Back-to-back labour... is it really really horrible?!

[Picante]

Am 38 weeks today. I can't see this baby shifting her position that she's been in for months.

I had an epidural with ds (I think he may have been back-to-back and no-one told me as contractions were all in my back), but I'm planning a natural homebirth this time round.

How painful is it? Is it longer?

I'm leaning forward and sleeping on my left as much as possible but I just can't see her moving. Might she move in labour?

My first two were very back to back and long labours and extremely painful, both with epidurals, first worked better than second but that's another story.

Third tho, extrememly fast (lucky to get to the hospital really) and I still had pains in back so who knows?

Best of luck with it all tho, remember you'll get through it one way or another.

my son wasn't diagnosed as being back to back until I had been pushing for hours. I had an obstructed labour and ended up with an emergency section.

But he was 10lbs though and so above average size. He was my second child.

So I had a pretty bad exprience as it was not realised until late which was the fault of the midwives.

All 3 of mine were back to back.The first was long 36 hours and alot of pushing.Ending with a spinal and ventouse.The 2nd was pretty steady. 12 hours in all and not too sore tens machine was great as was the gas and air.only 30mins pushing.Not tooooooo bad!I was induced with my 3rd and it was all quite painful.MW let me push and push (she did not expect me to do it.She was just biding time before they intervened.)I had this extra sense that if I didn't push this baby out soon it was not going to happen.2 contractions later it was all over and the MW was very shocked.10lb niceMy 4 th is due in 8 weeks so here goes.Back to back at the moment.

Had back to back labour with ds one and had to have forceps in the end.. very long labour and had not expected so much back pain.. no stomach contractions at all.

Wish someone had told me the implications to his position and I would have had an epidural..

but hey, all worth it in the end as they all are.Best of luck hon

My third (second natural delivery, first was planned c/s), baby was back to back, only turned back to back during last week or so though.

Had mildly painful contractions for a few days until the real biggies started. Was in labout 3.5 hours. no pain relief but yes it hurt! Registrar came in as baby wasn't moving down because she was stuck and she got me on my back, legs in stirrups, and internally rotated the head with each contraction. When she was the right way round the Registrar left it to the midwife and she was then born quite quickly. Second degree tear but no stitching, all healed fine, not a bruise on baby!

good luck!

Thanks all - can always rely on Mumsnet for telling me how it is!

I think I can feel a spine down my left hand side, and kicks are to the right, so hopefully she's not completely back-to-back.

Will let you know!

DD was back to back. I don't have any other DCs so I don't have anything to compare the labour to but it was bloody painful! I managed with G&A and pethidine though. You'll be fine.

My DD1 was back to back and I had a 42 hour labour. I had been having contractions regularly for 24 hours before I went to hospital and and was sent home as I hadn't begun to dilate. In fact the midwife told me she couldn't even find my cervix or the head of the baby!! She didn't realise at that point that the baby was the wrong way round. Not very reassuring. When the pain became unbearable I went back to hospital and a different midwife immediately noticed and advised me to have an epidural as it was going to be a long labour. Epidural didn't work particularly well, but the worst thing wasn't the pain, it was the exhaustion, I kept falling asleep between contractions and my husband begged them to give me a section, they didn't and I eventually had her naturally but was knackered for the first three weeks.
DS was the right way round until 42 weeks, I was induced and had a ridiculously painful but quick labour and he came out facing up as he had turned during labour, weighed 9lb too!
Next two I had to have sections and DD3 was breech until the day before and she turned the right way round.

DS1 was back-to-back so had so had similar experience to many here - 35 hour labour resulting in forceps.

DS2 was back-to-back right up to the day before he was born. I was very worried about it but he started to turn round into the proper position about 24 hours before my labour started. I had the perfect birth with him, only 5 hours labour. Hopefully this will happen to you too! Good luck.

