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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Baby lying back to back - good positive stories please!!!

21 replies

Bumbolina · 14/11/2013 12:12

Just had my midwife appt - am 39+1 baby is currently lying back to back. I have a strange shaped uterus which will make it slightly harder to spin..., though I'll be bouncing on my birthing ball for the foreseeable

Could anyone that has had a back to back baby come over here and reassure me please? It's my second baby, first labour was good... was hoping for the same this time!

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Badmumof3 · 14/11/2013 12:23

For one thing, its your second baby, so your body already knows what to do. Another thing is that while back to back labours are said to me more protracted and painful, you WILL have a baby at the end of it all. I had two back to back babies, one had a long labour, one shorter. My third was the right way round, but I spent 4 days being induced with him before having a one hour labour. No less tiring or painful. Keep bouncing and stop worrying. Labour is what it is and every contraction is one closer to meeting your baby. x

MoonHare · 14/11/2013 12:25

Never had a back to back baby but from a friend who has - there's an excellent book "Birth Skills" by JuJu Sundin (I've read it too and the techniques really, really helped me with my 3) that has a whole chapter on back to back labour.

My friend delivered her back to back baby (also her second) without pain relief just using the techniques described in the book. She said it wasn't pretty but she felt amazing afterwards that she had been able to stay in control and needed no intervention.

Also, there was a documentary series about midwives on BBC2 a couple of months ago, one of the episodes concentrated on women who used no pain relief. I seem to remember that episode featured a young woman who had a back to back baby. No-one realised her baby was baby to back until it was born, she was incredible, might be worth seeing if you can find it on iplayer or something for some reassuring watching.

Original poster

Bumbolina · 14/11/2013 12:53

Thanks both - Moonhare I'll look up that book and that birth example, both sound like good places to start. I'm all for being prepared, as I don't want to panic at the new pains... which as far as I can tell centre on your bum in a back to back labour!

I have done it before - but I have a bicornuate uterus and my last baby was on the other side (it's split into two). So this uterus is untested

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Awkwardsis · 14/11/2013 13:01

I've had 3dc, all of them back to back. After the last one my midwife told me its probably the shape of my pelvis combined with a retroverted womb which encourages this lie, I've had 3 anterior placentas too. My first birth was pretty awful as I was clueless really. I was flat on my back and making no progress, ending with an inevitable epidural and three hours of pushing. Dd came out still the 'wrong way', a stargazer as they call it.
The next two were also back to back but both turned in labour, coming out the 'right' way up. The difference was that I was upright and mobile. I spent most of my 2nd labour leaning over a headboard, and sat on a birth ball to have him. Whole labour took 3 hours, far preferable to the 14 of the first.
My third labour was less than an hour, again upright and on all fours. I also got to go in the birth pool which was great. So in my experience, try not to worry if baby doesn't turn before labour. None of mine did, and I spend absolutely weeks lying backwards off my sofa, prone over a ball, you name it. Just try to keep active and upright, and the chances are they'll manage to turn themselves. And do try the pool if you have a chance. I wish I'd had the chance with my previous two, it was such a lovely experience. Good luck :)

Wolfiefan · 14/11/2013 13:06

My first was back to back. Got to hospital two and a half hours before he arrived. Wonderful water birth. I was pushing a while (nearly 9lb and first as well as back to back). I found I had very low back pain. Water was great and I insisted my husband poured warm water from a jug onto my back WITHOUT STOPPING OR ELSE! Bliss.
Good luck.

holycowwhatnow · 14/11/2013 13:08

My ds was a back to back boy and noone knew until he came out- or at least they never told me. The labour was painful (My only birth child so no other labour to compare it to) and I had an epidural. They let the epidural wear off before the pushing stage. I know it was painful but what I remember most was the exhaustion. I had 2 1/2 hrs of pushing. BUT my ds came out cool as a breeze, not a bother on him and I very quickly forgot.

I don't imagine your first baby was a piece of cake either. You'll be fine. I had to laugh at the episode in Grey's Anatomy when Meredith was having a b2b baby and they were acting like it was a life-and-death situation! The midwives take it all in their stride.

Best of luck, I hope it all goes well.

steeking · 14/11/2013 13:10

I delivered a back to back or face to pubes as it is delightfully known . No pain relief. First baby. Make sure you have an active labour. I spent the whole of mine on my hands and knees and gave birth on my side with a leg in the air . Lying on my back was really uncomfortable .

lottieandmia · 14/11/2013 13:10

My second baby was back to back. She didn't move into the correct position until I went into labour and it was all very straightforward - was in labour a little bit longer for the first stage - took 10 hours then the second stage took 5 minutes. Was no more painful than usual and I didn't have any pain relief. One thing I did do was to stay upright ad move around and that helped I am sure.

