Posterior baby

[horsygirl]

I've been told by the midwife that it's facing forward and seems quite happy to stay that way. I'm going to try everything to move it round (accupuncture, swimming, birth ball, leaning forward all the time etc) but my question is: can i have a c section if it doesn't turn? I have read some awful stories about badly damaged baby's heads, birth trauma for baby and even a fractued skull with one lady on this board.

the stats are not good, with lots of incidence of forceps and ventouse and epidurals that slow things down even further.

What're my options, does anyone know?

my dd2 was posterior and she was born at home, in the birthing pool, I used no painkillers during the labour and birth. It can be done; posterior position doesn't automatically mean that there will be problems.

and the chances are your baby will move during labour anyway. My first baby was also posterior and she moved during labour to a more comfortable position, and was born very easily.

My baby was posterior and remained so throughout pg, labour and delivery, and was born fast and without any problems at all.

Personally, I don't see this as a reason for a C-section at all and have been really surprised to see this come up. None of the women I have known who had posterior babies had high intervention births although some said they thought perhaps it took longer or was more painful, but who is to know what the labour would have been like if baby was the other way.

On the other hand I know lots of women have horrible experiences with 'normally' positioned babies. Still others who found recovering from a C-section pretty terrible too.

At the end of the day, anecdotes from this board - including mine are pretty useless and you need to be having a discussion with a consultant to see if your fears have any real basis.

Both of mine were OP and stayed that way for the labour - I did have fairly long labours
Didn't have an epidural or forceps or ventouse
Their heads are fine and they were not traumatised as far as I can tell!

I don't think your baby being OP is a reason to have a section

My DS was OP but turned during labour. A few things happened that I feel were due to him being OP, firstly I required induction at 42 weeks (although some schools of thought would say being 2 weeks past DD is not necessarily a reason to induce), labour can apparently be delayed due to insuffient pressure on the cervix. The other thing that happened was I was having strong, long and regular contractions but minimal dilation of cervix, again, this is apparently a lack of pressure thing. This might have been manageable if it weren't for the attitude of the midwives who thought that no dilation = no pain relief and general dismissive attitude thinking I was making it all up (most never checked my notes or palpated abdomen so had no idea he was OP). In the end had epidural and he was born the right way round and we were both fine.
The choice really is yours and good luck.

Mine was op and so I had an extended second stage of labour and ended up with a forceps delivery. If you want an epidural make sure you get it early as the labour progress's you will find it impossible to stay still for them to site it.

The stats will vary from hospital to hospital.

I had an OP baby, who turned in labour, and i had her with gas& air and pethidine. Being upright, active and mobile for the latent phase of labour was imperative to gettign things going... moving and being upright helps baby to move into a better position.

if your baby does not move, then do not lie on your back in labour, the pain will be more intense and dilation will be a lot slower.

google optimal foetal positiong and spinning babies for more info on moving and OP baby.

Look at the stats of complications arising from having a c section !
You should be fine- its not an abnormal postion - just not ideal.
I personally believe if your baby is more comfortable that way leave him be - prob more to do with the shape of your pelvis and most will turn during labour.
Chat to your midwife and gosh i have images of you bent double all day .

Thank you.. All the websites I have been on have indicated a long, long, labour. As long as i have some access to pain relief this is not my concern - it is the risk to the baby that I am not prepared to compromise on.

The OFP website is a good one for giving you the true figures
A good proportion of women with an OP baby don't have a back labour - I didn't, and for that i am very gratefuL! DS also turned before second stage, which is pretty common.
The suggestion is that if you lean forward during labour (if the baby is still OP when you go into labour), then turning is more likely, and it keeps the pressure off your back. I knew none of this beforehand and very naturally wanted to be in a forward-leaning position, in fact delivered that way too.
Hope that helps

Hi horsygirl I had an OP baby last time but unfortunately it resulted in a section because she didn't turn and was big so got stuck. I am pg again so have looked into this myself. My midwives have all said that the best thing to do is concentrate on the things you have said from about 32 wks or sooner so it becomes a habit to have the correct posture. I also asked about them scanning me when I go into labour, but she said they wouldn't because the baby can turn at any point during labour.
I found the NCT OFP advisor helpful on 0870 4239258.

What?!" I never knew about all that! Why didn't somebody tell me!!!

Ds2 was OP till about 38 weeks, then turned, (yay) and then he was prime position when I started labour, only to turn during it and come out OP after all.

Little bugger!!!

It took about 30 mins pushing instead of the estimated 15 the Mw said it shoudl have been. And this was because he was facing the stars. they said with a first child it is fairly possible that they become stucl, but a second is usually Ok...they didn't even know with mine till he was half way out.

Not a reaosn to have a section, plus many OP babs turn the right way during labour. So please try not to worry...they can always do an emergency Cs if necessary.

Good luck!

Oh and it was a 3 hour labour, not very long at all

HG, my ds2 was posterior and was born at home, with no pain relief.
His head was a bit squished and I had 1.5 hrs of pushing before he got out, but it was fine really. Midwife said afterwards that he caught her by surprise (though I knew that he was still posterior as I went into labour, so could have told her lol) and that's partly why he took so long to get out.

just wanted to add that I would second the need to stay active and upright.
I definitely felt the difference when I decided to lie down when having ds2 (having been standing) and eventually had him kneeling down leaning on the sofa. That sped things up a lot I think, even though it was still plenty long enough.

oh and bear in mind that if you have pain relief in the form of epidural then you are more likely to have intervention too (forceps, ventouse etc)

I was induced - and dd was OP /face-to-pubes
ended up delivering naturally just G&A and peth, but got a 3rd deg tear,,

worse was a retained placenta, = 2 further operations...
think most of my prob was an induction at +11 days, I shouldve let myself go to +14
the op bit was ok.

Ds2 was OP. As someone else said the second stage did go on a bit (two hours). But then the first was only one. Gave birth without anything and we were both great afterwards. Ds2 did look very battered though!

Oh yes I forgot, I did tear a bit (only a 2nd degree, which is not a lot) and she said I prob. wouldn't have if he was facing the right way. But it wasn't a major tear.

Fingerwoman, mine was at home too! And no pain relief [gahhh] because it was too quick!

And she's right about epidurals, much more likely to need intervention that way.