Back to Back!

[mememum]

Hi everyone!
Wondering if anyone has any advice? Midwife not too helpful. I'm having second baby and I'm 2 days overdue. Went for check up yesterday and baby is lying with its back to my back and is 3/5 engaged. Ocipito posterior? Midwife advised this could mean a longer and more painful labour. This makes sense as it is on my notes that this was same with DD and that was a 22hr labour so I know I can do it but does anyone have tips to get baby into easier more comfortable position?
All tips gratefully received!

My 2nd labour was Back to Back and they had to turn her as she didn't turn herself because she was too big. I think that the best way to help is stay on your side when lying down but try to stay upright if possible.
HTH

I was on all fours for most of mine, rocking up and down. It was the only way to alleviate the pain. Also had a ahot water bottle on my back in early labour.
When I could take no more I went for an epidural - pure bliss....

Good luck

A friend of mine went thro hell in her first labour with a back-to-back baby. On her second pregnancy, baby was again lying back-to-back on the last ante-natal check, and she was advised to crawl arond the house every tome she felt she could in an attempt to help babe move. It worked, and baby came in 4hrs from the time her water broke, compared to 24hrs first time. Much less painful too.
Hope this helps, and that you don't feel too silly crawling around. She did, lol, but said she'd do it again!!

good luck

If you google "optimum foetal positioning" you'll find stuff on this. Sorry, don't have time to find a link as keep having to attend to ds, but good luck!!

I have posted this many many times.... OP labour for a 2nd baby (not saying 1st baby here!) does not usually mean longer or more painful.... also she is very likely to turn in labour into the right position... all this because you have already laboured once and your uterus is much more efficient the 2nd time around.
So my advise: don't worry !

I had a back-to-back labour with dd and it was awful! Only advice I can give is if baby hasn't shifted by the time you go into labour, just spend as much time on all fours as you can - it takes the pressure off your back (rather than lying down) - good luck!

Ok so crawling and wiggling as much as possible! Believe me I'll do it for a shorter labour! I shall google aswell to see what they come up with. Baby still not here yet, I shall probably post message soon asking for advice on getting baby out!!!!

Stay on all fours.

Thanks Tipex! I didn't know with DD that I was OP until we looked at notes at last midwives appt and since they've told me that this baby is OP I have started to worry. So maybe its something I really didn't need to know! The cowboy sit is a good one and I actually feel so much more comfortable. Hope you and baby are keeping well Tipex.

My first was OP. The labour was relatively short and no more painful than when I had my 2nd, who wasn't OP.

My first DD was OP, but I wasn't told until 40 weeks, but i was 10 days late. I done everthing that i was told to turn the baby, including shuffling around on all fours (to great amusment of my husband!) Unfortunatley he didn't turn and I had a 24 hour labour, most of which I was told to lay on my side and not move!! eventually he turned and there was not need for a c-section. Although the labour was a nightmare, I can't remember the pain anymore (a good job as I'm expecting number 2 in 8 weeks!)

If you've been told early enough, baby should turn on its own if you follow the advice given. This has happened to several friends.

Good luck!!

KelleyH, our first labours sound quite similar. I was 22hrs with DD and spent most of time leaning forward on the toilet! Not sure that I've been told this one is OP early enough I'm now 6 days overdue! I am doing what everyone says though and I feel alot more comfortable. Keep those tips coming!

All three of my babies were back to back and didn't budge from that position. I won't depress you with the details.

my first was b2b and excruciating. I was hoping no.2 (due in 4 weeks ) would be different or would turn easily in labour but efmach has just depressed me completely...

best of luck mememum, hope that all the crawling about helps (will watch for your announcement with equal amounts of interest and trepidation!)

Well just to keep everyone updated... I had a horrendous appt with MW today. I'm now 40 weeks + 8 days. I'm so hoping to have a home birth as I did with DD but she refused to hold on for another couple of days and booked me for induction. She did all her checks and refused to tell me whether baby was still OP, just that head was engaged - I knew that already. I was in and out in 5-10mins, after she forced me out for next appt. Midwife was a cover for my normal one as she is ill. So not feeling too good and waiting for hospital to ring me regarding induction.

poor you mememum - that must have been VERY frustrating

any chance you can get to see your regular midwife before being dragged into the hospital for induction?

best of luck - and keep us posted

Mememum, it's outrageous she wouldn't tell you if baby was OP; whose body is it?!
You probably know this already, but just in case, you don't have to accept induction just because it's that midwife's routine. If they had any evidence your baby was in trouble they would have told you. You can ask for (or even demand) monitoring, to reassure everyone that baby's OK. Normal length of pregnancy is 37 to 42 weeks.
Have they offered you a sweep?
(I'm not a midwife by the way, but there are several on this site so hopefully one will see your post).

where is mememum? in active and non-induced labour I hope...

you can refuse to be induced. They wanted to induce me with both of my preganacy's almost as soon as I was overdue. I held on and had both at 10 days overdue. You can ask for monitoring to check everyhting is Ok and they can give you scans to check your placenta is still OK.

Hello!!! I did have a active and non induced labour! 6 hours in all. Contractions started at 7.30am, kept moving and wiggling on all fours! Midwife came out at 11am, did her checks and pronounced I had hours to go yet! So she left - by the way I was having a home birth! She was the horrible one - well what does she know?! At 1pm I felt I needed the toilet, waters then broke, just managed to get back to bedroom before I felt almighty need to push! DH on phone to midwife saying things had suddenly progressed at this point and thank god for speaker phone! DH delivered DD2 with instruction over the phone. DD2 had turned herself and was a perfect delivery! Midwives and ambulance then arrived and we delivered placenta. We stayed at home and I've been shell shocked ever since!!!! To all OP mums, DO as all others have said! Stay as active as you possibly can and I found getting over a bean bag on all fours through out contractions really helped. A big thank you to everyone for their stories, tips and general keeping it all so positive!

OMG - what a story. Huge Congratulations to you and all the family. I'm delighted you were able to get on with it without induction and yah boo sucks to that awful midwife. How amazing your DH must feel

I'm soooo pleased for you.

So glad i've found this thread. How long each day should i spend on all fours to help baby move round?? had MW check today. am 36wks. DS1 was OP although like some of you i didn't know what OP meant so seeing it on my papers meant nothing and i wasn't told. had very painful labour and long 2nd stage delivery. really don't want the same thing. DS2 has been anterior until this week! he's now OP, typical! MW wasn't normal one and wasn't massively helpful, didn't tell me anything i hadn't worked out already. seems like all fours is the position i need and need to pump up the gym ball we've got under the spare bed!