steeking · 14/11/2013 13:12

Oh and low back massage was great as was having a bath . I pushed for 30mins

Draculasbride · 14/11/2013 13:14

My ds was a stargazer my dd was in regular face down position, ds's birth was ok long labour + 1st baby and I was fairly young made it harder I think; but I pushed him out all on my own only using gas&air (his head did keep sliding in and out though ) he had a bit of a cone head but that was about the only difference I noticed...well that and all my contractions were in my back but a hot water bottle sorted that out good luck! You never know he could still wriggle round by then and I'm sure you'll do marvellously even if he doesn't x

Draculasbride · 14/11/2013 13:17

Sorry! Keep saying he rather presumptuously. He/she there that's better

Featherbag · 14/11/2013 13:22

I delivered a b2b baby from a profoundly bicornuate uterus 2 years ago - my labour was 9 hours from first twinge to delivery, I had no pain relief other than gas and air (and that only for about half an hour before pushing), delivered with no tears, intact perineum. My only advice is to not let the staff rely on the monitor to check you're in labour - my contractions didn't produce even a flicker on the monitor until I was about 8cm as the contractions were in my back! Get on top of pain relief early on, use whatever you need to - my lack of pain relief was not through choice, it was down to not being believed when I insisted I was in labour and in pain!

Get in a good position - my body told me I needed to be upright to deliver, I had them raise the top of the bed to 90 degrees, knelt on the bed and had my arms over the top. I told them that's the position I had to be in, nothing else made sense, and if they wanted to keep me on the monitor they'd better figure out a way to monitor me in that position!

Whatever happens, your baby will be born, and every second will be worth it a hundred times over xx

holycowwhatnow · 14/11/2013 13:26

his head did keep sliding in and out though
I had this too 'I can see his head...o gone again...wait here it is...o gone again...
he had a bit of a cone head
My friend called ds Mr Whippy! I hadn't a clue what she was on about- I'd never seen a more beautiful baby ever. I can see it now in those very early pictures though

steeking · 14/11/2013 13:36

Oh yes what feather said! I called the hospital to say contractions were 10 mins apart but not as painful as i was expecting . I was told i would be hours yet but thanks to my mum being observant we went in and i arrived at the hospital fully dilated!!!!

5madthings · 14/11/2013 13:39

My second amd fifth babies were back to back, no 2 turned during labour, painful but fien. No 5 stayed back to back but laboru wa only three hours and a few pushes, midwoife said she would have shot out had she been the right way round.

Original poster

Bumbolina · 14/11/2013 13:51

Featherbag - thank you, that is just the sort of thing I wanted to hear! That is also exactly how I delivered my dd, and I was shown the active birthing stuff today, which looks interesting so I might give that a go - I've requested delivery on the midwife led unit which the consultant signed off, so I'm hoping to avoid the constant monitoring if possible.

Thank you all so much for your stories - I know I can do this... I like to have a backing of positive thinking to help me through though

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organiccarrotcake · 14/11/2013 20:21

My first was B2B and it was fine. It was longer than my other two babies but still only 12 hours from first contraction to birth - 9 hours of active, which was fine.

I didn't need pain relief personally, which was really helpful as I was able to follow my instincts to get into the positions that felt right/active birthing, which I think made all the difference. If I'd known about it I'd have done hypnobirthing too, and had a waterbirth.

Original poster

Bumbolina · 15/11/2013 10:03

Organic - my dd was 12 hours from first contraction to finish

I think it didn't help that my midwife said (with a smile) "it probably just means you'll have a longer more drawn out labour, and harder pushing stage" yeah - thanks.

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PickleSarnie · 19/11/2013 22:14

Both mine were back to back.

1st one was horrendous. Days of back pain, lack of prgression, pethidine, epidural and nearly ventouse.

2nd one was at home. Just under 12 hours from first twinge. Three pushes on my living room floor, no pain relief other than a TENS machine. Was bloody lovely.

So I don't think you can assume that back to back necessarily means more painful/slower. All the best!

VisualiseAHorse · 20/11/2013 11:30

I delivered mine back to back. I only have one (so far) so have nothing to compare it to mind!

Once the baby fully dropped after waters breaking, the pain went from my bump to my thighs. All the pain from there was in my thigh bones and tailbone. It really bloody hurt, I'm not going to lie. I also constantly felt like I needed to poo, even though I didn't. I think his head was at a strange angle? TENS machine didn't work all that well, being in the pool helped a lot. Had gas and air, then some pethidine about five minutes before I began pushing. Baby out in about three BIG pushes.

I would avoid the pethidine if I could do it again. Very sleepy baby + vomiting mum = not a good start to BF. But, it ended well, only two minor grazes to my fanjo.

It did hurt, but as I said, I have nothing to compare it to. It wasn't very long either. Waters broke at 2am, contractions started about 6am, at MLU by 11am, baby born at 4pm. So, 14 hours all in, and I think the average first labour is 12 hours?

Lucyadams184 · 20/11/2013 16:01

Both of my children were back to back. My son was a induction and a 6 hour labour. My daughter was a 3 hour labour and about 5 pushes.With my first I tried everything to make him move round, cleaning the floors on my hands and knees balancing on cushions and pillows but he still didn't budge. I wouldn't worry about it what will be will be, stressing about it will just make you feel worse.

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