Moms who birthed Posterior Babies

[LaLa]

dd was born face up, but no one ever told me she was posterior until she came out?!

Can't they feel that?

Can the baby be turned?

Why didn't she turn on her own?

Will this next baby be posterior too?

Was it because dd was 16 days overdue and too big to turn?

Help me mamas!

I've got oodles of questions!!!

[BusyMommy]

Mine was. I'm sure the mw knew, but thankfully didn't tell me until well after labor was over. As it was, I just thought it was a normal, tough, labor and didn't freak out due to all the stories I'd heard.

[Curious]

I knew Dd was posterior because I could feel her arms and legs right in front. I spent so much time in the knee chest position, to no avail.

My midwife assured me most babies turn during labor. Most, hrrm.
I spent quite some time during labor again in the knee chest position. My doula announced Dd had turned. I coughed. She flipped back.

I was in labor for 3 days, pushed for 10 hours. The midwife said I had an sharp angle to my pelvic outlet and we insisted she call in the OB. The OB did some twiddle with her hands. Dd turned out to be about 3 pounds over what the ultrasound (done for small for dates) predicted.

The OB said that due to the shape of my pelvis, Dd could only lie posterior, but to get out, she had to be anterior. My pubic symphysis took quite a beating and I had trouble walking and lying on my side for about 6 months. I was sure Dd would be a conehead but she was beautiful.

[peggy]

Two out of my six were. The Dr. never told me but he knew, I guess he didn't want to freak me out...um..like I couldn't tell? I don't think just because the Bean was that way the flower baby will be.

peggy

[hawleyclan]

Hi! My last was posterior- probably due to lax abdominal support... 4 babies and not the proper upkeep... I didn't know it until after the labor, but mine turned...

it took hours for my uterus to get that little guy turned...! In the end there was a loud pop and intense sensation as he shifted into postion and then that nagging labor just shifted into overdrive! Active labor and pushing took only two hours, and he was born! He had the most amazingly moulded, tiny head- which is characteristic of posterior postion babies...

It was hindsight that I realized all those kicks and pokes up front meant he was facing my belly button... : And, reviewing the uncharacteristic labor I had, which stayed just tolerable at a 45 sec. contraction every 6 minutes or so... for 14 hours... combining that with the shift in labor--- and it became evident that my new bundle was sunny-side up...

There are no guarentees that future babies will or won't be posterior, it is just one of those things... ... but you can decrease the chances with good abs, and forward leaning postures that encourage the baby to turn the other way for comfort... lean forward while sitting at the table, legs spread a little to allow the belly to swing out forward, and the babies head to slide in place. All fours positions can help as well, in much the same manner. The bottom line is that if baby can only get out posterior, baby will get out just fine- it may take a little longer, but even that is not set in stone for some ladies...

The Lord bless you!
Zoie
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Godsbabycatchers

[khrisday]

My first one was posterior, doctor didn't know (or probably care- he didn't even mention it dh had to tell me), my second wasn't posterior though.

[Blessed Sunshine]

What is posterior?

Sorry that term just doesn't sound familier. I know mine were all born facing the wrong way, yet still head first. They didn't turn them at all, and the all had coneheads for a day or so..lol..not sure that meant anything other than being engaged for a long time.

[peggy]

That's what posterior is. My Doc calls them "sunny side up"


peggy

[Blessed Sunshine]

LOL..thanks Peggy,

Guess that's what mine were all three. And it would explain some of the bruising we had, but it went away fast.

[NewMa]

I spent much of the last 3 months of my pregancy rocking on hands and knees, at mw's suggestion. (Ok, maybe not much, but I did do it a lot) Still wound up w/36 hrs of back labor, although Dd was finally born "sunny side down." Sometime in the last hr of labor, she turned and with a loud pop, my water broke, & everything started to happen really fast. Like others have mentioned, in hindsight I realized that I felt her ( and towards the end, saw her) facing out. Lots of punching and kicking out! My mw held out hope 'til the very end of my preg that dd would turn, and I guess she had a mind of her own and waited til the very last minute, the little rascal . I wish I'd known that this may have had to do w/lax muscles on my part. Thought it was more the luck of the draw.

