Any positive "back to back" birth stories??

[ReggaeIrish]

Hey all,

So I’m now 4 days overdue and saw the midwife yesterday who confirmed little one was fully engaged but was now back to back, despite my best efforts of sleeping on my left, sitting on ball and leaning forward whilst on sofa!!

So I’m wondering if I can get little one to turn and if not, has anyone had a good birth experience with their little one coming out back to back?

I had my boy 9 days ago (so the experience is still very fresh for me!) I laboured the entire way to fully dilated on just gas and air and a tens machine and it was only when I'd been pushing a while that they checked and found my baby had been back to back the whole time. Won't lie, it was very painful but it was manageable- I'd have been much more scared if I'd known he was back to back before as I'd heard the horror stories too but it was doable!

In terms of turning check out Spinning Babies if you haven't found them already, do rolling cobra yoga position and get on the yoga ball! Good luck OP 😊

I'd my b2b last baby in the water, she didn't turn in the canal like most do either. Came out staring up at me through the water😅 It was very hard work compared to other labours and I had to really focus and try different things but we got there in the end. Just G&A.

I've had 2. It's painful but manageble. Dd1 I didn't know til 3 hrs before she was born after finally being admitted to hospital. They had sent me home 3 times in a taxi as nothing was happening up front so I wasn't in labour.

Dd3 wasn't picked up til I went into labour but this time I knew after having dd2 who wasn't back to back so I was a lot more forceful. The baby is back to back.

Half the battle is knowing you are so you can get the right care.

DC1 was b2b and as I have nothing to compare it to atm it was ok. Did it on g&a

Dc was back to back, nobody bothered to tell me until a few days after I'd had him as he rotated to the correct position when he was coming out.

It wasn't that bad, admittedly I have nothing to compare to but I was able to do it without pain relief at home so it can't have been that bad for me. The only issue was my coccyx getting pushed out of position which caused a lot of pain over the next week, but on the plus side I didn't need any stitches!

Both mine were back to back. Ds1 got stuck & I ended up having forceps but with ds2 I was only in labour 5 hours and managed with just gas and air.

both of mine were back to back. it wasn't that painful but one ended in a csection and one ended in a forceps delivery. neither of these procedures were anywhere near as bad as I thought they would be when I was pregnant. pain relief is really good these days. good luck with the birth xxx

Try to keep active in labour and don't labour on your back. Even if you are being monitored and on a drip insist you are on the birthing ball or leaning forward somehow.

DC1 was b2b. I wouldn't let anyone near me in labour - I made the midwife move away from me so I could focus on the breathing. No gas and air or anything. That child was coming out on sheer physical strength and willpower. Now a strapping 22 year old man and still facing the wrong way when I try to speak to him.

Oh - meant to say - I stayed on all fours. Glamorous and refined as ever.

I had a back to back labour. Home birth, second labour. It was more painful than my first (right way around) labour but I got through it. Unfortunately I only had gas and air as I was at home, but I’d have taken stronger drugs if I could have. Don’t be afraid to take the drugs offered if you need them.

My DD was the right way around but turned during labour and because of that she had the cord wrapped around her neck so she needed to be revived. But she was absolutely fine afterwards, and so was I - only a few stitches and no lasting ill effects.

So in my experience, it is more painful, it can be slow to progress and you may need some intervention (I needed my waters broken and my cervix manually dilated) BUT it was fine. It won’t last forever, you CAN cope with it and the midwives know what they’re doing and are there to help you. I’m not saying this to scare you, just trying to give you my honest experience.

Your partner has to be on back duty though - no slacking off on rubbing your lower back, especially with nice cold hands!!

My last baby was born back to back, although I didn't know he was in that position until the last minute. I managed on gas and air but it was harder work getting him out than my other labours (which could have been down to his size). I will be honest, though and say I would 100% have gotten an epidural if I would have known/could have had one.

My 2nd was back to back .no contractions I could feel , just a lot of weird pressure , arrived at hospital and after about 10 mins she flew out in her sac .

First also back to back , but 23 hours..............

I didn't know until they came out. Took a long time but I didn't have any pain relief and no stitches needed.

