Can anyone explain what back labour is like?

[Twocatsonebaby]

Whilst I don't think I'm in labour at the moment (35w) I have sciatica in this pregnant and recently he's been moving as normal but I've had period pain. I used to get period pain in my back quite a lot. It was like a very very painful ache and I'm experiencing this now.

I had back labour and i can't even describe the pain. I would be physically unable to move but screaming in agony. I didn't want people to touch me and I still get flash backs of how horrendous it was.

My second was back to back. It was just the feeling of contractions but radiating from my back outwards, as opposed to the pain starting from lower abdomen and radiating across bump. Deep heat patches on my back really helped in the earlier stages. Contractions were the normal, every few minutes or so and rising to a peak type, until I got to transition and it felt like it was never ending! I didn't actually know he was back to back until after he was born and the midwife said, my first was emcs so had nothing to compare the pain too. Third baby was not back to back but much harder labour only because it went on for much longer, I don't think there was a lot of difference in how painful it was I just coped better the second time because it was shorter and by the time I said I wanted an epidural it was too late as I was 10cm so time to push!

I also had sciatic pain towards the end of the 2nd pregnancy and period type cramps in my back. Lots of warm baths and massages really helped to ease it!

I only felt pain in my back but not actually sure if dd was back to back, don’t think midwives knew for sure either. It’s just like period pain x100. Very uncomfortable but I wondered if it’s any worse than having it all over the front to be honest, but I don’t have anything to compare to. I used a hot water bottle on my back, sat upright on a ball (you prob won’t be able to lie down) hot baths helped for a bit. I also had the sciatica before and after birth it got really bad so just watch out for that.

I had back to back and it just felt like there was no respite from the contractions and pain - it was impossible to discern when there was a gap so hard to know when to go into maternity ward. Do try everything you can to get the baby in the right position, stay on the ball..!

My DC1 was back to back. Severe lower back pain with little pain on the bump. Contractions were pretty constant (think 2-3 minutes contractions with 30 secs to 1 minute in between from waters breaking). Could barely move or talk with the pain and the epidural took and wore off irregularly. Labour also slowed down a couple of times which I believe is typical of back to back labour. I'm afraid it ended in an assisted delivery (forceps very much against my wishes). Looking back I would have insisted on a section rather than forceps.

I didn’t have the pain as bad as described above but I have horrendous periods so labour wasn’t as bad. It felt like I constantly needed to take a dump which was really disconcerting and contractions weren’t felt low in my belly but round the sides. Just lots of pressure from behind like the baby was going to come out my bum.

Can I ask what back to back is? Is it your their back against yours? My dd birth was straight forward really apart from her getting stuck

My dc3 was back to back in labour, my midwife told me exactly the angle to position myself (sort of a wonky downward dog) and he moved around with the next few contractions. It all went well & was by far the best labour I've had. Don't give up hope.

Yes When the baby’s back is against yours. As doradolittle said you often don’t get proper contractions as such. I didn’t. It’s was just one long pain in the back with peaks of even more pain every few mins.

My second was back labour - weirdly not actually back to back position.

Anyway - I have done 3 totally drug free labours now, and 1 and 3 were fine, but if back labour starts with #4 then I will be sprinting out of the lovely huggy natural birth centre into the main labour ward to get a fecking epidural. Or maybe a section. Have never felt pain like it. No tearing with my others, but 3 with that one, because the agony was so bad I couldn't bear to slow down the pushing.

Mind you, the labour was actually pretty straightforward and quick, 9 hours from twinges to baby, and straight home after. And if you are like me and trying to be drug free, be smarter than me and don't forget that there is still gas and air in the room if you want it!

Ah okay, thank you! My DP's nan when she was having his mom had back pains instead of actual contractions. Her mom told her to go to the hospital and she almost went home not thinking she was in labour. DP's mom was born 10 mins later. But she said during those 10 mins after being checked she was in agony. The worst labour she's had and it worries me

I’d like to know what ‘normal’ labour feels like but honestly the back wasn’t so bad. I made it through ok with nothing until 7cm dilated, one shot of diamorphine to get me to 10, then gas and air. Midwives insisted that I wasn’t in labour because I wasn’t having proper contractions (and withheld all pain relief until they finally examined me and realised). If I had it again, I would insist on a physical check before they guess how far through you are as the thing that got me down the most was labouring that hard and being told I still hadn't really started. That nearly broke me, the pain was bearable compared to that.

2 of my 3 were back to back.

Ds was a 4 hour labour, during which I couldn't sit down. DD (no 3) was stop start for 5 days, but was delivered in 3 hours once labour finally established. Agajn I couldn't sit/lie down and needed to keep walking around - I had quite a few stitches with her which I'm told is common with back to back deliveries.

DS1 was back to back but the midwife didn’t realise - it’s like a pp said - no respite from the pain, uncomfortable no matter what position you’re in, can’t stand or sit still... you need a midwife who is on the ball to do what another person said and get you in the right position to try and move them - my (awful) midwife made me lie on my back to push and I think I have PTSD as a result

This is quite an interesting read. I always wondered what back to back labour was like and the descriptions are exactly like my two labours. Both without any respite and no noticeable gap between contractions - it was like one long pain. Pain also only in my back and absolutely nothing in my tummy....well certainly nothing that I noticed. First labour was 25 hours and I had an epidural 17 hours in - oh the relief. Second labour was 4 hours and epidural didn't work at all. Vomited lots during both labours. Can't wait for the third

My 2nd was back to back, pain was in bum & back. It was the labour I coped best with out the 3.

Back to back contractions for me were far more painful than normal. When I stood up I felt like my back was going to split in two. If you do end up in back to back labour get on all fours and stay that way.

Addlebrained that’s exactly what happened to me. Every instinct I had Told me to push on my knees in a sort of squat. The midwives couldn’t really see without bending down which I think was annoying them so they made me move onto my back for the last bit and I tore quite badly which I don’t think I should have given my baby was preterm and fairly small. At least I’ll be prepared if it happens agains.

Mine was back to back and the contractions were excruciating and seemed never ending. They seem to come one on top of another with no respite so I could barely breath. I had to kneel on my knees against the bed to try and get comfortable. The contractions went on for hours and then subsided for a while before starting up again. I was put on a oxytocin drip and gas and air and eventually had a cs as I was running out of energy and a failure to progress. The baby was fine. I went into labour on Saturday morning and had the cs the following monday evening. Horrendous.

My first was back to back so I had nothing to compare it to at the time. The midwife kept me as mobile as possible and had my bouncing up and down on a birthing ball for most of the afternoon😂. I was induced and they broke my waters and gave me the syntocin drip a few hours later to try and move things along. I honestly don’t recall it being awful, I started contractions about 7am, pushing at 5pm and baby arrived at 6pm.

Next time, baby was not back to back but I can’t compare it because this one arrived at breakneck speed so I was too dazed with how fast it was happening to compare it.