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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

39 Week appointment and MW thinks baby is Back to Back....advice please!

14 replies

StormBird · 07/07/2011 20:28

Just had my 39 week appointment and MW is convinced baby is back to back (or Partially anyway). Which probably explains why I wake in the night with chronic dull achy pains in my back and have to get on all fours to relieve it.

So I just wondered if anyone had had any experience of this?
Did you manage to get baby to turn and how?
And if not, how was your birth?

Thanks All

STORM

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

notnowbernard · 07/07/2011 20:31

Crawl around on all fours as much as you can

Birthing ball

Try and be active as much as you can in labour

DC2 and DC3 were back to back but turned during labour

Good luck

Catsycat · 07/07/2011 20:39

Just to echo what notnow said. Leaning forward over a birth ball, and being on all fours (as you have already found) can help ease discomfort and move the baby (think weeding the garden, scrubbing the floor - lucky you.... :) ).

Mine both went partially back to back late on, I did manage to move them a bit pre-delivery, but then ended up with emergency cs anyway (absolutely nothing at all to do with the back to backness, please don't worry!). Again, as notnow says, they can turn right up to, and during, labour.

Good luck, and sorry for how uncomfortable it feels - I do sympathise!

GruffaloMama · 07/07/2011 20:39

DS was back to back but turned during labour - I've not got anything to compare (he was our first DC and DC2 is due in a fortnight). Later in labour my contractions were very intense and long (each 8-9 mins with a 1-2 minute break). I'd strongly second the all fours and active labour thing if you possibly can plus I found being in water (a bath/shower, anything) really helpful.

notnowbernard · 07/07/2011 20:42

Oh yes, definitely try water!

Thefoxsbrush · 07/07/2011 20:46

Dc3 was back to back but they didn't find out until I was in labour and they found it hard to hear a heartbeat. He turned inside me as he was coming out which was a VERY weird experience! I actually felt like the mw had put her ands around his head and turned him! It wasn't anymore painful than my other births though. Good luck.

PelvicFloorOfSteel · 07/07/2011 20:50

I did all the all fours, birthing ball, active stuff and DS1 was born back to back, none of the MWs realised beforehand so they were surprised when he came out facing the wrong way. It was a longish labour but bearable with just gas and air - the only bits I couldn't stand were when I was on my back, for examinations and having a (not used) canula fitted.

The only really bad thing is that when I was expecting DS2 I thought labour would be so easy with a correctly positioned baby and it wasn't - I found it exactly the same as my back to back labour!

I'm not sure how much difference it made but I did loads of pelvic floor exercises, perineal massage and drank raspberry leaf tea.

Ringosbaby · 07/07/2011 20:54

Don't panic.... both my DS were back to back. Neither turned. Both were painful but quick labours. Would much rather go through those again than the 15 hr hell I suffered with DD, who was as per!

outthere · 07/07/2011 21:03

With my twins, one was back to back and the other was the "right" way round. Don't remeber it being a problem at all really.

Labour was really quick when it got started...

Original poster

StormBird · 08/07/2011 10:49

Thanks everyone,I'll definitely heed your advice. I'm not worries about it to be honest....it is what it is and if he turns he turns!!!

I've given up worrying now, I just wish he was here now.

Thanks again xx

OP posts:

NewMummy5July2011 · 08/07/2011 13:52

Just read this thread with interest as I'm 40+3 and baby is back to back also - I've heard it can be a tougher labour but after some reading it doesn't look like it's meant to be any worse!

JanetPlanet · 08/07/2011 13:57

My baby was back to back. Spent ages on all fours trying to get him to turn, then read after the birth that most babies turn naturally during labour anyway (which he did).

miamama09 · 08/07/2011 14:54

my first DC was back to back all through last weeks of pregnancy, tried everything. Had to be induced, she was still back to back, but no one seemed worried about this as they mostly turn naturally. However, mine didn't, and they didn't realise just how far down she had moved, still back to back, until the last minute. So needed emergency cs, by this stage she had moved down even further and was stuck in my pelvis. Won't go into the details - but, trust me, if you can get your baby to turn, it's the best option.
Back pain was almost worse than pain in stomach from contractions. It was ok in the end - baby was fine.

It's just one of those things. Most babies turn themselves, so do what you can to cope with any extra back pain and spend the last few weeks on all fours in the hope!

wigglesrock · 08/07/2011 15:32

Dd1 was born back to back, never turned. We didn't realise until I was actually in labour. It was a long labour but to be honest was alright, had no interventions in "getting her out", recovery was nice and quick and went on to have 2 further dds so not that off putting Good luck, not much longer to go now!

lovemysleep · 08/07/2011 18:16

DD was back to back - my labour was 48 hours long!!! Pushed for 4 hours, and they had to get her out by ventouse in the end......Couldn't really quantify the pain in terms of other types of labour - they all hurt! It was just hard going as I was so bloody tired. Epidural helped loads though.....and I still got my beautiful baby at the end of it all...

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