Back to back baby

[rooks14]

Had my 36 week apt on friday, i'm 27 weeks today! and midwife said she could feel a lot of limbs around the front, so he'sback to back. I had no idea he was supposed to be face to bum scenario. She told me to spend some tie on the birthing ball to help him turn.
I've been looking on the internet and all i can see is stories of how much bigger head circumfrence is of back to back babies, that they are ussually over due and that labours are a lot longer and more painful :( i'm not sure what i'm supposed to be doing on my ball to help him turn! any advice or experience with a previous back to back baby?

37 today!

Hhhmm. I'm afraid to say I had a back to back baby with a large head circumference, a (very) long and (very) painful labour, was two weeks over due and ended up with an EMCS.

I've looked into it since and there are a few things you can do - sort of leaning on the birth ball is recommended. And keep very active in labour for as long as you can.

Good luck, I think I had a fairly extraordinary labour but I couldn't not tell you about it if that makes sense.

My son was back-to-back. I went into labour at 39+6 and delivered exactly on my due date. His head distribution engage until I was 6cm dilated and my waters were still intact at 10cm. It was a long labour BUT the was more to do with the hospital and their treatment of me than the position or size of the baby. His head was on the largish side (37.9cm) but still within normal ranges and he was a big baby anyway (9lb 3oz) so he was always going to have a big head as the rest of him was big too IYSWIM?

Most babies turn either just before labour or during it, only around 10% stay back-to-back for the duration. If baby stays back-to-back then stay as mobile and active as possible during labour, positions that take the weight off your back such as all fours or kneeling whilst leaning forwards against something (e.g., a birthing ball) are ideal and the pool can be beneficial too.

I wa told my second baby was back to back right up til due date. Went into labour on due date, when I got to labour ward midwife said she was no longer back to back. So either she turned or was never back to back to begin with. Gave birth 2hrs after arriving on labour ward. Appreciate my case might be slightly different as it was my 2nd baby (assume this is your 1st?). But I too spent many wks panicking and all was fine. I was told swimming is a good way to turn a back to back baby...could be worth a try?

Anything where gravity will allow baby's spine to swing to the front - swimming on your front is excellent, scrubbing floors on hands and knees etc, leaning forwards over a birthing ball.

I've had 3 dcs, being induced at 38wks on Friday with #4. Dcs 2&3 were OP (dc2 born at 39+4, dc3 induced at 38wks). I think dc2 possibly turned during labour but her was the worst labour and longest.

Dc3 was not a great labour and he stayed OP, delivered with his arm up by his head. I have bad spd so was virtually immobile in labour which didn't help at all.

Dc4 is currently OP. I'm being scanned on arrival on Friday. If it is still OP I will be asking for an epidural at 3/4cm.

FWIW, if I wasn't being induced I'd be thinking along the lines of water. I have very painful BH contractions - all in my back as baby is OP. When not in water I have to breathe through them as if they are 'real' contractions. When in the bath I don't notice the pain and am pain free the whole time.

Might be worth a thought?

Also, dc2&3 were considerably smaller (in every way) than dc1. This one is meant to be a whopper but we'll see, eh?

Firstly let me say- do. not. panic. When the mw told me at 40 weeks that it felt like his head was OP (means wrong side of head is presenting) and said it would be a 'long painful labour' I just cried and cried and panicked and then cried some more. But the truth is they CANNOT know what your labour or birth experience is going to be like; there are really no hard and fast rules and there is just no point worrying yourself about it.

At 42 weeks, I saw a consultant who scanned me and said he thought baby wasn't back-to-back...turned out he was but the point is, even the professionals can get it wrong so you might not even have a problem.

I ended up going 17 days overdue because I refused to be induced, eventually gave in to having the propess inserted and labour started that afternoon, was 8 hours active labour, 11 hours total which I consider to be short for a first baby! Head was actually quite small so as I said, there are no definites here.

I also have a friend who's had 2 back to back babies with very different labours, one much harder than the other. Yes it IS possible that the position of baby's head means you'll go overdue (as happened for me) but it isn't certain...I'm sure loads of people will come on here saying they had a b2b baby but weren't overdue.

But yes, I have heard swimming, long walks, leaning over bouncy ball can all help. I plan to spend my next pregnancy crawling around on all fours for 9 months to avoid another b2b baby

I know I'm just waffling but hoping to make you feel a little bit better. I think it's so unhelpful when you read/hear things that tell you THIS IS WHAT YOUR LABOUR WILL BE LIKE. It will be unique to you, and your body will be able to handle it, so try to relax :)

Well said cupcake. All we can do is share our experiences as requested. Labour is an intensely personal experience.

And, OP, the thing to remember is that it's coming out, one way or another. And by the time you get to labour - that's only going to feel like a good thing!

Check out:

www.spinningbabies.com/

Loads of tips here. I had an OP labour which was long & very stop/start. I am determined to do everything I can to avoid it this time and SB has some great tips.

Inversions, pelvic floor release and posture!

Good luck

Mine was back to back. I'd like to say labour was lovely but i'd be lying. Had contractions for three days, then my waters broke, got to hospital, eventually got to 4 cm and then contractions stopped. So they gave me syntocin and an epidural.

On the plus side, he arrived dead on time. And I would do it again in a shot.

