stories of easy(er) back-to-back babies and labours?

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My baby is 3/5 engaged and despite many weeks of never having reclined once, is back to back.

I am aware he may still turn. I am aware he may turn during labour.

At this point - starting a Week 36 - I have too much fatigue and too many achey swollen joints to be truly able to commit to Spinning Babies, the suggested durations of all fours or walking. I'm trying but for example my knees begin to hurt despite loads of cushioning if I spend more than a few minutes on all fours.

So I do what I can - I never recline. I always sit upright. Beyond that I find it useful to accept that baby is doing what he's comfy doing. I'm doing what I can. No point fretting. No point stressing. It is what it is. It could be loads of other far worse things :-)

So........... I've heard countless accounts of rather difficult back to back labours. These are real stories. I've made notes from them. I've profound respect for mothers who went through these experiences. I've learnt about days of latent early labour, full dilation with grinding saw like back pain, interventions that leave less than positive outcomes. These very real, lived accounts I have read and heard and made notes from.

What I am looking for now is perhaps accounts of easier experiences of birthing posterior babies. I have consciously avoided using the word "positive" stories as the word "positive" unintentionally connotes the opposite "negative". I appreciate one person's easy could be another's difficult, but nonetheless, it would be great to hear some of these Other stories if anyone has them of back births which people did not find traumatising or difficult. Just to gain some perspective into the multitude of outcomes Possible with back to babies.

At the moment I have a clear perspective on the difficulties of the situation. Which is useful and instructive and great for going into labour without Rose tinted glasses. Any other stories Would help with the remaining optimistic side of things, which I suspect also has it's uses :-)

X

My baby was back to back and turned during labour. 3 hour labour, 3 minute pushing stage, no pain relief. Beautiful easy birth and actually far less painful (and shorter) than previous birth where baby wasn't back to back. Hope this helps.

Not myself, but my friends baby was b2b and had a labour almost identical to mine. Hers was approx eight hours from start to finish, water birth, no pain relief, no tear . She said that the water really helped :)

My DS was back to back and turned during labour. I did have a long latent phase but whilst tiring it was manageable and not horrendously painful. Actual labour was about 10 hours and all in my back - moving around helped and water was fantastic. I've nothing to compare to as he was my first but whilst not ideal it seemed comparable to others I know who had 'normal' positioned babies.

Wonderful. Never imagined these stories existed. Thank you very much.

My second was back to back, she didn't turn but labour was 1 hour 15 mins in total and done on just gas and air, slight tear but nothing major.

DS1 was b2b, the labour pains were definitely more back than front, more like period pains than my other labours. He was born in 6 hours and turned during birth, I managed on just gas and air :)

DS1 was b2b.
I had to be told I was having contractions. I thought I had a stomach bug, as I kept throwing up ( on each contraction - I did this with DS2 also).
Anyway, 4 hrs to go from 5cm to birth, and I only asked for gas and air when they were stitching, as I tore.

Ds was the right way round through final weeks but turned as I went into labour. I didn't know until told in hospital. By then I had laboured at home with tens, bath and paracetamol. Arrived at hospital 7cms dilated. Had to have an hour laid on bed for monitoring as had a small bleed and that was excruciating. Got through with gas and air though. Walked around for a while then got in pool and relief was amazing. Had him after a couple of hours with more gas and air in pool. Honestly it was fine! Midwife made me lay on back in pool to get him out as she said it would be easier- not sure why but it worked. A great friend had her back to back baby in pool with no pain relief at all too.

I'm afraid my account isn't an easy one, but one thing I will say is that often with back to back babies, you dilate quite quickly. Happened to me, seemed to be the same for several others on this thread whether they had a prolonged latent phase or not. So that's arguably easier than a lengthy dilation. I actually went from 2cm to 9cm in two and a half hours, which is very quick for a first time labour!

It's very encouraging reading these stories but also very very informative I must say. I genuinely, did not have any idea that people could have these kinds of back to back labours, or these durations.

I've had four dc three were back to back one wasn't. One of them turned during labour and the other two were born facing up. In all honesty there wasn't that much difference between any of the labours all were straight forward and I've never had a stitch. Oh and one of the stargazers was 10lb 8!

2 b2b babies so I know and will never know any other way!