Of my three births, all three were back to back going into labour. First one stayed where she was, second two turned during labour. Epidural with first, nothing with second (very fast), birthing pool with third. My recommendation is to try birthing pool but if it looks like being a long labour, go for epidural. Chances are, as it's your second, it will be much better than you fear. Or at least much quicker, which amounts to the same thing

DD was back to back, labour lasted 44 hours and at hour 40 I was only 1cm dilated and would happily have been shot. Some induction drugs (syn-something?) and an epidural and went to fully dilated in 3 hours. No tearing whiich was lucky (though DD only 6lb which is probably why)

I didn't know she was back to back until about 20 hours in, I think she turned right at the last minute cos I had growth scans at 34 and 36 weeks (and she arrived at 38) and she was in right position then. You never know, maybe your little one will make a last minute turn too!

No need to worry!!! My daughter (2nd child) was back-to-back. Labour was text-book stuff really. Waters broke, contractions started, baby was born (no medication ). Hopefully you'll be fine. Good luck!

After months of DD being in birth-ready position,she twisted round a few days before my waters broke. Agony. I was toking on the g&a nonstop for about 3 hours before I pleaded for an epidural. I too felt like my back was breaking and had uncontrollable urge to push with every contraction though nowhere near fully dilated, felt like my bottom was exploding! The epidural was blissful, BUT, couldn't push properly when time came. Ended up having ventouse and DD getting stuck halfway down, doctor said no point in using forceps, she wasn't coming out that way and EMCS followed. Turns out she had a reeeeaaallly hard head and there was probably no way I could have pushed her out, epidural or not. Not a particularly long labour considering she was my first, 23 hours from waters breaking to having tiny, purple DD displayed for my inspection.
Anyway.... If my baby could twist the wrong way a few days before, yours has still got time to twist the right way. And you'll be at home so probably much more relaxed and comfortable than in hospital. Good luck!

My DD surprised us all by being a little stargazer when her head popped out! In hindsight I now know I was showing "symptoms" of a back to back baby; my contractions were all in my back, I thought I had to push when I was actually only 8cms, the pushing stage took ages.
It took 1 hour and 59 minutes to push her out and it was bloody hard work, which was very disheartening as I could feel and see (had a mirror set up) her head appearing then disappearing constantly.

I am very proud of myself for giving birth to her, and have great memories of my labour, in spite of the hard work. It took 10 hours in total and I had mostly G&A with a shot of meptid just to allow me to doze between contractions, and used a birthing pool which helped a lot.

You'll be fine hon, it is a trickier position for LOs to be in, but its very doable!

My DS was back-to-back. I had 18 hours of very painful labour (and I got little in the way of sympathy or support from any of the hospital staff involved). Pushing was a nightmare, and I was all young and naive so I didn't realise that them having me on the bed lying down clearly wasn't helping. Eventually the midwife got her supervisor to come in and she insisted on getting me standing up (being held up is more accurate, as I was so tired by that time) and I delivered fairly quickly after that. Tore a bit (2nd degree) too.

I'm due with my second any time now and he seems to be back-to-back too. The midwife has told me to sit about on the ball to try to get him to turn. I'm trying to, but my back, ribs and pelvis hurt so much when I do (which prompts the OH to keep asking if I'm sure I'm not in labour and I have to explain for the millionth time that I will tell him if I think I'm in labour!). I'm expecting it to be very painful again but I'm determined to stay upright for as long as possible and to deliver in a sensible (not lying on my back) position.

My first DD was back to back. Of course we didn't know until I had been in labour for about 20+ hours and been stuck at 5cm for aeons. It was utterly exrutiating and exhausting - I screamed the place down. I didn't have pain just in my back but all over. I had to have my waters broken and then asked for an epidural - bliss . I ended up being put on the syntocinon drip to the full amount before I dilated to 10cm. As baby's head is not in the right position often your contractions can be all over the place so they need to stabilise them. They gave me an hours rest before I had to pusha dn with the help of my Mum I managed to push her out without intervention -but she did eventually turn before she came out.

My DS was not back to back and although labour was still painful it was nothing like as painful as with DD. I wanted a water birth with both mine but it never happened.

I would recommend you go in so you can get help if you need it.

If I have another I am going to be 'Mrs Epidural' when I go in as my placentas get stuck anyway Wouldn't risk it again. Good luck!

