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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Baby suddenly back-to-back just before birth?

15 replies

toomuchribbon · 19/02/2013 07:45

Hi all. I am 41+5 and due to be induced tomorrow having postponed it from today. As I am dilated with soft mid cervix I have been told I might get away with just a low dose of gel rather than drip - am keen to avoid epidural or at least less mobility.

My baby has been lying on the left, or LOA, for most of the pregnancy according to what I've felt and MW notes. Last week a MW said she thought he has turned to become back to back, which another MW said yesterday at check-up with much teeth-sucking.

I assume they are right but am a bit confused and worried, having heard how much more difficult it can make the birth.
I think he has been back to back at points over the last week and also LOA, based on what I can feel and looking at foetal positioning info online. Is this possible?

Does anyone have any advice or experience? It feels like it's thrown another spanner in the works on top of induction but would like to do all I can to help myself and him without panicking...
I have been v upright and active (hours on birth ball, walking, sleep on left side) anyway recently but with only 24 hours to go am limited - especially as he could turn back again between now and emerging.

Thank you x

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NAR4 · 19/02/2013 09:06

Don't worry, all 4 of mine were back to back and were induced. It can potentially make labour longer, but they still come out. I found I stayed at 2cm dilated for hours and hours (which is rather disheartening) but then suddenly fully dilated and needed to push. They often don't progress at a steady rate, but to be honest I'm not sure how many births do anyway.

There are exercises on the SpinningBabies website that you can do. I did them for this baby, but it hasn't worked, however there are exercises/positions for you to use when in labour, which I will be trying this time.

cakesonatrain · 19/02/2013 13:49

DS was the 'right' way around up until a couple of days before birth, but was suddenly back-to-back when I was in labour.
It wasn't a problem. By the time the midwife examined me and noticed he was back to back I was 8cm dilated having managed at home until then, and he was born a few hours later. I had gas&air only.

That's my experience. My advice would be to try not to worry :)

Original poster

toomuchribbon · 19/02/2013 18:24

Oh thanks so much NAR4 and cakes! So very reassuring to hear, thank you.

It's been disproportionately getting to me, I think because it's on top of the whole induction thing.

I have tried the exercises and have been upright and mobile almost constantly, baking like a mad thing and circling away on the damn ball. Will just have to cross my fingers, it looks like... I figure if he can turn so quickly now he could just as easily turn back again!

Thanks again

OP posts:

cakesonatrain · 19/02/2013 19:59

:) Good luck

ZuleikaD · 20/02/2013 18:08

Don't worry - both my previous two were back to back and I had both without any interventions at all other than sweeps and only gas-and-air. It was fine. I strongly suspect this one is b2b as well, but as I feel like I wouldn't know what 'normal' labour felt like, I'm fine with it!

Kafri · 21/02/2013 20:25

DS was back to back and all my labour pain was in my back.
took me hours and hours to get to 3cm but just 2.5hrs to get from 3cm to him arriving. once he was coming, he was definitely coming

I read that b2b was more painful but I actually didn't find it too bad. it was the stitches afterwards that almost killed me

ZuleikaD · 22/02/2013 06:12

Yes, I read that it's supposed to be more painful after I'd done it twice. It is painful, but it's do-able, and labour just IS painful. At least it's productive pain - you're getting somewhere and there's an end result. It's still nowhere near as painful as when I dislocated my arm out backwards and it got wedged under my shoulder-blade.

Kafri · 22/02/2013 06:26

just to add.

I refused to worry about the labour. I went into it thinking..

right. This will hurt but there's an end to it.

my prep must have worked as I think I did really quite well. had gas and air and didn't think it was all that bad.
don't mentally throw darts at me ladies but up until the stitches it was really quite easy.

Where the stitches are concerned, I'm pretty sure it was because I didn't prepare myself for them during my pg like i did my labour. along with the fact that with it all being new to me I think my body had had enough by the time it had laboured, given birth, delivered placenta and then been faffed around with while 3 docs decided whether I needed to go to theater to be stitched. had 1 sticking his finger up my bum to see if the muscle was ok but that's a whole other story

MammaCici · 22/02/2013 18:34

When I had stitches the mw used a local anesthetic and I couldn't feel anything. Did you choose not to be numbed for the stitches or wasn't it offered? The only unpleasantness I recall was me breaking wind in her face as she stitched! I was numb and didn't feel it coming.
It's good to hear first hand accounts that b2b is doable.

NeedlesCuties · 22/02/2013 19:37

My DD (2nd baby) was back to back, which no one knew till she came out of me!

I really think if I'd known in advance then I would have stressed and worried like you are.

FWIW, she was born after 6 hour labour and only 45 mins of pushing. Was 9lb 1oz and was a really good birth experience.

I spent 90% of those 6 hours standing up rocking side to side or squatting at the side of the bed. Gravity really was my friend.

I wasn't induced, so I can't offer advice or experience about that.

All the best to you :)

Kafri · 22/02/2013 20:25

oh yes Mamma, they gave me local but she also said it sonetimes doesn't work the further in and up thwy need to stitch so 6 needles later there were still parts that weren't numb and I just had to eat the gas and air.

NeedlesCuties · 22/02/2013 20:35

Oh, forgot to say, the only pain relief I had was gas and air. Beautiful wonderful gas and air

HenriettaChicken · 22/02/2013 20:38

My DS was back to back & I was induced. He flipped round all on his own and was born less than 3h after the first contraction.

All the best!

consonant · 22/02/2013 20:45

I was exactly the same - LOA from about 28 weeks then at my scan the day before he was born he was B2B. He must have turned again as I had a very quick straightforward birth about 30 hours later (like the previous 2). Good luck.

applepieinthesky · 24/02/2013 10:30

My baby was the right way all along then when I went into labour he moved and was back to back. I'm not going to lie, my labour was extremely long as a result. The biggest problem was getting to 4cm, once that happened it all progressed very quickly and he turned back the right way. I pushed him out in 13 minutes with no intervention. I don't have anything to compare it to as it's my first baby but the pain wasn't too horrendous. The hardest thing for me was dealing with extreme tiredness after such a long labour.

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