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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Baby in OP position - advice please!

13 replies

Pip · 02/04/2004 11:11

Am currently 39 weeks with second baby and have just found out he/she is in posterior position. This is my second pregnancy, my first was normal vaginal delivery with no intervention / epidural. Have been feeling very positive about labour until now. Now all the excitement has been replaced by fear. Am expecting to go overdue (was 3 days early last time) with longer more painful delivery (16 hrs last time) and am imagining all sorts of horrible things. Have started doing the all fours thing & sitting forward but feel I haven't much time to change things. Does anyone recommend seeing an oesteopath? Any advice greatly appreciated!

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M2T · 02/04/2004 11:13

Pip - My ds was OP and he turned just after I started to push. Don't worry about it too much.... he/she will probably turn at some point during labour and if not it doesn't have to be all bad.

I did have back ache labour, but it lasted only 7 hours and didn't need an epidural.

bossykate · 02/04/2004 11:23

i'm sorry, m2t, i can't agree with you on this! i had 2 epidurals - if only either of them had actually worked.

i had an OP labour and it lasted 43 miserable, painful hours. i will be doing everything in my power to avoid it this time.

pip, you are doing all the right things, keep doing them, i don't believe it's too late. in addition, sleep on your left side at night.

i have some more information at home, and will look at it tonight for you.

in addition, if you search here for either "OP" or "optimal foetal positioning" you should find some more advice.

good luck.

bossykate · 02/04/2004 11:25

oh, forgot this.

you can contact the Expectant Mothers Clinic at the British School of Osteopathy on 020 7407 0222 - i'm sure they can advise you if osteopathy would be beneficial. come back and tell us if so!

M2T · 02/04/2004 11:27

Bossykate... I quite believe it is miserable if the baby doesn't turn, but I was just saying that the baby will most probably turn at some point during labour. And just coz it's OP just now, doesn't necessarily mean a longer labour when the time comes .... is all.

Northerner · 02/04/2004 11:27

Hi PIp. My ds was OP and my labour was 7 hours. I did have an epidural though due to terrible lower back ache labour. I needed a ventouse, but all in all i feel it was a good labour. Try and be positive.

kiwisbird · 02/04/2004 11:32

I had false alarm at 38 wks, got in to hosp to be told dd was OP, was sent home as nothing happened
5 days later out she whizzed in 55 minutes, she had turned herself as part of the labour process and all the practice contractions the week before her birth.
Sounds like you are doing all the right things, a ball is good too apparently - one of the big ones?
Good luck!!

bossykate · 02/04/2004 13:39

bump

Heathcliffscathy · 02/04/2004 13:44

you can get big excercise ball thingy from argos for a tenner...excellent for sitting on or leaning on whilst on hands and knees, highly recommended for foetal positioning...

lydialemon · 02/04/2004 14:52

I have to say that I tried everything and nothing really worked for me - all three were OP. It doesn't mean you will have bad labour though, mine were 12, 4 and 6 hours and they all turned at the last minute (really at the last minute - just before they came out!) Mears recommended a great site to me last year, just before I had DD. I'll do a bit of digging and see if I can find it for you.

Good luck, and try to relax.

lydialemon · 02/04/2004 14:57

Hello again Pip, try reading this I found it very helpful.

Original poster

Pip · 02/04/2004 20:34

Thanks everyone for all your advice, it really helps to hear from others who've been through the same thing. bossykate, 43 hours is horrendous, the stuff of nightmares, makes my 16 hour labour seem like a breeze!

Am feeling more positive that the baby could turn (even though it's quite big already and my bump is quite neat)... Will try to get a ball tomorrow, and am about to look at the recommended link. Thanks also for the number for the BSO, will call them tom. Fingers crossed...

OP posts:

Original poster

Pip · 02/04/2004 21:08

lydialemon, that site is excellent. I'm just working my way through it. I have to say I'm sad about not being able to lounge around on the sofa anymore! It's ironic really as I've just moved house last week and couldn't have been more active, never thought I'd end up with a baby in the posterior position. Typical!

OP posts:

BluGhost · 02/04/2004 21:50

Pip, my baby (the first) was OP, and though labour was very long and slow, it was never really painful. I didn't get backache. (spent the whole time kneeling or leaning forward or in pool). Did need ventouse at the end, but i think that was because DS had quite a big head!

Every baby in our ante-natal group was OP. Some people were convinced by the apparantly good record of some sort of candle (Moxa?) buring between their toes for getting the baby to turn, but I didn't try it.

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