# back to back baby question.



## suffolksarah

Hi all.

I went to my 31 week appointment yesterday and my midwife said baby is head down but back to back. now i was planning on a natural labour, is this still possible? also how likely is baby to turn before the big day? can anyone share their experiences please. Also my hips are really sore in the evening so the only way i can sleep is on my back propped up on loads of cushions, but i hear this is not good in helping baby to turn. ideas please!!!

Thanks xx


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## moomin_troll

at 31 weeks i was told corey was back to back and when he was born he was face down, so he managed to turn.

u can still have a very natural labour with a back to back baby :)

u can help lo turn by sitting up correctly, getting on ur knees and swaying on a birthing ball or putting ur head on the sofa...it also helps with sore hips so thats a bonus


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## LouLou78

31 weeks is early and there is plenty of time for baby to turn. :)


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## NaturalMomma

Back to back just means you may have more pain/pressure on your spine when you're in labor. But it doesn't mean you can't have an unmedicated or vaginal birth. Babies can turn in labor and they also turn when they are being pushed through the birth canal. Both of my babies have been back to back. ds1 turned as he came out and ds2 never turned and I just delivered him that way. For me it was better to stand and squat when having a baby back to back like that.


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## youngmummy94

You can still have a natural birth with them back to back. Unfortunately my LO turned back to back in labor so it is possible for babies to turn.


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## Lyns80

At all of my midwife appointments LO was the correct way until I was part way through labour when he turned and went back to back. I know your pain, tried various positions to try to deliver but pain was excruitating and ended up trying the birthing pool as one last option. He managed to turn when I lifted my leg up to climb into the pool although didnt manage to stay in there long as was too hot and was about to pass out. Did eventually deliver him the correct way round.

Try sitting on a birthing ball and rolling back and forwards and side to side; or when in bed try propping yourself up on your leftside with pillows behind you and one between your legs and under bump. That might help.

Hope little one turns before you go into labour.


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## booda

My LO was back to back for my entir labour, and I was about to gt foreceps until he spun around less than an hour before I started properly pushing and popped out the right way :D

So try not to worry too much, mine was also breech at 31 weeks and turned in time :)

good luck, and enjoy your labour, it's a lovely experience xx


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## suffolksarah

Thanks everyone, i have been busy bouncing on the ball and trying not to slouch on the sofa, although that will be easier when back to work after the christmas holidays, as spending the best part of the day on the sofa watching cheesy films at the moment! 
hopefully baby will turn before the big day! xx


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## dan-o

I tried lots of things to turn my boy, but stayed back to back from about 28 weeks, and was born that way!

I've got nothing to compare it to, but I didn't find the labour that bad, the very intense part was only a couple of hours & time went quickly. In the early stages, leaning and walking about helped. In the latter stages, pelvic rocking helped (thanks mum!) as did the gas & air (makes you thirsty though!) 
I couldn't sit or lie down at all though, due to the pressure in my back/pelvis, so chose to stand for most of my labour & went on all 4's for the last bit to get rid of my anterior lip. 

No interventions/forceps/epidural etc were needed and it took just a few hard pushes for my son to make his entrance, still facing up!

Try not to worry if he doesn't turn, your labour might be fast & problem free like mine was! Enjoy having a nice neat bump if your baba does stay back to back! xx


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## suffolksarah

Sounds ideal, hopefully i shall copy you dan-o if baby stays this way round! x


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## kaths101

My LO was back to back my entire pregnancy, try bouncing on your ball and leaning forwards over the back of a chair or watching tv on all fours.

During my labour I did have intense back pain but the best thing you can do is stay mobile, dont let them strap you to the bed on your back! For most of my contractions I was just walking about and when a bad one came I would lean on the bed or on my ball! Remember to take your ball with you!

Anyway I had a quick labour (3 hours at hospital) with no pain relief apart from 2 puffs of gas and air and the TENS - the TENS helped alot during labour for my back pain so it might be worth investing. I know you can hire them as well. Remember to put it on right in the early stages.

