Hoping for VBAC but baby posterior - help!

[munteria]

Hi there

I am 35 weeks today and have been told by the midwife that my baby is posterior (as was DD1). I was induced at 40+12 last time and ended up with an emergency section after 24 hours of labour (as is often the case!)

I'm pretty upset about the posterior news. I understand that the baby may turn (and I am doing all i can to encourage it!) but if it doesnt (as DD1 didnt) then I may be in for a long and gruling labour. Consequently I am thinking about an elective c-section (i recovered well after the last one) but the recovery whilst having to deal with a toddler with no help is putting me off.

My question is because i didnt give birth 'naturally' first time round will my birth be the same time as a first timer? I've heard its easier to push out posterior babies 2nd time round, but is this the case if you had a c-section first time?

Also, I understand that the contractions with a posterior baby may last longer before you go into active labour. I was hoping to stay at home for as long as possible as have childcare issues. my midwife told me today though that, because of the section last time, the hospital may want be to go in as soon as the contractions start, but they may send me home again if all is okay / not progressing. this isnt great for org childcare!

In addition to this my DD1 has got a massive head (thanks DP!) so if this one has the same I'm in even more trouble!

All I can see is a long and painful labour ahead of me which will prob end up with a section anyway (I DONT WANT FORCEPS). Maybe i should just have an elective as much less stressful and try and org childcare.....

Anyway, would love to hear from any other mums who had a postive VBAC with a posterior baby.

Thanks

Munteria - take a look at the spinning babies website (spinningbabies.com) which has loads on about optimal foetal positioning and encouraging a posterior baby to move to a more helpful position. Cant comment as didnt have a C-sec with DS, but know women (like Pinktulips on the Fab Feb thread) who have a couple of posterior labours and found the second one much easier and quicker

An OP baby is highly likely to turn either just prior to labour or even during.

The contractions are not necessarily worse per se, but there is often more back pain. My 2nd birth was a baby with a huge head and was OP until I went into labour.

I instinctively laboured on all fours, which is possibly what helped him turn and he came out pretty much the right way. Was a bit stuck but as I said his head was huge. That was a HWB too.

I wouldn't have thought it was that big of a deal tbh, at least baby isn't breech. Of course I don't know whether it being a vbac makes a difference though.

I think second births are generally faster as well. My first was 22.5 hours of hell and I narrowly escaped a crash section. 2nd birth was 4 hours.

Hi,

thanks so much for the feedback.

i will check out that website.

the situation seems more positive than i thought though i need to ask the ob whether being VBAC means I am likely to have just as long a labour as a first timer. If the baby doesnt turn then I will also ask the ob what the likely outcomes are for a VBAC with a posterior baby...and make e decision from there.

thanks again. appreciate it!

I had a posterier baby who didn't turn in labour. labour was 6 hours from start to finish. pushing lasted an hour and twenty minutes, so fairly long for a second baby I think.

the labour was much, much easier than my first despite him being back to back, and even thoughI was bloody exhausted with the pushing I did feel afterwards that it "wasn't that bad"

he had a big head too, 38cm! and I had no pain relief, so it can't have been that awful lol

how far did you progress in your first labour? i mena, your body has done some of it before, even if not the actual getting baby right out, which may have helped??

I got to 5cm when I had the epidural.

I've been doing some reading on posterior babies and it seems that as soon as i had the epidural the labour slowed down (I was induced which made it more painful) probably because I was less mobile. Adding together the fact I was induced with a posterior baby...i feel i didnt have a chance.

munteria I had a really similar situation with my first, except that after 18 hours he was ventouse-d out rather than having to have a section.

but, I do feel that with a better managed labour I could have delivered him myself, in a shorter amount of time. that isn't to say that the care I received was lacking, just that I had no idea really what I was doing and they didn't offer me advice on what the options I was choosing may lead to. if that makes sense.

so, definitely not something to blame your body on at all. it's done early labour, it's done dilation... you just need to get a little bit further

thanks thisisyesterday.

my other half isnt keen for me to go through a long, protracted labour only to end up with a section..again.

if the baby wasnt posterior I would be more positive. mind you, you did it! I will see the ob and see what she says about VBAC with posterior. if I am monitored i wont be able to move around which isnt great for a posterior...I'll just have to see what she says.

X

no-one diagnosed my posterier baby, so I guess I didn't have the worry of it. I knew he was that way round, but as no-one had mentioned it and I knew that they often turn during labour I didn't think much of it lol

i had a homebirth and it was fantastic, I have to say. I think it helped a lot with how I coped with my labour.

and remember, your labour may not be long like the first time, esp if you try and keep active and listen to your body. my second labour was so different from my first, I felt much more tuned into my body, if that makes sense? certain things just felt "right". ie, walking up and down a lot, kneeling up to give birth... it just worked.

I had a really long first labour (26 hours) with DD1 she was also posterior, she was delivered via forceps after 2 failed ventose attempts.

DD2 was breech at 37 weeks but turned to a posterior position at 38 weeks, she was born at 39+5 in an unplanned homebirth after a 2.5 hour labour, which was only really painful for about the last 20mins.

You LO still has loads of time to turn, and more than likely will do, some babys dont turn turn until the start of labour (this is what i think happened with DD2), i totally understand your panic though .

Good luck and HTH

thanks both. i will let you know what the ob says on Tuesday. I have a huge list of questions for her!

X

2nd babies take longer to get in the right position....mines only there at 38 weeks and some don't until labour...