For women who have had a posterior birth - Page 2

[lkmiscnet]

Great question and one I've been wondering about since my baby was posterior. The pain was unimaginable--so NOT like having pain from a period. More like having your back hit with a baseball bat repeatedly OR having your back squeezed by a vice. I had wanted to not have any pain meds because I wanted to do everything I could to avoid a C-section, but after 3 hours of that pain and being told I had likely another 3 to go, there was no way I could handle it for that much longer (and I always thought I had a high pain threshold) and I begged for the epidural. What a huge difference it made. Incidentally, I was induced at just under 36 weeks and he was only a 5 lb baby. I ended up avoiding the C-section and had a 6.5 hour labor only.

Also, I had a doula and she put me in the positions that are supposed to help with back labor and nothing worked. The positions tried: I was on an exercise ball, on my knees facing the top of the bed with my arms hanging over the top of the bed, and finally, on all fours in bed, while the doula massaged my lower back and used pressure. NOTHING worked. It was terrible. My OB told the doula to use counterpressure while I was pushing and she made two fists and put them under my lower back. I was on the epi then, so it didn't really make a difference. Actually, maybe she did that before the epi. It's all so foggy now...

In any event, I am hoping for baby #2 and had the same question you do and wondered if I could handle a "correctly positioned" birth the next go round. If it's not as bad as posterior, I think it would be much more doable. Also, the nurses were very helpful in giving suggestions. We won't be using a doula next time. Now that we know what to expect, I think my husband would know what to do. I might also take a hypnobirthing class, as we didn't take any classes last time. A friend said that worked wonders for her first birth...

[Pepper44]

This is an interesting thread. I never realized posterior birth was considered so much more painful.

My DD was born OP, she was facing up. I had prodromal labor for more than a week, along with diarrhea and complete misery. Finally the midwife stripped my membranes and I went into active labor. She also broke my water at some point early on in active labor. (This was a CNM at the hospital.)

I never felt any contractions in the front, it was all in my back. It felt like someone was sending electric shocks down my spine and into my hips with each contraction. The only thing that helped was being in the water, and even that didn't take away the pain...it just allowed me to feel more weightless. I was in labor for 3.5-4 hours before pushing.

The hospital staff forced me out of the water and flat on my back in the bed, and I pushed for 2.5 hours. It was completely excruciating! I begged them for a c-section at one point, I just wanted it to end. I kept feeling her head move down the birth canal, but in between contractions it would slide right back up into me.

Finally at one point I pushed hard enough that her head hit my pubic bone and the pubic bone loudly cracked apart. Everyone in the room heard it! Shortly after that she was born, and since was face up I tore around the clitoris as well as a tiny tear on the perineum that didn't need stitches.

It's exciting to read that births with better positioned babies weren't even comparable pain. My baby is due at the end of April and so far she's been positioned perfectly! I've been spending a lot of time on my hands and knees.

[MamaMonica]

Moved to Birth and Beyond

[accountclosed3]

i had posterior pleasurable birth.

i question whether it was, but all evidence points that way!

i suppose if i were to have normal presentation--or rather anterior--it would be more pleasurable?

[CoBabyMaker]

I just wanted to say thank you to the OP for asking this question and also to all of you who shared. DD was a very long hard labor ending in C/S and I have been struggling with how to prepare for this next birth. It's so reassuring to hear that was I experienced was normal, my body didn't fail and it's ok. Thank you all!

[accountclosed3]

foremost, i do not believe that women pass or fail in birth. some births require interventions and some do not. that's just a part of the landscape of birth. that is what birth is inherently--just as it is inherently risky (risk of injury or death).

in the modern era, though, what is really failing is "the system." the medical mentality toward births has an underlying assumption that women's bodies are somehow inherently pathological, and thus more often than not, require interventions. they then set this into reality by forcing women's births into procedural structures based on statistical averages, rather than simply allowing women to birth at their own, healthy paces and in the way that their bodies require.

once they begin the intervention to make her body fit the "mold of how birth should go," as defined by them and their statistical averages, then those interventions become that cascade that leads to more and more interventions. and this validates the underlying assumption that birth is extremely risky, that women's bodies are pathological and unable to birth, and therefore that most will 'fail' at birth.

once we step out of that assumptive process--even if we choose to utilize medical prenatal and birthing care--then we begin to see that it is not at all a "pass/fail" game. it is simply that birth is happening. sometimes with interventions, sometimes without.

that's just part of birth.

you never failed; you always succeeded.

[MiaMama]

Originally Posted by zoebird

foremost, i do not believe that women pass or fail in birth. some births require interventions and some do not. that's just a part of the landscape of birth.

...{snip}

once we step out of that assumptive process--even if we choose to utilize medical prenatal and birthing care--then we begin to see that it is not at all a "pass/fail" game. it is simply that birth is happening. sometimes with interventions, sometimes without.

that's just part of birth.

you never failed; you always succeeded.

