Back 2 Back Labour (also with SPD) - Your experiences pls!

[happy-chick]

OK I was all ready for labour and now madam has turned back 2 back again and im pretty worried. Im making every effort to turn her again BUT as im so far on there is a good chance she wont turn before I go into labour so would like to prepare just incase.

Im aware that back to back labours can be alot more painful and alot slower/longer, exactly how much longer/more painful are we talking here? Is epidural needed? I know every labour is different but would just like some idea. Also what are the chances of her turning into the correct position while in labour?

Im also aware that there is a higher risk of complications and it leading to a csection, how high is this risk and what complications can occur?

I also have SPD, will this add to the pain or make things even more difficult?

How can u recognise back labour, i keep getting backache alot so worried that I wont realise when im in the early stages of labour as im getting severe back pain anyway... should I watch for regular pains in my back aswell as front?

Anything else u can tell me would be much appreciated, good and bad experiences! Please pray for me that she moves Many Thanks

 

[mdsremos]

I was both as well......went into labour the evening before my due date and it started like low down period pains and had contractions mainly in my back when I was in full labour. Used the ball at home with a tens machine and managed 7 hours then went to the hospital and was 5cm dilated. Had gas and air and eventually pethidine but found it difficult to get comfy, didnt feel the urge to push and all the contractions were in my back from what I can remember. Charlie started to crown after 20 hours of labour with just gas and air and 1 1/2 shots of pethidine whilst birthing mainly on my back cos I just couldnt move into any other position properly with the SPD. Charlie crowned then turned in the bith canal and got his head stuck and my pre-eclampsia kicked in bicg style so had emergency c-section....was so close to a natural birth and still feel gutted about it now!!!!
I have a beautiful and very happy little boy and the SPD settled after about 4 weeks but I have back problems as my core muscles are very poor which is a major downside.

 

[happy-chick]

Thanks, great to hear ur experience. Do you think it would have led to a csection if you didnt have pre-eclampsia?

 

[Redshoes]

I didn't know Isaac was back to back until days after going into labour. It wasn't that bad, I had co-codamol's as prescribed on the box, and got to 7cm's just fine. My problems arose out of being induced, once the drip kicked in I was uncomfortable in ALL positions, I beared with it for a few hrs but I'd already laboured for days and was knackered, so finally said yes to the epidural.

Giving birth naturally to a b2b baby is very acheivable without assistance, just when you go to hospital they will not let you progress naturally as they have 'deadlines', that is why most long labours end up assisted, not because they cannot progress naturally. I stayed at home for 3nights labouring because I knew if I went hospital I'd end up drugged up and being assisted, and I was, I was just glad I didn't have to have a c-section, they offered but said they would try forceps first if I wanted, which I agreed to, I'd been in labour over 85hrs.

This site will help, even though its about homebirth there's lots about SPD too;
Look at the 'You can't have a homebirth because..' section, and look at the SPD link
http://www.homebirth.org.uk/
"It is often recommended that women with this condition avoid having an epidural, because if anaesthetised below the waist, they may open their legs too wide, which can make the condition worse."
Also, this link;
http://www.radmid.demon.co.uk/dsp.htm

Very best wishes, and remember baby can still turn and remember to take co-codamol, during labour they are fine to take

Forgot to add that that is MY experience, I know many women are induced witht he drip and labour just fine

 

[Krystal]

Hiya

I can't really comment on the PSD as I didn't have that.

I did have a back to back labour though. I don't have a normal labour to compare it to so can't really say if it's more painful. The pain was very intense though and I can't remember feeling any pain in my tummy, all of the pain was in my back and TBH I didn't really feel as though I got a break between contractions as my back still hurt just not as much when I was between them.

My labour started at 5am but was pretty managable up until 4pm in afternoon, I then went into hospital and was 2cm dilated. I used gas and air cos the pain was getting a bit much. by the time we checked again I was 4cm and by 9pm I had Jack.

The midwife said I was only in established labour for 1 hour so if you go by that I can't see back to back having to make your labour longer.

