Back to Back Baby - Can I Avoid Instrumental Delivery

[glastochick]

Hi

I'm absolutely petrified of a forceps delivery, so much so that I would rather go through a c-section.

I have it in my birth plan that should an instrumental delivery look likely, rather than continue to try and deliver I want to be whisked away for a c-section than get to a stage where it's too late for one and there's no other choice.

DH has been fine with this all along, but at my 34 week check up Midwife confirmed my suspicions that DS1 has shifted from ROA to OP. DH told his Mum (retired midwife), and also about my views on instrumental deliveries, and now he's trying to get me to think about agreeing to it.

I really really don't want to get to that stage at all, and that's part of my reason for opting for a home water birth so I know I'll have constant attention and hopefully won't end up progressing past the point of no return.

I've tried getting DS1 to shift position, think I've done it, and then it feels as though he's swung back round.

Not all back to back labours / deliveries require intervention, do they?

dd was back to back - the birth was really quick & no problems. I just made it to the hospital & gave birth standing up leaning over the bed, no pain relief either as just didn't need it. Hope everything goes well.

I'm 37 wks and DC2 is back to back - midwife is totally not fussed (and neither am I). Both expecting it to all be straightforward.

Might aim to be mostly standing / kneeling during labour, but then found that most comfortable thing last time round anyway (when DS was facing the right way round).

Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be fine. Worth knowing your preffered options but don't go in expecting the worst.

Ds was back to back, but we didn't know that until he was being delivered. labour slightly longer than with 2 previous, and I did find that the positions I had liked while giving birth the previous times didn't work for me so well. But still, 4h 40min labour start to finish, pool for pain relief, came out to deliver. No intervention required. HTH

My DS1 was back to back and was delivered by ventouse. He had a very large head (known in advance) and my waters had broken before labour so I had been gently prepared that I might need intervention. I got the impression that it was due to the combination of factors rather than the OP itself.

My CMWs had still been quite happy for me to go ahead with a home birth, so they must have thought it was possible it would have been OK.

I found ventouse a good option. It was not invasive and not at all traumatic physically or emotionally.

I still wish they'd let me carry on standing up though! I did the next time and it was tickety boo.

my ds4 was op and home water birth booked. I had back ach from thurs when on sat my waters broke (or so i thought). hosp asked me to go in and be checked. all was fine and i was shown to be contracting but to me it just felt like the really bad back ache i had already. I was dilating but told to i could go home to labour, if not delivered in 24 hrs to go bk to hosp. This i did sent home again to labour as only another 1 or 2 cm dilated but still contracting.
all these contractions were meant to be help turning him but actual truth is later on sunday i delivered him and he turned as he delivered. so although long winded all natural. i agree forceps are a scary thought and stick to your guns and have a happy birth whatever that may be. good luck :-) x

My first ds was op, I tried optimal foetal positioning to help him turn but to no available. It might be worth considering though, it involves spending a lot of time on all fours, or sitting on a birth ball so that your knees are lower than your hips. The idea is that the spine is the heaviest part of the baby and will move to the front if your knees are lower than your hip. So no more lounging on the sofa!

Having said that it is perfectly possible to deliver an op baby without forceps especially with a supportive midwife. My labour was 13.5 hours long, about right for a 1st baby and I delivered him op, he was 9lb15 so it can be done!!

Good luck