If forceps are needed is there usually time for an epidural first?

[ALS17081982]

I've got a back to back baby and from my reading tonight it sounds like forceps are common with this position. I've not done any research into forceps because it is my absolutely worst childbirth fear. What I want to know is, if the consultant says forceps are going to be needed, will there be time to have an epidural first (if I haven't already!)? Thanks

I had a back to back baby and fortunately was fine - Labour is loooooing, typically, and contractions strong from the start, the more you can be in all fours or leaning forward the better the chances the baby will turn - I don’t know how true it is but midwives said left alone, most back to back babies will turn before pushing.

Good luck, I was really worried about it but it was fine x

Hi.. positive story here just to offer a bit of reassurance... I gave birth to a back to back baby 2 weeks ago, he was big, 90centile head and 9lb3. I was induced at 8 days overdue with waters broken then the drip. I won’t lie, it was more painful than my other 2 labours and a lot longer (almost 10 hours) but definitely feasible and you won’t necessarily need an epidural or any instruments. That was induced too, if labour starts naturally, it won’t be as intense I don’t think (other two were not induced) I had a 2nd degree tear and a fair few stitches but have recovered totally. I kept upright and delivered kneeling up which helped and I swayed my hips and lent over something during contractions to take the pressure off your back. Try to stay positive and read lots of encouraging birth stories. Best to be prepared for the worst but don’t be resigned to it. I was terrified even though I had done it before twice so I know that’s easier said than done. Best of luck.

I can offer some reassurance too. My first was back to back, only discovered in labour. I can’t compare pain as I’ve only got the one, but as long as I was moving it was bearable. I was only in active labour for 4 hours and I pushed for 2. My midwife was brilliant and kept me trying different pushing positions. My daughter turned while squatting and was born a few minutes later with a 1st degree tear. She was a decent size too. I had no drugs while pushing, G&A wasnt for me.
After she was born the midwife told me if I’d had an epidural I would have definitely needed forceps to turn her. So I’m glad I could manage! For me I was very afraid of intervention, so wanted to be as mobile as possible. It made me feel in control. Luckily it worked! As above be prepared for the worst but don’t assume it will be that way.

Thank

Thank you Tillie, that is reassuring!

My DD was back to back and I didn’t have forceps. Don’t get me wrong it did take 4 hours of pushing and I did suffer a second degree tear (only one stitch though so can’t have been that bad) but back to back doesn’t always mean you require an instrumental delivery. No epidural either.

ALS, I'm going to offer some reassurance too. 2 out of my 4 DC were back-to-backers. I know DC1 was, and I know DC2 wasn't, but for the life of me I can't remember which of my other children was. The only tricky birth was DC2.

I didn't even know that back-to-back was a thing, until a midwife was speaking to me after I'd had DC1, and commented that I'd been lucky to have no interventions for a first baby who happened to be backwards. I looked at her as though she was an idiot and told her that DC1 wasn't breach. She then had to explain to me what she'd meant .

So - my experience is back to back doesn't necessarily mean a problem. But you're also fortunate in that they're aware, and will be keeping an extra eye on your birth.

If they don't have time for a spinal they will do a pudendal block.

My second was back to back, only discovered in labour. I was given a spinal block and forceps used and didn't feel a thing. Make sure you look after your pelvic floor post partum though if you end up needing the forceps.

I don't know about epidural but my baby was back to back and I didn't have forceps OP x

I had a 9lb12oz baby (my first) back to back with ventouse and no epidural. I didn't push for long - maybe half an hour - before they decided to try the ventouse. I didn't have an episiotomy either, but did have a 2nd degree tear which healed up well and quickly, the episiotomy was something I really didn't want! She took 3 pushes/pulls on the ventouse and that was her out. She had a wee pointy head from the ventouse for a few days, but that goes away.

I had forceps with a back to back baby after three days of labour and eight hours of pushing...yes really eight hours.

They missed the baby was back to back and then as I was so exhausted put me on the drip to increase the contractions. Finally forceps were used as baby was in distress, no epidural.

If I were to go through that again in an informed way I would definitely have an epidural at first opportunity.

I'm so disappointed, I've been doing hypnobirthing and planning for a water birth with minimal pain relief and no interventions and now I feel like that's never going to happen

It almost never does. I bet 90% of the women on Mumsnet discussing their interventions had exactly the same plans as you.

A hundred years ago your hopes for labour would be that you'd both survive it so it's important to keep some perspective.

I hope it all goes well for you OP

Agree with fartniss

Those were exactly my plans for labour, I got a very different experience.

However, don't chuck the hypnobirthing Cd yet, I did feel it helped me stay calm and i would say that's its main benefit.

My first was back to back. I struggled with the pushing stage as I was exhausted after a 48 hour labour with just gas and air, and they prepared for a ventouse delivery. No epidural, I had a local anaesthetic injection. Just as they attached the ventouse she shot out before they pulled!