[meganlisbeth]

this thread has been great for me to read. thank you so much.

my son was a posterior birth. i was prepped for a section after 19 hours of active labour, but managed to have a vaginal birth with forceps in the OR instead. i have struggled with his birth story since that day. i so wanted a more gentle entry into the world for my little boy.

i would love tips on better positioning myself for my next baby (due late August 2010). i'm feeling more optimistic and hopeful about my upcoming birth after reading this....and so glad to know that it wasn't just ME.

xo
megan

[Kirsten]

Originally Posted by porcelina

From what I have heard, baby's position makes all the difference in the birth experience. Women who have had both posterior and correctly positioned babies have very different experiences with labor and pain level.
So, if you had OP presentation, did you have a better experience the next time? Were you able to manage with the OP pain? What techniques worked for you?

My dd1 and dd2 were correctly positioned, but dd3 was OP. The labors and pain levels weren't drastically different, but towards the end of my labor with dd3 I kept saying "something is wrong" over and over. I didn't know what, and I wasn't panicked but I just knew something was different and it wasn't good. Then she was born OP. Mystery solved.

The same Bradley techniques that worked for correctly positioned babies also worked for my OP baby. Bradley is really an amazing way to have babies! The best book on it (IMO) is Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon-Rosegg. For me, really understanding what natural birth was, and staying out of the hospital, and having a supportive dp were key. You have to practice relaxation. If you can go so limp that your head is hanging and you might drool then you are doing it right!

Originally Posted by sweet_tart_vt

Baby #3 was a surprise OP and 8days late.

This was me too! Dd1 was six days early and presented normally. Dd2 was six days early and presented normally. Dd3 was eleven days late and presented OP.

I really believe that my recliner (which we did not own when I was pregnant with dd1 and dd2) led to poor positioning. Sit in regular dining room chairs or on cross-legged on the floor. If you think about a baby curled up with her arms and legs in front of her... which part is heaviest? Body, right? So if you are in a recliner - butt down, chest and legs up a bit - is baby going to naturally fall/turn face down or face up? Face up would make sense as the heavist part of the baby ends up down/near your spine.

NO RECLINERS! And read that Bradley book. Hers is much better than the one that Dr. Bradley wrote himself - may he rest in peace.

[Xavismom]

I had 30+ hours of posterior labor, that was proceeded by almost 2 weeks of prodromal labor. MW and my chiropractor agree that the prodromal was most likely caused by the position of DS.

Oh it hurt, the contractions were so much worse than I ever imagined.

Two things that helped the MOST. The tub!! Our hospital had big, deep jacuzzi tubs. I spent most of my labor in the water. The second thing was counterpressure. On my hips, not my back... I layed on my back in the tub, with my knees up, and DH stood/knelt at my feet, with his hands on my knees, and pushed my knees straight in line towards my hips. It helped SO MUCH.

Lucky for me, pushing him out was easy and fast.

Mamas, dont beat yourself up too much about what you did, or did not do to position your babe. I did everything right. I always tailor sit anyways, even non pregnant. I have good posture, I do yoga. I did a ton of rocking on a birth ball, hands and knees, pelvic rocking, etc. And I STILL had a posterior birth. And it wasnt my fault, and it wasnt DS's fault. Its just how it was.

The labor was intense, but I was still so gratefull because I DID at least manage to get DS head down.. he was breech almost up to the end. So even though I had to have a posterior birth, I felt lucky.

[mamachandi]

My second was born posterior (and her arm was folded over her face!) I managed to birth her that way at home. But the pain was INTENSE!!! Compared to my first it was EXCRUCIATING! My midwife was fabulous and managed to turn her inside me as she was making her way out, seconds before being born so she wouldnt get stuck.I had a doula and she was so amazing, she worked so hard for like 9 hours straight with barely a break (I dont remember her ever leaving my side) but she did say she went and ate for a bit but i dont remeber that . I highly reccomend a doula. I was so afraid to have another posterior brith for my 3rd one, I did everything my midwife told me the thrid pregnancy, regualr squats, leaning forward, never slouching etc... I used birthing from within techniques for my 3rd and that was awesome. I had an amazing (much less pain) birth experience this time around. and I made sure to not hold everything in, to just let go and let the labor happen, part of my problem is I was tensing up and releasing all of that and letting go helped alot. I feel like i learned how to birth after reading that book. Good luck!!

