back to back labour advice and reassurance please

[frekkles]

help! I'm abit scared. My waters went yesterdat at 5 am, laboured all yesterday at home, was hard but felt confident and was managing. Went into hospital at 10pm, contractions consistently 4 in 10, 3cm dilated. Carried on labouring, but contractions never got re established and stopped almost completely about 4am. I've not dilated any more in all that time labouring.

Apparently baby is back to back. I'm in tonnes of pain. Now contractions are sporadic and very painful. Because my waters went over 24 hours ago the hospital want to put me on the drip to re establish labour. I've managed to get home for a few hours to rest and think, but need to go back at 3pm. I'm scared, I don't want the drip, I'm barely coping with the pain just now and I'm only getting about a contraction every 15 minutes. I feel like I'll need an epidural , but I really didn't want that.

Reassurance and advice please. I'm so tired, not slept since yesterday and can't lie down because it hurts too much, scared about going back in. It'll be ok though won't it?

Frekkles my waters broke early with my first baby, went into labour then stopped pretty much as you describe. Had the synto drip and opted for the epidural really because I'd had no sleep for such a long time and needed the rest. ALso the midwives advised pain from the synto would be pretty bloody intense. Now they only topped the epidural up once or twice after I'd had a little kip - which meant I could push the baby out really easy after only 5 hrs on the synto drip (went from 4cm to fully dilated in that time). No ventouse / forceps, small tear.

And it was actually a really lovely experience. I could move my legs and things - tbh you can't move about much on the drip anyway so all that get onto all fours / on birthing ball stuff goes out the window. HTH - don't be scared, you'll be meeting your lovely baby soon, if you choose epidural keep the top ups to a minimum - they might give you gas and air as well at the end (mine did).

Hi frekkles
DS1 was a back to back labour. I won't bore you with the details but all was well... enventually.... he is now a stroppy toddler

just focus on the cute little baby that is inside you - try and picture what that first cuddle is going to be like.

and remember childbirth is not a competition. If you end up needing and epi then that is fine too.

are you eating/drinking still? a little something to keep your energy levels up might help.

Can you find a way to lie/sit to have a doze?

is there someone with you?

good luck

My first as back to back and I remember the pain well. You poor thing.
When I went to the hospital, they aid I wasn't in established labour but agreed to keep me in because I wasn't dealing with the pain after 3 days being at home.
There was no one available to give me an epiural, so I had to do the labour on G&A.

My 2nd delivery was induced, again just with G&A becuse the epidural I had didn't work.
IMO, being induced wasn't any more painful or intense than back to back contractions.
Good luck. xx

Oh you poor love, I do really feel for you. Things will be ok, try to stay calm and breathe slowly. Have you tried G&A? I found it made me naseous with my first labour, but it was all I had until the Em Section for my 2nd labour, and it worked well. Have you had Pethidine? That might be an option for reduce the intensity of the pain?

Both my babies were back to back, and I am afraid that both ended in Emergency sections, although this was due to additional complications.

My first labour was a little like yours, very painful, very slow to dilate, the labour was very long and slow. I found that the epidural and the drip slowed my labour down even further, but at the time, the relief from pain was indescribable.

What's more important to you, a quicker labour or being pain free?

my DS was back to back and i had 2 days of slow labour so i feel your pain

get on your hands and knees or on a birthing ball

sit backwards on a chair - so you are straddling it

Eat and drink little and often - have some lucozade or something sugary

DS was born without the need for a section - once i got to 3 cm labour progressed well and he was born 10 hours later - i pushed for over an hour but he made it out

Only had gas and air but if you want an epi ask for it

good luck

Both of mine were bak to back. Dd didn't turn and was born with her face up, after 2 hours of fruitless pushing. I was lying down as I'd been induced and had an epidural. Ds was completely different. He managed to turn in labour, and was born in 2 pushes with just gas and air. Labour with dd was 14 hours. WIth ds it was 3.5. I think that standing up made all the difference. With ds I stood up the whole time, and I think thats why he managed to turn as well. Worth noting as well that my midwife, who was also an active birth teacher, said that it's best not to get into the water with a posterior baby as you are more likely to lean backwards, whereas the best position to be in is bent slightly forwards. I feel for you, long labours can be exhausting, but I found that getting them to crank up the bed as high as it would go and then leaning over it with my head resting on a pillow was very comfortable, as was sitting on a birth ball and on all fours. Good luck

thank you all . currently leaning over birth ball trying to stay calm. i've got a tens machine on my lower back but I'm not sure it's helping or hindering. shall i take it off?

