Would you request C section rather than back to back labour

[Mindy1]

Am 1st timer and am a bit frightened by all the horror stories about posterior labour. Baby is moving between transverse (ish) and back to back and am 36 weeks now.

Any advice from experienced Mums

Thanks

NO, c-section is a major operation, your baby could move, turn do all sorts by the time you labour.

No, definitely not - and I had a 2 day pre-labour, plus 18 hours full labour with a posterior baby first time round. But am thrilled dd came out 'naturally' (though I did end up with an epidural and syntocin, then fortunately she turned of her own accord).

A CS is a major deal, and even though I was pretty wiped out by the birth I was in better shape 2 weeks on than someone who had gone through a major operation.

My tips - keep active and mobile as much as you can in the next few weeks. If you do end up with a long pre-labour - try to grab naps whenever you can in the early stages.

Good luck, and looking forward to the birth announcement!

My dd was back to back but she managed to turn herself during contractions (about 15 hour labour not too painful, no pain relief and a 10lb baby and I AM the world's biggest wuss when it comes to pain).

I would resist C section unless its necessary

The horror stories on these boards - 20 hour labours, ventouse, forceps, awful tearing or if not then an emergency section etc etc etc

Don't get me wrong I dont want a section, have been preparing for 'normal' birth - perineal massage, rasberry leaf tea, pelvic floors etc but am just getting freaked out by labout being really really long and rough

I had back to back labour with both my DC, first one I had forceps which was no where near as bad as I had imagined and second was all on his own. I know its said alot but no two labours are the same so go with what makes you most conformtable. x

My dd was back to back and yes it wasn't great BUT
before the birth you worry about the labour
after the birth you're worrying about the baby!
Hope this helps not frightens - just mean that I remember being very preoccupied with the birth but immediately afterwards all the settling in and learning how to actually look after the baby soon takes over!

Mindy, as someone that had an emergency section I think you'd be mistaken to request one, especially for back to back labour when your lo still has loads of time to move.

My recovery was painful and sections, whilst necessary and positive in some cases should never be undertaken unless absolutely clinically necessary for the health of mother and child.

I'm afraid they don't call it labour for nothing but you should try and keep positive and keep yourself nice and mobile to increase the chances of your baby shifting itself into the correct blast off position! Good luck.

No. DD1 was posterior but turned during labour (I was on my hands and knees the whole time!) so was born fine.

DD2 was also posterior but harder to turn - more painful, but I still managed with no pain relief. I had a small tear after the birth that healed very quickly with no problems.

After both births I recovered very quickly with no after effects and no implications for future births.

all 4 of mine were back to back, all quick births, no horror stories here, no assisted deliveries

have a look here

lots of stories

Hi Mindy1,

I'm a first time mum this year, during labour my baby was facing sideways and he decided to turn taking the long way round ie he was moving towards back to back - if i had the choice I would have gone for backtoback labour rather than the c section I ended up having (due to another medical problem).
It is MAJOR abdominal surgery, 9 wks along and i'm still finding it hard going.

Another thing to think about is any subsequent pregnancies. DS1 was a difficult posterior birth (forceps) and very nearly an emergency CS. I am very very very glad I didn't need the CS. With DS2 I had a very straightforward easy birth and I'm sure it would have been more stressful if I'd had a CS first time around.

Good luck

no, absolutely not, OP is a position that babies can be born vaginally.. with the right management of labour.

just have to be prepared for a longer labour, with slower progress.. being mobile, active,able to work with your body and baby is a real benefit.

approx 10 % of babies are OP, i reckon it is more

have a google of optimal foetal positioning

DD was OP and was born OP, took 18 hours to get to 3 cm, but then established labour was fast and intervention free.

dd was posterior too, pretty quick labour, felt all the pain in my back. Had an epidural, dd turned on her own, perfectly normal delivery, a few stitches, sorted!!

Am pg with #2 so will be doing all I can to make sure dc not posterior this time but if that's the way it happens then so be it. I do not want a c-section if I can help it...

also, having a c.s will set the path for how your subsequent labours and pregnancies will be managed and there are down side to a c.s

i would concentrate more on learning about managing a posterior labour than opting for major abdominal surgery.

Baby GoodBits was back to back and nothing would get him to budge. It was painful and in the end had to have all pain relief going, an episiotomy and forceps to get him out.

However it never ocurred to me to have a cs. Not because I'm anti them - I just didn't think of it and the medical staff didn't mention it either.

Similarly to a previous poster even though it was a long and difficult labour I was up and about the next day with no problems, which I am sure wouldn't have been the case with a cs.

Your baby still has lots of time to move so you never know. Bascially go with whatever feels right to you.

hatrick - dd2 was OP and born at home under water. I had two excellent midwives who encouraged me to move around in the pool and they got dd2 turned. I didn't have any pain relief as gas and air and pethidine don't get given during labour in Belgium.

Yes it was painful and longer then I wanted, but seeing as I'm planning a home birth for dc3, it can't have been that bad

Hatrick it will be ok and Mindy it will all be fine!!

Get in to some really good positions to encourage the baby to turn before labour and use them while you are in abour.

DD was back to back and a home birth, the labour was long but manageable. I did have to transfer in in the end as she had gonr transverse (head) in to my pelvis (rare) but by the time i had walked down the stairs in to the ambulance, on to the trolley, in to a bed in hospital she had righted herself and shot out at the lovely student midwife who had been with me all day

You can do, you can do it!

The twins before dd were a c-section and there was no way i was going through that again!

Awww Mindy - I remember getting to same stage as you and absolutely sh*tting myself with the reality that this huge bump had got to come out somehow.

Re: horror stories - I think people are more inclined to tell (and listen to) horror stories than non ones. I didn't say much about my birth because it was a good one and I didn't want people to think I was being smug . If it had been awful, I'd have probably gone into a lot more detail