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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

Positive back to back labour stories

40 replies

MeadowHay · 09/09/2021 19:26

When I say positive I mean not an instrumental delivery, not mentally traumatic and didn't result in a bad outcome for baby or a severe perineal tear.

I'm 36 weeks with no.2 and my first was a 30hr labour that gave me birth trauma due to lack of good pain relief. 2hrs of pushing followed by a ventouse delivery and episiotomy with a not-straightforward recovery and a permanently weakened pelvic floor. As far as I know DD wasn't back to back at any point. Midwife thinks this one is.

OP posts:
dalismoustache · 09/09/2021 19:40

Mine was back to back and DS got stuck, so it resulted in an emergency c-section, but DS was very healthy. So healthy, that when a trainee came round to the ward next morning he was picked out as an example of a very healthy baby! My stitches were a bit sore, but I was otherwise fine.

NotAnotherBloodyNameChange · 09/09/2021 19:40

Sorry but my B2B was 36 hrs, ventouse & episiotomy but, thankfully, no long term effects. Traumatic -yes.
Had I known what I was in for I would have insisted on an epidural so that would be my advice. Get an epidural.

Chuzzle · 09/09/2021 19:43

Both of mine were back to back. First turned as he came out and I didn't listen to the midwife and pushed through the ring of fire resulting in perineal and labial tears both needing stitches. Second was a stargazer and I was a lot calmer. 2 stitches in perineum. but she was 9lb so not teeny. Both active labour for 1 hour. Congratulations and good luck x

Brollypackedforscottishholiday · 09/09/2021 19:43

I was wired up to monitors on the recommended side to sleep (sorry forgot which one!!) and ds wasn't shifting and in fact getting distressed... Mentions of emcs.
I requested that I swap sides as I sometimes slept the other side...Mw shifted everything over and ds did indeed get going.... Arrived not long after..
Biggest shocker of the birth was a dd was expected!!
Grin
Don't be afraid to speak up!!

Racingadmin · 09/09/2021 19:49

Ds - my pfb- was an 8lb 4 back to back lump.

Labour was slow at 26 hrs but had him without any interventions or tearing . Did the first few hours in the bath, then lots of walking with tens machine . Last 4 were on gas and air. Pushing took 40 minutes .

I absolutely would not lie on my back or side and spent the whole pushing time either leaning on the bed or on all fours . All of the pain was in my lower back - no stomach pain at all that I can remember

BurningBenches · 09/09/2021 19:55

My first was back to back and it was similar to your first. Induced, ventouse Third degree tear and episiotomy. She was born back to back.

My second and third also back to back towards the end of pregnancy. Both turned just before or during labour. Dd2 came spontaneously and DD3 was induced. They were both straightforward compared to dd1. 6hrs and 2hrs.

4 and 5 were both all over the shop, I guess it was roomy by then😬

Good luck

fruitsaladyummyummy · 09/09/2021 20:00

My second was back to back only diagnosed in labour. Labour was 4 hours, only had gas & air (effed & blinded for more but that's another story). No tears, no interventions, very unremarkable, straightforward birth. Just exceptionally more painful than my first.

Bogoroditse · 09/09/2021 20:07

Dc4 back to back. Took 21 hours (dc3 3 hours) and never really cranked up while she took her leisurely time to turn. I stayed upright, on all fours etc the whole time. Exhausting. They wanted to give me hormones to speed things up but I insisted on epidural first (heard that really hurts). She arrived at speed before epidural had a chance to take affect, before the drip. Perfect condition and no tears or anything. Just quite a lot of swearing at the end! She's a fierce two year old now. Spinning babies website is fabulous for all info about baby turning, both before and during the birth. Good luck!

mummyh2016 · 09/09/2021 20:08

DD was back to back. 4 hours of pushing (I was on the MLU, they tried moving me to the delivery suite at 2 hours but no beds and apart from the length of time I'd been pushing their wasn't anything to worry about so they were happy for me to stay where I was.
I was in agony, and I suffered a second degree tear. However I do class my birth as a positive experience! The pain vanished as soon as she was here, and I wasn't left with any lasting effects.

Bubbean · 09/09/2021 20:22

My son was back to back. Very calm labour in the birthing pool. Gas and air only. He was born after an hour of pushing. I did tear quite badly but actually a very smooth birth considering he came out face up with one arm in front of him like superman. He’s always had to do things differently ever since Grin
Hope that gives you some hope Flowers

Oh and also so many do turn of their own accord before birth.

JurassicShay · 09/09/2021 20:46

Both my boys were back to back and were pretty textbook in the fact I had no tearing, no instruments and only pain relief with one. Both relatively short labours at 6 & 7 hours.

MistyFrequencies · 09/09/2021 20:57

Both babies back to back. First was 5 days, all kinds of drama, prepped for section but forceps in the end, episiotomy, massive bleed, all the complications .
Second was 4 hrs start to finish, no drugs, no tears, no complications.

Original poster
MeadowHay · 09/09/2021 21:05

@NotAnotherBloodyNameChange

Sorry but my B2B was 36 hrs, ventouse & episiotomy but, thankfully, no long term effects. Traumatic -yes. Had I known what I was in for I would have insisted on an epidural so that would be my advice. Get an epidural.
I'm sure you're trying to be helpful but that's not what I asked for is it?!