Was it painful, hell yes but I'm fairly sure labour normally is

I found being in the water helped both times, never had intervention but with both I did need a wee shot of pethedene near the end! DD was about 20 minutes before she was born! Oops!

The most frustrating part with Ds (PFB) was during the hour long pushing stage when he kept going back up! With dd I was having none of that and pushed her out in about 5 minutes!

I honestly think you need to just approach it the same way you would any other birth. I didn't know in advance so couldn't really prepare do to speak. It probably will be painful, you may or may not require intervention or have a long labour but your body is made for this and your midwife knows what they're doing. Go with the flow, don't beat yourself up for any intervention/drugs and just remember what you get at the end is worth it all!

My first baby was b2b and born like that. He was ventouse but that was because he was also born holding onto his ears and got stuck. At 4, he still holds into his ears when tired . It was fine, took about 11 hours in total.

Ds2 was also b2b but he turned in labour and he was no pain relief / no intervention / a lot quicker!

Both mine were back to back and they both came with no intervention. The first, I started having contractions on Thursday and dd wasn't born until Monday, but it really wasn't as bad as it sounds! Contractions were far apart and not too painful for the first couple of days and dd had turned by herself by Monday morning. Because she has turned and I was fully dilated, midwives popped my waters and she more or less shot out.

Second dd was totally different, very fast first stage labour which started with my waters going. Then she got a bit stuck and the midwife made me have a lie down and I had a 30 min nap. Then things got going again and I laboured on all fours for a couple more hours. She came out with one arm above her head like superman. It was more painful than the first but the midwife said it was because it was a lot faster.

I did all the spinning baby stuff with the second and I swear she never budged until I was in labour.

Best of luck and congrats

My first was back to back. (No idea about my second as she was just a speedy delivery!)
Quick dilation here too. Lots of awful back pain nearer the end but had a water birth which was lovely. DH ran warm water over my back with every contraction. Bliss! Best pain relief ever!

Mine was about as easy as it gets. Early stage labour was some very dull and painless back ache that came at intervals. I didn't even realise they were contractions at first. Then about an hour of them coming closer together, still not painful, uncomfortable at most. Last 10 minutes or so of that hour were extremely painful. Then according to the hospital 10 minutes of full on labour. Although truthfully I think the 10 minutes before that were also proper labour if they hadn't been so insistent first labours aren't that quick.
I also had no pain relief, so while the last 20 minutes hurt like fuck it I can say with all honesty up to that point it wasn't even uncomfortable enough to want pain relief. The pain and labour sensation I would describe as like trying to shit a very large brick, with someone else trying to help push it out by sticking a knife in your spine and poking it in the direction of your pelvis. Modern pain relief is usually the solution to this. I was just too quick to get chance. And same as any experience of pain, short lived and intense is easier to deal with than less intense for longer.
I've not had anymore so I don't have personal experience to compare. But given what I've seen and heard, I would choose the ease of my back to back birth every time.

My first dd was b2b and turned in labour. It wasn't the easiest labour (long latent stage and v painful contractions right from the start), but it wasn't traumatic. Birthing pool really helped with the back pain although I need an epidural at the end. But she came out easily with 45 min pushing (pretty normal for a 1st birth) and just a second degree tear that healed quickly with no issues. It was a positive experience overall.

Don't be afraid to use pain relief if you need it- b2b labours can be long and pain relief can give you a chance to recharge your batteries before you need to start pushing.

What a useful thread this has turned out to be! DH and I are having a good read of all your stories :-)

My DS was back to back, despite doing everything Spinning Babies told me to do.

I went into labour at around 10 pm, bounced on my ball and then stayed in the bath until my waters broke and I went into the hospital at about 8 am to find I was only 2cm dilated. It was starting to get more painful but I was sent home, where I got back in the bath and started pushing. Made it into the hospital in time, where they asked if I wanted to bother with gas and air as I had coped so well with nothing, but I definitely wanted it. The pushing stage did last quite a long time but I actually enjoyed the experience despite any pain.

I've had two b2b labours, neither what I'd call awful.
Both managed on Gas & Air, second in a birthing pool as well.

