Back to back baby experiences?

[GlitterSparkles17]

Hi All,

So my midwife told me this week that the baby is back to back which may cause problems in labour such as slow progress and cause more pain in my back etc. She also said baby could possibly get stuck and worst case scenario is a C-section. So im a bit scared now! She did also say that there's every chance the baby can move position before labour (im 36 weeks atm).

Does anyone have any experiences with a back to back baby in labour? Did you have complications or did everything go smoothly?

Also any techniques to try and get the baby to move positions?

Hands and knees scrubbing floors. Hips always above knees when you sit. There's still time for baby to move.

I had a natural birth with back to back baby and no pain relief. Mostly cos the midwives just left me to it. Yes very painful in my back but I'd no clue he was back to back so didn't realise it wasn't normal.

I delivered naturally but did have to actively choose to push in a way I didn't have to with the second and my body just pushed for me.

He tried to turn on delivery and caused a third degree tear but stitched up and no problems.

My first was a normal birth, right way round, just gas and air. My second was B2B, and I hate to say it, torture. The little bugger turned round the wrong way during labour and I felt the pain shift to my back. I didn't have the option of an epidural as I was at a birth centre, but he did eventually come out safe and sound without any intervention. I didn't feel the urge to push either, just had a slight feeling that I recognised from having my first. If I'd been at hospital I would've taken all of the drugs!

My second baby was born by being induced and I felt it was waaaay more painful than my first which was natural with no pain relief, so from what I've read on here I'm assuming a back to back labour will be more painful 😖 I'm going to check out the website mentioned and try get this baby to move positions!

DS was back to back all the way up to being born when he turned at the end.
My contractions were all in my back, none the front. I wouldn't say it slowed my labour down though - I started having contractions at which were manageable until 4pm when I went into hospital and he was born at 4.45pm! He was a big baby as well, over 9lb. It's hard to compare to my first baby as I was induced but I didn't find it particularly bad.

OP it worked for a friend of mine. She spent the last week crawling round the house and her baby turned!

Both of my babies were b2b. With ds my waters went and I went into labour. After 24 hours I wasn't dilating so had to be augmented with the drip. This ramped up the contractions a lot but I still didn't dilate well. 6 (I'll be honest, hideous)hours later ds was born. It was not a nice experience at all but I think that might be more about the drip than the baby position?

With dd she was back to back too. I went into labour with really strong, regular contractions and needed to go to hospital 2.5 hours after contractions started. They wouldn't officially admit me as I wasn't dilatedbut I literally begged for some pain relief so they let me sit in the closed (and empty) induction suite and gave me coedine and a half dose of diamorphine. They recommended that I lie on my left side in the hope that she would turn. She did and was born very quickly after that (still in the induction suite)so my labour was 5 hours in total. I could tell as soon as the first contraction hit that she was b2b as all of the pain was in my lower back. It's odd as once she turned everything became much easier so in a weird way my last contracton was easier than my first.

Bloody awful lot of back pain

My baby was b2b but didn't know until I was in labour. Contractions were 2 mins apart from the offset and the most hideous back pain I have ever felt in my life. No stomach Contractions whatsoever.
Unfortunately after 14 hours I was 10cm dilated but the baby got distressed as he'd been squeezed too hard for too long and his heartrate plummeted. He was born by emergency cesarean.
I wish theyd look out for this more, I'd never heard of it and was not prepared at all for how hard it would be. I never got to pushing stage despite being 10cm as baby was just not in a good position!

Dd was back to back. 5 days of contractions every 5 mins

Ended up having a section. The section was lovely.

I had a back to back baby - she was back to back from around 36 weeks as well. I spent a lot of time in the last few weeks on hands and knees/child's pose and did some swimming.

She was. 3 days late, I hadn't had a show but woke to mucus plug at 5.30, waters went at 6.30 and birth centre asked us to go in. Contractions were getting stronger but at 8.30 I was only 2cm with contractions every 3/4 mins for 30 seconds so they sent me away and advised to stay home as long as possible and b2b babies tend to be slower labours. We left 9.30ish and pains were getting stronger and stronger. Called them at 11.30 to say we were going in as was getting 4 one minute contractions every 10 mins.

Back there at 12, I was 5 cm dilated and having huge contractions - so close together the gas and air didn't really work for me. Got into the pool and it was a massive relief, she was born at 2.35 after just over an hour of pushing. She turned during labour but was super healthy. Just to show b2b labours aren't always slow 😊

Hi GlitterSparkles, I had a back to back and ended up with an emergency c (after pushing for an hour - she got stuck! - but all ok in the end.
Gas and air is a wonderful thing and take all the pain relief you need.
Good luck xxxx

I had a b2b labour with my first. It was more painful than my 2nd but still an incredibly quick labour. From 6cm to baby out in less than 30 minutes (only 10 minutes of pushing).

With my second midwifes recommended not sitting on a sofa as gravity will pull the baby into the wrong position, but instead spending lots of time sitting on a birthing ball instead as your posture us better and gravity may work in your favour.