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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Non scientific survey : labour & delivery of OP baby

112 replies

lulumama · 08/04/2008 11:55

DD was OP all through my pregnancy and remained so, she was born face up, so did not turn in labour, as i mistakenly thought for a long time

If you had an OP baby can you tell me ,please, if you know:

1)how many hours you were having contractions before labour was established?

2)how long from 3 cm - 10 cm?

3)how long the second stage was?

4)and if the baby was born face up/face to pubes/stargazing?

my answers are:

1)15 hours to get to 3cm

2)2 hours 45 minutes to get from 3cm to 10 cm

3)30 minutes of pushing

4)baby born face up

TIA

OP posts:

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MissingMyHeels · 08/04/2008 17:00

DD was LOA until her EDD and then turned!

1)how many hours you were having contractions before labour was established?

Was induced and had no contractions until BAM they came full on and furious so think I went pretty much into established straight away

2)how long from 3 cm - 10 cm?

I didn't beyond 4 cm and this took 15 hours of syntocin

3)how long the second stage was?

N/A

4)and if the baby was born face up/face to pubes/stargazing?

Ended in csection

Haylstones · 08/04/2008 17:06

I had ds (2nd baby) 6 weeks ago and he was OP, which I didn't know until I'd been opushing for 90 minutes

Mild contractions on and off for 36 hours then straight into established labour in middle of the night.
Not long- 4 or 5 hours?
pUshed for 90 minutes then taken into theatre for attempted forceps, decided against t his on examination and emergency c section (ds wa 9lb 8 so OP not only factor here)

4.N/A as c section. Labour was much more painful than with dd and I'm still feeling really raw and slightly traumatised by whole experience (didn't happen 1st time) but it was only 6 weeks ago so am hopiung time will heal- but how many people feel it's Ok to say 'you're both healthy, that's the main thing' Sorrya bout the rant but hope my answers are useful!

2Happy · 08/04/2008 17:07

ds1 (op)
1)how many hours you were having contractions before labour was established?
Didn't properly establish until synt started 24hrs after waters went

2)how long from 3 cm - 10 cm?
About another 24hrs

3)how long the second stage was?
Don't know. Ages. Pushed for an hour, then they tried and failed forceps, then they took me to theatre for c/s but tried forceps again and this time worked - so prob 1.5+ hours

4)and if the baby was born face up/face to pubes/stargazing?
Rotational forceps so I assume born oa. And superman. Blardy kids.

ds2 (roa, tried to rotate to op during labou):

1)how many hours you were having contractions before labour was established?
couple hours

2)how long from 3 cm - 10 cm?
not 100% sure but prob 6 hours

3)how long the second stage was?
pushed an hour, nowt doing, theatre, failed rotational forceps, c/s

4)and if the baby was born face up/face to pubes/stargazing?
Born arse-first out the sun roof (though had started to stargaze, apparently). Again, blardy kids!

Original poster

lulumama · 08/04/2008 17:08

than kyou all very much !! lots of OP babies i see.

halystones, it is normal to feel like that, and it is infuriating when people dismiss a mother's feelings after the brht

you can talk it through with someone, either birth crisis or the birth trauma association if you need to

OP posts:

Haylstones · 08/04/2008 17:23

Thanks lulumama, I'm sure I'll come to terms with it eventually! Just felt like it escalated out of my control iyswim, especially as I was expecting an easier time second time round! Dh's advice is 'just don't think about it'- fab! And I suppose we are both healthy and it did turn out alright in the end...

ejt1764 · 08/04/2008 17:29

I had 2 op babies too ... but ds was an induction, so take that into account!

1)how many hours you were having contractions before labour was established?
ds - 4 days
dd - 20 hours

2)how long from 3 cm - 10 cm?
ds - 7 hours
dd - 2 hours (from 5 - pushing)

3)how long the second stage was?
ds - 2.5 hours - followed by attempted instrumental delivery, and em CS
dd - 1.5 hours

4)and if the baby was born face up/face to pubes/stargazing?
ds - would have been if he could have got out!
dd - yes

hth

HonoriaGlossop · 08/04/2008 18:06

on the other stuff you asked about - the CS was due to foetal distress (very extreme I guess as it was a 'crash' scenario, they whacked me under general)

As to being 'encouraged' to move about, I wasn't actually encouraged to do anything; that would have involved a midwife actually coming into my room I had very minimal involvement (some assistance to have a bath but this was more hindering me than helping; they wanted me to lie back and the contractions were SO much worse laying) I kept very very active as I found this helped me cope but I think because of the length of the labour it contributed to my exhaustion

HTH

Original poster

lulumama · 08/04/2008 18:53

thank you all, i appreciate you sharing your stories

OP posts:

RubySlippers · 08/04/2008 19:03

i forgot to say i was encouraged by my MW to labour however i wanted - crouching, swaying, upright etc - i delivered DS on my back in spite of SPD as well

RubySlippers · 08/04/2008 19:04

the was because i was so knackered after 2.5 days of labour that i forgot the pain of my SPD ...

geekgirl · 08/04/2008 19:12

I'm not sure if I qualify - ds only turned OP at the end of the first stage

he was my third but I had a very, very hard second stage as a result. Pushed for about 30 minutes and needed to be held upright by dh & midwife. He was born FTP AFAIK. And he weighed 10lb.

I know you didn't ask, but I'll tell you anyway - his birth left my pelvic floor really rather knackered. I had temporary nerve damage all along my perineum for about 4 weeks, and my pelvic floor muscles aren't anywhere near what they used to be like.