Ds1 at 36wks
Waters had broken a few days before, admitted to hospital, cx eventually started around 10pm. 3/4cm by 3am. 6cm by 6am, so taken down to labour ward.
Worth noting that I hadn't put much effort into learning my Hypnobirthing, and did my entire labour standing leaning on the bed with my elbows. Lying down for exams was not great, it was much easier standing. I had a great midwife, newly qualified and totally happy to let me do what o preferred.
Felt like an elephant was stood on my lower back, no pain in the front (that I noticed).
Ds1 turned just before delivery, kind boy! Standing delivery, three pushes over about 30 mins, born at 12:30pm. Active labour was recorded as 4hrs as it was 8cm to delivery.
2nd degree tear, two days of minor incontinence after but nothing major.
All in all, pretty good! Only 5lb5oz and a tiny head tho...

Ds2 at 38wks
Cx mildly at 9:30pm, un-ignorable by 2:30am, every 2-3mins by 3:30, arrived at birthing centre at 4am where they slowed to 4mins. Again, laboured standing, leaning on chair arms.
Had requested a pool, it took hours to fill due to a plumbing fault, got in at 6/7ish, and woooo that helped! Massively recommend it for b2b labours. It needs to be nice and hot, and beware the shivers if you have to get out for exams.
Ds2 did NOT turn for delivery (little bugger) and came out stargazing. He actually went back UP after one push, I remember saying "Oh come ON!"
Took longer to crown as still b2b, tho the water helped with stinging, and I had my feet braced on the pool sides which also helped.
Delivered in the water at 9:30am, he came up very calm and not particularly squished. 6lb15oz, 2nd degree tear again, no urinary incontinence.
Again, tho a bit harder than Ds1's, still a good labour.
Felt brilliant after, home a day later, absolutely fine, full of beans.
However, I will say one less than positive thing, my pelvic floor is still lost 18m later, and I'm having physio to rebuild it.

My second midwife did say that she recommended I not have an epidural as in her experience of b2bs that generally lead to an instrumental birth, as the loss of feeling made it so much harder to birth a b2b baby. By the time I felt I couldn't cope on G&A it was too late for an epidural anyway!

B2B labours do suck, but they aren't all bad, and I feel certain both of mine were easier than many of my friends who had longer normal births.
All labours and births are different anyway, I hope this thread has helped dispel some fears.

Oh jeez that was looooong, sorry!

Ds was b2b and it took 56 minutes from getting out of bed to him being born. Didn't make it to the hospital and dh delivered him on the living room floor. I had 1 extremely painful contraction during which I think he turned. I was dreading his labour as all I'd heard were horror stories about b2b labours and mine really was nothing like that.

My baby was b2b and I don't think the labour was horrendous. It wasn't long (13hrs from regular contractions to birth). I was on all fours the entire time during labour and had a water birth which I think significantly helped with positioning. I didn't get the back pain everyone talks about and did it on gas and air. The only issues I ha was havi urge to push too early due to his positioning so had to resist for couple hours which was difficult. And he turned whilst crowning which caused me to sustain a complicated tear, though the severity of that I think was due to my having a water birth and the midwives
Not being able to see that well when he was coming out and therefore unable to put hot compress on perineum. Therefore I'd recommend water birth but getting out of the water for the pushing stage so that the delivery can be
More controlled to prevent tearing. Best of luck op it could be baby turns before labour, or even during labour (not during crowning!) unlike me :)

Also agree with cuboid about epidural - I didn't have one, but havin now birthed a baby I don't think you would be able to understand how much you have to push and the force your body puts behind it if you haven't had a baby. So birthing for first time with an epidural would make pushing v difficult imo as I don't think you would be able to push as hard without having the feeling which like cuboid says could be what leads to intervention. As others say tho I would approach it like any other labour - labour is labour is labour. Our bodies are meant for it ??

I've had two b2b.
DS1 I was in labour for a very long and painful 38 hours, 2 hours of pushing, he came out face first, I tore, grazed, bruised, had a pph. I managed on just gas and air. (Just about)

DD was back to back and face first too. From being in "active" labour (regular contractions) it took 5 hours and 7 minutes of pushing. Just gas and air, no tears or anything!
I won't lie it was agonising, but I managed. And survived. I think my labour with DS1 could have been much easier, but I was a petrified 17 year old and I panicked (especially with his position) with DD I was much calmer, and labour was much easier. (Although not as easy as DS2 and he was the biggest!)