[grumpybear]

DD was OP when I gave birth to her. Because my only other previous birth to compare it to was an induced birth (Pitocin), I cannot really say if the pain I experienced was beyond normal.
From what I remember is that I moved around a lot. I felt the urge to push very early on and my midwife ok'd it. I read somewhere that it was ok to push even without being fully dilated as long as they were soft, gentle pushes. That helped relieve the discomfort some. Although, I also had an anterior lip so I'm not sure if the early pushing caused that.
I was squatting a lot in the tub as well.
I guess I was not complaining much as we were all quite taken by surprise when she was born face-up. Apprently she was OP all along.

[accountclosed3]

right about not blaming yourself re: position.

it usually just is whatever it is.

[Mamabeakley]

DS1 was OP through most of labor (~22 hrs) but turned before birth.

DS2 was born OP after 6.5 hours of labor.

What helped: counter pressure & forward-leaning positions.

DD was OA. I did receive chiropractic care most of the pg because my pelvis was so uncomfortable. The main difference I noticed in the labor was that there was no back pain, and I didn't need counterpressure. Also, it was faster - 4 hours start to finish, and I think she was asynclitic some of that time because it went a lot faster after I tried some asymetrical positions and I felt a big shift inside me.

Which means with a perfectly positioned baby I might have (gulp!) an even shorter labor.

[mizznicole]

Wow, it's really healing to read this thread.

I spent over $1000 at the chiropractor before birth, and that did nothing to prevent the unlucky positioning. I had around 20 hours of back labor. It was absolutely awful. The MW just kept shooting me with nubane. Then she did AROM. I completely blame the AROM for the resulting c-section.

Did any of you other OP moms have AROM? What I understand now is that the sack of waters helps the baby to position better. Seems like that should have been a basic point for my MW.

[Xavismom]

Originally Posted by mizznicole

Wow, it's really healing to read this thread.

I spent over $1000 at the chiropractor before birth, and that did nothing to prevent the unlucky positioning. I had around 20 hours of back labor. It was absolutely awful. The MW just kept shooting me with nubane. Then she did AROM. I completely blame the AROM for the resulting c-section.

Did any of you other OP moms have AROM? What I understand now is that the sack of waters helps the baby to position better. Seems like that should have been a basic point for my MW.

I did, at my request. I was already at about a 9 though, and we were hoping it would push me through transition faster (it did). The pain did get much worse immediately though.

[jecombs]

Originally Posted by mizznicole

Did any of you other OP moms have AROM? What I understand now is that the sack of waters helps the baby to position better. Seems like that should have been a basic point for my MW.

I had AROM, but I was about 9cm when my MW did it. I had been in transition for about 2 hours and we were hoping it would get me to 10, so I could push. I think it was a logical decision at the time, although I don't know if I will do the same thing this time around (if presented with another OP baby). I did spend another hour in transition, so I don't know if the AROM helped or not. I also got my MW to inject sterile water onto pressure points on my back. I highly, highly recommend trying it if you have another OP baby. It completely eliminated the "back aspect" of my labor for nearly an hour, which allowed me to rest fully between contractions.

[limette]

Originally Posted by mizznicole

Wow, it's really healing to read this thread.

I spent over $1000 at the chiropractor before birth, and that did nothing to prevent the unlucky positioning. I had around 20 hours of back labor. It was absolutely awful. The MW just kept shooting me with nubane. Then she did AROM. I completely blame the AROM for the resulting c-section.

Did any of you other OP moms have AROM? What I understand now is that the sack of waters helps the baby to position better. Seems like that should have been a basic point for my MW.

Me. As soon as my midwife arrived she said she wanted to transfer to the hospital to get an ob to do AROM. After that they slipped me some pit (without telling me) and of course that led to an epi and decels and c-section. The AROM was done around 4 cm I think.

For the second, the bag ruptured on it's own around 8 cms. It was a successful vbac. She still came out posterior though.

[porcelina]

I was just reading an interesting article from Obstetrics and Gynecology. Of all singleton births at Brigham and Young Women's hospital in 1998 (study sample), only 5.5 percent were posterior occiput presentation at birth. So, many of them do apparently turn during labor and it is apparently relatively rare to have an OP birth.

However, of those that remained OP, only 26 percent were born spontaneously, while 29 percent were assisted vaginal deliveries and 45 percent were C-sections. Yikes! Another reason to be weary of the hospital...

[brackin]

My third child presented ROP. I was not able to complete the birth without an epidural--it was definitely off-the-charts painful, unlike my other births. I did have a (wonderful) doula and the L & D nurse was also a doula, so I had a supportive team, but after pushing unaware of his position, we discovered a swollen lip of cervix, tried positions to change his position and the swelling for around an hour, at which point I was experiencing involuntary pushing and gushes of blood...and demanded an epi. In the end, the OB actually reached in and turned the baby inside of me. I was very thankful for the epi at that point--I believe that this type of birth can be one of the reasons why epidurals are sometimes just necessary. Also, he was a very big baby (9 lbs 9 oz), which didn't make his presentation any easier to deal with!