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Childbirth

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

Original poster

Do back-to-back babies come later? What gestational week did your back-to-back l.o. show up?

62 replies

lostintranslation2 · 13/01/2015 20:45

Hi there! I'm 38+3 and even though I've been having lots of contractions, and cervix has been effaced for a while, no sign of our l.o. yet. She's been back-to-back for some time now, and since the dr says it can make delivery slower/harder and increase chances of a c-section if they don't turn, I was wondering if on average labour starts later for back-to-back babies. What's your experience? What week did labour start for you if your DC was back-to-back /face first? Did you deliver after your EDD /need induction?

OP posts:
Original poster
lostintranslation2 · 13/01/2015 21:10

Thanks for all the helpful feedback, advice, and good wishes ladies!
Looks like there are quite a few EMCS, but labour week seems to vary just like it does for non back-to-back babies. Not worried so much as curious (and a little bit impatient - first DC!) - maybe the worrying will come later Grin
Very useful info NancyJones! Fingers crossed for spontaneous labour then - there's still quite a bit of time for that thankfully, dr is happy for me to go to 41+3, but not later since cervix is already favourable.

OP posts:
BiscuitsofYum · 13/01/2015 21:10

Ds was back to back born emcs at 40+9 after a 52 hour labour after a sweep. The cs was because of other issues not caused by being back to back though..

AnnieLobeseder · 13/01/2015 21:12

DD1, not back-to-back was 10 days early, and took 27 hours to saunter out. DD2 was back-to-back, was 7 days early, took 7 hours and was infinitely easier to get out that DD1 (home waterbirth while fresh rather then hospital birth flat on my back in bed hallucinating with exhaustion after being awake 36 hours). We didn't know DD2 was back to back until the midwife went "Oh, she's looking the wrong way!" when her head popped out.

mewkins · 13/01/2015 21:13

I was 12 days over by the time dd arrived by emcs. I suspect that had she been the correct way rpund she would have appeared earlier! She was very low but just in the wrong direction!

BlueberryWafer · 13/01/2015 21:13

Ds was back to back, born on his due date.

Showy · 13/01/2015 21:17

38 and 37 weeks respectively. Waters spontaneously ruptured because of their position. Back to back but shifting to LOT position, made my waters break a wee bit earlier than they probably should have done.

Two long labours and two emcs but more due to the LOT (and asynclitic in dd's case) than the back to back alone.

rallytog1 · 13/01/2015 21:17

12 days over and emcs too.

zzzzz · 13/01/2015 21:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WanderingTrolley1 · 13/01/2015 21:21

38.5

Original poster
lostintranslation2 · 13/01/2015 21:25

Good luck with DC2 bagofsnakes!
Would really like to try without an epi if I can manage, and wondering also if back-to-back babies make that harder - very diverse experiences from what I can read here! Maybe not that much difference from non back-to-back pain-wise (hopefully!)
mewkins - yes, mine is very low too, and cervix effaced, but still no sign of her even though seemed likely she would show up early, which made me wonder whether back-to-back position could slow things down at some point... From what people are saying here though, looks like position can make things go either way - failure to dilate, or waters breaking early!
Showy, what's LOT?

OP posts:
museumum · 13/01/2015 21:29

My ds came at 39+5. I'm pretty sure he was b2b when labout started but he turned during the first 12hrs of labour which were tough with serious back pain but resulted in very little dilation.
The next 12 hours I went to 8cm at home followed by water labour and literally two contractions of pushing.
He was not born b2b.

My only tip is to try hiring a tens machine if you think he's b2b and are keen to labour naturally/actively. My pain was all in my lower back so the tens worked like magic.

PinkFondantFancy · 13/01/2015 21:30

First at 38 weeks, waters broke 18 hours before she arrived. Second at 40 weeks. Both straightforward births with no pain relied, not even g & a. I think the key was being able to move in labour and found being on all fours very helpful. If you're not already doing it, I highly recommend natal hypnotherapy

SillyBub · 13/01/2015 21:35

Both my front to back and back to back babies arrived at 40 plus 6. With the front to back one labour was slow and dilation slow but steady. With back to back one, the build up of contractions was the usual pattern but when they were really intense and close together there had been no dilation but then my waters broke and I went from 1cm to 10cm instantly and 2 quick pushes and there was baby. Definitely more back pain with the back to back one but I did the whole 24 hours with not even a paracetamol, so it was bearable.

