Baby is back to back.

[justamouse]

I'm 36 weeks and I know there is still plenty of time for him to turn, but if he is back to back on the day am I doomed to a have an epidural? Does anyone have any experience of this they'd like to share?

I'm off to crawl around the house...

both of mine where back to back and I just had gas and air. I found delivering kneeling was the easiest

You're not doomed! DS turned during labour but was back to back for most of it. He was born in water after a relatively short labour. I just had gas and air.

(just name changed for christmas!) That's reassuring pixie, thanks!

I was hoping for a water birth, I'd just read all over the place that I'd be screaming for an epi at the 11th hour. Two positive stories there, makes me feel a lot better.

Don't worry about it. If it happens, you will have an epidural because you need it and this happens with babies in all manner of positions. Try to see things like epidurals as a useful tool should you need it as opposed to an evil eventuality. There is every chance you baby will turn between now and labour, maybe during labour and maybe not at all but this means nothing concrete for what will happen.

My babies were both back to back and I had a 31hr labour and 38hr labour. I had nothing with either up until the very end when I needed spinals for the emcs.

Hi, my first birth was back to back, it was painful but then childbirth generally is! I got dd out with gas and air and no screaming for an epidural, although she did semi turn during labour...

For my second birth I was worried about another back to back labour. My lovely midwife suggested getting a birth ball (a cheap large gym ball from tk maxx) and sitting on that rather than slouching on the sofa. Apparently using a birth ball means you sit up properly and as you can't lean back the baby is naturally turned by gravity, whereas sitting on the sofa and leaning back is a really bad resting position as gravity will turn the baby's back to your back.

My DS was back to back, I had a fairly short labour (10 hours from first twinge to holding him) however it took a long time and a few position changes to push him out as his head was at a difficult angle. I still did it with just gas & air, and I'm generally a wuss with no pain threshold

Mine is too. Been doing lots of bouncing on gym ball, on all fours, swaying hips, inversions (spinning babies). Fingers crossed for us!

DD was back to back (found out when I went to hospital after waters breaking). Fantastic birth experience. Only had gas & air in the final couple of hours. Found sitting over a chair to be good and on the toilet. Pains where all localised to my lower back, don't really remember many in my front. In sure they where there, but the pain in back was worse.

It was totally fine. I could have had a water birth, but waters were broken too long. I found the bath during labour really nice and helpful.

Good luck, you'll be fine and if you need/want an epidural, go for it. It's your body and your labour.

DS2 was born back to back and all I had was gas and air. Found that birth easier than DS1 actually when I did have an epidural lol

My DS was also back to back. Only place I was comfortable during labour was sitting on the toilet. Was most put out when the midwife insisted I needed to move off there before my baby received an unwanted christening

I ended up with no pain relief, as labour made me throw up constantly, and the one hit of gas and air just made me feel worse. I'm not going to lie, it was painful, but totally doable (I think I'm a bit of a wuss normally!) so you will likely be ok with whatever birth plan you choose. The worst of mine was when the midwife said 'I think baby has turned' and then once I was pushing said 'uh-oh' because he hadn't. He was a star-gazer baby, and I ended up with a second degree tear, but once DS was here, none of it mattered It really didn't.

Ds2 was back to back and my obstetrician gave me a less than 20% chance of delivering him naturally without a lot of damage and a very long labour. After hearing that I opted for an elcs as it didn't sound very appealing!
There are some encouraging stories on here though and I hope your baby turns.

DS was back to back, quick labour with gas & air. Dd back to back similar labour but did turn during labour.

My baby was back to back - I did lots of exercises to try and move him in the last few weeks but even when I did manage to shift him I always felt him move back eventually! I had a very long but not actually particularly painful labour (with just gas and air) that ended in an EMCS. Keeping active and bouncing around on a birthing ball definitely helped keep me comfortable, did back massage and hypno birthing techniques.

DD was back to back. I did have an epidural but lovely midwife turned it down towards the end so I was able to feel again, and I gave birth standing/squatting as I'd planned. So even with an epidural you needn't abandon any birth plans

My fourth DC was back to back. I want to reasure you by saying that I don't think my labour with him was more painful than the rest of them. I was told that because I'd already had a few, my uterus was stretched therefore there wasn't anything I could do about the position he was in.

The only thing that stands out really that was different was that I was having two contractions instead of one. One contraction would be strong and obviously doing something and then a few minutes later I'd have a much smaller , much less painful one. Midwife said it was called 'coupling' (I think) and that it was text book for a back to back labour. I managed with gas and air and pethidine. Never crossed my mind to shout for an epidural .

Ds1 was back to back. 7 hour labour in the pool with just gas and air. Really no discernible difference between his labour and his brothers, except ds2 was 3 hours. Both equally painful. It doesn't have to be a problem, it hurts either way

My DS1 was back to back all the way through with me. I did all the sitting on the ball, crawling etc to turn him, nothing helped. When I went into labour he turned himself in the first few hours. Last minute chap, he didn't engage until I was in labour either! Apparently it's quite common for babies to turn themselves at the beginning of labour.

Did you have scans to confirm baby's position prior to labour?

A good friend had her first who was back to back but she wasn't told this until after the birth.
She spent most of the labour in the birth centre with hardly any pain relief, then was transferred to labour ward for forceps, episiotomy & subsequent extension into 3rd degree tear.

She wishes she'd know he was OP, at least it would've explained all the pain in her back/bottom & lack of urge to push.

I would much prefer to know prior to the birth!!

I had a back to back baby. Was adamant I would never have an epidural. When it came to it, I felt I needed one, got it, and it was the most wonderful thing ever. I had a mobile one,. so could still feel all the contractions and move about.

I'm not saying you're 'doomed' to have an epidural - just that it isn't the end of the world if you do decide you want one!

I'm really pleased I asked, I (ahem) googled it before I asked and all I found were stories about nigh on impossible labours and emcs. Just goes to show you people rarely tell the good stories! I'm feeling a lot more relaxed about it now. I'll keep rolling around on my ball and might start crawling round dusting the skirting boards!
I perhaps shouldn't have phrased it as 'doomed' to have an epidural, It's just a personal fear of paralysis I have which puts me off! Thanks for sharing, made me feel a lot better. Fingers crossed our back to back babies spin round!