Back to back labour

[SpinSugar]

Hi ladies. My little monkey is back to back and not engaged. Although I'm doing everything I can to turn him, I'm strongly suspecting my labour plans are out the window!

I know it can lead to a very long painful latent phase at home where I will be very slow to dilate. I've got tens and breathing techniques, guess that's about it there!

But I think I'm going to go for an epidural (I DESPERATELY wanted to avoid this I wanted a nice natural birth) as I know ill be extremely fatigued and in pain if he stays back to back.

I'm just curious to know any experiences you ladies may have had with this type of labour. I'm just trying to be realistic and reduce the need for an intervention!

Xx

 

[Kay1987]

I had back to back labour with my first, it was very long and intense and I had an epidural, which I was advised to as they were going to have to turn baby on the way out. (I wasn't against having one anyway). I ended up with a c-section as my labour failed to progress past 8cm. I know lots of other women have got on just fine with a back to back labour though. x

 

[mrswoody]

Hi lovely,
I made a thread about this on the forum either in this section or post pregnancy. Lots of ladies posted on in with their experiences of back to back labour.

My lo was back to back, she was my first so I have nothing to compare it to, but it did hurt.

From start to finish my labour was 25 hours, latent phase was about 16 hours when I got to hospital I was 6cm at around 10.30pm and 10 by midnight she was born via ventouse at 3.15am

I was prepped for c section I case ventouse failed, I was given an Epi in theatre incase the ventouse failed.

I managed on diamorphine as I have up on G&A.

There are plenty things you can do to turn lo around. Spend time on all 4s, sit up straight and don't slouch on the sofa, bounce on your birthing ball.

Lots of ladies on here have had positive back to back labours and not had an epi.

Sorry I've written quiet an essay!!!

xx

 

[SpinSugar]

Thanks both. Mrs woody, ill search for that when I'm on my laptop, thanks. The search function isn't great on tapatalk!

I'm doing everything I can to turn him but I'm not sure there is room to turn now!

Xx

 

[mrswoody]

I'm tapatalking also so can't link it for you!

All the very best lovely and if it doesn't go how you planned you still have a beautiful baby at the end x

 

[diane]

I had a similar labour to mrs woody. 32 hours and forceps in the end to turn her with a spinal block. I did it on g&a. She was my first so I don't have anything to compare it to, but I managed!

I was also told babies usually naturally turn themselves in labour as well so your lo may turn x

 

[SaraLouise]

My little one was back to back & I had a 10 hour labour. Epidural and emergency forceps at the end.

But I know lots of people have very uncomplicated back to back labours so don't be disheartened!

Sent from my HTC One S using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[Toria111]

My first baby was back to back. Was 52 hours, and ended up with ventouse, and forceps to get him out. He was 9lb3 though! I didn't have epidural, and didn't find it very painful. Just tiring with the lack of sleep.

 

[knopk@]

Will give you a nicer one - 2 hour back to back labour, only g&a for a little bit and no interventions.
If you feel that you need an epi, take it, there are no medals at the end. I had an epi with my first but second there was no time.

Tapatalking so cant see signatures

 

[Constantstar]

I found I couldnt lie down as pain was excruciating. Had to walk around All the time!!

mummy to ds 11/7/11
pregnant *team pink* due 12/9/13

 

[HelenJ]

My first was like this and it was horrible and dialation took forever. I did not use any pain relief or an epidural and i made it. It is painfull but doable (if you think you are up to it you could always try it and staying openminded).

Good luck.

 

[TORino]

I had a back to back labour. It lasted 48 hours from when I first got contractions to when she finally came out. I was admitted to labour ward at 10pm Friday evening @ 3/4cm dilated and she was born Sunday at 3am, so that's what was written as active labour.

I do not wish to repeat this experience!

I was full of good intentions regarding pain relief and I had done natal hypnotherapy but all that went out of the window.

I didn't get my epidural until about 7pm Saturday evening as I was dilating so slowly they needed to speed it up with a drip. The epidural didn't work either tbh.