My DS was back to back. Was definately long llabour but not overdue or ridiculously painful. The sleep deprivation was probably the worst bit.Try not to worry, keep active and aim for a pool if possible.

my 1st was back to back, was not an easy labour and was quite a long labour but i think that was partly a combination of being induced and that he was my 1st, and the back to back thing all added together. he needed forceps, i think because he did not turn fully so needed a bit of assistance? he had turned a bit though during the labour
this one (3rd) is also back to back at the moment and has been settled in that position for weeks, and is gonna have to be induced too, so just hoping it will be bit easier than with my 1st, and hopefully be able to stay more active to help things move along quicker but if all else fails will just have to ask for epidural i guess. i had that with my 1st and it does help! so for me atleast i feel like well thats the back up plan if i need it, although hoping not to..
my 2nd one i kept asking is he back to back or right way round, and he was like facing the side when they scaned at 40weeksish so 50% chance of being OP and 50% for normal position, and in the end when i went into labour he actually had gone into the normal position so there's always the hope they will shift at the last minute and make things easier.

My first was back to back too, he was big (for me, anyway) at 9lb4 and had a massive head. It was not "easy" in that it was 16 hours, I needed an epidural and he was then ventouse delivery, but nothing any more dramatic than that.

DS2 was also back to back (obviously the way I cook them)!, weighed in at 9lb6, and also had a massive head (98th centile). However that labour was quick (4 hours) and I only had gas and air. I did find that moving around LOADS was the key to keeping me sane and cannot recommend that enough - don't let yourself get flat on your back as that really is the most painful way to be in labour!

I tried loads to get DS1 to move and he wouldn't. So by all means try, but please don't think that a back to back birth means automatic c-section or a terrible labour, it really doesn't!

Good luck

i had my second baby on tuesday he was born exactly on his due date and it was only when i was about 7 cms that they realised he was back to back i also had and anterior rim, he really was not in the best position and it was incredibly difficult to get him out it was awful i was having to cope on just gas and air because i dilated too quickly to be able to have anything stronger but i did manage to push him out by myself but had to have an epiostomy so i didn't tear.He was a big baby at 8lb 12 though. IHaving said that don't be scared i think when you have a difficult labour and you cope with minimal pain relief and do it yourself you feel such a high when it's over and so good about yourself that you managed. I'd definatly say stay active that's the best way and try and get into loads of positions when you're pushing use the gas and air to keep you in control and focused on breathing DON'T PANIC once you start panicking in labour that's it you lose control and it's so hard to get it back. Good luck hopefully your baby will move but if he doesn't don't worry you'll get through it there's nothing to worry about xxxx

( i wasn't overdue my contractions started on monday and he was born tuesday morning on his actual due date after 13 hours in labour but i went from 4cms to 7cms in about half an hour so one minute it was too early to have strong pain relief and the next it was too late. )

I had a back to back birth with my first and midwives scared me saying oh dear it's so much more painful and i'll have to work harder. Like babyonboard (congrats on the birth of your baby ) they discovered this when i was about 6 cm dilated i had to have an episiotomy and ventouse delivery and just gas and air as they said it was to late for anything else!

The way i see it now is it was my first, yes it may have been a bit tougher but i have no other labour to compare it too so can't say yes it was more painful cause how do i know?

Don't listen to horror stories everyone's labour is completely different and baby might turn you have time yet.
I'm now pg 8 + 2

Good luck you will do great and baby will be fine.

I was back to back (my mum has never let me forget it!) but my head circumference was well within normal ranges, I weoight 7lbs 1 and I was two weeks early. Her entire labour, from waters breaking to me being born was nine and a half hours.

The only problem she had was that I didn't slide out penguin style like babies normally do. And mum's a midwife, so she wouldn't have spared me any gore or misery!

I weighed 7lb 1oz, not weoight, obviously...

don't get scared labour in general is hard work and painful but it's only a few hours you get that baby for the rest of your life, it can't have been that bad for me because i would do it all over again today to have my little boy, concentrate on being excited about getting your baby you can worry about labour when you are in labour.

My DD was back to back. Was induced (high BP) when 10 days over. Had epidural so minimum pain. Labour was 14hrs and I managed to push her out myself with no intervention so it can be done. She did not have a big head either - hadn't heard there was a link.

Feel the need to give you a positive story here! My DD was back to back. She was 6 days overdue, which is pretty standard for first baby. Her head, if anything, was on the small side and she weighed 6lbs 11. I had her in birth centre at local hospital so no drugs, just lots of breathing and water. I went into labour in the evening and spent most of the night at home, went into hospital at 8am and she was born at 11.30 am, so definitely not too long. Being back to back meant that I felt very intense pressure in the small of my back, which my husband countered by massaging me there. It's totally do-able. She's the only one I've had, so I've no idea if it would have been much easier if she had been the 'right' way round but please don't panic. The more nervous you get, the more likely you'll find it all painful. Just believe that you're body is totally capable of doing this, just as it's managed to get you to 37 weeks pregnant!

My DD delivered back to back weighing 7lb 10 on time. She turned back to back during labour which started with my waters breaking. No one realised that she had turned until she delivered back to back. Labour was a bit of an on/off event for me initially but the pain was manageable as long as I didn't sit down or stand upright. Two worst things were sleep deprivation (lost 3 nights for various reasons) and internal stitching under local after the birth! That hurt more than labour or birth did.

My birth seems to have been more straightforward than those of friends and relatives and yet I'm the only one to deliver back to back! I'm 24 wks pg with DD2 now and am much calmer about the thought of giving birth this time. Think fear of the unknown adds so much stress to first births no matter how many books you read or people you talk to. You've only a few wks too go, sooooo exciting. Good luck x