[annanicole]

The reason I ask is, my son was posterior and the little bugger was born with both hands on his head. Now this is my only experience with labor so I cannot really tell you weather or not it was back labor or normal labor. It was fast 4 hours of active labor and less then 20 mins pushing even with his malpresentation.

Just curious what if anyone knows. I labored a lot on the toilet and side lying in bed.

and delivered in a jucuzzi tub in a squat.

 

[Norabella]

Not according to my mom, who had 1 vaginal breech, 1 posterior, 2 born in the caul, and 1 "normal" birth (in that order). She did not have back labor w/ her posterior babe (or any of the rest of us).

 

[mrforbes]

Well I only have one experience with labor as well and it was with my son who was posterior. For me, my labor was back labor and there was absolutely NO mistaking it for back labor, my labor was also really long. In the end he rotated in the birth canal.

I labored a lot on hands and knees and could not tolerate any form of lying with a ctx.

From what I've heard posterior isn't always cut and dried back labor.

 

[raelize]

my dd was posterior and i had a really long labor with lots of back labor that was only relieved in the hot shower. i think that is a more common labor with posterior babies.
but, i have met women who had posterior labors that were similar to yours, quick without back labor. i think it has more to due with how much pre-labor you have. if you are dilating for a few days before you actually go into labor than i think you would have an easier time. if you start out labor from only 1 cm or less than i think it is longer and harder. but that is just my opinion.
also, i just recently read that posterior babies require you to dilate to almost 11 cm because of the way the head is presenting, while anterior babies only need about 9 cm. so, that extra cm, if needed adds a lot to labor

rachel

 

[annanicole]

I guess maybe I just don't remember. maybe with this one I'll know. What's the difference between regular labor and back labor?

Also I should note that I was having about 10 hours of contractions a day for almost 2 weeks. but that's another story that I am trying to never remember. But the actual Active labor where I was 5 cm dilated and 100% effaced was around 4.5 hours and I started pushing when I was around 9.5 cm dilated.

 

[KD's Momma]

i had back labor with my last one and he was definately anterior.

 

[MI_Dawn]

My fourth was posterior and had his hand up by his head (trying to suck his thumb, which was the first thing he did when he got out, and he's still doing it six years later!) and I had NO back labor at all. Just a wicked stabbing pain in my right side (or was it my left?) that I think was his elbow!

 

[Sileree]

Nope, two of my clients had babies come out posterior but reported no back pain.

 

[NJKim]

My baby was born posterior and I had a long labor with very painful back labor and 4 hours of pushing - thank god I was at home or I would've been a C section for sure! It seems that back labor is typically associated with posterior presentation but every labor is different so it really depends on the woman.

 

[annanicole]

I guess what I'm missing is what is the difference in regular contractions labor and back labor.

All of my contractions started at my back and wrapped the whole way around me, like someone was giving me the most painful bear hug ever.

Is that a normal contraction? Or is that a back labor contraction?

 

[Code Name Mama]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NJKim My baby was born posterior and I had a long labor with very painful back labor and 4 hours of pushing - thank god I was at home or I would've been a C section for sure! It seems that back labor is typically associated with posterior presentation but every labor is different so it really depends on the woman.

this was my experience almost exactly (except i was at a birth center)

 

[That Is Nice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NJKim My baby was born posterior and I had a long labor with very painful back labor and 4 hours of pushing.

:

My baby was also posterior and I had a very long and very, very painful back labor.

:

Quote:

Originally Posted by annanicole I guess what I'm missing is what is the difference in regular contractions labor and back labor. All of my contractions started at my back and wrapped the whole way around me, like someone was giving me the most painful bear hug ever. Is that a normal contraction? Or is that a back labor contraction?

I don't know what normal labor is like.

I've had only one labor, and it was back labor with a malpositioned baby. What it felt like was this...extreme, extreme overwhelming pain where I felt like I could faint or die at any minute. There was no building of the pain...it started strong and remained bad all the way through. The contractions were fast and long.

I felt no pain at all in the abdomen or middle of my body.

All the pain was in the lower pelvis, back, and the legs. And that pain was excruciating from beginning to end. It was horrible and nothing helped...not the birth ball, not the hot water or jets, not massage, nothing.

 

[baby_baby_mommy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by That Is Nice I felt no pain at all in the abdomen or middle of my body.

Spot on. I had back labor not for posterior but for nuchal hand (up and crossed to the other side of his head). I had so much pain in my back, that's the only pain that I felt and it was all-encompassing.

 

[Om Girl]

I had back labor without a posterior babe, DD's head was just cocked a little bit to the side.
It was excruciating pain in my back that was only relieved with extreme, continuous counter pressure or sterile water injections.
When the sterile water injections were inserted and I felt "abdominal" contractions...I was like "that's it?" it was that big of a difference.

 

[That Is Nice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by baby_baby_mommy Spot on. I had back labor not for posterior but for nuchal hand (up and crossed to the other side of his head). I had so much pain in my back, that's the only pain that I felt and it was all-encompassing.

Yes, exactly!

The pain of back labor is all encompassing. For me, there was no break. No rise and fall, ebb and flow of contractions.

My contractions started fast and long. They were one on top of the other. The pain didn't quit.

There was no recovery time in between.

And the pain was nothing like anyone had described to me who had given birth before me. I felt absolutely nothing in my abdomen or uterus area. Nothing. Nothing in the middle of my body.

