Back to back baby contractions

[leah167]

Hello
My baby is back to back and was just wondering if any others had their baby back to back and what did the contractions actually feel like?
Were they more in the back?
What did the start of contractions feel like?
Thank you!:) x

All in my back and excruciating. Needed an epidural very quickly. I was in much more pain than the average labour at 2cm dilated apparently? I'm not a wimp, but not the bravest either!

ds2 was back to back and i didn't know. I was utterly convinced I waa ready to push when I was about 3cm. I cried, thought it was impossible as was excruciating. the wonderful midwife got me walking, and walking and walking and I gave birth to him in the pool. it was a much better birth than ds1. my advice to you is keep moving, keep walking.

DS2 was back to back here too...I had excruciating contractions and opted for an epidural as I was gutted when the midwife said I was just a few cms dilated. Went on to have a lovely labour and DS turned just before he came out, so no tears or issues.

DS was back to back & I was also induced so the contractions built up quite quickly. As pp poster said walking was a great way to get through them. Sitting or lying down was just unbearable. I raised the bed right up do when I had a contraction I could bend forward over it & rest on my elbows whilst DP rubbed my back.

DS was back to back, and I experienced constant pain in my lower back (so contractions at the front, but constant pain in the back). Somehow they didn't pick this up and it ended up as an emergency c section (which was actually great in the end). One of my favourite moments (apart from DS being born obviously) was when they gave me an epidural and the pain finally stopped.

All in the back and I hate to be the bearer of bad news but it was absolutely excruciating. Spend all your time (if you have any) doing exercises to help turn him.

Your contractions will all be felt in your back. If you have no pain relief on your birth plan be prepared to rip it up! I had no choice because the midwife left me and by the time she came back it was too late for pain relief. No waters from the start and a back to back labour. It was honestly horrendous. Prepare yourself.

Sorry to sound awful but I wish someone could have warned me!

Two out of three of mine were back to back. Contractions were all in my back during both labours and I never felt them in the front at all. They felt a bit like a really bad urine infection that came and went.

My third was the right way around and contractions were all in the front. I actually found that worse than the back pain and much harder to find positions that were comfortable.

Back to back labours were much longer but more easy to manage. I'd take that over my very fast "normal" baby any day of the week!!

I've had one back to back and one right way round. Back to back was excruciating, sorry to say. Pain all in my back and radiating all around my hips with no respite between contractions. But, I was restricted to lying on a bed due to being monitored. The other issue is that if the baby is back to back the head doesn't necessarily press effectively on the cervix to help dilate. My back to back Labour did not progress; I had an epidural and not long after that a c section.

In your shoes I would look up all the exercises aimed at getting the baby to turn before labour and do those; read and practise positions/movements for when you are in labour (apparently babies can turn during labour, being mobile will help); plan to request an epidural if you need one. Ime also if you can get the labour moving then it's easier to bear pain if it's only a few hours. You're in control : work with your body and call in reinforcements if you need them! Good luck!

Back to back felt like a really severe kidney infection. I mean 10/10 kidney about to explode infection. I had an epidural at 4cms.

Agree with becci and sue. Both mine were back to back, the first one I was so determined to do it without pain strong pain relief (still don't know why!) that it was a long drawn out nightmare resulting in emergency forceps as I was so exhausted. The second, I was induced for a medical condition but was told she was back to back but oh my gosh the difference! I had an epidural and the most wonderful, relaxed birth experience, no dramas, nice music it was great! No one wants to alarm you but like pp said, if someone had told me all this my first experience would have been so so different. And yes to excercises that may turn baby around beforehand, worth a shot!

I'm sorry but my back to back contractions were horrendous. The anaesthetist worked wonders with my epidural and I told him I loved him

Everyone has said above that the pain was in their back, but for me it was as if someone was pushing a sharp spike up my back passage, sorry for TMI. I had no pain around my abdomen. After a while the contractions seemed to merge together to cause constant pain. Gas and air didn't work, nor did pethidene, but the epidural was fantastic.

Start of contractions were like period pain for me. Didn't hurt in my back too much at the start though. I stayed at home for about 12 hours in the bath, but did 3 days in total.

