Posterior baby, 41 weeks, losing hope...

[Zimbah]

I'm 41+1 today, hoping for a VBAC (DD1 was ELCS for breech) but am thoroughly fed up and losing faith that this is going to happen.  I had a scan yesterday which showed DD2 is posterior - having looked on spinning babies I know she's Left Occiput Posterior, so not the 'worst' kind of posterior I suppose, but not good either.  She's been 2/5 or more engaged for at least 3 weeks.  I will start trying the inversion once a day - I can only do it in the evening when DH is home, I'm far to big to risk doing it when I'm on my own!  But aside from that, and sitting on the yoga ball rather than on the sofa (which I've been doing anyway), it doesn't really seem like there's much I can do until I actually go into labour.

I've had two attempted sweeps but my cervix is still posterior - quite possibly because baby's head isn't pushing on my cervix in the right way.  I've got a CS booked for 42+2 so I've got 8 days to go into labour.  Possibly I won't go into labour before the CS if the baby doesn't shift position/

I don't really have a point to this post but would love to hear from anyone who's had a posterior, engaged baby that has turned late on.  I feel like I'm trying so hard for this VBAC and it's either not going to happen, or it will happen but with a posterior baby, horrible labour, tearing, poss EMCS etc etc.  And I'm so, so tired, not sleeping well at all, DD1 (2.5 years) is being a nightmare at the moment - why can't the baby just be in the right position and come out?!  I feel like I'm failing again at giving birth

[Ms. B. Sprout]

I want to give you a big hug! I have been around the posterior block, as well as the postdates block, and it's no fun. At 41+1 I was an emotional, hormonal mess both times, and if I go that long again I'm sure I will feel similarly overwhelmed yet a third time. My heart goes out to you.

A few things -- my labor started spontaneously with a posterior babe -- many, many labors have. Don't lose hope!!

I know you are familiar with spinning babies, but these links bear posting anyway. This is a whole list of things you can do daily, during pg, from spinningbabies. Rebozo sifting, stretches, lots of stuff. And here are lists for once labor starts. 

Is there a Webster-trained chiro in your area? Worth a try to get adjusted a couple days in a row -- every day til labor starts, optimally.

Most of all -- she may turn once your labor starts. Many babies do! Don't despair! Just do everything you can possibly do to help her turn, and then no matter what the outcome you can say you've done your best.

Good labor vibes and VBAC vibes to you, mama!

[labortrials]

I recommend seeing a chiro who does Webster & possibly acupuncture might help you!

[kltroy]

*Most* babies will flip to anterior during labor, even if they started out posterior.  There is a pretty nice study on the topic here:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15863533

So don't worry too much, but do spend lots of time on your hands and knees, etc.  If your placenta is anterior, that can prevent the baby from flipping around as easily.

[labortrials]

I wanted to add something positive - your baby is vertex! =)  Seriously, maybe there's a reason your baby is posterior that is actually conducive in your situation for vagi birth?  And like kltroy said, babies often 'correct' during labor.  I'd probably be focusing more on tactics for getting baby engaged and the show on the road than worrying about position.  (My advice might be different if you had a breechy baby at this point.)  Of course, I do still think a good chiro or acupuncturist can help!

Can't wait to read your birth story!

[cinderella08]

I second all the above, PLUS keep in mind babies CAN and ARE born posterior!!  I had a posterior, asynclitic VBAC baby after a LOA c-section baby!

[lovinmy3]

I had a posterior vbac almost 3 yrs ago. In fact, my labor with him was quicker, easier, and I pushed him out much faster than my with my 1st anterior vbac. My first vbac was almost 21 hrs from start to finish, took 30 minutes of pushing. My 2nd vbac (posterior baby) was 8 hrs exactly from start to finish and less than 10 minutes of pushing. Good luck and happy birthing :)

[Monkey Keeper]

Originally Posted by Zimbah 
Possibly I won't go into labour before the CS if the baby doesn't shift position/

Nooo! This isn't likely, particularly since baby is at least somewhat engaged. My anecdotal evidence?  DS was so far off to the right of my cervix that my BOW dilated me to just a lip! And when it was broken, I rebounded to 6cm. No joke. He was far from optimally positioned, and I still went into labor spontaneously, and boy did my body know how to labor!  My contractions were like clockwork.  

