# Is back labour more painful??!



## ParisJeTadore

I need some advice and support ladies!

I had 36 hours of labour and had back labour the ENTIRE time. I did not feel one "menstrual cramp" type pain associated with contractions and absolutely no pain in the front of my body from start to finish. Needless to say, by the time I was at 8cm the pain was excruciating.

I did hypnosis and did great up until 7cm but it did not decrease the pain I felt by any means. I've been told back labour is way more painful than regular labour and I'm starting to feel like a failure after reading so many women describe labour pain as being "not _that _bad" or worse "it only needs to be as painful as you want it to be". This was not the case for me despite being told by hospital staff that I had a high pain threshhold for what I went through.

I really want to have another baby but I am terrified of going through that level of pain again. Has anyone had full on back labour than gone on to have a less painful regular labour??


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## Guppy051708

HUGE :hug: girl!!! I TOTALLY know this feeling!

So, my first was face up (persistant posterior). I had back labor 100% of the time. Even when i was only 2CM i was in EXCRUCIATING pain because of it. So when i got pregnant again, i literally sobbed thinking about going through that. I knew i wanted another unmedicated birth and the thought of dealing w back labor again truly upset me. I figured i was doomed to have it. Well, can i just say i had ZERO back labor with the birth of my second child!!!!! I could not believe the difference. So for me, HELLLLL Yesss back labor is a million times worse! In fact,my care giver with the birth of DS1 told me if i can do that labor, i can do most any of them bc she said back labor from a posterior is the worst pain you can get. Now not all women have an issue with it but my God it was horrible. But fear not! As i said my second birth was not only a million times faster but i had no back labor-at all! I was happily surprised. I did have double peaking contractions that lasted a long time, but hon let me just say that those are far more "pleasant" than any back labor!


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## Hunbun

My LO was back labour. It was awful so I feel your pain. 

I don't have anything to compare it to yet, but I'm going to chance it again. I'm pretty sure its going to hurt either way!


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## Wiggler

I had a back labour with my son, it was awful and when I got pregnant again I was terrified of how painful labour would be again.

When I went into labour with my daughter I actually thought it was a false alarm because the pain was nothing compared to what the back labour was like, it still hurt, but nowhere near the level of pain of the back labour. It was quite a shock when I got to hospital and was told I was 8cm dilated :haha:


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## Hunbun

Wiggler said:


> I had a back labour with my son, it was awful and when I got pregnant again I was terrified of how painful labour would be again.
> 
> When I went into labour with my daughter I actually thought it was a false alarm because the pain was nothing compared to what the back labour was like, it still hurt, but nowhere near the level of pain of the back labour. It was quite a shock when I got to hospital and was told I was 8cm dilated :haha:

Thank you Wiggler! That is the best news I've had all week. :haha:


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## BoBo

Thank you ladies, this is really filling me with confidence! 

I had a 5 day, back to back labour with my son and ended up with an epidural at 8cm as it hurt so much and I was exhausted. I really felt like a wimp when my antenatal friends said their labours were not as painful as they expected them to be... I am hoping that when this baby decides to make an appearence that it will be a lot quicker and easier than before!


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## alicecooper

well if you're a wimp then I must just be the biggest wimp EVER because I didn't have back labour, and still needed epidurals every single time ;)

don't feel like a failure you silly sausage!


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## Eleanor ace

DS was back to back, he turned as I was getting to the end of pushing. I had contractions in the front and back but once he'd turned I only had pain at the front- relief! :). My labour wasn't too painful but it was definitely better once I just had contractions in the front :)


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## Clarabell543

I started with back labour. Had three days of contractions in my back then when i was in active labour she turned and it hurt obviously but not like back labour!


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## KitKaboodle

Back labor is HELL!! I had it with both boys, and needed that epidural! So no, if you did it with no meds kudos to you!! Lord knows I never could have!!!!


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## aliss

I had back labour with a home birth (12 hours). It was hard, but it was not as hard as a regular pitocin-induced labour.


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## chubbin

I had an induced 24 hour back labour, with failed epidural and eventual emcs. I sound like a monty python sketch! I described thepain to myself at the time as what i imagine having a hot tong repeatedly shoved up your bottom would feel like, andmy back felt broken. I cant imagine non back/non induced labour is that bad, but maybe it does depend on the womans mental state a bit too. I was in denial that i was giving birth, which i think added to the nightmare.


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## ParisJeTadore

Thanks for your opinions ladies! Some of your stories have made me feel hopeful that things can be different if I should go on to have another and that the possibility of NOT having backing labour is there. I'm sorry for anyone who has to go through such an excrutiating level of pain. I wouldn't wish it on anyone!

I had a great mental state from start to finish so I know that I couldn't have done anything more in that department. Just really bad luck I guess....:shrug:


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## melfy77

I hear ya! I had back labor with DD. Never felt any pain in the front, just pain in my lower back and legs. My water broke but contractions wouldn't start, so I was given oxytocin (Pitocin), which is supposed to make pain even worse. I was only 1cm when I got to L&D, so by the time I was 4 cm, it was really painful, so I got the epidural. Sooooo much better. and it sped up the labor, she was born less than 3 hours after I got it (10 hours in total). But overall I enjoyed the labor, so totally ready for another one:thumbup:


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## jenniferttc1

I had back and front labor. Every contractions started in the front and moved to the back. I would hands down say back labor was by far the worst. I could bare the stomach ones, but the back made me cry, and scream.