[Blessed Sunshine]

I didn't have a hard time of it, I'm surprised, There was back labor, with my sone it was 6hours, and teh girls were both under an hour. All posterior....gues I got off lucky...wonder if I will this time too....

[OceanMomma]

Saffron was posterior. She was an accidental unassisted homebirth too. I think my labour was slightly longer than with dd#1, but then there was a big gap ( 15 yrs ) & they broke my waters with dd#1. I wouldn't say as it was harder tho' & she had a beautiful normal looking head

My acupuncturist reckons you can do something about posterior babies with acupuncture. You can definitely turn them with acupuncture ( & diet ) if they are breech so I don't see why you can't move a posterior baby. My friend the homeopath reckons you can take a homeopathic for them too - gelsinium(sp?) I think.

[Curious]

Acupuncture and moxabustion (heating of points with special herbal material) is much more effective at turning breech than posterior. I wouldn't bet on it...guess it's back to the knee chest position.

[Kim]

My baby was born posterior and we didn't know about it until she came out that way. Her head came out crooked! Labor wasn't bad at all, though. 14 hours from start to finish -- and she was my first. I listened to my instincts and labored on my hands and knees or leaning against the kitchen counter in and out of the birthing tub.

(By the way, my abdominal muscles are great and I did spend most of my pregnancy leaning forward into my desk at the office -- yet still had a posterior baby.)

Try not to worry, LaLa! You are going to do great!

[Mommy StormRaven]

DD was posterior and 2 lbs bigger than anyone guessed by either my measurements or weight gain. Her body was in the correct postion for a nomal anterior birth even while I was laboring (24.5 hours) they had no idea that her head (and only her head) was turned until I got to 7cm and they were able to feel where her head was. It totally surprised everyone! once her head was bron she hot out so quickly that she almost didn't get caught! This tiem we are plannign a homebirth and I'm really hoping not to have another baby sunny side up!

[tilly2321]

Acupuncture turned my posterior baby

Hello! I was due on May 20 and still pg! Anyhow, I have a placenta on the anterior wall of the uterus, so sometimes babes are posterior until they drop because it is easier for them to be in that position due to that type of placental placement. (I read that directly from "Active Birth" by Janet Balaskas-excellent book!!). Anyhow, I went for acupuncture and my acupuncturist has turned tons of posterior babies successfully. I got up after the appt. was over and came home. My husband looked at my belly and said "Wow, it is a different shape." At the next appt, my MW confirmed that the baby had changed position and he has stayed that way since about 37 weeks. I would definitely recommend going for acupuncture since it is virtually painless where they put the needles and often very effective. Of course, the effectiveness lies in the training and experience of the practicioner. My acupuncturist also said that sometimes it might take more than one treatment, so don't get discouraged and always check first with your MW or doc before doing anything. There is a great article by Valerie El Halta on Posterior babies called "A Pain in the Back" that is worth reading for sure.
http://www.kristineowens.com/posterior.html
Good Luck!
Elaine

[ekblad9]

My third child was face up. They did tell me during labor as I was accustomed to pushing for maybe 10 minutes. I pushed for 3 1/2 hours. Minor, compared to what I've read here! Anyway, it was such an awful experience for me that I was petrified it would happen with number four. The whole time I was pushing her out I kept asking the mw if she was face up. She assured me that she wasn't and sure enough, within about 10 minutes, the baby was out.

Long story short, one face up baby doesn't mean you'll have another! I only had 1 out of 4. We'll have to see about number 5!

Good luck!

[tea olive]

i had two posterior babies normally no tears or complications one labor at 6 hrs a 7lb 4oz, the other a 5 hr labor, 10 lbs even. the back labor was the challenge. i had to completely quit fighting the pain. first one my water broke and labor started, the second we decided to break the water when i was stuck at 7cm.

[AMum]

My ds flipped posterior after I had been pushing for about an hour. In hindsight I wish I had done more research into posterior birth. My midwife did not (for whatever reason) suggest a more appropriate birthing position which I think would have really helpded. My dh's cousin's wife loaned me a booklet called Understanding & Teaching Optimal Foetal Postioning. Here is a link to an article about this:

http://www.homebirth.org.uk/ofp.htm