Back to back baby who was born with a 98th centile head. My baby turned while in labour and all was fine. You can’t predict what is going to happen. Plan your ideal scenario, but be prepared for it to change

Try not to be disappointed. Firstly, if you keep active and try spinning babies exercises there is still time for them to change position - DD was breech up until 37 weeks and turned.
DS was back to back, and his labour was fine - the pain was more in my back than my front, which combined with going into labour at 35 weeks resulted in midwives not believing my labour had advanced as much as it had because I wasn’t getting major contractions in the front. If you keep active during labour it can really help with the back pain - it was so much worse for me when I was staying still. You’re also statistically less likely to need intervention.

Secondly - don’t discount your hypnobirthing. Birth doesn’t follow a straight trajectory, and your hypnobirthing coach should be able to reassure you about how your practice can help you even when things don’t go as you first planned.

Best of luck!

I had two back to back babies and forceps are definitely not inevitable. I managed both without any intervention at all. Hypnobirther here too. What I will say is to be prepared for "double peak" contractions. You feel like the contaction is ending but it keeps going. I won't lie, it was hard work and all the pain was in my back but it can happen without intervention. Also with my second labour was stop start for about a week. But then active labour was very fast (an hour from start to finish). All the very best for it!

Please don't talk your mind into narrow choices. I had s back to back baby with a 90 odd percentile head. Like you hypnobirthing (good for resolute confidence!) and had no intervention. It took him longer to come "round the corner" and so his head was elongated when born but stand up and lean over the bed if you can and gas and air is your friend! Take it all as it comes x

DC1 was back to back. No epidural, just a local in the vag before an episiotomy and forceps. I didn't feel anything after the local. The recovery was awful though so fingers crossed you don't need forceps.

My DD was back to back also. Had to be induced at 40+12 despite several “favourable” sweeps. Went into labour after just the pessary, very quickly progressed to pushing. I won’t lie my back was agony, but I managed on gas an air so it can’t have been that bad. Although I remember thinking I should have had an epidural but knew that I couldn’t have kept still long enough to allow them to site one. 8 minutes of pushing and I could feel DD wriggling round as she was crowning- weirdest feeling EVER. No interventions, 2nd degree tear as she came pretty quickly in the end but healed quickly and easily. Came home the same day.

Obviously it’s important to be prepared, but baby being back to back doesn’t necessarily mean anything is guaranteed to be worse. As others have said babies very often turn during labour- very few babies are actually born fully back to back having not turned at all.

OP I did hypno for my twins' birth in Feb and DT1 popped out in the loo where I'd gone for a pre-labour wee at the start of my induction.... I delivered him myself and when he was born we were face to face so I think he was back to back. Anyhow it was fast and painless so not always a nightmare. Good luck.

I had a forceps delivery, no time for an epidural but they did numb me before cutting so I didn't feel any pain!

I had s birth debrief a few months after and the midwife told me baby had been back to back which is common but they will normally turn as they come down.

Do not think of your birth plan as a goal or aim. Your goal/aim is a healthy, safe birth - and the healthy part includes not being traumatised by mass amounts of pain or feeling scared and out of control.

Everything else - hypnobirthing, waterbirth, interventions - these are all tools which will help you get there. Now it's right that there's no sense in using a sledgehammer to crack a nut (that's doing all of the interventions just because when you are having a totally normal, uncomplicated birth with a pain level you're managing fine) BUT if it turns out your baby is less of a nut to be cracked and more of a rock to be smashed, the sledgehammer might be just what you need.

It might be that up until now you've set your heart on the waterbirth and the hypnobirthing being the way that you're going to remain in control and calm, but these are just two tools that you have at your disposal. So absolutely try them out anyway, they might work fine, but you might find that one or both aren't really up to the job. Then you'll be in a better headspace to say yep, I think it's time to move on to something else. Or if the thought of forceps is freaking you out way more than anything else and the doctors/midwives are quite sure it's likely, it might be worth asking for the epidural at around 5-6cm dilation. It can be a very positive experience. Either way, it doesn't matter - there is no better or worse when it comes to the different tools you can pick. Of course they all have pros and cons but it's ultimately about keeping you in control and comfortable. Use what you need! :)

FWIW my DS was in an awkward position - I don't know if he was back to back - and I spent a lot of time in water, only came out near the end and they were talking about episiotomy/forceps and honestly I could not have cared less, they could have put an entire person up inside me to get him out because at that point all I wanted was for it to stop and him to be born. I didn't need either. But it's not necessarily going to be some traumatising experience even if you don't have an epidural.

Hi op

I also did hypnobirthing and planned water birth etc

I was 2 weeks over due, back to back, epidural and emergency csection.

The hypobirthing was fantastic because I managed to remain calm and not freak out at any stage even though nothing was going to “plan”. Don’t forget that your plan starts with the idea and works all the way through to the more extreme

We had a planned code word for an epidural and I was so bloody sure that it was my decision and what I wanted at that stage

Bring your hypnobirthing through the whole process and enjoy the end result - new born baby cuddles