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## krissie1234uk

My first was a back labour. I had constant pain in my back and nowhere else and it was agony! I had all the drugs going and it ended in a csection. My second was back to back but I had no.back pain at all. The pain was a joy on comparison! I got to 6cm with just a tens machine even though contractions were 2 mins apart from the start. Then i did the rest on gas and air.
Back labour was torture in comparison!


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## Logan's Mum

I had back labour with Logan. I got to 7cm at home, no sleep though just sat in a chair as lying down was horrible. I then had to have drip (oxytocin) as it had been too long between waters breaking and getting to 7cm. OH MY FRIGGING GOD THAT HURT! It got soooo much worse and alll on my back, felt like it was being broken over and over again. Since I had the drip I was bed-bound too cos heartbeat had to be monitored. Felt like it went on forever and only progressed to 8-9cm after HOURS. So had epidural and that was fab. Would go through it all again with this one as the results were awesome :flower:

Im freaking out now that I wont know what labour is like if it happens round the front :dohh:


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## Guppy051708

Logan's Mum said:


> Im freaking out now that I wont know what labour is like if it happens round the front :dohh:

oh, you'll know :lol:


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## Logan's Mum

Guppy051708 said:


> Logan's Mum said:
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> Im freaking out now that I wont know what labour is like if it happens round the front :dohh:
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> oh, you'll know :lol:Click to expand...

:argh:


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## Guppy051708

Logan's Mum said:


> Guppy051708 said:
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> Logan's Mum said:
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> Im freaking out now that I wont know what labour is like if it happens round the front :dohh:
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> oh, you'll know :lol:Click to expand...
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> :argh:Click to expand...

on the bright side, back labor is a million times worse, so it wont hurt as baD as that. Plus it's easier to find a position for relief. For me sitting and laying down was the worst feeling on the planet, with my face up birth. but with my face down birth i was able to do so without issues.


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## ParisJeTadore

Guppy051708 said:


> Logan's Mum said:
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> Logan's Mum said:
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> Im freaking out now that I wont know what labour is like if it happens round the front :dohh:
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> oh, you'll know :lol:Click to expand...
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> :argh:Click to expand...
> 
> on the bright side, back labor is a million times worse, so it wont hurt as baD as that. Plus it's easier to find a position for relief. For me sitting and laying down was the worst feeling on the planet, with my face up birth. but with my face down birth i was able to do so without issues.Click to expand...

Yes, I could not get into a comfortable spot while in labour so did a lot of standing which, after 26 hours got to be a bit much :wacko: You should have seen my face when the delivery nurse demanded I lie on the bed and withstand four contractions, during transition, on my side to try to turn baby! I was ready to sock her :haha:


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## Logan's Mum

ParisJeTadore said:


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> Logan's Mum said:
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> Im freaking out now that I wont know what labour is like if it happens round the front :dohh:
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> oh, you'll know :lol:Click to expand...
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> :argh:Click to expand...
> 
> on the bright side, back labor is a million times worse, so it wont hurt as baD as that. Plus it's easier to find a position for relief. For me sitting and laying down was the worst feeling on the planet, with my face up birth. but with my face down birth i was able to do so without issues.Click to expand...
> 
> Yes, I could not get into a comfortable spot while in labour so did a lot of standing which, after 26 hours got to be a bit much :wacko: You should have seen my face when the delivery nurse demanded I lie on the bed and withstand four contractions, during transition, on my side to try to turn baby! I was ready to sock her :haha:Click to expand...

:haha: 

I am looking forward to being able to change position more (if I don't have to be induced again), I'm hoping to be more mobile and maybe even give the pool a go. Fingers crossed! I'm hard as nails, me :rofl:


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## Anthrogirl

I had 100% back labor with #1 and she was born sunny side up. #2 was PROM and finally (forcible induction) the back labor with #1 was brutal yet manageable, especially on hands and knees. The uterine hyperstimulation of #2, with contractions lasting 3.5 mins and having 2 peaks was WAY worse! On the bright side, with #2 there was no back labor!


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## Guppy051708

ParisJeTadore said:


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> Logan's Mum said:
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> Im freaking out now that I wont know what labour is like if it happens round the front :dohh:
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> oh, you'll know :lol:Click to expand...
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> :argh:Click to expand...
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> on the bright side, back labor is a million times worse, so it wont hurt as baD as that. Plus it's easier to find a position for relief. For me sitting and laying down was the worst feeling on the planet, with my face up birth. but with my face down birth i was able to do so without issues.Click to expand...
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> Yes, I could not get into a comfortable spot while in labour so did a lot of standing which, after 26 hours got to be a bit much :wacko: You should have seen my face when the delivery nurse demanded I lie on the bed and withstand four contractions, during transition, on my side to try to turn baby! I was ready to sock her :haha:Click to expand...

