free labour.

All i can say is 'don't write anything about pain relief in your birth plan, decide when you go into labour what you would like (if anything)', to me my 2nd birth expereance was much better, i started in the birthing ball and then had a epidural at the last minute (was to far gone really but midwife lied for me) and dd2 was born 15 minutes after.

Oh you poor thing. I had your circumstances and did have a tough first labour. Syntocin, epdirual, forceps. It wasn't great.

I'm saying that not to scare you (plenty of people on here have had good back to back labours) but to share some things I wish I had done:

• resisted syntocin. I think DD2 was also back to back and the birth pool was absolute bliss. I think that, if I could have got in water in my first labour and taken the weight off my back, it would have helped a lot. Now, of course, sometimes it is needed, but I'm not sure I needed to agree when I did;
• read the Spinning Babies website, which has some good ideas for getting a stubborn baby to move even during labour. We used some of these in my second labour (I think very successfully because DD2 came very quickly afterwards) but midwives often don't seem to prompt any of these ideas.

Another interesting thing to think about is that a recent study (the one that prompted all the hysterical headlines about home birth) showed that not only is a MLU a very safe option for a first timer, it reduces the likelihood of interventions a lot (whether or not you end up transferring to the labour ward). So you've picked a place of delivery that maximises your chances of getting the type of birth you want.

Bless you, it is so hard to know what to say regardless of what any of us tell you your birth will be yours and could pan out in so many different ways.

Both my babies were back to back, my first started in a MLU for 12 hours after which I was transfered to hospital where they wanted to give me syntocin, I refused as I wanted a natural birth, I laboured for another 22 hours in and out of water, in every concievable position and flatly refused all pain relief and intervention.

Then I gave in and had syntocin, a spinal and forceps and ds was born within the hour.

I seriously wish I hadn't refused the syntocin.

My second, dd, was back to back and face presentation, though we didn't know till she emerged. She was born in 5 hours, 2 and 1/2 hours of that was pushing, in a brilliant MLU, I don't think a hospital would have let me push for so long. I birthed in the dark on the floor, was a brilliant experience.

Good luck with yours

My first DS was back to back. But I didn't know this until after he was born. He was 9lbs 7oz. I had pethedine at 8cms, and he was born about and an hour or two later. I was standing up. The pain was all in my back,and I couldn't have sat or lain down for anything! It hurt like hell,but the pethedine really took the edge off. No stitches or anything.
I was induced with a pessary,as I was ten days over. It was grand. No monitoring or examinations...try not to get too stressed. I'm sure all will go well.

My second was back to back and I got in a dreadful tizz about it in the weeks leading up to the birth. In the end he was 3 weeks late (!) and 10lb, and despite turning OP the week before he was born he was back to back again when I was in labour.

And you know what? It was ok. I won't lie and say it was great, as the birth was distressing for other reasons (unconnected with him being back to back - I ended up in hospital being induced which I'd hoped so hard to avoid after a home birth with my first baby) - but it was ok.

It hurt, in a very different way to my first labour, but I knew how to handle it that much better. My advice is to go for the water birth, to keep as active as you can for as long as you can, and as pp have said keep upright. Good luck

Oh, and take no notice of the growth scan. I had a scan at 42 weeks to check growth and placenta function and they reckoned my 10 pounder was 'average sized'

DS1 was back to back. It was, at 6 hrs a pretty quick labour, so b2b doesn't necessarily mean long.

Thanks to everyone for their messages, they are kind and helpful. I guess as its my first it is not like i can compare it to anything anyway. Also, I don't think it has fully turned so there is still hope there!

My second baby was back to back and was absolutely fine he turned during labour 4 hours start to finish and was all fine just gas and air, really try not to worry it really didn't make any difference at all apart form that i laboured on all fours as it was most comfortable.

ALl mine were in the wrong position until very late...DD was deep transverse until 17 weeks (and turned in one motion while I was driving down the motorway...!) - ds1 was back to back and a wriggler and just wouldnt settle into position. I would lie with my arse in the air every night watching TV...got a nice bean bag to help.

DO the position exercises religiously, they really do help!

