How can you tell if baby is back to back?

[Firsttimer16]

Will this be obvious on scans / can the doctors midwife feel to check? I see a lot of threads where people say they discovered their baby was back to back in labour - but i was wondering why it isn’t checked for before hand?

No idea before the obstetrician did an examination to decide if it was going to be a forceps or c-section birth , I'm convinced he turned late in labour though As I had loads of examinations and it was never picked up

I realised/was told when he came out still in that position.
Like pp, I advise an epidural. From the get-go so you're not fobbed off.

Two days of labour, no pain in my bump all in my back were the give aways. After being examined by numerous midwives, both internally and externally only one said that they thought he was back to back. Even when I was pushing and they were using forceps they didn't know until he was out. The pushing stage is a lot more difficult as they're trying to get round a bend backwards? Wasn't the most enjoyable birth I'll be honest

So it’s simply not the case that the midwife should know and tell you

I'm well aware that babies can turn and occasionally the midwife can't tell, but it's about reducing the risk. at each check up it should be routine to note and tell the mother if they are back to back, then given advice on exercises to help change the babies position. I agree that the way you sit and lay should be told as a matter of routine not just when back to back, but how many women are actually getting that advice in the first place?

nothing is straight forward, that's why child birth can be dangerous. So again isn't it best to reduce the risk as much as possible? women shouldn't have to be asking if it's back to back they should be told as part of the course.

When my DS was back to back I couldn't sit properly and bump looked different, almost soft.

Right way round and bump went hard.

With a back to back labour the pain is concentrated in your back and spine and starts and stops like a previous poster said.

My mw couldnt get her hand past my fabulous pelvic floor to feel the babys head. So it took 2 mws and 2 drs 6.5 hours to not realise that dd was b2b.

In all fairness I didnt realise either because when they did pull her out they said nåh hun er stjernekigger which translated literally means oh shes a star gazer. I thought a star gazer? That sounds nice! Its not. Really not.

DC1 was back to back, DC2 was not. Back to back labour is horrific, like someone is taking a chainsaw to your spine. The pain is all in your lower back rather than at the front in your bump.