Back to back baby

[1234ANN]

Has anyone given birth vaginally with a back to back baby and had a smooth labour?

Sorry, no. Labour pains were so much worse for a start and I had a 3b tear during delivery. I’m only saying this because I wish someone had been honest with me so I could have made an informed decision.

I don't want to scare you, but I do wish I had had the full picture beforehand. I've had a "normal" labour which was fine but a back to back one which was very long, excruciating throughout, and ended up with both me and DS in a very bad way.
I should have had a section.

My first, we don't actually know if she was back to back, but I felt every contraction in my back, and CTG monitoring kept being lost despite me not moving. Either she turned in labour or it's just the way I feel contractions, but as no-one mentioned her being sunny side up when she came out, I assume she was in correct orientation.

My second however.... He was definitely back to back. He'd been breech less than a week before, so to ensure he was still cephalic, I had a scan when induction was started. A few days later, when there was space on delivery suite, I then had a bedside scan prior to the ARM. Then another when the call to have a C-section was made. When he was extracted not only was he back to back, but he'd tipped his head back as well. The consultant said he was stuck and would have been undeliverable vaginally.

Similarly to my first labour, I felt every contraction in my back, and felt the need to increase pain relief at 5cm again. I was far more mobile and tolerated labour better with my second. The key difference between the two was the length of labour to get to those 5cm. With my first it was about 6 hours in (from 1cm). With my second it was after 10 hours (from 2cm). I chose opioids with my first as I wasn't keen on having an epidural. I went straight for an epidural for my second. It had taken so long with no end in sight. I was very demoralised (it was supposed to be "quicker and easier" after all), tired, in pain, and couldn't take it any more. After pain relief I progressed to 10cm with my first after 5 more hours. With my second I remained stalled at 5cm after 3 more hours. Baby was starting to show signs of distress. As I was pain free, I would have been happy to continue labouring. But in my heart I knew it was over and opted for the C-section. I was still 5cm an hour and a half after that when they checked shortly before starting the C-section.

I don't regret trying though. I've heard that most babies back to back at the start of labour (~30% are) will turn during it (less than 10% are still back to back at the point of delivery). I was just unfortunate. If I were to ever have a third, and knew baby was back to back, I would still attempt a vaginal labour. Though I might have an epidural a bit earlier.

While I know back to back is viewed as a variant of normal, and it's just the head down part being important, the cynical part of me thinks that the reason position isn't checked upon presentation to the hospital is because a lot of women will opt for a C-section rather than experience a back to back labour. And hospitals really don't want more C-sections than they already have.

Back to back induction (and a big head), very painful and ended in emergency c section which was actually fine, but I would have gone straight for c section rather than induction if I’d understood more beforehand

I had a back to back baby vaginally. The main issues were that I didn’t recognise I was properly in labour for ages because I felt everything in my back, hips and thighs and whilst it was very painful and regular I was looking out for tightening at the front which never came. Cue panic at the hospital when I do arrive. I’ve always assumed that was because baby was back to back. Then pushing took forever, was very “unproductive” and baby got distressed (as did I tbh). Ended in episiotomy but could’ve been worse.

Only positive is I didn’t experience the long labour that is often associated with back to back babies in fact it was the opposite and quite quick.

Like others my instinct is that I’d want a c-section over doing it again but in reality I don’t know what I’ll actually choose if I find myself with another back to back baby.

Sorry to say, no, the pain was indescribable. I had the induction pessary and everything got going very nicely and tolerably, but after 18 hours I was still stuck at less than 1cm and the last 7 of those hours were unbelievably awful. I was screaming my head off and not coping at all.

The hospital dealt with it very well though. They moved me to the labour ward, gave me an epidural at barely 1cm, and broke my waters. I then went right up to 10cm in 4 hours. They also scanned me twice during those 4 hours and found the baby was back to back and then half turned. Baby started to get a bit distressed, I ended up with failed ventouse, forceps, episiotomy, 3b tear, and a 2.9 litre haemorrhage. They think the haemorrhage was caused by the start of a placental abruption. My bladder was also badly bruised and I left hospital with a catheter and leg bag, having failed several urine tests.

My next two babies were both elective c sections!

No, but I feel if I hadn’t been on my back and allowed to stand up and push (as I did for no. 2 and 3 babies), I wouldn’t have needed forceps. He was almost out but because of my position, I just couldn’t get him out before getting too tired and needing intervention.

So stand up and lean over the bed if you can - opens the pelvis by as much as 25%

No NICU. All fine in the end but we spent a week in hospital for various lower level complications. I could never face a second. You?

Also had a hellish back to back, none stop pain from the moment my waters went and literally begging my husband to kill me. Normal presentation with my second and it was a breeze. If I had known I would have had a section

No, sorry. The most awful pain as soon as my waters broke. In labour for 26 hours, strapped to bed being monitored, oxytocin drip. Then over 2 hours of pushing in excruciating pain with no epidural. Ended up with rotational forceps, episiotomy (local anaesthetic) and a third degree tear. In surgery for over two hours straight after the birth, a lot of blood loss and severe anaemia. Requested a c-section with dc2, was a walk in the park in comparison and I recovered much more quickly.

