Just found out baby is "back to back", can I still go into labour naturally?

LollyOrglamic · Jun 19, 2011

Just desperately seeking some reassurance! 
 
I'm 41+1 weeks today, my Midwife just came to do a 2nd sweep and said the baby's head is still high(ish) and he is "Back to back". However she did say that I'm 3cm dilated, which is an improvement since my last sweep two days ago. I have been losing loads of bloody mucous (sorry for TMI!) both times she has done the sweeps. 
 
I'm a week away from losing my chance to have a home birth, if I don't go into labour spontaneously. Obviously, I realise everyone is different but I just wondered if anyone has any experience of these things?
 
Feeling so tearful, I want him out safely in my arms and I just feel lost.

swimming-duck · Jun 19, 2011

Back to back meaning posterior? If so, there's excercises and things you can do to try to turn baby. First off, stay away from all reclining positions. You can do pelvic tilts. You can climb stairs two at a time. Chiropractors have a technique called the Webster technique that can help to turn a baby. If you have one in your area that you trust, you could try that. Did your midwife give you any ideas? I know there's ladies on here who have successfully turned babies and they'll have more ideas. The fact that the head is high is kind of good because it would be harder to get baby to turn to anterior (back to tummy) if baby was already wedged way down in there. I know there's loads of things you can do that I'm not thinking of right now. A google search would probably give you tons of ideas also.

mumofmak · Jun 19, 2011

Yes you can still have a natural birth that starts on it's own....

As for turning the baby, hands and knees is a great position to help turn baby OA. The heaviest part of baby is it's back so hands and knees uses gravity to turn baby. left side lying when sleeping or resting. Once you know baby has turned away from OP (back to back) then try things to help baby drop, sitting on a birth ball (remember to keep the curve in your lower back when sitting down anywhere - No slouching! ;-) as slouching encourages OP position). walking stairs two at a time, doing lunges with one foot up on a chair. 
 
I second the suggestions of seeing a chiropractor who's trained in the Webster technique/myofascial release. This can help to better position a baby as well as relax the muscles in your lower abdomen and pelvis to help baby drop. If you're midwife can't recommend someone, phone around.
 
Best of luck!

swimming-duck · Jun 19, 2011

Oh...and I meant to add that my DS was born posterior. He never did turn. I pushed him out. It can be done - it does cause things to take longer, but it can still happen. As for starting labor naturally, a baby who is OP can cause labor to be delayed and/or to stall because the head of the baby is not putting constant pressure on the cervix where it should. For that reason, it's good to do everything within your power to get that baby turned. And as mumofmak said, don't do any positions that encourage baby to drop lower until baby is in proper position. It's a good thing that baby is higher right now. But once that baby is OP I'd do everything in the book to get that baby to drop and wedge in while in the proper position! Keep us posted on how things go!

imalego · Jun 19, 2011

No advice, just commiseration.... Sounds like we're in very similar positions(and our babies are too!). I can't help but start to get nervous about losing my homebirth option. I'm trying to keep my hands and mind busy with other things so that I don't sit around(probably slouching) crying about it.
 
I'm off to go walk upstairs two at a time a bunch, since it's such a rainy, dreary day here my kids don't want to go for a walk with me!

kawa kamuri · Jun 19, 2011

He can still turn. Throughout my last labour I felt my baby moving into position between contractions (membranes did not rupture until pushing) and she was born beautifully. In the meantime check out spinningbabies.com

Momsteader · Jun 19, 2011

Also, my guess is that when babe does get into optimal position, you're going to have a screaming fast labor! Happened with my first. He was transverse, but when he moved into position and put pressure on the cervix....it was baby time!

Bald_Bull's_Mama · Jun 19, 2011

Seconding checking out spinning babies. Lots of good info. My baby was posterior for a bit and I really concentrated on positioning. My understanding is that it's harder for baby's head to put pressure on your cervix, dilating it, starting your birthing time, when he/she is turned around.

