Back to back positive birth stories please

[LiG123]

38 weeks and back to back baby. Trying everything to turn it but after some positivity!

My ds was back to back and I gave birth with gas and air, everything was fine I was only pushing for 6 minutes! it's supposed to be more painful but I haven't had any more dc so I don't have a comparison. Good luck! X

@lavenderlove thank you!!!! Fingers crossed. That was a fast labour!

I know someone who had a very easy back to back delivery, actually turned down pain relief and who claims if the baby wasn't back to back it would have been born in the car park.

Another back to back water birth here - it did take longer to get going but as soon as my waters went he was out in about 10 mins. It did hurt more but being in the pool helped loads xx

Both of mine were back to back both quick labours I don’t think it was necessarily more painful but I just felt the contractions all in my back and at the front

My first was back to back too. He turned as he was coming out. Not a particularly fast labour but not awful either. Did it on gas and air and was in the birth pool for most of it but had to get out for the final pushes. Honestly, it wasn’t that bad.

Mine was back to back but turned at the very last minute so it might not end up being a back to back labour after all. Good luck!

DS was back to back, all of my contractions were in my back, I popped my TENS machine on and alternated with a hot water bottle (and paracetamol), and then got to 10cm in the pool with just gas and air. I have a low pain threshold and found it fine. I was in a birth centre though, and unfortunately I was in second stage for so long I couldn't cope anymore, so I was transferred to hospital. Turns out he had shoulder dystocia though and not sure what part back to back played in that if anything; but all was fine. I would ancedotally say consider going to hospital or a BC attached to/near one just in case, but my labour was very positive, and at my debrief they said had it not been for the SD more than likely he would have happily been born in the pool. Throughout labour though they kept saying he will turn he will, I wish they had been honest and made it clear that it might not 100% be the case. But yeah, I had a positive experience overall and the pain wasn't as bad as I thought it would be (and again, I'm a wimp).

Dc4 was back to back, didnt find out until in labour, didnt turn. First contraction to baby in arms was 5 hours. Gas and air, and pethidine. Very bad back pain after delivery. 2nd best birth out of 5

Thanks ladies, good to have the info about back labour too xx

I had my second with just gas and air 8 weeks ago :)
She came out with only a few pushes and no tears! And she was a massive baby! Just listen to your midwife whole heartedly when she tells you to breathe.
My first I was induced so I had an epidural and it was great.. I didnt feel a thing! Haha
I have funny story's from both births, my first birth my midwife was called Hermione and when I was high on the epidural and gas and air I kept banging on about how much I loved Harry Potter!!! Poor gal.
But I had two healthy (and massive!) Babies and none of us had any issues :) I feel really blessed and thankful.

Forgot to add both were back to back!!

All three of mine were back to back. I had natural births with all three- two just using G and A.
I found being upright helped the pain and all three of them were fast births from first contraction to baby in arms:
DC1 5hrs 30
DC2 2hrs 30
DC3 1 hr 15

Good luck

My ds was back to back but it wasn’t picked up until he was crowning. The midwife was surprised! “Oh look! He’s sunny side up!”

I had a sweep on the Monday, and was contracting on and off all day Monday and Tuesday. It was really continuous Tuesday night, so went into hospital in the early hours of Wednesday. However, I hadn’t dialated so was given another sweep and then put on the ward to see how I went. When I was eventually in active labour, it was quick. About an hour and half.

I won’t lie. It hurt. More than my first labour hurt. Somehow, he managed to lay on a nerve which caused my leg to cramp up as I was pushing.

So dh had to push against my leg as I pushed to try and counter act the cramp.

I couldn’t birth how I wanted to, which was on my knees hanging over the bed, because of my leg.

All the pain was forgotten the second he was born though.

TENS machine as all the pain is in your back. I hadn't planned to use one but I loved it.

DC2 was back to back and 10lbs, induced for post dates.

Strong contractions for 5 hours once drip in, absolutely manageable (google Labour Hopscotch). No pain relief. I wasn't dilating beyond 2cm despite full blown labour, which is when they realised he was B2B - wrong part of his head was pushing against cervix. Lovely midwife and hypnobirthing helped. She told me to lie on one side 10 min then alternate. I preferred to be mobile but it worked. Consultant came in to discuss going to theatre, I said I wanted to push. I was 10cm! From 2, in 20 min!

9 min pushing and he was out, no pain relief (I don't like G+A). No tears.

Look at Spinning Babies.

My first was back to back, active labour was super fast (didn't make it to hospital) and had taken 1 paracetamol a few hours earlier Quite honestly my second child's birth was more painful, she was in a perfect position, smaller than the first baby, not back to back, in a pool with gas and air. But there you have it. Keep leaning over a birth ball and they may yet turn. Good luck!

Oh and all the pain was actually in my upper legs, so the TENs machine I'd hired was totally useless!

Anything you can do to move lo I would urge you to try.

My lo was induction. Very long over 3 days. Pushing for 2 hours and forceps.

Sorry it's not as positive as you'd like. But it was positive in that my lo is here and healthy. All I could ask for.

Back to back, mine wasnt one of those joyful fast labours BUT i will tell you anyway incase you have a long labour and read the horror stories i did.
In labour for 36 hours in total with contractions every 5 mins, after about 17 hours of labour i went in, 1cm. Contractions were like bad period pains, manageable. Went back in at something like 28 hours of labour, 2cm dilated. Couldnt talk through contractions at this point, were rather painful. Read 40000 horror stories of no dilation and needing forceps, 4000 stitches or emergency sections. 35 hours of labour, rang hospital crying asking for more codeine as the pressure was unbearable. Got to hospital, 10cm, pressure was body naturally pushing. 20 mins later with a few pushes DS was born, G&A at ring of fire, 1 stitch needed for tiny tear, they was debating to even stitch. So i had a long labour BUT it wasnt like all the horror stories id read, it did have a happy ending.

Back to back, mine wasnt one of those joyful fast labours BUT i will tell you anyway incase you have a long labour and read the horror stories i did.
In labour for 36 hours in total with contractions every 5 mins, after about 17 hours of labour i went in, 1cm. Contractions were like bad period pains, manageable. Went back in at something like 28 hours of labour, 2cm dilated. Couldnt talk through contractions at this point, were rather painful. Read 40000 horror stories of no dilation and needing forceps, 4000 stitches or emergency sections. 35 hours of labour, rang hospital crying asking for more codeine as the pressure was unbearable. Got to hospital, 10cm, pressure was body naturally pushing. 20 mins later with a few pushes DS was born, G&A at ring of fire, 1 stitch needed for tiny tear, they was debating to even stitch. So i had a long labour BUT it wasnt like all the horror stories id read, it did have a happy ending.

I also spent most of my labour on all fours as it was too uncomfy to sit back because of the pressure in my butt. I birthed on my knees leant forward too

Both mine were back to back.
Ds1 was a long, hard 24hr active labour. Ended in keillands forceps to “turn and pull”, I took every drug offered.
Ds2 was a fairly quick (6hr) water birth and was much more manageable pain wise, only gas and air

DD was back to back. Latent labor was pretty awful and went on for days so my advice would be to get clear about what pain relief you want to have access to and when (as in I was refused anything, even the pool) till I was 4cm.

A warm shower running over my back was bliss and maybe as good as being in the pool 👍

I went from 3-10cm in 45min and she was born with a little help of ventouse and a wonderful epidural.

Good luck, you'll do great 💪

Another one here who's little one turned themselves during labour.