Brow Presentation/Back to Back experiences

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Due any day now and the baby is in back to back position with their neck stretched in an uncomfortable looking stretched arc. It’s likely they’ll be born face first or brow first.

I’m trying not to panic but I’m panicking.

Has anyone had this kind of birth? What was it like?

My first birth was brow presentation. I was induced at 42 weeks, failed to progress past 2cm after 2 x pessaries, artifical breaking of waters and drip - thats when they assessed that he was presenting brow first. Moved to c section after about 36 hours. I was knackered and the consultant basically said, we can keep trying for a vaginal birth but it will likely cause baby distress and be difficult for you. I felt like that was fair enough and I was happy to have c section. It was fine, the worst thing about the whole experience was tiredness, I ended up being awake for 48 hours. But I had good pain relief and felt supported throughout.

Mine turned during a long very gentle early labour that lasted 4 days.

Not personally.. I am a doula and when women are nearing the end of pregnancy, we do pelvic balancing and releasing techniques and I also recommend visiting an osteopath or having skilled pregnancy massage.

If I can't be there in person I recommend Spinning babies, forward leaning inversion, shake the apples, side lying release and on all fours, having your partner hold your uterus and baby using a scarf , some gentle sifting, but simply holding the baby up while you release your back, can be helpful. Warm baths, constructive rest positions can also help.

I had face presentation, vaginal birth. 40 hours. They didn’t know it was face presentation until I was 8cm. That didn’t help. You’re in a much better position being ready for it.

Needed a drip as wasn’t progressing as fast; the crown is much harder than the face so pushes on the cervix better and more symmetrically. Drip hurts more than natural contractions. Gas and air helped.

Managed vaginal birth in the end, with an episiotomy and lots of bleeding. Loads of stitches, but I was otherwise fine.

The main issue after was that DS’s face was very bruised once he was out. That healed quickly but he had serious issues suckling at the start; I think it was the pain from the bruising. This turned into the whole feeding drama - breastfeeding support, regular weighing, anxiety about his weight. Probably contributed to my PND.

He’s fine, by the way, but it took a few weeks to get there.

I wasn’t told mine was B2B in advance. Only when born did they announce it and say they came out the most difficult way possible.

I had opted for a natural birth because I didn’t know about the B2B.
I’d strongly advise an epidural being as you know.
Wishing you a safe and speedy delivery.

My second was back to back (which we knew) and had a deflexed head (which we didn't). He did his best to be brow presentation though. I was induced, and had the drip to start contractions.

IMO, the labour itself wasn't so bad. It felt less painful and more manageable than my first anyway. I did get a sort of feeling to push at 4cm, which we now know was part of baby's position. What it mostly was though was loooonnngggg. In the 11 hours of drip I had I went from 2-5cm... That was the total length of labour with my first! I had an epidural at the 10 hour mark, then a few hours after that baby started showing signs of distress, so the decision was made for C-section.

Best of luck OP. Hopefully baby will tuck that chin in as soon as labour starts

My baby was back to back late on in pregnancy but I managed to turn her by basically living on all fours or kneeling over a birthing ball. The spinning babies website is helpful.

My second was born B2B at 37 weeks, we didn’t know until he started to arrive and the midwife told us - I looked down and he was staring back at me.

Baby was born within 30 minutes, no complications. I just had really bad pain down my left leg, they had to keep pushing it cos all I wanted to do was clamp it shut.

I was only told my baby was back to back after 9 hours on the drip with absolutely no progression and the worst back pain of my life, I had a Cesarean a few hours after being told that. I am 22+2 with my 2nd and if i was told my baby was back to back close to due date i would be choosing an elcs for sure. I am just one person though - I am sure there are plenty of positive stories, good luck! Ps i took nothing but gas and air, don’t know why, i went weird when in labour😅

My first was at a funny angle, I don't quite know how it is described. I didn't progress after a certain point because they said her head wasn't pressing right on my cervix. They then gave me a "peanut ball" which is like a birthing ball to go between my knees while laid on my side and something about that helped her position and I didn't finally get dilated. She was born with ventouse. I don't think she was brow presentation but I think she was back to back or a bit on her side. Dr said she was able to sort of turn her a bit with the ventouse as she came out. Don't think I found the labour more painful than mg other child but I didn't dilate as well. Would be worth looking at birthing positions and also the peanut ball.

I had an OP birth with DS1. Nobody knew he was OP until his head was out. Ventouse/episiotomy delivery.

If I had known early doors just how much it was going to hurt, for how long, and how hard I was going to work only to have to have an instrumental delivery anyway, I’d have got an epidural early doors. I desperately wanted a water birth so held out as long as I could, and by the time I gave in to the exhaustion and pain and asked for one I was 10cms dilated and computer said no.