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

I am about to go for home birth #3 with dc#7 It cant be all that bad!

hatrick - I don't think the nerves ever go away! And Mindy, it's normal to feel nervous, but the chances are your baby will turn during labour. Getting on your hands and knees can help get the baby into a good position.

All three of mine were OP and the only 'problem' I had was that they were massively overdue (and I'm not sure if that was because of the OP, or just the way it would have been anyway) I didn't even know there were issues with OP labours until I heard all the horror stories on here, luckily after I'd had DS1 and 2!

DD, the last one, was OP and I had a 5 hour labour with gas and air and no stitches or tears. I'm not going to pretend it was easy (it's not called labour for nothing, lol) but it doesn't have to be a nightmare. Best advice, is the same as many other posters - keep active, keep moving try not to end up flat on your back (bloody hurts!)

Good luck

No. But I have to say having been through two labours with horrific back pain, I opted for a mobile epidural, which really helped me. I could move around and rock, etc and I was able to achieve a VBAC.

But as others have said, anything can happen in the next couple of weeks and it is really worth working on positioning techniques for the baby. Ask you midwife and look on line - there is probably info on Mumsnet too. Try cleaning the floor on your hands and knees!!!! Don't sit cross legged, or put your feet up over your pelvis, sleep/lie on your left side.

Also, as Serenity has said it may not be so bad for you, and the baby may well rotate to a better position during labour. It's important to keep mobile during the labour with OP babies- I think this is a case where it's particularly bad if you're stuck on a bed lying there. So, you do need to be careful if you opt for an epidural anesthetic that you retain some mobility.

I am not at all hostile to the idea of an elective c -section in principle but I really don't think an OP baby is a reason alone for a c-section. If someone is telling you this, you need to question their judgement.

DS was OP, overdue and 9lb 7oz. I was coping well with gas and air and TENS, but the pain suddenly went really intense in a very short space of time, I couldn't cope and decided to go for the epidural. If I'd progressed quicker I think I would have forgone the pain relief, but I was looking at another twelve hours. One intervention often leads to another, and I had a CS, and lost a lot of blood however, I still maintain, four weeks on, that I had a lovely day, and I got my lovely baby boy. What I would say from my experience, is to prepare to labour how you really want to, but be prepared for any eventuality. I had no idea what was involved in a CS (other than the obvious) and wasn't prepared for three days in hospital and not being able to do anything when I got home. However, it is a major operation, and there are loads of things I still can't do and I wouldn't choose it unless it was medically necessary

xx