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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Back to Back with Baby?

11 replies

maltatheterrible · 19/12/2006 13:08

Hi All
Just had my 32 week midwife appointment and everything is fine, but the baby is back to back with me.
My first thought is "oh god, pain, lots of pain". Midwife suggested the usual get on all fours advice to encourage baby to swing around. Friends all say this is useless and doesn't help.
Could anyone advise if this/anything else helped for them, and if a back to back labour is really as horrendously painful as I've heard please? Many thanks

OP posts:

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lulumama · 19/12/2006 13:13

look at this re OFP

some good links on that thread too

my baby was OP and turned when i was in labour....

ignore the negative comments..you can help to shift the baby around ..i did 15 hours of back to back labour with no pain relief for 12 hours and then gas & air , and then nothing,,then she turned!! and she was born 3 hours later...!! you will have more pain in your back, so best not to be on your back in labour..but no reason you cannot cope and no reason you cannot give birth to an OP baby !

Original poster

maltatheterrible · 19/12/2006 13:18

lulumama if there is another one of those popularity threads created I am so going to vote for you as queen of MN - thank you! Its so reassuring to hear that someone else coped with it, and I am reading through the link for more info.
I am planning on using the local midwife unit, hopefully going for a water birth or failing that a birthing stool, but still fingers crossed that my baby shifts her ass in the next 7 weeks and assumes the "proper" position.

OP posts:

belgo · 19/12/2006 13:19

maltatheterrible.

Don't worry too much! Your midwife's advice about getting on your hands and knees is right, also being on your hands and knees during labour might help get the baby into the right position - it did with me for my first baby!

My second baby however remained OP and labour was more painful, but still manageable without any pain relief.

Both labours were 'back pain' labours.

At 32 weeks your baby has planty of time to move.

lulumama · 19/12/2006 13:27

great that you are going for a midwifery led unit......water is great to birth in, really supports you and lets you find a good comfortable position...sounds like you will have the opportunity to have an active birth..and feeling confident and supported and able to go with what your body needs is so important

ROA & LOA are the preferable positions for baby to be in to be born...but not all babies get there...they are born though !!

i know 3 other people who have had OP babies and gave birth ok.....it might be a bit harder and a bit longer..but once LO is in your arms, you won;t mind a bit !

thank you for your appreciation too !!

WandaTwodaFreda · 19/12/2006 13:32

I had a back to back labour with DS1 - pain all in my back, but I didn't have any pain relief, so it's definitely doable. All fours position for labour and midwife and DH on back rubbing duty.

KathyMCMLXXII · 19/12/2006 13:41

Does the position at 32 weeks really mean anything? I had an OP labour with my first so this time round I kept asking the midwives, doctors etc about the position, and the consensus was that until the baby engages you have no idea what the position is going to be for the birth.

Also, no idea if this made any difference, but this time round I spent quite a lot of time sitting on a birthing ball (rather more doable than spending ages on all fours!) and this one came out the right way round.

lulumama · 19/12/2006 13:45

can do kathy....my baby was op all the way through pregnancy.....always at my back !!

yes, a gym ball can help..sitting slumped in a comfy chair encourages the baby to slump against your back ,so a gym ball keeps you upright and wiggling!!

if the baby is OP , you tend not to get a sticking out belly button ,as there is a gap under the belly button, rather than a part of the baby! mine never popped out with either baby !

belgo · 19/12/2006 13:47

that's interesting lulumama - I never got a sticking out belly button - had no idea it was to do with the baby being OP.

Original poster

maltatheterrible · 19/12/2006 13:48

Ok, I am liking all these tales of people surviving OP labours, thanks for all replies so far and I am trying to rememeber that we are only 32 weeks so hopefully plenty of time for things to change.
Have just bought a birthing ball from ebay, I've spent every evening with my feet up so far thinking I was doing the right thing - doh!

I work in an office, and was wondering would one of those Z shaped stools help? Not sure if I can describe it, but my friend has one as she has a bad back. You sort of sit on the pad, with your knees lower down again and the shape seems to sort of tip you foward?

OP posts:

lulumama · 19/12/2006 13:51

hope that is right ! LOL!!

OP presentations account for around 10 - 11 % of presentations, so 1 in 10 babies or so are OP...shoudl not be an issue!

rhubarbcat · 19/12/2006 18:26

At 32 weeks there is loads of time for baby to be changing round. Even if baby was breech there is loads of time/room for baby to jiggle round. Good luck

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