Do not worry about what might or might not happen in Labour - by the time you get to that point, you need to be able to "go with the flow" - if baby stays back to back, think about whether your pain management strategies might need to be amended - ie you might want a natural birth, G&A only, but allow yourself to consider an epidural if it all becomes too much. Be easy on yourself and remember, they dont give out medals for birthing a baby, they just hand you a wriggly squirmer who will make everything worthwhile. In this day and age, you do not NEED to be in pain for you to have had a real birth experience.

One of mine was back to back and the labour was under 4 hours and no worse than the others.

Please try not to worry too much [easier said than done I know]

^^ up there I meant 37 weeks, not 17....doh!

DS2 was back to back, induced with synto - was more painful than DS1 who was also synto induction but labour same length (6 hours). Due to induction had to have monitoring so unable to move around but midwife sat me up on my left side - apparently this is the best position to allow back to turn. It worked as DS turned at 8cm and was born 10 mins later. Midwife also put a blanket over me turned down the lights put a heat pack on my back and gave me some luverly diamorphine - I wanted to taker her home

Good Luck!

It's great to hear some positive stories! I'm back to back too (due the 11th) and I've managed to whip myself into a frenzy about it! I really want as natural a birth as possible but the hosp I'm going to only has one birth pool OP keep us posted I'd really like to hear how it goes (if you haven't gone already!)

I've given birth to two persistent posterior babies so far (due with DD3 in a couple of weeks and she is posterior too!) and both labours have been totally fine. 7hrs for DD1, 4hrs for DD2, gas and air for DD1, nothing for DD2.

I loved being in the water, but got out both times to deliver as I seem to push better on land. Gave birth squatting both times, tore but didn't need stitching. Best feeling in the world was having someone shove very hard on my back the entire time, I tended to shout at them when they moved!

this article is good

I had two OP babies, both labours were long (22 and 19 hours) but contractions were almost completely painless and with #1 I entered hospital at 8cms and with #2 I had him at home.

TENS are fantastic, they offer counter pressure to the back pain and they are great for longer labours as the levels of endorphins get a chance to really build up. Because of their position both times waters just trickled rather than gushed and contractions were quite irregular when I was lying down as their heads popped off the cervix a little.

DS2 was back to back and his was my shortest labour (90 mins).

an OP baby is no reason not to start your labour in an MLU, as that kind of environment may better enable you to stay active, upright, labour in a position your instinct tells you to take. you are much less likely to have a forceps or c/s delivery if you start in an MLU.

average labour times are shorter in MLus (and shorter still at home)

only 3% of women get to +14 without spontaneous labour - i'm not saying it won't happen, but it's not likely.

My back to back baby was born before they could fill the pool, tenderheart, though I rather fancied it too. And it was in a MLU - definitely not a reason to not be in one. I was initially put in the more medical side of the hospital (the MLU is there too) but I found that bellowing 'I DON'T WANT AN EPIDURAL' somehow inspired them to let me change over.

DD was back to back at the start of labour and had turned during labour. I'd recommoned looking up Active Birth and I swear all the hip wiggling- like I was using a hula hoop did it. Doesn't matter which way whatever works for you and my yoga teacher has a theory that if you keep your hips higher than your knees , by gravity, it may makethe babys back turn tiwards the front.

Have a look next time your sat on the sofa, in the car or at at desk and you'll see what I mean
x

My 2 were both back to back. Don't stress. Get as much rest as you can now. I gave up my home birth plans with DD2 after a knackering labour, it was only while defeated and stopping trying to be active and upright that things started to move along - lying on left hand side on the couch. Both births uncomplicated, just very long and tiring. Get sleep, make sure your DP has enough rest. Get a friend on hand to help - if you have to put in a 24 hour labour it seems pointless to have DP doing all that time too as then he'll be too knackered to be of use when the baby is born.
Not necessarily more painful than an ordinary labour, just much longer as the contractions move the baby into the right position. Rest up, go easy, it'll be fine.

Mine (born 2 days ago) was back to back. Apparently my first lot of contractions did the job of turning him round, and the next lot got the pushing started.

I've got nothing to compare it to of course, but I was in a midwife led unit and everything was very relaxed and problem free.