I was the opposite! Had 2 !lovely quick labours with dd1 and 2, (right way round) Was expecting shorter (2h) Labour with number 3, ended up moaning at the midwife that "these contractions aren't sore enough!" She was bemused! Turned out he was back to back. My longest delivery , but still only 4h 40 , and not much fun (decided at the pushing stage I just wasn't doing it. Invited DH to do it, if I recall, but ended up I had to do it anyway

Good point about assisted deliveries with back to back actually Phoenix! I had to have the suction cup along with the doctors hands (lovely) help. Because of the angle he was at I just couldn't push him out. Baby became distressed and I was exhausted. Just be prepared for your birth plan to go out of the window because it can be difficult with baby being at an odd angle!

Then again several women have said they found their back labours Better than a "normal" labour so here's hoping you're one of those lovely!

Again I'm not saying it to try and scare you but I'd have loved to have spoken to someone who has a back to back labour before it happened to me!

My labour was back to back. Felt a constant ache in my back with contractions again in my back, feeling like bad period pains. It was slow and exhausting but not too terrible, didn't need an epidural. Which I regretted not getting when I ended up with a crash c section fully dilated.

Neither of my babies were back to back but I have a very retroverted uterus and felt all contractions in my back. Very painful. A tens machine helps as this is attached to your back. Also, ask for an epidural. I didn't get one until I needed an EMCS and it was great!

My first was back to back and I was terrified after reading lots of comments about how much worse it is. The pain was in my back but I managed fine at home in the bath until I started pushing (happened all of a sudden), and then had gas and air at hospital. My second baby was in the ideal position for labour and it honestly didn't feel any different for me.

DS was in the perfect position throughout my whole pregnancy and dropped nice and early, head almost on cervix apparently... then he decided he was comfy in there so was induced at 40+11. The little bugger turned back to back specifically for labour 😂😂 and a midwife mentioned it but didn't volunteer any more information than that. It's only since the birth that I've realised it means more painful contractions. And they were horrific, but then he was my first DC so I have nothing to compare it to.

For me it was the fact that the contractions hit me full force with no build up which meant that the gas and air didn't work. Apparently the gas and air works because you start using it as you feel a contraction building so it's got time to build up in your system before the crescendo of the contraction, but mine just came one after the other with no gaps or spaces to breath and the gas and air was useless. Not that I stopped using it, I had it clamped between my teeth the whole time! I also had three failed epidurals and was being monitored so was stuck on my back. The only time I got a bit of relief was when they gave me pethidine. Fucking beautiful stuff. A whole hour of being off my face on drugs instead of off my face on pain.

I did tear, 2nd degree I think.

If you know he is back to back I would say if you can turn him, then great but if not, go in to it knowing all your pain relief options in detail. Actually, do that regardless of whether he is back to back

It's worth saying as well that although I genuinely thought I was going to die because of the pain, the pushing was actually much less painful in comparison and honest to God the second he was out, the pain was gone.

Both mine were back to back so I have nothing to compare it to. Like others have said, all the pain was in my back, like a kidney infection. However my labours were both less that 4 hours and I had gas and air with the first but only during the pushing stage and then nothing with the second at all! I did tear with both but that was mostly due to the speed of delivery and with the second I didn't need stitches for the year.

So basically it's not always as bad as people make out - mine were fine (as far as labour is concerned anyway!!)

I delivered my baby back to back but he's my first so I have nothing to compare.

I was induced too. They did a sweep and put gel on my cervix and almost straight away I had pains in my lower back and awful back ache. I actually had a bath on the ward to try to help. When my contractions really got going the pains were more all over and on my back still. The birthing pool helped!

Ooh I had a really quick Labour too! 40 minute active labour and 20 minute pushing phase. The midwives didn't believe me when I said I was ready to push because the last time they examined me I was 4cm dilated and 40 minutes later I was saying loudly I NEED TO PUSH!

My second was back to back but I didn't know until the end.

I felt all the pain in the front, like the worst period pains ever, I sobbed at DH to help me

It was a slow early labour and definitely more painful, but the pushing stage felt more productive than with my first.

My back to back labour pains were excruciating, sorry! Made my first 'normal' labour seem like a walk in the park. I thought I was close to pushing and got told that I was only 4cm! I didn't have any urge to push at the end either, just a little hint that I recognised from my first.
I was told to spend the last few days of pregnancy crawling round on my hands and knees to try and turn him but it didn't work. 😂
I didn't have an epidural (was at a birth centre), just loads of gas and air and a pool. The only thing that took the edge off were the sterile water injections but christ were they painful!

I've had 2 back to back labours and one 'normal'and I can honestly say that i felt no difference in the intensity of the pain.