Textbooks 1st birth, worries about 2nd...

[Luckystar1]

DS is 21 months, born in the water, no pain relief, basically the wonder child of the NCT perfect birth.

However, he was in an optimum position for labour and I stayed at home until about 2 hours before he was born, was up and about, out for lunch, mowed the lawn etc.

DC2 is due today (!!!!) and is believed to be back to back (no one has really told me anything this time, in fact they were concerned it was breech last week ). I also have tested positive for Group B Strep which means I will have to go to hospital very soon after labour starts.

I'm scared. I've had the 'good' labour and birth. The active labour etc.

I don't think I can do a hospital one. It's not 'me'. I don't do well not being able to do my own thing and get very antsy not being able to just 'be'! (By that I mean, go to lunch, be 'normal').

I worried that the pain will be incredibly more, that I'll have to labour on my own as DH will be with DS until I'm 'ready' (no family nearby and no one I would want to be with me and we'd prefer minimal disturbance for DS).

I don't know what I want anyone to say I just need to say I'm scared!

Hey, I think I had the opposite scenario to you with a back to back first birth, but short labour and it must have been relatively (although not painless) painless for back to back labours. I was admitted as my hind waters had gone and they kept me overnight as I'd gone in at 2am and they didn't feel I was in labour - so were going to induce me in the morning. I eventually asked for someone at 6:15am as I was in pain and was 10cm examined. Ended in forceps. Baby was however not back to back before labour as babies rotate typically clockwise before hand so she was in the right occiput anterior position and locked herself back to back. Labour was painful but as you can see I laboured quickly as I was up and around my little side room and I managed the pain with no pain relief at all.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it doesn't mean it has to be different or anymore painful. It's about working through the labour in the moment and not anticipating what may happen. I don't know if I'd have ended up with forceps any other way but have a strong family history of babies getting stuck in the same way. All the best

Thank you that is reassuring!! I am praying for no intervention (aren't we all!?) so hopefully I can work through it as you did!!

Just trying to reassure that back to back doesn't always mean a horrible labour! Both my two were back to back through all of late pregnancy (despite my best efforts!) and until at least 5cm dilated, but both of them emerged the right way up after fairly short labours (both under five hours) and I managed both fine on gas and air. No back pain at all thankfully! I spent both labours completely on all fours which may or may not have been what helped them turn - it definitely felt like a good position to be in though. I'm currently expecting number 3 who also feels back to back - I'm trying all the postural stuff / swimming etc. but am much less concerned if this one doesn't turn pre -labour. They can and do turn during with the help of a good position, especially if you have given birth before and the way has been paved! :-D

Thank you so much!

I'm 40+1 and getting a little frustrated that's there's no sign of a baby! And I've just developed an annoying burning pain that feels like my skin is being ripped apart. I can only assume it's the baby pushing against something!

I will be on all 4s as much as much as possible!

Fingers crossed for you! Even if you do end up on a bed (is it IV antibiotics for the GBS and hence probably labour on a bed?) hopefully there will still be lots of freedom to change position etc.

My DD was a water birth which was absolutely great (I sort of floated on all fours / leaning forward near the edge of the pool - lovely!) but there was no time to fill the pool for DS so I spent the whole thing on a bed on all fours, but also kind of hanging off the bed headrest (or whatever you could call it - the top of the hospital bed which was raised to an incline). Being sort of on all fours but also really pulling hard up and against the top of the bed during contractions really seemed to help (and the bed didn't break in spite of my concerns!!)

Maybe I am just lucky having had two back to back babies spin around with seemingly no issue during late labour /pushing and I appreciate that not everyone has the same experience, but please don't worry and assume that a slow painful back labour is inevitable as there is no reason to think that you won't have a similar experience, especially with it being your second birth. Just don't lie on your back / sit in a reclined position etc. and spend as much time on all fours as possible from now until delivery, especially during labour! Good luck!