Anyone had a back-to-back labour?

[k4th]

I know baby could turn at any time leading up to or during labour BUT bubs has been posterior for weeks and weeks. Just looking for stories of back-to-back labour to try & mentally prepare.... Just in case

 

[missk1989]

My lo was I back to back and we didnt find out until I was in labour. It wasnt as bad as I expected just alot longer than I think it would have been. I laboured at home for 12 hours and when I got to the hospital I was at 6cm. I went to delivery and settled in with the help of gas and air. My contractions showed after a bit as I hadnt eaten for hours so eventually ended up on a drip. I got to 10 at about 7.30pm but a bit of cervix was stuck on his head so they wouldn't let me push. At 9pm they said they didnt think I would be able to do it alone so started to prepare theatre. In the meantime they let me try. He was born at 9.21pm, the midwife turned him as I pushed him out.

You will be fine.

 

[dan-o]

My ds1 was b2b and didn't turn. In fact he was born almost facing my leg and turned to look at the ceiling (they made me push on my back as he started getting decels) The labour was induced with a pessary, so it's hard to compare to my second which was spontaneous and right way round and less furious. For length of labour they were similar, I just think the contractions were stronger for slightly longer with the back to back and caused a little more back and pelvis pressure depending on the position. My third was the right way round as well but my most intense as I ended up on a drip, so I can't really compare to that either.
My advice would be try and have an active labour ( if thats your thing) I think that was the key for me in not needing forceps etc x

Ps. Still time to turn as well, my ds2 was oblique and/or back to back until a few days before he arrived at 38w, then turned to the side and lined himself up lovely!

 

[Eleanor ace]

I've had 2 back to back labours. My DS was born facing up and my DD turned to face sideways as I was pushing. I don't have anything to compare it to but for me it wasn't super painful or unbearable, I had 2 good labours and they were quite short (1st 6 hours start to finish, 2nd about 9 hours but the first couple of hours were just like bad period pains) .

 

[babytots]

My eldest son was born back to back. I found the contractions more intense then my previous labours and being on a bed made them worse. I eventually gave birth standing up as it was the only position I felt comfortable with when the contractions hit. He came out quite swollen and I suffered a 2nd degree tear but healed well.

In terms of how quick I laboured it wa much faster then my first 2 x

 

[mum140381]

my 5th was back to back she turned during labor more painful than my other births but i only used gas and air xx

 

[MindUtopia]

I have no idea if my daughter was actually back to back while in labour, but she was back to back all of 3rd tri, including at the 36 week scan I had a week before I had her. If she was in fact back to back during labour, the only difference I feel it really made was that I had a long 2nd (pushing) stage, which is quite typical when babies that were back to back take time to turn to get more optimally positioned for birth. That was definitely tiring and intense! I was pushing (and on my feet, squatting to push) for 4 hours, which is a long time, and my legs were so, so tired by the time I had her. But I didn't find it to be especially painful and as far as I know I didn't have any back labour, but as she was my first, I really have nothing to compare it to. I also used a TENS machine from just when contractions because regular (strong period like cramps) until I was pushing, which I think would have helped a lot, if I had any back labour (which maybe is why I don't feel like I did). I also used natal hypnotherapy, which just helped me feel really comfortable and relaxed overall, which is again why I think it was so manageable. But really, it wasn't a big deal. Other than the long pushing stage and the midwives getting a bit twitchy about me pushing so long (I had a home birth and if I had needed any intervention I would have had to head into hospital first, so they were extra cautious), I was totally fine and manageable and not that painful (didn't need any pain relief other than the TENS).

 

[Caelli86]

Both of my previous labours were with back to back babies, the back pain in intense but other than that wasn't too bad, my 2nd DS turned just as he was coming out, weirdest feeling ever and DH saw him turn and said it was the strangest thing ever xx

 

[mummyruston]

Good question! I'm 39w5 and today MW said baby is now back to back (was transverse right up until 38w).

Hoping in the next few days before labour the baby will go the right way!

 

[k4th]

Good question! I'm 39w5 and today MW said baby is now back to back (was transverse right up until 38w).

Hoping in the next few days before labour the baby will go the right way!

Glad to hear your baby is head down Mine was oblique & then moved to head down but back to back. Hoping both out babies behave & get moving again

 

[victoria1987]

My son was back to back and I didn't realise until I started pushing. I have nothing to compare his labour to so I don't know if it more painful or not. I did labour at home until 7cm and my labour painful but not outrageous. Pushing was the hard part. He was back to back and had his head turned to the side. 2.5 hours of pushing, manually turned baby and 2nd degree tear! Hope my next can be pushed out far easier.

 

[mummyruston]

So I went from
Transverse to back to back positioning via spinning babies.

Been scanned today at 40w1 and baby is turning to posterior position. MW said whatever you're doing keep doing it as clearly it's working...

Check out spinning babies!

 

[k4th]

So I went from
Transverse to back to back positioning via spinning babies.

Been scanned today at 40w1 and baby is turning to posterior position. MW said whatever you're doing keep doing it as clearly it's working...

Check out spinning babies!

I can't do most of the exercises as I have spd and it's very painful for me. I can't even put my swollen feet up never mind get myself upside down

Really good to hear it's working for you though! Good luck - hope you're not waiting for you're little one for much longer!

 

[mummyruston]

Oh no - sorry to hear that Unsure if you can go on all fours with SPD etc but that was the main thing I've been doing x

 

[pachamama92]

I had a back to back labour and the main thing I found was that my contractions weren't really waves but more a constant period-like pain. In the end DS was born with ventuouse which was far less traumatic than I anticipated, I dont know if he had turned before that.

 

[Perplexed]

I believe ds was possibly back to back. I had back pains that intensified with each contraction and wouldn't tolerate any position other than being upright. However my labor wasn't that long. I had my show early that day but no contractions till 10 hours later during my induction w/ pessary. I labored from 2pm till maybe 7.30pm, which imo was good given baby's position.

with dd I had epidural at transition. with ds my contractions started strong that the midwives kept wondering if I were fully dilated already (I was at 5cm), then they were manageable due to gas & air & pethidine, then they started getting bad again (still 5cm). by the time I thought of asking for epi though I was already at 9cm and they said no

I had another issue though...my bladder was full and I couldn't empty it no matter what...they emptied it with a catheter twice till ds was able to descend.

 

[Clarabell543]

My labour began with her being back to back after she had been in the 'ideal' position for weeks... she turned during labour... try not to let it worry you

 

[Spudtastic]

My daughter was back to back and I didn't know until the pushing stage. perhaps I have a low pain tolerance but I found contractions to be shockingly painful. By the time I was 2cm they were 3 minutes apart and 1 minute long. Four hours later at 2.5 cms they were a 90 seconds long with only about 10 seconds break in between. Add another 6 hours and at 4 cms my midwife suggested an epidural and I agreed. It was the best thing ever. During the pushing stage dd turned in the birth canal...again super painful through the epidural but manageable. However, it only took 2 hours to push her out and I did it all on my own (no forceps or ventouse).

 

[LilLil]

Baby #2 was in a perfect position, but turned back-to-back the night I went in to labour.

The labour was more painful than DD2, but I got to 9cm with no pain relief (then had a bit of gas & air) as the midwife didn't think I was in active labour because contractions not measuring as much on monitor.

Baby then turned the right way again at the last minute and got himself in distress resulting in a ventouse delivery.