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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Anyone know anything about back-to-back babies?

26 replies

mosschops30 · 21/10/2009 11:26

As apparently mine is, which is why I had no idea where he was lying.
He is deffo head down and 4/5ths but MW says he is lying with his back to mine which she thinks is why I am getting such terrible lower back pain and pain down legs.
She did say that they usually turn either before or during labour, but am worried that he will stay like that.
Both my previous labours were all backache even when the babies were lying normally so the thought of a back to back labour fills me with horror.

Any advice?

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chachachachacha · 21/10/2009 11:30

Try sitting on a birthing ball so that your knees are lower than your hips. Get on your hands and knees lots too.

I had a back to back labour but didn't know until after dd was born as they didn't tell me . DD was trying to turn throughout labour but just wouldn't.

Original poster

mosschops30 · 21/10/2009 11:58

Good idea, I was thinking of a ball anyway because I can no longer sit on the sofa in the evening

OP posts:

ohnelly · 21/10/2009 12:03

Hi I had this with my first baby (pregnant with number 2 now). My midwife thought I was breech and sent me for a scan but they said he was back to back, which is why she couldnt tell where he was, but at least right way up/down!
She told me to get on my hands and knees on the floor and rock backwards and forwards to encourage him to move, as much as possible, but he didnt. However during labour he did turn before coming out (they put me in a few different positions to try and help with this).
I would keep trying these exercises, and failing that hopefully your baby will turn in labour - good luck!

BarakObamasTransitVan · 21/10/2009 12:22

Sorry to say this but ds was back to back (undetected until I went into labour - apparently he may have moved into that position between my last check up and the big day) and I ended up having a cs. I was ever so slightly off being fully dilated for hours and apparently my cervix went into spasm. I don't know for sure if his position contributed to that, though. In the end of course I had a lovely 9lb baby, soI'm not complaining

littlemissm · 21/10/2009 12:25

My last baby was bk 2 bk didnt know untill was trying to push out had really bad back ache labour & her head was also not presenting properly instead of crown of head she had her head tilted to the side & was coming out with the side of her forehead presenting forcep delivery in the end

Original poster

mosschops30 · 21/10/2009 12:38

ooohhhhh, tis not looking good for back to back labours is it?

OP posts:

flyingma · 21/10/2009 13:38

I think my pregnancy yoga teacher was advising someone on how to encourage a breech baby to turn so I am not sure if this applies similarly but since a few people have mentioned going onto your hands and knees, I am assume it is similar.

She said to lie on bed with you legs up against the wall - L-shaped. Do that for about 10 mins or for as long as you are comfy (i.e. don't do it till you pass out). Then you go onto all 4s and stay there for around 10 mins. By having your legs up, you are shifting the baby out of the position it has settled into then by going on all 4s, you are encouraging it to move.

Have a quick google search. I seem to remember something about rubbing your tummy in a certain direction to encourage movement. Also echoing the birthing ball idea. Good luck!

Sam100 · 21/10/2009 13:43

some really good stuff here about optimum fetal positioning and moving babies from back to back position here and here.

Marne · 21/10/2009 13:48

Dd1 was back to back when i went into labour, i gave birth to her with no pain relief at all and i have to say it was very very painful, the back pain was worse than the labour pains and i was pushing for 4 hours . I had pain relief with dd2 as i didn't want a repeat of dd1.

So all i can see is, if the baby is still back to back when you go into labour, take pain relief . Sorry for the horror story.

BarakObamasTransitVan · 21/10/2009 14:23

Oh yes, the pain. Thank heavens for epidurals. No point in getting freaked by it though - you just might want to keep an open mind if you were planning exclusively on the aromatherapy/whale song route. But take comfort in the fact that my ds managed to turn to back to back - so every chance that your baby will turn from it.

Original poster

mosschops30 · 21/10/2009 17:31

thanks sam will look at that when I have time tomorrow.

lol @ whale song and aromatherapy nah Im an entonox and pethidine type of girl all the way it got me through the 1st two so Im sure as hell having it again!
Im gonna be in the midwife led unit so no epidurals but consultant led only 2 floors up in the lift so no biggy if I needed it, although I work in anaesthetics so would rather scream in agony than have to see my co-workers whilst in labour

OP posts:

Bexybear · 21/10/2009 21:48

Hi Mosschops

I tried everything and failed to turn my DS before the birth - the labour was horrific but i didnt get pain relief or decent midwife care and end up with a failed emergency cs. I'm with obama and marni on this one... be prepared for having to have pain relief, its better than PTS - sorry that sounds a bit negative.. as other posts say you can deliver naturally but I think you need a really supportive midwife/doula to get you through it. with any luck baby will turn before labour but its not your fault if it doesnt some babies just prefer it

IckleJess · 21/10/2009 22:00

My DD was back-to-back although I didn't know until she was born.

I had a homebirth - the labour was extremely painful, I remember screaming that my back was breaking at one point as it hurt so much (and she was my 3rd baby so I knew what labour felt like lol). I had no pain relief as the midwives didn't bring a mouthpiece for the gas and air with them but luckily it was all over within 2hrs.

They didn't tell me she was back-to-back, in fact I don't think they even knew but as I delivered her head it did a 180 degree turn.

But, please don't be frightened - you're intending to give birth in hospital and therefore have all methods of pain relief available to you - all will be fine. And, although I did it without anything had I been in hospital I would have demanded the lot lol!

IckleJess · 21/10/2009 22:02

Should add that they didn't tell me she was back-to-back during labour - they knew when the head turned - I didn't notice that bit as was slightly preoccupied by that point!

lilymolly · 21/10/2009 22:07

my ds was back to back or OP as they call it- this was discoverd when they broke my waters, and I am convinced it was the reason I had horrendous pains in my back and shoudler throughout the pregnancy - which stopped imediately following his birth.
ds turned just as he was coming out and I had no pain relief during an hours labour So it can be done- I did have a ventouse delivery though but not sure this was to do with being back to back as dd was also a ventouse and she was not back to back.

