What were your first signs of back to back labour?

DelurkingAJ · 17/02/2024 22:40

Wasn’t spotted until I’d been in labour for about 20 hours…certain amount of ‘why did nobody scan this lady?!’ from the Dr who spotted it. They hauled DS1 out face up in the end (short umbilical cord apparently so he couldn’t be turned). Not fun but we were well enough to go home 12 hours later.

TheShellBeach · 17/02/2024 22:41

Having latent labour for many, many days.

Helplessandheartbroke · 17/02/2024 22:43

Please ring your midwife! Never chance it.... mine was after a lot of pushing and no coming out! Emergency c section needed after failed forceps

Buglife22 · 17/02/2024 22:44

Excruciating pain in my back. Never travelled to my tummy until pushing stage. All in my back. I've had it 3 times.
They say before you go into labour to go on all 4s and do a scrubbing motion and baby can flip. One of mine did and it felt disgusting. I was nearly sick from the feeling! Then she went back again. So was pointless.
Haven't noticed if labour was any longer as I have always had short labours. But back pain is the biggest sign.

neilyoungismyhero · 17/02/2024 22:45

I seem to remember the midwife attempting to dislodge him whilst I was in labour and presumably it worked he was still born in 2.5 hours.

Shoegal03 · 17/02/2024 22:55

a very very long labour, and contractions were all in my back, with no real respite between them.
i don’t know if this was connected, and have only had one child so have nothing to compare to, but I couldn’t sit or lie down during contractions - had to be bent over or braced against something, ideally with someone applying very hard counter-pressure to my back.
i kept insisting to midwives that I thought baby was back-to-back, but they believed otherwise, right up until the moment my baby was delivered (by ventouse) face-up.
they said afterwards that knowing it was back-to-back wouldn’t have made any difference to the birth, so I am interested as to why a doctor in the post above asked why they hadn’t been scanned? (I wondered if my doctor was lying to cover up the fact they hadn’t spotted it…)

RosesAndHellebores · 17/02/2024 23:00

It was just a relentless wall of pain. I have no recollection of contractions. Every mother shoukd be scanned in labour. Every mother should be able to chose a C-Section.

The midwives, imo, were bloody useless.

As to be assessed by a doctor op.

KnittedCardi · 17/02/2024 23:07

My second was back to back, we didn't realize until she appeared. No terrible pain, no difficulties, born in about an hour, only just managed to get to hospital! It doesn't always mean issues.

TrumpetOfTheMatriarchy · 17/02/2024 23:08

I didn't know until a birth debrief a couple of years later. I cried and cried as I thought the long, painful labour, which ended up in forceps delivery damaging me and the baby was entirely due to me being useless at something that I should have been able to do naturally. It was a bloody relief to learn just why it had been so bloody painful and hard.

Original poster

anony1111 · 17/02/2024 23:12

Thank you so much everyone, I have had a scan and that confirmed baby boy is indeed back to back. I'm having pains just on one side of my back so not sure what it is, I will see how it goes and call maternity assessment later if I feel the need.

It seems back to back can cause a lot of pain for some and not so bad for others. I guess time will tell for me 🙈 I was induced with my first so have no idea what natural labour feels like

OP posts:

TheShellBeach · 17/02/2024 23:14

If you've had a baby before, it's likely to be easier this time.

Helplessandheartbroke · 17/02/2024 23:17

I didn't know until well into. Please ring and get seen. Not worth not doing

Original poster

anony1111 · 17/02/2024 23:18

@TrumpetOfTheMatriarchy this makes me sad 😔 you're not useless, infact far from it even if baby was the "correct way up" and it ended in forceps. You've grown a tiny human being and that in itself is amazing! I think there should be some time after birth where things like that can be spoken about as it affects a lot of woman!!

OP posts:

Lisbeth50 · 17/02/2024 23:19

Both mine were back to back. I can't say if it was more painful because I haven't experienced anything else. First sign of labour was my waters breaking, then contractions. I don't remember them being in my back. I had forceps with ds1 but ds2 was born naturally after a 5 hour labour.

Original poster

anony1111 · 17/02/2024 23:20

@TheShellBeach this is my second baby, first was induced and born at a lovely 9lbs14 so hoping my body copes a little better this time round even if we are going into labour back to back 🤞🏼

OP posts:

thelowestpainthresh · 17/02/2024 23:20

I had a back to back labour. I honestly think for first borns they should encourage sections but they didn't. The midwife just told me I'd be fine. I wasn't. Three day labour. Emergency c section. Lost a lot of blood. Became anaemic. I was exhausted and struggled to bond with my baby. Wound kept getting infected and only healed at 15 weeks. Baby had a short weak cord which was never picked up (wasn't scanned after 20 week and had him at 41)

I was in agony and felt at 2cm I couldn't do it. They sent me home with codeine which was a joke.

Please advocate for yourself. Fingers crossed you have a nicer time than me.

TrumpetOfTheMatriarchy · 17/02/2024 23:21

Thank you. It is nearly 14 years ago now and I went on to have two further children by c section. I think birth debriefs should be offered routinely to all mothers. It really did help to understand what had happened to us. Good luck with your birth. Fingers crossed for you.

Original poster

anony1111 · 18/02/2024 11:40

@thelowestpainthresh oh gosh that sounds terrible! I'm sorry you went through that! I do think it's weird how we go from 20 week with no scan to check everything is ok.
I'm praying baby moves back round before labour begins 🤞🏼

OP posts:

thelowestpainthresh · 18/02/2024 12:45

@anony1111 it's likely you'll be absolutely fine. There is some exercises you can do to try and flip baby - have you tried those?

Original poster

anony1111 · 18/02/2024 12:49

@thelowestpainthresh yes, I keep doing them but no luck as yet unfortunately

OP posts:

modgepodge · 18/02/2024 12:50

I was induced and the midwife told me when I was about 5cm she thought probably back to back, as all my pain was in my back not my tummy and like a previous poster, was continuous and not just during contractions. She told me an epidural was the only real option for pain relief in that situation, which I took. Baby half turned and then got stuck during the pushing phase as every push pushed her head further in to my pelvis. Ended up with forceps mostly to turn her.

mt9m · 18/02/2024 12:53

A 3 day labour. Excruciating back pain but barely any pain in my bump from contractions. Less than 20 mins pushing. Happy home birth. The biggest help was having my doula push my hips together as I felt like I was ripping apart. Totally doable at home, I'm hoping to do it again.

thelowestpainthresh · 18/02/2024 14:31

I'd also go for the epidural too. I tried everything else and eventually it was the midwife who said to have it. I still felt the pressure and to be honest that isn't great but at least it takes the edge off. I don't know how you feel about pain relief but I don't regret having it and there is absolutely no shame (and absolutely no truth in real birth is no pain relief)

TheShellBeach · 18/02/2024 14:36

thelowestpainthresh · 18/02/2024 14:31

I'd also go for the epidural too. I tried everything else and eventually it was the midwife who said to have it. I still felt the pressure and to be honest that isn't great but at least it takes the edge off. I don't know how you feel about pain relief but I don't regret having it and there is absolutely no shame (and absolutely no truth in real birth is no pain relief)

I agree fully with this.

Just take whatever pain relief you want.

On the other hand, if you want a completely natural labour without interventions or drugs, go for it.

thelowestpainthresh · 18/02/2024 14:39

Oh yeah if you don't need the epidural obviously don't have it. I've worded that like you should take it regardless. Sorry!