All the pain was in my lower pelvis, lower back, and legs. The pain was overwhelming. I usually deal with pain pretty well, but this pain made me feel like I could pass out at any time. It radiated down my thighs and legs. It was too much.

I agree with someone else who said there's no mistaking back labor.

In regular labor, you might have some back aches, pelvis aches, or leg aches, but back labor, I don't think, is an ache. It's a much, much bigger, deeper pain where you just know something is not right. I could tell early on that the baby was malpositioned.

 

[raelize]

Quote:

Originally Posted by That Is Nice Yes, exactly! The pain of back labor is all encompassing. For me, there was no break. No rise and fall, ebb and flow of contractions. My contractions started fast and long. They were one on top of the other. The pain didn't quit. There was no recovery time in between. And the pain was nothing like anyone had described to me who had given birth before me. I felt absolutely nothing in my abdomen or uterus area. Nothing. Nothing in the middle of my body. All the pain was in my lower pelvis, lower back, and legs. The pain was overwhelming. I usually deal with pain pretty well, but this pain made me feel like I could pass out at any time. It radiated down my thighs and legs. It was too much. I agree with someone else who said there's no mistaking back labor. In regular labor, you might have some back aches, pelvis aches, or leg aches, but back labor, I don't think, is an ache. It's a much, much bigger, deeper pain where you just know something is not right. I could tell early on that the baby was malpositioned.

this was exactly my experiance also. i was crying through a lot of it. i remember telling dh if smoeone offered me an epi then i would have taken it no problem (thank god we were at home). my mother was my doula and had 5 kids and attended lots of births and later told me that was the worst she had ever seen. even my m/w, who has like 30 years experiance, told me later " if you got through that you can have 10 babies no problem"
i am due anyday now and honestly i am scared to death about having it again. i have a friend who also had back labor with her first and had to transfer. with her second she woke up in the middle of the night with contractions and two hours later thought she had to poop, only to realize that she was pushing the baby out! that was how easy regular labor was compared to her only experiance of back labor. she thought she was having prodomal labor not realizing she was in active labor.
rachel

 

[CanidFL]

Quote:

Originally Posted by That Is Nice Yes, exactly! The pain of back labor is all encompassing. For me, there was no break. No rise and fall, ebb and flow of contractions. My contractions started fast and long. They were one on top of the other. The pain didn't quit. There was no recovery time in between. And the pain was nothing like anyone had described to me who had given birth before me. I felt absolutely nothing in my abdomen or uterus area. Nothing. Nothing in the middle of my body. All the pain was in my lower pelvis, lower back, and legs. The pain was overwhelming. I usually deal with pain pretty well, but this pain made me feel like I could pass out at any time. It radiated down my thighs and legs. It was too much. I agree with someone else who said there's no mistaking back labor. In regular labor, you might have some back aches, pelvis aches, or leg aches, but back labor, I don't think, is an ache. It's a much, much bigger, deeper pain where you just know something is not right. I could tell early on that the baby was malpositioned.

Wow. If I had to describe the pain in my labor, this would be it. I would never think to call it back labor though

I have never heard a description like that though so nothing to compare to. I had no pain in my abdominal area. It was all down really low and radiating down my legs. My contractions also did not start out slow, peak and die off like they taught in the Bradley classes. Nothing helped with the pain and I was screaming and crying almost the whole labor. It sounds horrendous but it was do able

But I am really proud of my labor.

This is all very interesting to me. I wonder what my next will be like now. I just thought that was how labor was and they were just sugar coating the intensity of the contractions in birthing class.

I do remember saying many times "There are no breaks. They said there would be breaks". My labor started out with 2 minutes between contractions and they came on hard with no rise and fall.

 

[That Is Nice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rachel_eva this was exactly my experiance also. i was crying through a lot of it. i remember telling dh if smoeone offered me an epi then i would have taken it no problem (thank god we were at home). my mother was my doula and had 5 kids and attended lots of births and later told me that was the worst she had ever seen. even my m/w, who has like 30 years experiance, told me later " if you got through that you can have 10 babies no problem" i am due anyday now and honestly i am scared to death about having it again. i have a friend who also had back labor with her first and had to transfer. with her second she woke up in the middle of the night with contractions and two hours later thought she had to poop, only to realize that she was pushing the baby out! that was how easy regular labor was compared to her only experiance of back labor. she thought she was having prodomal labor not realizing she was in active labor. rachel

Was your baby malpositioned?

I hope this next labor goes more smoothly. If it's a normal labor with a baby positioned correctly, it should be a piece of cake compared to the last one!

 

[That Is Nice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CanidFL Wow. If I had to describe the pain in my labor, this would be it. I would never think to call it back labor though I have never heard a description like that though so nothing to compare to. I had no pain in my abdominal area. It was all down really low and radiating down my legs. My contractions also did not start out slow, peak and die off like they taught in the Bradley classes. Nothing helped with the pain and I was screaming and crying almost the whole labor. It sounds horrendous but it was do able But I am really proud of my labor. This is all very interesting to me. I wonder what my next will be like now. I just thought that was how labor was and they were just sugar coating the intensity of the contractions in birthing class. I do remember saying many times "There are no breaks. They said there would be breaks". My labor started out with 2 minutes between contractions and they came on hard with no rise and fall.

It sounds like you had back labor. Was your baby malpositioned?

 

[CanidFL]

Quote:

Originally Posted by That Is Nice It sounds like you had back labor. Was your baby malpositioned?

Not that I know of. That is another reason I never thought of back labor to describe my labor because I always heard that back labor goes with OP babies.