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

[Enid]

Come on I want to scare myself

Oh, is that why my belly button never turned into an "outie"? I did wonder. My bump stayed quite small as well, I suppose because the curve of her spine was inwards, rather than outwards (or does that sound like rubbish!)

dd was OP and I had a fairly quick and easy labour, ds wasn't and the two labours were similar.

Oh and had pethedine not epidural.

Littlefish - no, that's it I think. Their spine's against your spine so there's nothing there to push it out.

I was told all through pg that my baby was in the perfect position, then when I had been in labour for 24 hours they told me he was back to back!

My labour was fifty hours in all, (only dilated to 7/8cm after this time) ending in a 'crash' CS due to baby's distress.

So it certainly went along the lines of a long hard labour!

I have an outie this time (never before)

small bump though

Just seen this thread...my ds was OP, and it was bloody painful. The midwife made me have an epidural, and I'm ever grateful to her

dS1 was op. Was definately the most painful but not sure if that is because he was my 1st or because of the position. All I remember was it was 4 days from 1st contractions to birth. Main memory was of the intense pain in my bottom (blame that labour for the Farmer Giles - oops, too much information?? .

Started off with G&A, then 2 pethedine injections (didn't feel that they really worked). After lots of swearing at the ward sister (right cow), I asked for epidural but told it was too late.

All I can advise is keep moving, you'll need all the help you can get from gravity, and don't feel guilty about asking for an epidural if it gets too much. Good luck! :)

Enid - no time to read all replies-
This isn't your 1st so I would NOT worry because

1. Your contractions are very likely to turn baby during labour
2. Your labour will be fast enough

I appreciate people's "horror" stories about OP (I had one too so I do know!) but it really is much more of an issue for 1st babies than subsequent ones.

It will only be an issue if you make it be... you now me ... I don't lie
have faith your body can do it

just don't want a repeat of dd1's birth (undiagnosed transverse op, horrid forceps and ventouse), mind you I laboured on my back a lot for that (although some was on birthing stool)

dont mind pain, just as long as baby doesn't get stuck.

I can feel babys back, head is engaged, most movement seems to be above pubic bone and in my bottom (if that makes sense), a few weaker movements above belly button

I had a back to back labour with dd, the pain was bad but i could deal with it, i had gas & air & was begging for an epidural (never got one) but i still managed to go through it.

I could not lie or sit down, when i started labouring at home i would sit or lie down but as soon as a contraction came i found it such relief to be standing up leaning forward or on all fours swaying from side to side.

I think dd turned right at the end as she came out ok.

Goodluck you can do it you will be fine

If head is engaged baby is not transverse.... are you 37 weeks now ?

I had a OP baby. Labour was about 13 hours. The pain was excruciating for about 5 hours when I went from 3-10cm dilated, but then my midwife denied me all pain relief as "I wasn't in labour". I then had a 4 hour 2nd stage which ended in failed ventouse and successful forceps. I think the pain might have been manageable with just G&A, but since I didn't have any it's hard to say. It was unmanageable without anything. Screamed and screamed for 5 hours as just couldn't cope any more.

He did come out the right way round.

Interested by comment about belly buttons and bump size. My bump was small and my belly button didn't stick out.

Good luck whatever you decide to do.

I think if nothing else, this thread shows that there's a spectrum of experience (just like with non back-to-back labour, really??).

I repeat, the pain just wasn't that bad and was an easy birth - would have been a perfect home birth.

You have the safety net of being able to go to hospital, and if it turns out to be like my labour (and some of the others) you definitely won't need to.

There are features of women who carry OP babies but it still means only what it means whilst you are pregnant... once labour starts things change. So you can have an OA baby in pregnancy and he can turn OP later and have an OP in pregnancy who qickly turns OA....

yes pupuce almost 37 weeks head quite deeply engaged, really does that mean not transverse?

A transverse baby does not engage its head (transverse = your baby is lying across your tummy instead of the accepted head down).
How engaged 2/5?
Is this not your 3rd ? Was your 2nd OK? If so I would say that the deep transverse you refer too is where the head refuses to rotate. It is most common with women who are static in labour.
Best tip (and I do mean BEST TIP) when labour gets established go up and down stairs a couple of times with accentuated movements of your hips.
Visualise getting a cork out of a bottle of wine (I'm sure you can visualise the bottle of wine ) - do you pull the cork out or d you find it easier by moving the cork left/right/left/right... gently easing it out ?
Whar works better pull straight or wiggle it out... baby is the same!

3/5 apparently

what, pushing hips from front to back?

dd2 was straightforward v quick labour 2 hours, 3 pushes

3/3 is less engaged than 2/5
It works like this : she can feel 3/5 if baby's head on top of your pelvic brim.

Moving hips from left to right (clearly you can visualise the wine ) Belly dance a bit....

Right.... can I bet this will be a labour of less than 4 hours ?

I mean 3/5 is less engaged than 2/5

sorry have checked notes 2/5 engaged

sort of rotating hips/pelvis? what about going upstairs sideways (someone suggested)

That's good too.... It's just that wiggling hips helps the baby to drop.
Don't worry about doing this until cx are every 5 mins. or even closer together. Quite a few women do this and feel pushy afterwards ! Be warned !
Do you feel better

yes tons

will sleep so much better tonight

thank you pupuce

x Enid

Enid - please have faith in your body and ability...... you can do it.... you'll be fine and you'll have a fab birth

And now I want to read the birth story
Pupuce.xxx