Ouch no!!! 2 hours of trying not to push meant my cervix was swollen and unable to birth without an epidural. Awful, would not recommend

Like many others, I didn’t really get any advice or guidance. I’d have chosen a section if I’d have been better informed.

Absolutely horrific and thought I’d die. The pain is unbearable. Get yourself booked in for a C-Section - soo much better. Some silly midwife told me back to back made no difference! Don’t believe it.

I’m stunned reading this.

I had a back to back first baby, excruciating induced labour, thought I was dying, fetal distress, failure to progress resulting in rotational forceps and episiotomy. Left hospital with a catheter as I was so destroyed and swollen I couldn’t pass urine at all.

Back to hospital 5 days later- I had a (rare complication) of an arterial bleed and had emergency surgery. I have never been so low as after that surgery where I felt (and was physically) completely broken. luckily the hysterectomy they consented me for didn’t happen.

my second baby I nearly birthed in the hospital car park as the pain level never reached anywhere near the first and I genuinely though I was in early labour.

I cannot believe that you are not prepared for this beforehand. I was encouraged towards a home birth (which I wouldn’t have gone for) and thankfully didn’t as I’m 100 % my baby would’ve suffered.

in fact my maternity experience was so traumatic I didn’t even process it for a few years. I wasn’t listened to, I was told continually I was fine in the face of all complications. I’m a doctor and I felt I’d been labelled as the highly strung difficult patient.

My advice would be get request a consultation with an obstetrician and discuss your options. Best of luck with your pregnancy.

I wonder whether there’s been any research on whether inductions make back to back labours significantly harder. I’m sorry to hear of so many really awful experiences here.

Snap.

The staff at the hospital seemed to acknowledge that back to back is tricky and significantly more painful. When I was scanned and the doctor saw she was back to back he immediately said “ah, that’s why” (I’d been screaming in agony before the epidural). And the midwife looking after me after the birth said “it won’t be anything like this if your next baby faces the other way”.

Yes. 4h labour. Back to back baby. Was 4h of hard work but all went well. Good luck op you’ll be ok

My youngest was back to back, had significantly more backache in labour, but overall it was fine.

OP unfortunately anytime you ask for birth stories, the horror stories emerge. My first was a back to back induction, and I think things would have gone very differently had I actually known they were. I found out by looking at my birth notes after, and it explained so much.

You're in a great position being forewarned! There's so many exercises you can do to try spin baby into a better position - spinning babies website has loads of notes on this.

You also can prepare a little better with the knowledge. Back to back birth tends to bring on very strong, consistent contractions because baby is typically trying to spin and is pressed up against your own back. My early contractions were all in my back, which can't always be seen on the monitor. The contractions can also be constant because of the position - I had very little break between mine.

Had I known this was happening, I would have been trying different positions in labour to help baby out. I also probably would have skipped the epidural - it was a short break but made pushing a little harder and wasn't fully effective in my case.

Can you ask your midwife if you have a tilted uterus by any chance? I follow the YouTuber Sarah's Day & she had 3 back to back labours (and vlogged them). I think she mentioned the shape of her uterus impacted it, even though she did all the exercises for ideal position.

I'd also ask about baby size. I had a 9 lber for my OP baby. My second 10 lber was OA facing and easier to get out. Spontaneous, unmedicated so all around easier without interventions but - I wouldn't have wanted to try that with a 10 lb OP baby though!

That being said my induction was only 7 hours start to finish.

I’m pretty sure my second was back to back as they said she turned on the way out. She was a bit more painful than my first because she seemed to be pressed onto my bladder in a very unpleasant way, but otherwise it was completely fine and a ‘good’ birth. Contractions were stop start from early hours, more consistent but manageable in the afternoon. I went into hospital at about 7.30pm and was 5cm. I was offered a sweep during the vaginal examination which I took, then got into the birthing pool. She was born by 9pm in the pool with only gas and air. No tearing. I think people who have back to back babies and a good natural birth often don’t even know the baby was back to back, as the midwives barely mentioned it to me. So you’ll probably hear mostly the bad stories, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t good ones.

Mine was slow - 19 hours - but normal other than that. I didn't actually know he was back-to-back until I delivered his head and the midwife commented on it, but he flew out like a cork at that point.

There are some awful experiences here, so I hope mine will redress the balance a bit!

My first was back to back. 4 hours after my first contraction, I was at 8cm and my baby was born about 90 minutes after that, so less than 6 hours in total if you count from the first contraction (or 8 hours if you count from when my waters broke when I was asleep in bed).

I didn’t need any intervention. The contractions were painful on my back so I walked around a lot, which I think helped, and I stayed upright throughout. I just needed a bit of gas and air toward the end.

Thanks girls think I will opt for a section x

Yes, my wife! In the midwife lead birth suite with gas and air. Very intense labour but she did amazingly.

sorry - just noticed your update!