LollyOrglamic · Jun 19, 2011

Thank you all so much for this advice, I will check out SpinningBabies when I've put Tabitha to bed!
 
I went for a loooooong walk on my own and feel in a better 'place' in my head about the different ways this birth might turn out, I'm going to stay positive. The only important outcome is a healthy baby, that's my main focus.
 
I'll keep you posted, had an afternoon of irregular contractions so who knows, maybe things will happen on their own.
 
Thanks again!

littleteapot · Jun 19, 2011

I don't understand... did someone tell you that you can't birth an OP baby?! That's ridiculous! It's just a position, and a normal one at that. All of my babies were OP. Many start labour that way, but most turn by the time they make their way down the birth canal. One of mine was born persistent OP. 
 
The thing with OP babies is that we've built them up to be this hellish nightmare, when the reality is that all labours are different. OP is kind of like a cervical lip or a low lying placenta: knowing about it is the biggest problem, because it's not a problem, but people believe it is so it becomes one.

People say OP causes back labour, but that's not entirely true. You can do exercises to spin them, but don't worry too much about it. Really. It is NOT that big a deal.

LollyOrglamic · Jun 19, 2011

Thank you LittleTeapot, I have been saying this to my husband today. I don't feel like his position is that big of a deal, he's not feet down! 
 
My MW is fab, but today she suggested that if baby doesn't start applying pressure to my cervix/move further down into my pelvis that I might not go into labour naturally. This freaked my husband & I out quite a bit as I'd never considered that I wouldn't go into spontaneous labour.
 
I had a good couple of hours of regular contractions after my second sweep today and she told me I'm 3cm, which I feel is really positive.
 
Thank you all for your positivity, it's cheered me right up! I believe I can have this baby at home, I just hope it starts happening soon!
 
<img alt="orngbiggrin.gif" src="http://files.mothering.com/images/smilies/orngbiggrin.gif">

greenmama66 · Jun 19, 2011

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by littleteapot <a href="/community/forum/thread/1318269/just-found-out-baby-is-back-to-back-can-i-still-go-into-labour-naturally#post_16511519"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a> I don't understand... did someone tell you that you can't birth an OP baby?! That's ridiculous! It's just a position, and a normal one at that. All of my babies were OP. Many start labour that way, but most turn by the time they make their way down the birth canal. One of mine was born persistent OP. 
 
The thing with OP babies is that we've built them up to be this hellish nightmare, when the reality is that all labours are different. OP is kind of like a cervical lip or a low lying placenta: knowing about it is the biggest problem, because it's not a problem, but people believe it is so it becomes one.

People say OP causes back labour, but that's not entirely true. You can do exercises to spin them, but don't worry too much about it. Really. It is NOT that big a deal.
</div>
</div>
 I agree- I've had 4 OP babies (and only one none OP baby so far) and had fast labors and all born at home- no issues. I just felt like a I had a backache but it was nothing I couldn't handle. The last baby I had rotated during transition, my firstborn (a twin) was born OP face up. Again it wasn't any huge issue.

madcap150 · Jun 19, 2011

My baby was born Friday morning, and here's how it played out for us: 
His head was off to the right and not engaged (also a second baby) and he was often OP. In the week before his birth, I did a lot of stair walking and cat/cow, plus asked my chiro to do Webster. He still wasn't quite in position for birth, though. 
So, I had a long prodromal labor on Thursday. For a long time, my dilation didn't change, and my contractions didn't get closer together. The contractions did get more intense and they moved around from tailbone to abdomen-- I could tell he was moving into position through those contractions. 
Once his positioning was worked out, things happened much faster. I had a couple of hours of much faster and more intense contractions. I got into the birth tub, my intense contractions started feeling pushy, and so I pushed, my water broke, his head was right there and I had a baby within 3 minutes. I am still a little dazed! So I think it helped to do what I could to work out his position beforehand-- but there was still a lot of work during labor. It all worked very well in the end. It just made for a different labor experience this time around. 
Hang in there! Your body and your baby can do it. It doesn't hurt to work on getting him into position beforehand, but he can certainly move during labor as needed. I'm not sure why your midwife said his head needs to move down since it's common for second or later babies not to engage until labor.