Like others have said, going on your hands and knees can help them turn so get scrubbing the floors

DippyFarquhar · 21/10/2009 22:31

My first two were back to back. First labour v painful, 2nd labour painful but much quicker. In fact, I'd asked for an epidural because of the first labour and knowing DC2 was OP too but they only managed to get the needle in before I suddenly had to push so in the end it wasn't needed. Both times I had to have waters broken because babes weren't far down enough (that's what they told me anyway). So yes, painful but they both turned and managed to come out ok with no intervention.

So yeah, pain relief really if you need to but I wouldn't recommend pethidine. I had it with first one but and it knocked me out for a few hours but once I came round I wasn't really with it for the rest of the labour and I couldn't get up to go and wash. The nurse who had to wash me wasn't best pleased and took it out on me with an unnecessarily vigourous rub-down with a flannel.

I'd also recommend the advice to go on all fours to try and move the bab. With my third they said he was OP so I did try that and lots of bouncing on birth ball to get him moving and all was pretty straightforward with him albeit v fast and furious! Not sure if my attempts to to get him to shift worked or he would have moved anyway but it doesn't hurt to try.

Good luck!

www.spinningbabies.com/index.php

I remember reading this website when I was having DS but the layout's changed a bit and not as easy to read I think. You might find it useful though.

ThisPhantomPlopsPumpkins · 21/10/2009 22:34

Both my labours have been back to back, first was hideous, had no pain at all in my front it was all down my legs, I had a failed epidural followed by spinal block and forceps, it was very long and very painful.

Second was also back to back, but I didn't find out until after she was born, it was a breeze in comparison, I survived a 9 hour labour without pain relief until I got to the pushing when I had gas and air.

As it's not your first baby it might not be too bad, but I'd try everything to get baby to move if you can. I failed both times, but my midwife seems to think my uterus makes my babies go back to back for some reason.

gingerkirsty · 21/10/2009 22:36

Was just scrolling down to recommend spinningbabies but Dippy has beaten me to it! Good luck

Deemented · 22/10/2009 06:11

My dd was back to back, and no one knew til she was born. Was the most intense pain ever and it felt like she was coming out of my lower back, top of my leg, not anywhere else. Managed it with just gas and air - all 10lb 2 of her. Bloody hurt though!

My midwife called her a stargazer baby as she was born looking up at them, and she wasn't far wrong.

lulalullabye · 22/10/2009 07:17

One other thing about back to back (posterior) babies is that the head pre labour does not fit the cervix snugly, so when the times comes for the head to descend down, you might find that you have a few false starts. The hormones from labour are released when the head fits into the top of the cervix. In a posterior baby, as the fit is not snug, the hormones are released and then stop because there is not constant pressure on the cervix.

If I had known all that with dd1, I would not have been in and out of the hospital before the birth like a yoyo

BarakObamasTransitVan · 22/10/2009 09:42

mosschops, entonox didn't work until I had the epidural because I wasn't taking it properly (pain meant I wasn't thinking stragiht, iyswim). The epidural though was amazing. I sometimes wonder if, had I had it earlier, I might not have needed the cs. I know it's suggested that epidural might slow down labour but I was utterly overwhelmed by the pain, iyswim, whereas I got some control back and bacame more active once I'd had the epidural. I was pretty delerious before, see. I honestly was so scared of the idea of a needle going into my spine that I'd not even considered an epidural pre-labour but when I finally got one I could have kissed the anaethestist (sp).
Yes - sounds terrifying. But I was fine and so was ds. Weirdly I had fewer complaints about ds's birth than any of my ante-natal friends - even the aromatherapy/whale song ones. And of course you've done it before, whereas this was my only time. It'll all be cool. And of course like I said - your baby has a good chance of shifting between now and D-Day.
lulalullabye that makes sense - explains why my cervix went into spasm and I could quite get dully dilated.

BarakObamasTransitVan · 22/10/2009 09:48

or fully even. Oh, and the false starts lullababy mentions - might explain why I was utterly convinced that ds was about to emerge sooo many times.

LolaBella · 22/10/2009 10:05

Mosschops my ds was born back to back. I knew throughout pregnancy and tried many different things to turn him but he was obviously comfty I eventually gave birth to him back to back although midwife didn't tell me until after birth (which i was pleased about actually) and obviously it was very painful although as he is my first i have nothing to compare the pain to.

I had pain relief, pethedine and epidural but epidural didn't work so i gave birth on gas and air.

Dh got a bit of a shock when midwife told him the head was out and to come and have a look and ds was looking up at him

Good luck to your. Here's to hoping your ds turns

chachachachacha · 22/10/2009 10:55

I didn't know that either lula - completely explains why I was I was nearly fully dilated for about 10 hours.

Why don't they tell us that our babies are in the wrong position? I had no idea about dd - I was induced as well so that had plenty of time to check her positioning. It makes me so angry that they don't keep us fully informed - how are we able to make a clear decision over pain relief or other choices if we don't know why we are having such difficult deliveries.

Agree re: excruciating back pain. I had an epidural which didn't work particularly well and then ended up with emcs.

Infact - Barack - I think you are me as I also had a 9lb baby

jeee · 22/10/2009 11:00

2 out of 4 of mine were back-to-back, and in both cases they were easy births. In fact, because my first was back-to-back and I had no problems I didn't even realise that this could cause problems. Obviously sometimes it's not great, but it doesn't necessarily follow that you will have difficulties.

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