Flight · 08/04/2008 19:19

Hello Lulu
Well you were sort of there but I'll reiterate anyway!!

He wasn't OP at the start, if that makes a difference (Of course it does!)
But anyway:
1)Not long - was 4cm when examined, about an hour and a half after it started

2)Transition was about 2hrs 45/3hrs after beginning of ctx

Half an hour - should have been half tht, according to MW - she didn't know he was OP till he was coming out though, maybe 10 minutes before he was born.
Don't know - he was facing me though, not sure how those differ, they just said he was OP and that's why he took so long for the pushing stage.
Oh that's it!!

I believe he was turning during the labour as he was ROA at 4cm.

HTH sweetie x

Flight · 08/04/2008 19:20

Sorry 2) should be, about an hour to an hour and a half.

If anyone has a mo, could they explain the different OP presentations mentioned please?

I mean aren't everyone's pubes at the front

Flight · 08/04/2008 19:24

I had an anterior baby before this one, and it hurt but not so much iirc- perhaps because of the epidural

I don't remember having backache with this one which is odd - during labour I mean.

ScaryHairy · 08/04/2008 19:28

DD was OP initially then turned during labour so attempted to come out facing my inner thigh which is impossible (and on the painful side) so she ended up a C.S.

19 hours
13 hours
pushed for 1.5 hours then the consultant came and said there was no point
2 attempts with forceps and she kept turning back, so emergency c.s.

Psychobabble · 08/04/2008 19:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Littlefish · 08/04/2008 19:32

1)how many hours you were having contractions before labour was established?

About 80 hours

2)how long from 3 cm - 10 cm?

4 hours

3)how long the second stage was?

About 8 minutes! 3 pushes and she was out (which might explain why I tore - ouch)

4)and if the baby was born face up/face to pubes/stargazing?

Face down, but I have no idea when she turned.

ScaryHairy · 08/04/2008 19:34

Lulu, I was made to labour on the bed and yes, the forceps and c.s. were entirely because of her position. No surprise there... She was just plain stuck, although we were both fine.

They also broke my waters before she had had a chance to turn (I was about 4cm) and so she came down into my pelvis in the wrong position and got stuck. Phrases bandied about were "left occiput transverse" and "deep transverse arrest".

If I have another, I shall be telling anyone who comes wielding a crochet hook to feck orf.

Original poster

lulumama · 08/04/2008 19:36

thank you all, it is great ! i was wanting to see if OP does mean a harder , more difficutl labour, but i thikn there are too many variables. it is good to see a number of straightforward birth stories too.

also, i wonder if knowing baby is OP makes a difference, and you expect it to be harder ?

also, me and ruby are twins, both had OP babies, i wonder if our bodies are shaped a certain way and we carry OP....

thank you all for sharing these stories, much appreciated xxxxxx

OP posts:

Scampmum · 08/04/2008 19:53

Dunno (thought was having contractions overnight but nothing in morning - even went for growth scan where they told me she was OP, I promptly forgot. Had had a perfect back down front of bump for at least 6 weeks prior)
First contraction just before 3pm, examined at home 10pm and found fully dilated - MW says have it at home, I say no thanks (thank goodness!)
Five hours - transfer to hosp in ambulance, waited for pool to be run, got in, nothing happening, got out, multiple exams to establish whether OP (OW!), synto administered with no pain relief (too nauseous for G&A), more exams with synto contractions (OW!), got quite distressed as didn't know whether to push or what, no-one seemed to think I could get her out, plus FHR dropping, eventually transferred to theatre and given spinal, failed ventouse then pulled out with Kiellands forceps (episiotomy) at 3am.
Not sure, ventouse bruise was on forehead so she was also a brow presentation (apparently harder to get out).

Never felt traumatised by it, actively enjoyed labouring at home and in the pool, but now 37+4 with DC2 and finding am quite nervous about birth.

doggiesayswoof · 08/04/2008 19:53

It's interesting isn't it? Reading this I see eg that my first stage was much much shorter than some, but 2nd stage was relatively long. I guess you are right lulu and there are just loads of variables.

thanks for starting thread, I have found it v interesting reading.

Littlefish · 08/04/2008 20:07

Lulu - I was told by the midwife that I would have a "long, hard, painful labour" . Not really very helpful, was it!

However, I was also determined to enjoy giving birth as I knew it would probably be the only time (fertility problems). I can honestly say that it was absolutely magical once I was in established labour and in the birthing pool.

thisisyesterday · 08/04/2008 20:10

1)had BH the evening before and when I went to bed, woke up at around 6.30am with proper contractions

2)No, idea, but when first midwife arrived at 9.30 am I was 8cm already, so not very long

3)pushed for about an hour and a half

4)yes, born face up

YouCantTeuchThis · 08/04/2008 20:15

1)how many hours you were having contractions before labour was established?

Not sure about when it was 'established'... first proper contraction around 6.30pm and fully dilated by 10ish. But contractions never regulated

2)how long from 3 cm - 10 cm?
I don't think I was dilated at first examination for hind waters leaking around 5.30pm

3)how long the second stage was?
Transition around 30minutes and pushing for around 30minutes

4)and if the baby was born face up/face to pubes/stargazing?
Not sure...I would have to check with DH!

Original poster

lulumama · 08/04/2008 20:19

yes, that is not terribly helpful, littlefish!

what is also good, is that lots of women have birthed OP babies who have remained OP without too much trouble

it is almost worth having another one now, just to see if i have an OA or OP labour !

OP posts:

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