My LO half turned in the birth canal and came out sideways but all was fine and a natural labour is very do-able!! x


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## Blah11

ive had 2 back to back babies (neither turned) Amelie was gas and air and diamorphine, nothing with roman so yes, totally possible :thumbup:

with roman i stayed mobile until transition then I stayed upright and leaned over my couch on a pile of cushions that were chest height and swayed my hips during contractions. Worked very well and managed to breathe through them. He also came out with a nuchal hand :dohh: and the only thing was he had a bruised bridge of his nose as he came out quickly and the 'wrong' way round.


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## Guppy051708

Only 5% of all babies are born face up. Most of them will flip either before or during labor. 
My baby was posterior (face up) and i birthed him 100% unmedicated and intervention free. It IS possible, but you need to be upright and moving! And able to push how you need to.
My birth story is in my siggy. I did and i think most women can. Its not abnormal nor impossible. Its just a variation of normal :thumbup:


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## tu123

My daughter was born back to back and through a small pelvis!

I got to 6cms at home (wanted a home birth) but after passing out my hubby took me to the ward. I had an epidural nut still managed to get her out ok:thumbup:


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## mum2millsxx

Olivia was back to back but turned in the birth canal and came out normal. The labour was painful Im not going to lie because there was so much pressure in my back. I got through it with my birthing ball that was a lifesaver just rocking on that and my oh pushing into the bottom of my back when I had a contraction. I wasnt dilating because of her position, so I had an epidural. When midwife broke my waters 2 hours later she was born. xx


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## harrybaby

oooh seems im the only one who didnt succesfully deliver my "back to back" baby naturally, after 3 days of contractions and no engagement (did finally manage to get to 8cm) but with the baby the wrong way round she got stuck in my pelvis and never dropped. I had a c-section, wasnt bad to be honest - recovery went very well. 

You have oads fo time to get the baby to turn, but I woudl deffo recommend sitting the opposite way round on chairs so your leaning forward and deffo dont slouch on the sofa, lie on your side instead.


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## jensonsmummy

My LO was back to back and after pushing for 4 hours, he got stuck i had a vaccum delivery. It was very painful on my back during contractions, and my back is still bad since then, but Only had gas and air so can be done, no next time i have been told to have a c-section die to healing problems for the episotomy. Good luck and hope all goes plain sailing for you


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## mum22ttc#3

A Natural Birth is defiently still possible. :) DD2 was in the correct position right up until the last day when she turned back to back, the only thing I used was Gas and Air and gave birth in a total of under 4 hours. 

TBH I personally wouldn't say it was anymore painful than my other 2 labours which were both the correct way. The only difference I really found was that the contractions for the back to back were in my back compared to the others being all at the front.

Good luck :flower:


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## Cookie83

Hi 

I had no idea Emily was back to back until my waters went and contractions really started. I had really bad back pain through the labour and delivery. They advised me to have a new method of pain relief called water papules. Its 4 injections of water just under the skin at the base of your back. the injections hurt a little like a bee sting but one you have had them it works really well. my back pain really reduced and you are able to have them as many times as you need through the labour. I had amost had an assissted delivery but in the end she turned during the pushing. I didnt have a tense machine but would have used one if i had known.


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## Guppy051708

Cookie83 said:


> Hi
> 
> I had no idea Emily was back to back until my waters went and contractions really started. I had really bad back pain through the labour and delivery. They advised me to have a new method of pain relief called *water papules*. Its 4 injections of water just under the skin at the base of your back. the injections hurt a little like a bee sting but one you have had them it works really well. my back pain really reduced and you are able to have them as many times as you need through the labour. I had amost had an assissted delivery but in the end she turned during the pushing. I didnt have a tense machine but would have used one if i had known.

I have heard of those! I wished i would have known it was an option at DSs birth! Im going to ask my MW if they do them, if baby ends up being posterior again :dohh:


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