DS was back to back. Contractions went to every 6 minutes after about 5 hours, so went into hospital as weather v bad and didn't know if we'd make it later. Was only 3cm, so given paracetomol and chloral, which was obviously fuck-all use. Was told that anything stronger might delay labour - at that point, I just knew I needed some sleep so I could do it properly. Didn't happen - and with the back-to-back, there was so much residual pain between contractions I was constantly crying by the time I got an epidural, about 14 hours later (at 7cm). And I've had a tooth-root drilled without anaesthetic [well hard emoticon]. Long story short - slash and grab CS under GA.

OTOH, I was born back to back in 10 minutes, as the second of twins.

You might want to get yourself a t-shirt with nice big writing on the front saying 'I am not here for your convenience', and prep your partner to be as stroppy as possible - your body will tell you what needs to happen, the midwives (when you even see one) may not.

Had a back to back labour, 76 hours. Was a bit pooped at the end...however, I spent most of that time at home as it was a planned home birth and it was hard going but also lovely and relaxed.

Ended up transferring as after my waters broke the back contractions got a lot more intense, I'd been going for days and was only 6cm dilated! Got to hospital and was involuntary pushing- thought, great, nearly done. Took another 2 1/2 hours to push him out but mainly cos I was so tired.

I would consider going in next time for an epidural if I had another back to back but only if it was taking a really long time. It was so lovely labouring at home, I would definately do that again. There was no time for me to have an epidural last time so I know now I could cope with the pain.

The things that really helped me were lots of baths (would get a pool next time); the hypnobirthing breathing and relaxing techniques; a scorching hot water bottle pressed against my back (had burns afterwards but it felt good at the time!); TENS; moving/ dancing/ swaying lots and being at home.

The only thing you can do is take it as it comes- if it's taking forever or your not coping you can always transfer. Don't worry about it though, from what I've read above, loads of people have had perfectly fine B2B labours. Also, it's number 2 and it's never going to be as hard and as scary as the first time!

Best of luck to you

picante - not sure where either of my babies were lying before labour. Both were natural deliveries. First - DS was a long (0cm - 3cm 84 hours, 3cm - birth 60 hours) back pain labour in MLU then hospital with TENS, pethidine and eventually a drip to speed labour up. Second - DD was also a back pain labour but at home and was only 12 hours from 0cm - birth with TENS.

If you have back pain labour it isn't necessarily definite your baby is posterior. Have you tried TENS? I think it worked particularly well for me because it stimulates on your back and so was effective for back pain labour but this is just my theory! You can hire machines from boots for use at home.

Oh should say I had no assistance at pushing stages, both were born without any intervention.

Second babies come more quickly than first ones and babies come quicker if you are relaxed and calm in labour.

Hope it goes well

DS2 was back to back and did half turn during labour.

It wasn't more painful than DS1 just long (23 hrs) but my first was long too (26 hrs - had epidural). I managed DS2 with just a bit of G&A.

All three of mine were back-to-back. Labours were 12, 4 and 5 hours, gas & air, no intervention (except I suppose DS2 as an induction was really a whole entire intervention )

Only downside for me was the bloody pita backache and the fact that they were all hugely overdue (iirc OP is a factor in overdue PGs)

Plusside - never had an inside out belly button!

One back-to-back and one not -- I didn't think the back-to-back was intrinsically more painful, to be honest, but it went on and on and on and on and on.

My first (and only one so far) was back to back. I knew about it from weeks before she was born, and no amount of leaning forward, crawling around etc. turned her round. She turned in labour, but was born with ventouse because, even after turning, her head was in the wrong position and pushing wasn't shifting her.

I had some pain in my back, but nothing too excruciating. The problem was the length of the labour: 3 1/2 days from being told I was 'in labour', 3cm dilated, to her being born. I was worn out, but I think the length meant it was a bit gentler. If it happens again, I won't be so concerned to stay upright in the early stages. I thought I was doing the right thing by moving around, but a midwife told me afterwards that I should just have tried to rest and doze off as often as possible.

The posts show that there are lots of different experiences, so please don't fear the worst.

My first (and only) labour started off back to back and seemed to be goings at a normal kind of speed, but the baby turned himself around and then suddenly things really speeded up. It was a quick and easy first birth all in all. So don't worry too much about it being back to back now - it doesn't necessarily mean much. Lots of births with babies the right way round end up down the intervention route too.
I was up on my feet and moving around through labour - the midwife said this probably helped him to shift around - don't know whether true or not!