What causes back labor? - Page 2

[arianascrunchymama]

Originally Posted by AllofGrace

Okay, this is going to be a little lengthy
So what does she believe causes back labor?
1. Tension in the mother's muscles/ligaments and misalignment of bones, which often results in the uterus being torqued inside a misaligned pelvis, resulting in a
2. Malpositioned baby who can't get in the right position because of the uterus' constraints. Baby is generally born with tension/torque in its body resulting in all sorts of problems like torticollis, colic, tons of spitting up, reflux, etc.

I had serious back labor with DD and she came out posterior with her brow presenting so I first attributed my back pain to that. My pain was constant and I had TONS of prodromal labor. I never felt tightening in my abdomen- it was always a stabbing, twisting pain in my lower back radiating up to my shoulder blades. She spit up tons for 8 months, but it never bothered her and she gained weight perfectly.

I know that my muscles are out of whack and see a chrio regularly and love deep tissue massage. I don't know if I have a tilted uterus. My cervix is always very posterior- would that be an indicator? Now I'm worried that all my babies will be a pain in the back

[AllofGrace]

Originally Posted by arianascrunchymama

I know that my muscles are out of whack and see a chrio regularly and love deep tissue massage. I don't know if I have a tilted uterus. My cervix is always very posterior- would that be an indicator? Now I'm worried that all my babies will be a pain in the back

I don't know about the cervix. Have you ever had any cranio-sacral therapy or myofascial release of your muscles done? Does your chiro or massage therapist specialize in prenatal? On her website Dr. Phillips has a list of some people who have been trained by her that may be able to help.

She thought if I had been able to have a few more sessions I wouldn't have had back labor at all. The night before I went into labor she spent 2 hrs working on me, a lot of it in the hips, as the piriformis (sp?) muscles that attach the uterus to the hip bone were very, very tense. She did tons of massage on them, as well as putting most of my ribs back into place (diaphragm tension can keep the uterus tilted as well). He got into perfect position (head down, back and butt on the left, little parts on the right) after she was done. Contractions started at 4:30 the next morning, and he stayed in good position.

So I'm living proof that the incredible back labor cycle CAN be broken

[beckyand3littlemonsters]

all my labours have been back labours but then all my lo's have been in the back to back position also, i remember so vividly seeing caden's face under the water as his head was born

[bella99]

I didn't have any positioning problems with my daughter, but I had back labor from the very first contraction.

I also feel my menstrual cramps in my lower back and upper thighs, every time.

I suspect I will have back labor the second time around too.

[limette]

For both, I had pain in the front and back but it was the back pain that was excruciating. There was no let up from it at all. I would have been all sunshine and rainbows if it was just the pain in the front.

Both kids were posterior. I get pain in the front and back during AF as well.

[mambera]

Originally Posted by treespeak

Not sure how often this applies, but the current issue of Mothering has an article on Mayan abdominal massage which talks about women with a tipped uterus being more likely to experience back labor

That's interesting. I did have a gyn tell me some years ago that I have a tipped uterus. FWIW.

[honey-lilac]

Well, I had a malpositioned baby and I did *not* have back labor. Go figure on that one.

[randm]

I stumbled on this thread after a Google search looking for answers about back labour.  Don't know that I have much to add but I did find the other comments interesting, and thought I'd share my (and my daughter's) experience just as a point of reference for others.

I had three children - the first two were boys, and I had no back labour at all with either of them.  The first was 7 lbs 2 oz, the second 9 lbs 2 oz. 

My only experience with back labour was with my last, my girl , who was 8 lbs 7 oz and "sunny-side up" during an ultra-sound done earlier on the day of her birth.  I've always heard (and my experience obviously bore it out) that back labour was the result of a baby facing the front.   After 6 hours I was only dilated to 3 cms, and was advised to go stand in the shower and let the hot water run on my back.  This helped, but what helped more was that in leaning against my husband, she suddenly turned and her head was then pressed firmly against my cervix.  The back labour stopped immediately and I went from 3 cms to 10 in less than 30 minutes!  She was born before the Dr could get back to the hospital! 