Poolbirthx2 · 13/01/2015 21:38

My ds1 was back to back, delivered 40 + 14 - very long and painful labour but no complications and delivered in the pool

Good luck x

GingerCuddleMonster · 13/01/2015 21:44

ds was back to back he was induced at 40weeks, labor was short for me but he never turned I had to birth him back to back, no epidural because I went faster than planned so gas and aired it. it was manageable I'll say but still fucking hurt like fuck

RigglinJigglin · 13/01/2015 21:46

40+12 - every drug going under the sun, drip and eventual forceps as she'd turned her head Hmm . It wasn't that painful (due to aforementioned drugs) but it was a slog as others have said. Nothing was shifting her at all.

Original poster
lostintranslation2 · 13/01/2015 21:48

Impressed/heartened by the no pain relief stories! I hope I manage without the epi as well - museumum, I've heard good things about TENS machines but am on French/Swiss border and not sure it's possible to hire one here unfortunately. Don't seem to be as widely used as in the UK. Am hoping I can use the pool they have at the hospital (two pools but four birthing rooms, so first come first served), and have been told only some of the anesthesiologists there do g&a, while others don't, so again, it'll be a bit of a gamble, depending on what day of the week DD decides to make an appearance!

OP posts:
GColdtimer · 13/01/2015 21:59

Dd1 was back to back. Was induced at 42 weeks - nothing got going until the drip. The worst thing was the feeling if needing to push when I was only 7cm dilated. I resisted lots of pressured rom MW to have epidural as I thought that would end in EMC. They were worried I would push. Instead DH breathed every single contraction through with me for 2 hours. First stage was long, second stage very quick. Apart from induction no further intervention needed, shed loads if gas and air though!!

I would spend as much time on all fours as possible. Lean over your birth ball, scrub kitchen floor - still time for baby to turn! Good luck.

Purplehonesty · 13/01/2015 22:02

First back to back baby induced and born at 42 weeks. Second one at 38 weeks when my waters went a week before my section was booked. Not sure she actually was back to back tho.

softlysoftly · 13/01/2015 22:27

My top tips after 3 B2B babies then!

1 - download this

2 - spend every night from now with that on your earphones falling asleep while breathing slowly in while counting quickly to 20 and imagining a balloon filling in your abdomen. Then slowly out, same count imagining the full balloon travelling from your abdomen out of your birth canal and away.

Lay on your left side with a pillow between your thighs.

3 - tell your birth partner your basic wishes (eg pain relief you def don't want, 3rd stage managed whatever) so when contractions start you can hand over responsibility and just retreat into your body.

4 - when you go into labour bung your earphones in. Lay on your left with the pillow (or move around if you want) and ignore everyone.

Worked twice gor me! A little bit too well with DD2 she arrived on the pavement Grin

rubyboo2 · 14/01/2015 09:07

Hi Op my back to back son was born at 39 weeks ,7 hrs of labour . It was the pushing stage which was the hardest 2 hrs ! but I managed . :-)

MrsMaker83 · 14/01/2015 09:17

My back to back baby was born at 41+6.

Contractions started naturally then i had to be induced and had my waters broken.

Resulted in emergency rotational forceps as baby became distressed but was stuck due to back to back position and had gotten too far down for a straightforward csection.

They can sometimes be very tricky births, hope all goes well!

BitOutOfPractice · 14/01/2015 09:21

I had 2 back to back babies

DC1 was 42+1
DC2 was 40 + 2

Not much help am I?

iwantkhaleesiseyebrows · 14/01/2015 10:28

DD was back to back and went into labour at 39 weeks. Ended up with EMCS for failure to progress (as she got into an awkward position and never actually engaged!)

NickyEds · 14/01/2015 11:46

DS was back to back and was born at 39 weeks +5 days. Waters went first and were bloody so had to stay in hospital. Went into spontaneous labour more or less straight away but didn't progress past 3.5cms and 7 minutes contractions so had to be augmented with a synto drip after 24 hours. He was born around 6 hours later so around 30ish hours altogether. No other births to compare it to (until July Smile) but all of my contractions were intense back pain rather than the front of my uterus. It really hurtSad. Sorry.