DS3 was back to back, had little chance of anything more than a few puffs on the ol' G&A (whole induced labour was 1 hour 15 mins) the only thing that helped was DH rubbing the bottom of my back during the contractions, he missed one when I'd asked him to get my drink which was handily placed on the other side of the room, I nearly hit the roof without him rubbing!

If it is any help, the only place I hurt an hour after the birth was where DH had been rubbing so hard, no tearing, no getting stuck, no bruising, no nothing really, well, except the baby obviously

Wishing you lots of luck, and no matter how it comes about, by this time tomorrow the chaces are you'll be cuddling with your new baby, just keep focusing on the end game

Sorry , chances.

keep the TENs on until it starts annoying you and then take it off

DD was back to back , i stayed on my feet as long as i could..

use the birthing ball when you are at the hospital, if you have to be on the bed, lie on your left side

all fours can be good to get pressure off your back

some pain relief might take the edge off and relax you enough to get things going again.

won;t be long now! getting to 3cm can be harder sometimes than getting to 10.

Hi there, I wanted to let you know my experience (eeek 9 years ago!)

I had a back to back labour - contractions started 5am Sat morning - eventually went to hospital 2pm sat (this was my dc1 - have done it twice since then!!!)

It was SORE - I spent a lot of time on my hands and knees over a birthing ball but in the end needed the drip - it actually didn't hurt too much, as it was good to have a lot of productive contractions rather than the weak, weird ones I had had with the reallly really sore back up to then!!! I got hte augmentation at about 10pm, and they took me off it at 2am, then on again about 8am, off at 2pm.

I did it with gas and air and a dose of diamorphine. Dd1 was "face to pubes" - or, as a nice midwife said, a "stargazer" baby. I ended up with a ventouse delivery for her, at 6pm. after 37 hours labour. No epidural, for which I was very proud of myself. She was 9lb 12oz, so VERY big for a B2B labour.

I also have had a "normal" labour (ds) and an induced labour at 37 weeks (dd2 - as I was very unwell). Can't say that dd1 was any more painful - only issue was I had no urge to push as she didn't make proper contact with my cervix - only understood the "pushing" urge with next labour (ds)!!!

It will be OK. You need to get baby out - and if an augmented labour is the way, then take it. Be as mobile as you can. hands and knees - even on the drip they let me do that! and GOOD LUCK!!!!!

You will be fine - whatever it takes to get your fabby baby out!! Mine is now 9 and nearly a half, arguing with me about music, going clothes-shopping and telling me I have no taste in shoes! My hopes and prayers are with you today!

I had a back to back labour initially similar to yours then it stopped then it came on very intense for 2 hours and mahooosive ds was born it seemed he had turned whilst contractions had slowed good luck,

I hated the tens it electrocuted me a couple of times when i accidently knocked it off and found it much better without.

thank you all xxxx on the phone to my mum now x

When I went into labour DD was back to back (11am). I spent almost the whole day rocking on a birthing ball and when I was next checked at 5pm she was the right way round. Good luck

my DD also a stargazer !!forgot to say, she was born without intervention though and she was a VB after c.s.. established labour 3 hrs 15 minutes , no tearing , no problems

i'm sorry not typing back much now. too much pain. think i'm going to go back into hospital now. thank you all for sharing, it's helped so much to know that I'm not alone x

good luck. dh leant on my back during contractions which helped.

yes, pressure in the lower back is great

good luck x

freckles, I had a back to back labour and was induced. I didn't have an epidural so its not a foregone conclusion. the nicest thing that anyone has ever done for me was to put loads of pressure on my lower back. And i laboured kneeling up over pillows when it all got too much.

You will be fine.

Good luck.xxx