I crinch bc i even know that feeling. I remember they forced me to lay down and i couldn't i cried so hard. It was horrible and eventually i demanded them to help me up. It was horrid :hugs: i totally know that feeling. I really wanted to be standing as well and when i was in the pool i did a lot of hands/knees. I remember when i got in the shower the OB forced my mom, nurse and hubby to hold me up right bc i was so tired but i just couldn't sleep any other way.
Hopefully you never have to experience that again! My second birth, though more intense, was a breeze compared to that horrible back labor evilness!


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## ParisJeTadore

Guppy051708 said:


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> Im freaking out now that I wont know what labour is like if it happens round the front :dohh:
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> oh, you'll know :lol:Click to expand...
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> :argh:Click to expand...
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> on the bright side, back labor is a million times worse, so it wont hurt as baD as that. Plus it's easier to find a position for relief. For me sitting and laying down was the worst feeling on the planet, with my face up birth. but with my face down birth i was able to do so without issues.Click to expand...
> 
> Yes, I could not get into a comfortable spot while in labour so did a lot of standing which, after 26 hours got to be a bit much :wacko: You should have seen my face when the delivery nurse demanded I lie on the bed and withstand four contractions, during transition, on my side to try to turn baby! I was ready to sock her :haha:Click to expand...
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> I crinch bc i even know that feeling. I remember they forced me to lay down and i couldn't i cried so hard. It was horrible and eventually i demanded them to help me up. It was horrid :hugs: i totally know that feeling. I really wanted to be standing as well and when i was in the pool i did a lot of hands/knees. I remember when i got in the shower the OB forced my mom, nurse and hubby to hold me up right bc i was so tired but i just couldn't sleep any other way.
> Hopefully you never have to experience that again! My second birth, though more intense, was a breeze compared to that horrible back labor evilness!Click to expand...

lol! Are you sure we didn't have the same labour :dohh: Yes...as much as I try to forget I remember trying to get relief in the shower (they refused to let me have a bath as they thought it would slow my labour even more) and being so tired that I was falling asleep in a chair, leaning against dh between contractions. The really hot water did help but it was still agony. 

Here's hoping for better next time! Happy to hear that it doesn't have to be as bad as what I went through. :)


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## kerrie24

Ive had one normal and two back to back and they were all the same to me.


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## XJessicaX

I have had both. 1st was a 22 hour labour with a persistent posterior baby. Was so continuously painful! My contractions were agony and so close together I wanted to be admitted at 2cm! Asked for epi at 5cm which worked for a bit but then came out and the rest of my awful labour was a haze of pain. 

2nd I was terrified of another back labour, during pregnancy I made sure I never laid on my back or leant back and twice a day would get onto all fours. DD2 stayed in the perfect labouring position! On my medical notes labour was down as 40 minutes in total. I say my labour was 2.5 hours. The first 2 of those hours I used TENS (only because I had rented it and wanted to get some use!) and G&A and only because I liked how high it made me. The contractions were absolutely bearable, I was talking to my husband through them and the complete no pain in between contractions took me by surprise! I remember saying to my husband "oh so THIS is what labour is meant to be like, this is easy!".........the last 30 minutes of my labour though was incredibly painful, indescribable pain really. Much much more painful than my back labour but that was because I unknowingly had dilated completely within that 30 minutes and I pushed my daughter out completely med free in 2 mins!


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## ParisJeTadore

XJessicaX said:


> I have had both. 1st was a 22 hour labour with a persistent posterior baby. Was so continuously painful! My contractions were agony and so close together I wanted to be admitted at 2cm! Asked for epi at 5cm which worked for a bit but then came out and the rest of my awful labour was a haze of pain.
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> 2nd I was terrified of another back labour, during pregnancy I made sure I never laid on my back or leant back and twice a day would get onto all fours. DD2 stayed in the perfect labouring position! On my medical notes labour was down as 40 minutes in total. I say my labour was 2.5 hours. The first 2 of those hours I used TENS (only because I had rented it and wanted to get some use!) and G&A and only because I liked how high it made me. The contractions were absolutely bearable, I was talking to my husband through them and the complete no pain in between contractions took me by surprise! I remember saying to my husband "oh so THIS is what labour is meant to be like, this is easy!".........the last 30 minutes of my labour though was incredibly painful, indescribable pain really. Much much more painful than my back labour but that was because I unknowingly had dilated completely within that 30 minutes and I pushed my daughter out completely med free in 2 mins!

What a great story-thanks for sharing! I'm so happy to hear your second labour was a million times better and so much shorter :) No wonder it got painful fast...there was no build up!


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## minnieoxox

I never pushed baba out but I got to 7cm before I had my emergancy section. My contractions where really strong and about 30 seconds apart from the begining. The pain was all in my lower stomach and legs. If someone asked me in the 3 weeks following I said it's the worst pain in the world, now I've got over it and kind of forgotten the pain, in my head it 'wasn't that bad' and that is what I say but if I really think about it I know it was. I was screaming and cursing and thrashing around and as soon as it stopped it started again. So I think though some people have easy labours sometimes you forget the pain.


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