I had to go into into theatre as the baby just didn't descend properly and I'd pushed for an hour and she didn't budge.

She was still very high up so they used special forceps to turn her right up inside me and then I had to push her out after having a spinal block, which is super difficult. Then she got stuck on exit and suffered nerve damage and needed physio for 9 months of her life

I had a bad experience with the whole thing actually and if the same were to happen again I will be requesting a section.

But, this is all quite rare I think. Chances of it happening are quite small, even if baby is back to back. I was carrying a big baby too which didn't help I don't think- sorry don't intend to frighten you with all this, just giving my experience!

 

[Nicnax]

I had a back to back delivery- fairly big baby, and I ended up having her turned with high forceps in theatre. I had a spinal for this. My sister-in-law was told her baby was back to back, but the little guy turned himself during labour, and she went on to have a lovely delivery. She was advised to lie on her side to encourage him to turn- seemed to do the trick.

 

[l_maclean]

I had back to back labour with DD.

I had what they call 'false labour' for about 3 days - basically contractions came and went - more painful and distinct than BH, but I managed on my tens machine no problem. If I went for a walk I could get them up to every 3 mins. But minute I sat down then slowed right down again.


Then suddenly about 2.30am on wed it all changed - really thing!!!

Used tens machine, headed to MLU for water birth. Spent about an hr in pool and needed to push (seriously out with my control - I couldn't NOT push) but was only 4cm) - so I got out and had morphine to help slow the contractions down a bit. I didn't need it for pain really, just the fact that the pushing was beyond my control.

DD arrived at 5.55. So rather than a "long drawn out back to back labour" - actually active labour was less than 3hours!!

And I went from 4cm to 10 in an hour!!
It's not always bad!!
Xxx

 

[MiniVoid]

I had this but kept thinking, when am I getting to the point I can't take this anymore and it never came! I ended up being cut and 3rd degree tear on Gas & air only which didn't really do it to me but it kept my breathing level I suppose. I do think if you think with the first twinge it already incredibly hurts it's only going to get worse but if you can keep telling yourself when is it going to be so excruciatingly painful that I can not cope? Could just be that you're getting a long way without pain relief. May I just add, the earlier you get painrelief the harsher it can come back if it was to stop working nearer to the delivery stage. It does take longer, but don't feel like you HAVE to dilate 1 cm an hour and it won't be too bad. TRY to do all fours during the delivery to get baby turned. DO invest in a bouncy ball and even baby's who are back to back can be born completely naturally.

 

[kellynrb02kab]

I had this with my son and still had a positive experience! Took 6 hours to progress from 3cm to 10cm but did take 2 1/2 hours to push him out but I did it all on my own with just gas and air!
Your baby could still turn position before labour or during labour chances are if you have an early epidural it'll stay back to back as positions are limited with epidural hope this helps x x

 

[staceylouise09]

My labour was back to back and before i went into labour i didnt even realise it was meant to be more painful.
I was in labour 55 hours and it was really painful. I was begging for pain relief when i was only 2cm but they wouldnt let me until I was 4cm.
When I was 5cm I got took to the delivery suite and had gas & air (which was a life saver! LOVED IT) i could easily get through contractions until i was about 7-8cm when the pain was too much so i had diamorphine. It didnt have any effect on me at all.
I hadnt slept in 2 days at this point and had no energy! I then got put on a drip to speed my contactions up and had my waters broke.
This is when i asked for an epidural, they finally gave me one (I LOVED IT) I couldnt feel my contractions at all, just didnt like the part where they put it in but didnt take that long.
Eventually I was 10cm and the epidural was wearing off, I then pushed for 2 and half hours but I had no energy left and it hurt like hell! They gave me the spinal block and took me to theatre and used forceps.
They had him out in 2 pushes and then stitched me back up (couldnt feel any of it)
My baby was fine and I then had to have a cathetor but I was allowed home the next day.

Every labour is different - This happened 6 weeks ago for me and I swore I would never have another baby, Im already planning when to have my next one haha! Just think its only gonna last a few days at the most.. Good luck xx