We did have problems because of it during labour though, Jack was in a position where he got stuck cos he was coming down wrong way so they thought I was gonna have to have C section as his heart rate was dropping, luckily they managed to turn him (not sure how they did this but know a lot of docs were 'down there') they had to break my waters to do this so I'm not sure if this is why my last stage was so quick but the midwife thought Jack was stuck cos the labour was so quick he didn't have chance to turn.

 

[Squiglet]

I had SPD with Tia and she was definitely back to back... tbh like Midna said, I don't think it could have been any more painful... labour is just that. I had loads of back pain in the days leading up to labour... but OMG when labour kicked in it was really obvious things were different. But the contraction "wave" (you'll know what I mean by that soon) was in my spine, not round the front where you get period pains.

I never got the nice slow regular contractions like most people get... Mine were 2/3 minutes all the time... I don't know if that was because Tia was back to back and she wasn't engaged and pushing on my cervix.

I had an epidural because the pain in my back was incredible, and it just made me want to scream.

The cord went around Tia's neck and because she never turned (she was born facing up) with each contraction the cord was being compressed against my pelvic bone cutting off her oxygen. In the last 20 minutes she went into severe distress, and was born with an apgar score of just 1.

I never had any intervention with my labour though. They did want her out quick though, which is why I got the episotomy and they were going to use forceps, but I got her out in just a few pushes.... Its not true that everyone who has an epidural ends up having intervention.

As for the SPD.... as long as your MWs know, they will be very gentle with your pelvis when you are giving birth.

 

[happy-chick]

Thanks ladies, much appreciated xx

 

[kellie80]

My 2nd labour was back to back and it was so much worse than the other 2 TBH. I hardly had any let up in the pains as the contractions were constant. Then when I was 10cm it took me just over 4 hours of pushing till she was born. I came so close to a c section, even had the needle in the back of my hand ready and blood ready for me but I managed in the end with the help of a consultant and MW. I begged for an epidural but the dilating stage went too fast and then I couldn't keep still.She turned slightly during the pushing stage from back to back to facing the left and she was born with a point on the side of her head and a swollen face, also her left eye was bleeding. It was not a good experience for me I know they are not all this bad but I was terrified of labour after this.

 

[Babylicious]

Paris was back to back and I was in labour from start to finish for 28 hours. Started around 5am on 14th June (I was 38+6) and got to the hospital around 7pm by then I was 4cm's, but I got to 5/6cms and my labour just stopped even after they had broke my waters. So I got hooked up to a drip which made it a million times worse, I had an epidural as the pain was so intense at the end, paris had pooed and her heart rate was slowing with every contraction so she was born by ventouse as I couldn't get her out.

My Midwife has said that people with spd generally give birth quicker and easier as the ligaments are already relaxed and there for theres more space for the baby to come out! I just hope she's right

 

[mdsremos]

The pre-eclampsia topped off the decision for the emergency section as Charlie was stuck and although we could see his head they couldnt turn him as they didnt know which way he was facing. They decided to try the ventouse in the operating theatre whilst I was numbed so that they could perform an emergency c-section if it didnt work. The suction cup wouldnt stick to his head, they didnt want to cut me to try further so they did the c-section as I was suffering from high BP and chest pains.
Turns out he had twisted and had his nose to the 1 o'clock position so he was well and truly stuck and he had such thick hair that the ventouse wouldnt attach so it was the best decision and the quickest as he was born blue and floppy as they took a while to find him as he was lodged in the birth canal but luckily he is now a healthy and very lively toddler!!!

 

[Foxxi]

I had SPD for about the last 3 months of my pregnancy and it was horrendous! At my last MW appointment the MW thought Fynn was breach..so I was sent straight to the hospital for a scan..which showed him to be back to back... I was told that my labour could possibly be long and painful... I thought GREAT!

