midwife thinks my baby might be back to back...

[Jane77]

Hi Everyone

Just wondering if anyone can offer me any advice, I'm a bit confused about my baby's position. I'm nearly 39 weeks and hoping for a home waterbirth. I went to the midwife two weeks ago and she said she thinks my baby might be back to back as the area around my belly button feels soft.

I've been looking up different positions on bellymapping and spinningbabies and I can feel his spine down the left side of my tummy and I can also feel his kicks on the far right side, under my ribs which makes me think there's hope that he's facing further front than back. I can also feel wriggling below my knicker line though which I'm concerned could be his hands if he is facing front. I can't work it out! The midwife said he's already engaged, this is my first baby. So I suppose I have two questions:

1) Does anyone else's baby's movements feel like this? Do you think it sounds as if he's back to back or not? Or closer to the back or front?

2) If he is back to back do you think I'll be able to go ahead with a home waterbirth? My sister has had 2 back to back labours, both with assisted deliveries, I really want to try for a homebirth.

If anyone has any advice/info I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks xxx

 

[KandyKinz]

I can't really say for sure whether your baby is op without seeing or palpating your belly but having a posterior baby is certainly not the end of the world and you can definitly still have a home water birth. Many babies rotate from looking one direction to another from one moment to the next and the majority of babies who are peristently op at term will rotate in labour and even if it doesn`t turn it`s more than possible to deliver a baby sunnyside/facing up... even in water. With that said op babies tend to be accompanied by +++ back labour pain as they put increased pressure on the sacrum, false/prodromal early labour contractions also tend to occur more frequently as the body tries to use contractions to turn baby rather than dilate, for that reason labours tend to be longer even once established with op babies..... ofcourse just cause something is more likely to happen doesn`t mean it will and i`ve seen women push sunny side up babies out after a less than a 5 hour labour. still just to try to make things easier for you don`t slouch.... spend time on your hands and knees.... and hang out on a birth ball to help ensure baby gets/stays in an optimal position.

 

[Mervs Mum]

I've had 2 back to back babies - one at a birth centre and one at home and both were easier than my anterior baby! Did your sister have any interventions that restricted her movements in labour? I'm just wondering if the assistance in delivering her babies was not really down to presentation....

 

[Blah11]

Amelie was back to back. She was in a C position for ages and eventually straightened up when she started to engage but face dthe wrong way.

Anyway, i see no reason as to why you cant have your home birth.I've heard they take a bit longer and they are a bit more painful but other than that My labour was fine, no epi or anything and I really enjoyed it. It was in hospital but I did my own thing, the MW didn't touch me until her head was out to check the cord. My labour was 15 hours and was really intense contractions in my back but it was enjoyable LOL You'll be fine

 

[summer rain]

It sounds like my LO; my belly was soft in the middle and I didn't have a huge bump at all by the end, he wasn't back to back but kind of like a banana shape and mainly towards my right hand side; he was like that from 31 weeks onwards and was even born facing sideways on. I have heard that position is like back to back not quite as bad, and though we did go to hospital in the end it was mainly because of the weather at the time meaning where we live was inaccessible I was booked for a home birth and the MWs saw no problem with his position nor did they see it causing an issue. My sister had a back to back baby in a home waterbirth, she did hypnobirthing and it worked well for her; as the transition phase was 2 hours

 

[Jane77]

I can't really say for sure whether your baby is op without seeing or palpating your belly but having a posterior baby is certainly not the end of the world and you can definitly still have a home water birth. Many babies rotate from looking one direction to another from one moment to the next and the majority of babies who are peristently op at term will rotate in labour and even if it doesn`t turn it`s more than possible to deliver a baby sunnyside/facing up... even in water. With that said op babies tend to be accompanied by +++ back labour pain as they put increased pressure on the sacrum, false/prodromal early labour contractions also tend to occur more frequently as the body tries to use contractions to turn baby rather than dilate, for that reason labours tend to be longer even once established with op babies..... ofcourse just cause something is more likely to happen doesn`t mean it will and i`ve seen women push sunny side up babies out after a less than a 5 hour labour. still just to try to make things easier for you don`t slouch.... spend time on your hands and knees.... and hang out on a birth ball to help ensure baby gets/stays in an optimal position.

Hi kandykinz

Thanks very much for your reply. I've been spending as much time as I can on all fours and on on my birthing ball, I don't think he's moved yet though. Fingers crossed he'll move before I go into labour. Thanks for the encouragement, it's great to know I should still be able to go for a homebirth.

 

[Jane77]

Hi Ladies

Thank you very much for all the positive replies! My midwife looked a bit worried about his position so I've been worrying about it since I last saw her. It's great to know it shouldn't affect my chances of having a home birth.

Summer rain - a banana is exactly how my baby feels too, but on the left side!

MervsMum - so great to hear you've had 2 posterior babies without interventions. I'm not sure how restricted my sister's movement was when she gave birth. I know that she said she found the pain in her back really exhausting and that both times the baby got 'stuck' so they had to use the ventouse...

I'll get back on all fours now...thanks again ladies xxx

 

[KittenKat]

A little late with the positive here possibly lol, but my last was back to back and refused to budge at all even at delivery, delivered her on dry land, paracetamol about 9 hours before she was born for pain relief (to make sure it wasnt just another case of irritated uterus) Only assistance I had was from my two midwives that I used as stirrups while I was on a birthing stool.

 

[Lilly12]

My baby has been anterior this whole pregnancy.
She was deeply engaged at 36 weeks, then decided to turn OP on me at 39 weeks!

So I had been leaning on my ball a lot, leaning forward, no sitting on the couch leaning back like I usually do, doing pelvic tilts, and after 2 days she's back LOA.



So just do your excersizes and encourage your baby to move.

 

[wildeone]

My first was a back to back!!! and born in 45 minutes Midwives were so shocked that she came out facing the wrong way

 

[0_o]

Hey, just thought id add a great baby turning position I found! I fill the bath right up and basically rest my head one end on my front, and put my feet up on the other end, so i am leaning on my knees, and rest like that for half an hour. my bump doesn't touch the bottom of the bath and whatever position she has been in, ahe always ends up with her back straight down my front again. XX

 

[KandyKinz]

Just thought I'd update that I had a home waterbirth. My baby definitly preferred being back to back in pregnancy and stayed that way during labour. Had less back pain this time around then I did in my previous labours and it was only 3 1/2hrs from the onset of my first contraction to holding my baby. He never did end up turning and was born looking up and in the end I didn't even need stitches...So while anterior babies are definitly preferred OP babies do not always equal doom.