Back to back baby-what do I need to be aware of?

[Em1503]

I'm 39+4 so labour could be any time soon! Baby was breech for weeks so I went for a scan a couple of weeks ago and she had turned. However my midwife last week said that she thinks she's now lying back to back.

I've been doing all the spinning babies exercises, but IF she doesn't turn and is still back to back during labour what do I need to know? For example I've just read a thread about the use of keilands forceps which I now definately do not want, however I wasn't aware of this a few minutes ago! I feel I need to educate myself on what could happen do I am prepared and can make the best choices.

I was feeling ok about the birth but now getting worried that it's going to be long and painful and distressing for baby.

[SunnyL]

I had a back to back baby. It was a loooong labour but the pain was manageable by tens machine for the first 2 days. The main problem was the exhaustion. I had 65 hours of labour and only slept for 3 hours in the bath. So when DD popped out I was practically snoring on the midwifes shoulder. In fact they couldn't get the placenta out and I did snore in theatre - very loudly .

I was warned when DD came out she might need some help breathing due to the length of time pushing and the morphine I'd had but she was fine. She did have an amazing fluid filled lump on her head which took 6 weeks to go down and was very interesting to our midwifes who had only ever read about these things and had never seen a real one.

[Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme]

Dd1 was back to back but unfortunately nobody noticed, not even with the foetal monitor on, and because she was a big baby she got stuck in my pelvis. The epidural wore off in all the commotion and I got rushed to theatre for an emcs.

Make sure you put in your notes exactly what it is you want! If there's the slightest sign of trouble you don't want them faffing around and letting your pain relief wear off. If you for want ventouse make sure they know that.

[Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme]

If you don't want, that should say.

[Biscuitless]

Hi there, I think it all depends as with labour for any baby, so don't panic or worry too much about the bad experiences you hear of, all you can do is (as I think someone else suggested) make a plan of what you'd like to happen in each situation eg I believe you can stipulate no forceps and that you'd rather go straight to c section if that is needed, but you can also say (if you want) that you want to labour as actively as possible before that, or could opt for an early epidural.

My own experience was being induced with a back to back baby, who turned out to weigh 10 lb 6 oz and the doctors had to manage shoulder dystocia on his way out. But despite all of that, it was all absolutely fine, which is why I say it all depends so much.

It probably helped that mine was my second dc so i had some idea what to expect and second labours tend to be a bit faster. What happened was that i went 14 days overdue. In retrospect I think he was never going to come out without a bit of encouragement due to being in the wrong position. I didn't know he was back to back - the midwife deliberately concealed this from me, saying cryptic things like she wasn't sure of the position, to avoid me going in with a negative mindset. I was induced by breaking waters, contractions started naturally 2 hours later so no drip. Baby delivered 3 hours after onset of contractions! So not long drawn out.

In terms of pain it was a bit more painful than with my first (non back to back) baby but not by much and tbh I'd put that down to the fact labour was so much quicker so the contractions were closer together and there was no time for natural endorphins to build up, and also being induced in the hospital environment with bright lights etc was more stressful than labouring naturally at home at night. But I did the whole thing with no pain relief, not even gas and air (as I couldn't work out how to make the bloody thing work and the midwife didn't stay, as she didn't take on how advanced things were, and then I was in transition anyway and too busy throwing up). Main thing different was a massive pressure in my bum which I was desperate to get rid of towards the end and this disappeared once I was well into the pushing stage.

As far as turning goes, I had some assistance as the heart rate dropped as I entered the second stage (think this was more to do with being overdue than b2b). I was told they would try a ventouse but he was still really high in my pelvis and if this didn't work within the next couple minutes they'd go straight to emcs. It was only at this point I found out he was b2b as they spent a while trying to establish his position so the could attach the ventouse correctly. I found huge strength from somewhere and pushed with all my might and I could feel him move even before they attached the ventouse and could sense the mood in the room change, with them thinking now the vaginal delivered would work. Then the doctor pulled while I pushed and it felt like we were working together and he helped turn the baby, at least that's what it felt like. So I'm not sure when he actually turned.

I guess if it had been a first birth it would have been more likely to end in c section as pushing is harder first time, but Ds was already in mild distress when they started the induction and I don't think it was due to his position.

[chosenone]

Ds1 back to back. In hindsight all the clues were there that it was going to end up an emergency CS! Very slowlabour. Send home and did a full night in hospital before I got to 3cms! I just couldn't get established. Ended up with the drip, needed an epidural by then. Then they tried another drip as didn't get past 8cm, finally a section. So just be aware of how its progressing and yes I would not have wanted forceps, good luck and stay active. Nothing could turn my ds but my placenta was anterior so the MW felt he was destined to be b2b.

[MuscatBouschet]

Also b2b with my first. As with others, a long first stage and intense pain for the first 10 hours while she turned. No pain relief because constantly sent home from hospital as not dilated enough. Then after 25 hours of labour the problem just becomes exhaustion and having the energy to see it through.

I had a di-morphine injection to have a quick nap. Without it I wouldn't have survived. No epidural. Exhaustion meant my pushing wasn't great, so ended up with episiotomy which took months to heal. Still prefer that over c-section scar though.

I'd consider turning down ventouse and forceps unless life in danger. Know too many women ripped to shreds by them.