citymagnolia · Jun 19, 2011

My first daughter was born "sunny-side-up" (that term makes it sound like a perfectly fine position to me

) after a 16 hour labor. Hopefully your baby will turn, but you might want to prepare for having back labor. Look into counter pressure techniques for your husband to use on you in labor, and get a hot water bottle. This baby has spent a lot of time posterior too, and my midwife suggests not sitting on furniture at all! She also suggests hands and knees, but mostly just being very diligent about my posture. If you sit on furniture, make sure your knees are lower than your pelvis.

bax · Jun 19, 2011

My first was persistent OP. She came later & labor was long--but I had her @ home 12 days past my EDD. I had a couple sweeps & also did the fun natural inductio things (like sex w/ nipple stim.) You can do it!

amaayeh · Jun 20, 2011

nak
 
My LO was posterior until about 7 min before birth. I felt her turn, my water broke, body pushed, she was born! Went into labor 39+6. Previous baby was also posterior and turned the night before I went into labor at 40+6.

douladianne · Jun 20, 2011

A technique I use when a baby is in posterior position has been quite effective at turning. First, get in a knee/chest position. This can be done with a flatish pillow on the floor with your head and chest resting all the way on the pillow and butt in the air. Hold this position for 45 minutes. Second, lay on your left side and bring right leg over and up toward your chest as far as what's comfortable. Remain in this position for another 45 minutes. After you have completed both positions remain in a standing position or go for a walk. Usually you can tell if baby has turned...there will no longer be a flat spot at your belly button area. Good luck and hope baby turns for you. You're right though, many babies are born in this position without difficulty.

tashantx · Jun 20, 2011

Hi mama! I am also carrying a posterior baby, I will be 40 weeks on tuesday. I have been focusing on some turning techniques and chiropractic care but am trying not to stress about it. I read this earlier it made me feel better.
<a href="http://birthowl.wordpress.com/2008/10/11/posterior-position-and-the-fetus-ejection-reflex/" target="_blank">http://birthowl.wordpress.com/2008/10/11/posterior-position-and-the-fetus-ejection-reflex/</a>
Hugs!!

littleteapot · Jun 20, 2011

Labour beginning has to do with hormones, not cervical pressure.

You only need a head (or butt, or a bag, or feet...) applied to your cervix to dilate from about 6+... the first six centimeters you can easily dilate without that (this is why you see many inductions "Stall" at 6cm... mamas weren't ready!). There's no reason to suspect you won't go into labour on your own, even if the baby is sitting very high. With my third, at 43 weeks and two hours into my three hour labour, I could still bounce my baby up and down because he was neither dropped nor engaged. Only once I started pushing and my water broke did he suddenly slam down and put pressure on my cervix - at which point he was born in about 60 seconds.

And as many others have said in this thread, OP babies can be born just as well as anterior babies.

You should read this blog post by Midwife Thinking: In Celebration of the OP baby! <a href="http://midwifethinking.com/2010/08/13/in-celebration-of-the-op-baby/" target="_blank">http://midwifethinking.com/2010/08/13/in-celebration-of-the-op-baby/</a>

Just found out baby is "back to back", can I still go into labour naturally?

LollyOrglamic

Registered

swimming-duck

Registered

mumofmak

Registered

swimming-duck

Registered

imalego

Registered

kawa kamuri

Registered

Momsteader

Registered

Bald_Bull's_Mama

Registered

LollyOrglamic

Registered

littleteapot

Registered

LollyOrglamic

Registered

greenmama66

Registered

madcap150

Registered

citymagnolia

Registered

bax

Registered

amaayeh

Registered

douladianne

Registered

tashantx

Registered

littleteapot

Registered