Hang in there. The waiting is so, so hard, and I too doubted my body in the end just like you. You are NOT broken!  :hug

[Zimbah]

Thanks for all your replies.  I'm trying to stay positive.  Doesn't help of course that with pregnancy hormones I'm switching rapidly from happy to fed up to despairing and back again within a few hours.  All I can think of is that I've now got only 6 days until a c-section.  I'm doing the recommendations from spinning babies (thanks for reposting the link) and had some bodywork today with essential oils meant to help kick-start labour - although I didn't really believe it would work I now feel terribly disappointed that I'm not contracting as we speak.  And my family, lovely as they are, keep talking to my belly and telling it to get a move on which is driving me mad.  Anyway hopefully I will be able to come back and report a birth before next Thursday.

[Ms. B. Sprout]

Big hugs mama! I'll be thinking about you and sending you good labor vibes!

[mamabyrdie]

I just did!  I just had a 8 lb 3 oz baby boy via vbac - he was posterior up until the very, very end.  Lots of squatting and all fours during pushing helped him turn, though he didn't make the complete turn and ended up coming out transverse (and resulted in a 3rd degree tear, but nothing compared to a c/s incision).  best experience of my life to date.  his position made my labor long and challenging (back labor for 30+ hrs) but it was simply amazing and i wouldn't change a thing. 

[konayossie]

Yah!! Congratulations, mama. Thanks for sharing, and enjoy your babymoon!

[ablepearl]

Yay!  I am so glad you were able to have a succesful VBAC despite the odds being stacked against you.

[Zimbah]

Update - I had a VBAC 9 days ago.  DD came out the 'right' way, not sure when she turned but she was very active during labour and I did some abdominal lifts from spinning babies as well as forwards positions the whole time.

Congratulations Mamabyrdie on your new baby!  I had a third degree tear too as DD had her hand up by her neck and was 9lb 1oz.  I'm glad and impressed that you are so positive about your labour despite it being so lengthy and having a bad tear.  I don't feel very positive at all about mine, starting to get a bit more perspective on it as time passes and overall I seem to be healing well so am glad I didn't have a C-section, but the end of labour felt horrific, I think if I'd   had access to gas and air earlier I would have found it easier but we didn't go in to hospital until the last hour and up till then I'd just had the TENs machine, the last bit was awful.  Pushing wasn't what I expected and felt absolutely awful, I hated it, and then the aftermath of the birth I was in a lot of pain and couldn't take any notice at all of DD, I was aware she was on my chest but I barely looked at her and until after I'd been in to theatre to be sewn up I barely knew she was there.  I wouldn't say it was the worst experience of my life, after all I have my beautiful daughter , but the last bit of it has to be up on the shortlist! 

[ablepearl]

My first VBAC was very traumatic too!  He was 9lb 14 oz and they used forceps to deliver him.  THe repair for the tearing/cutting took at least an hour!!!  He had the minimum had his head turned to the side, which is why they used the forceps.   It took a while for the healing to be finsihed.  But, it was much better than recovering from my c-section (also for breech).  Each of my other labors got progressivly better!  My youngest daughter I didn't even need stitches!  

[Ms. B. Sprout]

Congratulations on your new baby, Zimbah!

[FischK]

Awesome news despite the awful last hour! Congrats!

[seili]

Congratulations, on your vbacs! And thank you for the honesty. I like really knowing what happens during and after some of the VBACs.

I have to admit that it does worry me because I am scared of tearing badly. I have heard it can take a long time to recover from and that some people say it is equivalent to a c-section. The thing is....it really only took me a week to feel better after the c-section, so that worries me further.

Now, I can understand that it is still worth it because as far as mortality goes, it is safer for mom and it safer for future pregnancies...and I often hear women who have had bad tears during VBACs say that they still are glad they did it because they did get to experience a normal birth. But the other thing is, I don't think I have any emotional ties at all to a VBAC! I'm not sure why! I almost wish I did so that I could feel more committed to it.

Thank you all and congratulations! I've got 7 to 8 weeks left and my mind is still turning!

[cinderella08]

So glad you got your VBAC! Sorry about the tearing ((hugs)).  I had 2nd and 3rd degree bilateral sulcus tearing (where you tear down both sides of the vagina from the cervix all the way out and midway to the anus) plus some labial tearing - required 2.5 hours of suturing after my VBAC.  I still think it was well worth it and would do it again even knowing the outcome in an instant.