Can a baby turn back to back in labour or was he never in the correct position?

[Lelophants]

Not exactly something to bother my gp with, but would love to know this. Thinking aboutmy birth experiences 8 months on and can't seem to find anything on the old google!

Any midwives/nurses/doctors or people gone through similar?

I was told my baby was in perfect position for weeks up until his labour and my last appointment was about a week before. I was so active, doing pregnancy yoga, birth ball, everything! And yet my labour was long and by the time he was born (emcs) I was told he was back to back which was one of the issues.

So does this mean he was never in the right position and the midwives and doctors got this wrong? Or did he shift positions at one point during labour?

Bumpity bump

Hi,
Can’t know for sure but this was me! Baby perfect position (although head not engaged), 3 days of early labour, then when I was at about 6 cm they think he turned back to back (not exactly sure how they knew but it’s in my notes!) i remember them asking about back pain, and I remember lying on my left side to try and turn him 🤷🏻‍♀️ And a few other movements that I can’t remember (sorry, was very tired so it’s a all a bit blurry). He turned back and was born vaginally the right way round. I don’t remember feeling any big movements like that so I’ve no idea if that’s what actually happened.

No idea, but I had something similar! Baby was engaged and I even had a sweep. I arrived at the hospital in labour and At 7cm dilated only to discover she was a foot first breech!

I guess it’s possible he turned but also possible that the midwife/doctor made an error.
I was told my ds1 was in perfect position, engaged etc by many people and he was actually breech and it was only spotted by a consultant.

I’m a midwife, they can definitely turn the wrong way in labour.

My DS was back to back. Three day labour 🥴. No idea if he started out that way but remember midwives laughing at how much he was moving about while I was in labour as they were struggling with the Doppler and he moved so much. I did not find it funny!

Midwife here. They can definitely turn the wrong way during labour... equally some babies start the wrong way and correct themselves

Both my delightful DC turned during labour! Both started out perfectly in the right position fully engaged.
DD then twisted to back-to-back, then twisted again as she was coming out hence 3rd degree tear.
DS decided he wasn't ready to come out, went back up the birth canal & lied oblique instead necessitating a c-section.
So yes they can move, twist & who knows what else during labour & birth.

Yup. Happened to my first, he moved through 360 degrees during labour.

That's bizarre! To the midwifes, do you know why this happens? My latent labour was excruciatingly long and by the time I got to hospital I was admitted as was so distressed and then my waters finally broke. I had to be on constant monitoring and ended up sitting on the bed loads as the machines kept not picking him up. Do you think this is when it happened or would it have been before when my labour at home was so long?

No one knew until right before the end and I went to c section anyway!

@APurpleSquirrel omg!

With my first while I was in labour, the midwife told me the baby was had turned and was sideways?
She was literally getting the heel of her hand, and digging it in my belly and pushing, and after a few minutes said ‘yes, good baby’ and said he’d gone back the right way.
She did all this by just looking and feeling my belly.
Midwives are so clever

Midwife here.

I think it can be very hard to accurately tell the position of a baby through abdominal palpation in pregnancy. They can move in labour too.

Thanks for your input midwivesand starting the thread @Lelophants, I've always wondered whether that was possible!

Great input- thanks all. I'm not sure whether this makes me feel better or worse, but good to get some clarity!

It’s impossible to know for sure when baby turned but a long latent phase plus waters breaking before in good established labour both point to baby being back to back at that point.

Please don’t blame yourself thinking if you’d been more active in labour (you mention about sitting on the bed) then things may have been different. It sounds like they were already OP. Plus you sometimes have to do whatever you need to do in labour to get you through it....and if that’s sitting on the bed then that’s it.

If that’s the case I’m sorry the midwives didn’t pick up on it in labour. It’s a shame they didn’t. But it can be very difficult sometimes to tell. I’ve certainly missed OP babies. I’ve known consultants miss OP babies (even on VE). My Dd was OP and it was missed and I also ended up with an emergency lscs.

Congratulations.