Ten days ago my baby girl had her first baby - and she had horrible back labour the entire time.  But her labour went very fast, in spite of it.  She was fully dilated and delivered in less than 6 hours - so not really indicative of a "sunny-side up" position, although the ultra-sound at 20 weeks showed the baby facing forward.  That's early, though, for positioning - and I'm sure the midwife had indicated she'd turned since then.  I didn't think to ask during the delivery - things were pretty intense.  One thing I did notice, though, was a mention in these comments about an anterior placenta - which is not common - but something my daughter had.  I don't know if I had anterior placenta with her.  But maybe that's a factor?  Also, my granddaughter was a relatively big baby - as was her Momma - 8 lbs 10 oz.  Anyway, make of it what you will - I have no explanation but there seem to be some common factors there.  In the end, what helped my daughter the most was placing my fist into the one really sore spot in her back, and she leaning into that through the contraction.  The discomfort increased during active labour - but she didn't seem to feel it between contractions - and it definitely let up by the time she was in transition and pushing, which was a relief. 

Anyway, the important part in all of this is our beautiful little ones being born safe and sound and lovely.  Congrats to all - it is such a privilege to bear a child . . . if I still could, I would.  Now I just get to love my daughter and be enormously proud of her for giving birth to my beautiful little granddaughter - as the life-cycle continues . . .

[DeChRi]

Funny this thread was revived....I started the original thread a couple yrs ago, and now am a month from having my fourth. Turns out my third was no back labor and super easy. This is the first time I've had an anterior placenta, and right now baby is posterior and not moving as I would like. Anxious to see how labor goes.

[andisunshine]

I had awful back labor with my first baby.  It made me throw up.  He was in a perfect position and wasn't born sunny-side up so I don't know what was wrong.  Dry land home-birth.

With my second he was unconfirmed frank breech and labor was so easy.  Then I was sent to the hospital by my midwife for a c-section at 8 cms.

My third baby was vertex and my placenta was anterior.  I can't remember if he was posterior or not but regardless his birth was the most relaxed and the contractions weren't painful until I was near transition.  Birth was uncomplicated and he wasn't sunny-side up.  Water home-birth.

I did have an u/s tech tell me my uterus was retrograde in the eighth week of my third pregnancy, but since I had never heard this before she said it must not be a problem for me.  Maybe that's why I had back labor that first time?  I don't know.  I do have slight scoliosis.

A book my midwife gave me during my second pregnancy was Back Labor No More.  I found the concept realistic and might have tried the solution if I had back labor in my other births.

[sraplayas]

I had back labor with both births--the first was 30 hours of it. :( The second was much faster and I birthed with my bum up in the air to relieve the pressure. 

One thing I was advised by a MW is to  (through chiropractic or a very trained massage therapist) strech out the pelvis/hips during the 3rd trimester and the muscles and ligaments surrounding--glutes, periformis...

I've been doing some good stretches at home and am still looking for someone to work on me. I really do carry tension in my glutes, back of thighs, so it does make sense for me so I'm going to give it a try.

I'm also starting on a homeopathic rememdy that is supposed to help with positioning and preventing tears, smooth labor, etc..

[CountryMommy]

I suspect it was the baby's position for me.

I didnot have any back labour with my first labour. Just major stomach, hip and even radiating thigh pain during contractions. I pushed for almost 2hours and was utterly exhausted by the time baby was born.

With my second baby, he had an anterior placenta which I think was the reason he was stuck in a posterior position. My whole labour was back labour, I didn't even recognize the contractions as labour starting because it felt so different then my first labour. Baby kept trying to turn, I did every thing I could to help turn him-crawling on all fours, doing figure 9s with my hips, etc, etc and he wouldn't turn. I delivered him sunny side up but this time only pushed for 6minutes! Even with the back labour and posterior delivery, my second labour was easier then my first.