I was 6 days overdue.. on the day tiny bits of water leakage went to the hosp I was 5cm dilated and was in no pain whatsoever, infact I begged the MW to let me home..reluctantly she let me home .. went back into the hosp at 7pm and had Fynn at 10pm... so 3 hours of labour with gas and air! (When I say labour, I mean pain)

Iv really tryed to cut this story short... MW said that he was back to back... but I have to say, the birth was a lot easier than I thought!! (unless im a lot bigger downstairs than what I thought..if ya know what I mean) Infact I feel like a bit of a fraud.. due to all the ladies on here who have had a long and painful labour!

So the moral of that story is... even if you do have SPD and your baby is back to back doesnt necessarily mean that you will have a long and painful labour... unless, I was just one of the lucky ones!

Good Luck!

 

[Red_Fairy]

SPD either seemed to disapear OR your in so much pain anyway its the least of your worries. (sorry)
I asked my midwife b4 hand and she said no one ever complains durring labour about it, plus it disapears (well it did for me) completly after the babys born.


No one ever knew what position hannah was in it was always 'weird' as my midwife said. (she also siad she couldnt work it out) i had a very very long labout (20+ hours of 'established labour)
After it somone said it was long cos 'baby was in a weird position.... i to this day dont know if it was back to back or what lol. - but if it wasnt, then if your going to have a long labour, then your have one. Baby positions dont really make that much difference!

 

[Tangerinedream]

I had a b2b labour and like the others have said the pain was unbarable. I asked for an epidural at 7 cm (but his head was still high up in the birth canal so geting nowhwhere). I dont really remember much about it because of the diamoprphine/pain but while after administering the epidural I remember screaming in between contraction "WHY ISNT IT WORKING". I couldnt have coped without the epidural to be honest, but thats just me. I could still feel some pain and lots of pressure after the epidural but to be honest it was good like that because I could feel all the important things just not the agony iykwim. I guess I am quite lucky because I was only pushing for about 40 minutes, I just put all my strength into it, I have never had that much strength in my whole life!

I didnt feel the pains in my back but in my front. I kept telling my mw and she checked a few times and said he is definately b2b. He turned as I was pushing.

Good luck hun, hope she turns for you yet. And remember you dont win any awards for having no pain relief

 

[happy-chick]

Thanks ladies, your replies have really helped. It shows that you just never know what will happen in labour so theres not alot of point in me worrying cos it could be unnecessary!

She's shifted a little last night, from what i can feel shes turned partway so hoping she decides to turn the rest of the way!!

Thanks again ladies for well wishes & ur experiences

 

[andreag]

I had back to back labour. I don't know if it is more painful then front to back as C was my first, but all the pain was in my back. I went into labour at 10pm, and birthing ball was great. I stayed in the bath from about 2am untill 10am, and then went to the hosital. at 12pm I was only 2cm dilated, had another bath and at about 3pm was 5cm. I went on gas and air then, and C was born at 8.30pm after 1hr20mins of pushing. She turned towards the end (I think!). I would say the pain was pretty bad from about 7am onwards, my contractions were close together - about 3-4 mins from then on in. The only time I was thinking I couldn't cope was after they had told me I was only 2cm, and then just left me in the bath for a couple of hours. I was never offered pain releif, I think because I had said in my birth plan that I only wanted gas and air if possible, but there was none piped into the bathroom. Once I got on the gas and air though it was much better. I wouldn't worry but juct keep an open mind about what to expect and what pain relief you want - just remember to ask if it not offered.

 

[NooNoo]

well mia was in the most perfect position all the way through..evan into labour and then decided to shifty herself into back to back..so like you say there is no point in worrying cos whatever happens will happen and it has to happen so its best to just stay chilled..and ironically being back to back was one of the things i didnt worry at all about..just goes to show hey lol

 

[emska101]

I didn't have Spd but I had B2B labour. Even with the epidural it was unbelievably painful towards the end, and i needed a forcep delivery (I think this is more from the epidural and me being exhausted than the B2B) The doc did offer a C section as I wasn;t dialating quickly enough and to be honest I wish I'd taken it as my recovery was around 6 weeks anyway.