'Back to back'/OP labour - just how bad IS it?

[Enid]

Come on I want to scare myself

Start at home and if it gets baaaad, go and get an epidural.
Really, mine was ok, it does depend exactly where the baby is lying I think. He was always posterior but was well-positioned iyswim.

Worked for me

yes am hoping that bits are super unsupportive

this baby seems to move all which ways atm

it is 3/5 engaged - do OP babies engage???

Yeah they do my dd was op from 25 weeks and 4/5 engaged.

So are you admitting to being a bit of a 'Slack Alice' or rather 'Slack Enif' ???

"Don't slouch on the sofa watching tv!!!"

warning-ds was back to back. i did the scrubbing floor exercise and he went breech

I have been goiong to pregnancy yoga classes trying to prevent another OP. My last one ended in a c-section. Basically do the exercises. Rock on all fours 15 mins per day. DO not sit with legs elevated. Sleep on your left side. Will try and find a link.

DS was OP - first (only!) baby and I found labour 100% handleable. It was long, but I used no pain relief except TENS and pool, and was fine.

In the end we had to go into hospital for ventouse, because after 3.5 hours pushing DS was obviously going nowhere on his own. I don't know if the OP postion was a factor - probably because he wasn't optimal presentation to create maximum pushing urges. But they did say i was pushing like a truck.

He has a v big head, and , as the obstretician put it 'you have very strong pelvoc floor muscles and they aren't doing you any favours'. So it probably wasn't the OP-ness that caused the problem.

Honestly - I was fine in labour. I did spend the whole time leaning forward, either on all fours or on the stairs, or back of sofa, or leaning on side of pool. I think that helps with OP.

But your baby has yonks of time to turn, anyway. Often they turn during labour, don't they?

enid - i wouldve had a back to back birth labour but didnt as my DD was facing the wrong way

oh feck it

this is doing my head in

will labour at home for as long as possible and go in if things get impossible

Ok, to present another view/experience (I know I posted on the other thread, but I want to offset the scarey stories )

All three OP....

DS1 - 12 hours of labour, gas and air only, he got a bit distressed because I just couldn't get that last bit but once he'd battered through my cervix he was out in 15 minutes. No stitches or intervention. (9lb 2)

DS2 - Induced, 4 hour labour, pretty much gas and air. No stitches or intervention (apart from the induction itself) (8lb 13)

DD - 6 hours, gas and air. No stitches or intervention despite having her fist in her face - obviously bucket fanny by then (9lb 10)

With all them I spent as much time as possible walking up and down (did it for 10 hours with DS1!) slighly hunched over. When I was on a bed I was either on all fours (DS1 and 2 delivered like this) or on my knees holding onto the back of the bed (had a very attractive forehead bruise with DD, from headbutting the bar on the bed each time I had a contraction ) Being at home should give you more flexibility than at the hospital, less intrusive monitoring. The only time I had 'oh god I can't do this' moments is when they made me lie on my back, that was truly f*ing awful pain with the DSs but OK with DD.

I refuse to scare you, you're close enough that you can be transferred easily and it's not always a horror story.

OK Enid do not panic! I have had 3 OP babies so don't know how it compares to doing it "normally".

Positioning is definitely the key. My first was the worst and I needed forceps, but I was on my back on the bed so no wonder really... Had an epidural but only so they could do forceps and then top up if that didn't work and c-section was needed. She was delivered by the forceps after a 12 hour labour.

Second was the easiest of all. Spent the whole labour standing and leaning over the bed. Something at kitchen worktop height would be suitable. I found that swaying from side to side whilst leaning forward helped baby turn round and the back massage from DH was great too. He was surprised just how much counter-pressure was needed. She turned and was born easily with no assistance. Labour was about 5 hours with G&A only.

Third time I had planned a homebirth but was persuaded at about 37 weeks to go to hospital as he was big (10lbs in the end). When I went into labour it was on-off contractions all day and then kicked off properly at about 4/5pm. I think this often happens with OP babies as it takes them a while to get into position. These contractions were very bearable. When I transferred to hospital I used G&A and he was born without too much fuss despite his size. On reflection I think the whole procedure would have been easier at home and given the opportunity again would definitely stick to my guns.

It was painful, but then I think labour just is. You can do it, I'm sure. If this baby does turn out to be OP, remember all the positioning stuff and it will definitely help. Good luck when it happens!

Can I just add I spent 12 hours of my op labour standing up on MW advice and the pressure resulted in my bits swelling up so much that when I lay down i could see them this also slowed down labour even more.

Definitely agree about the monitoring stuff.
Worst bit of the whole procedure and better off at home without the horrid "strapped-up" experience!

All mine were overdue (8, 10 and 11 days) Going by Gillians experience of having trouble getting labour established, does anyone know if that was because they were OP?

I think it is far more common with OP babies serenity. The cervix doesn't get the correct stimulation from the baby's head, AFAIK.

Mine were 8 days late, 4 days late and on EDD after a sweep.

Thanks, that makes me feel better strangely enough. Always had that lingering feeling I was just crap at being pg

I know what you mean. I have convinced myself I must have a funnily-shaped uterus to have all 3 of them the wrong way round!

my dd3 was "back-to-back" and it was horrendous. just 3 1/2 hours but was a nightmare and would of rather of been knocked out . she is 10 months now and i can still remember the pain the memory hasnt faded yet.

saying that if she positioned correctly she would of come with my waters and i would never of got to the hospital.

i had to stand and lean over the bed. couldnt go past upright backwards. i got in the pool and had to get out. my dp and aunt were pouring water on my back as i was on hands and knees and it was so painful . just the water!!!!

i would do it again and hope to be soon but i was begging for someone to hit me with a plank of wood at the time

hope i havent scared anyone

enid, I was wondering this as well - I don't know what position baby is in, but have an anterior placenta, which means the baby will naturally want to be posterior (oh joy). Ds was OP, and induced (although was in labour anyway - incompetent student mw!!!) - and it was definitely more painful than dd who was OA. BUT, due to incompetent mw, she wouldn't let me on to the delivery suite for pain relief for ages (said it was too busy, and wasn't in labour anyway - oh no!!!!) - and by the time I got there was 7-8 cm and begging for an epidural, 3 hours after having arrived in hospital (but 7 after starting contractions iyswim). The epidural then slowed everything down, and it was another 6 hours before ds emerged, and he had turned at the last minute. He had also got into distress, and they took blood samples throughout the latter part of the labour from his head to check him (just added to the pleasant aspect of the labour!).

The positive thing is that I think the point where I REALLY couldn't cope was transition, and actually if I'd been at home, or established in the delivery suite, instead of being wheeled around the hospital in a wheelchair by horrific mw , and had also realised this was transition, then I'd have coped better.

Hope your baby gets into lovely position for you!

I shall console myself now that it was actually all their fault, and at least I never had to have that truly gross inside out belly button thing (sorry to everyone who did )