My first was just like yours but not back to back anyway! Was this your first? As that kind of labour is also a lot more common in first labours regardless of positioning after all.

OP posts:
Fupoffyagrasshole · 09/09/2021 21:06

Emergency c section 🤷‍♀️

Original poster
MeadowHay · 09/09/2021 21:10

Thanks everyone for your positive stories. I'm not worried about pain being worse per se as I'm happy to have whatever pain relief I feel is necessary (/can get my hands on - this is the trickier part often it seems though...!).Hoping this being my second things will be a bit quicker and I will be able to push them out myself eek.

OP posts:
raindropsonmywindow · 09/09/2021 21:26

DD was back to back, she turned during labour so it was unexpected. Labour was long but I was able to stay in the pool for a lot of it and able to manage the pain with that and gas and air for the most part. I eventually had to get out to be given stronger painkillers and her birth ended in a third degree tear but honestly the recovery wasn't at all bad and I have no lasting damage after attending physio for a few weeks afterwards. Hope your birth goes well for you, babies can always turn last minute so you never know!

iguanadonna · 09/09/2021 21:34

DC1 was back to back. Very long and difficult. Ventouse, etc.

Enormously pg with DC2 I spent a lot of time on all fours and upside down with my knees on sofa and head on floor and in other implausible positions which are supposed to keep them the right way round. Right way round, 45 mins, no need for pain relief. I don't have the counterfactual of course, but I reckoned those exercises worked. At any rate I was going to do my best to make sure he was all ready to go.

anonymouse · 09/09/2021 21:36

My second was b2b which we only realised as he was coming out. He's a wriggler so I'm convinced he turned during labour. It was a breeze in comparison to my 1st which was straightforward but a long labour. I did feel a bit bruised for a couple of days but no tears. I think maybe he pushed against my pelvis on his way out.
For most people I know the 2nd birth was quick and problem free. Several of these had traumatic first births.

BadgerWatch · 09/09/2021 21:41

Both DD's were B2B. A few stitches with DD1 as she also had shoulder dystocia. DD2 weighed 9lb 4, no problems whatsoever.

Gibbonsgibbonsgibbons · 09/09/2021 21:41

I had 3 B2B
First wasn't great body wasn't quite ready & I was in desperate need of sleep but they wouldn't "let" us go home- ended up with epidural but both of us well.
2&3
We're both at home in water (what I had wanted for the first Wink) & no drugs etc - amazing empowering experiences & everyone well. Being supported by the water allowed my body to do some weird flipping movements Grin

All very long labours though.
Good luck Flowers

clouds56 · 09/09/2021 21:45

My DD2 was back to back and 9lb Blush
I managed on gas and air (had a bad experience with epidural with my DD1 which results in forceps so wanted to avoid second time).
DD2 birth was a lot quicker (active labour started at 3am and she was born by 7am) it was an induced labour. Painful (but aren't all labours?!) but honestly not as painful as I would have expected a back to back to be and no pain in back strangely!! All was fine I did tear but overall I would say it was a positive birth story. Good luck!!

Luckymummytoone · 09/09/2021 21:46

I had a lovely (!) b2b birth - had a water birth and used the tens up until 5cm. And lots of gas and air!! All back pain but he was my first so I didn’t really have anything to compare it too.
Did need stitches after but nothing too serious.
Hope everything goes swiftly for you 💙💗 xx

Blitzes · 09/09/2021 21:54

All 3 of my labours were B2B tbh I was never told by The midwifes it was an “issue” they just said contractions would be more painful (which they bloody were)

DS1 took the longest 15 hours but was my first birth. No damage to me and no interventions. Midwife was fantastic talking me through the pushing stage

DS2 5 hours Labour and he was out in 4 pushes! Everyone was a bit shocked because the only downside of the my B2B Labour is the contractions weren’t as regular as normal ones so they checked me and I was 4 cm then in less than 30 mins I was 10 and yelling that I needed to push! Again no damage to me and no need for interventions

Dd Labour was 6 hours and was ten most frustrating because my contractions again were really irregular. Again they checked me and based on my contractions told me I had hours to go but suddenly I was desperate to push. Poor midwives got a shock was handover so I hadn’t even said hi to the new midwife who delivered her. Out in two pushes . No damage or need for interventions

TheWeeBarra · 09/09/2021 22:01

No one told me DS2 was back to back until after he was delivered and that explained why the contractions were painful through my back. But, definitely not traumatic. Pretty quick labour, about 2/3 hours of actual contractions (waters broke earlier that morning), gas and air, no instruments required and just one small stitch (midwives debated whether that was even required).

TeaAndStrumpets · 09/09/2021 22:06

Dd2 was back to back during labour. I felt all the contractions in my back, too, so I felt as if the pain was chasing me! I couldn't have lain on the bed if you'd paid me, I just paced and paced around the room for most of the night. I was so tired, but It was my way of coping. I had a great need to stay upright. No drugs, I just trudged back and forth. Eventually I felt the urge to push and out she came in three pushes, face down like a good baby Wink

Good luck!