My second baby was back to back (was transverse, then breech so I was actually pretty pleased that she ended up head down. She was born face up (face first) so didn't turn in labour which the midwife said was unusual. And it was fine, I had her at home (tens and a pool) , and it was long but pretty enjoyable on the whole! (And I say that as someone who had an awful, intervention filled, midwife errors all over the place, first birth!)

Oh thank you ladies for all the stories! Don’t feel so panicked now about the whole b2b situation. It’s good to know that it doesn’t always led to c-section, which is my worse fear. I really don’t like the idea of being cut open, but understand that if it needs to happen, it will happen. So hearing stories about getting through on G&A, Tens machines and pethadine, really make me feel better

I’ve been sat on a ball or backwards on a chair all day and it’s bloody uncomfortable and I don’t think has done a thing to budge my little one!! Not sure now much longer I’ll stick at it or just give up and let nature take it’s course!!

I had none of the back pain associated with one. I just felt the pushing was a bit fruitless compared to the other birth. It took 3 hours of pushing but baby was coping well throughout. Just gas and air (which for me was glorious) and a minor tear afterwards.

Had my dd from back to back presentation.
Midwife unit and Just gas and air.
It was painful, but looking back I think that was mostly because I laboured through the night and was exhausted, do everything felt motte intense. Was no spring chicken either!
She is 13 now, and delightful.

I also managed on gas and air, didn’t get contractions as such, just a back ache. Had my waters not broken I don’t think I’d of realised. I tore quite badly and would rather have gone through the b2b labour again than have gotten stitched

I also never needed any stitches either with both b2bs. I managed with dd1's labour in the house and just had gas and air at the hospital once I was admitted. I had pethidine and gas and air with Dd3. I couldn't lie on the bed with either of them whilst in labour as my back was really sore. I remember shouting it's my arse my arse is hurting at one point and it felt like I was getting nowhere pushing.

I think that if you manage to avoid epidural (which is a godsend and if you want it you want it!) you are far more likely to avoid forceps or a c-section. The b2b itself is not usually what leads to intervention but b2b can be longer, slower and more exhausting so that can lead to wanting an epidural which in turn more likely leads to intervention.

But I wouldn't be concerned about b2b labour itself. Just stay focused, mobile and follow your bodys lead if you are b2b on the day. Nothing to be afraid of!

All three of mine have been b2b. 1st and 3rd born by c-section (both in distress, declerations and meconium).

2nd baby that was born vaginally was painful, but the whole labour was only 1hr 45mins on gas and air. I remember being told to lie on my side as I pushed, one leg up on the midwife while another pushed down on my bump as babe was starting to decelerate. DD shot out and was perfectly ok. No stitches or grazing. Home a couple of hours later!

I didn't find out my DD was back to back until my waters went at 37+6. She didn't turn. It was painful but I don't have any others births to compare to. No issues but it did take 4 hours of pushing to get her out. The severe back pain I experienced disappeared as soon as I had delivered. I had a second degree tear but no problems with that either, we were let out 12 hours later - and we only had to stay in that long because my waters went more than 24 hours before she was born.

I had back to back labour with my first baby. I was in very early labour for over a week (start stop). When it started properly I'd been in labour for hours, went to hospital to be told I was 1cm! Was sent home, then 2 hours later in even more agony went back, I was 7cm. So we were thinking a few hours great. Things completely stopped and I was exhausted from a week of no sleep. They then explained the baby was back to back and they needed to put me on the drip, that rammed things back up. I got to 9cm after about another 8 hours and they started to get twitchy. Eventually got to 10cm but our daughter was getting tired and I was exhausted. They came in and explained about giving me some help (forceps). Not sure if it was the threat of that or the helping hand the doctor gave me but our daughter shot out facing up to the surprise of a packed room! It wasn't dramatic just went on a long time, everything was fine and I didn't even tear at all.

What I would say is try and stay upright on a ball or on all fours. I was too exhausted to do either and once hooked up to the machines just stayed lying flat, worst possible thing you can do! I've had another baby recently since, he was normal way round, shorter birth but much much more painful than the first one, so back to back doesn't always mean more painful. I think in some ways I preferred the first birth.

Lots of babies turn in actual labour too, just because you start off back to back doesn't mean it'll stay that way.