Birthing a posterior baby

[Taurean]

I've just found out this week that our bubs is posterior. I know there is still time for it to flip around (it's about 1/5 engaged) and I'm doing what I can to help it do that but I'd like to mentally prepare myself for a posterior birth too.

So please feel free to share your stories (the good and the bad!) and any positions you found most comfortable and beneficial in labour. I'm really hoping to labour without drugs or intervention but I don't like my chances if bubs doesn't turn around.

TIA!

[YoYo]

Hi there

DS was posterior and I (well I don't know if it was actually me that did it) managed to turn him while in labour and he also came out with his hand up against his face.

I was induced 9 days overdue so it was a lot of painful contractions very quickly. I chose to have an epidural and spent most of my labour sitting on a chair watching Dr Phil! When it was time to get him out....my most comfy position was on my side with my leg up on a pole thingy. There was a big knobbly thing on the end of the pole and whenever I had to push I would massage the arch of my foot on it! That aside...managed to get him out OA!

I had no idea what anything meant when the doctor told me what I'd done so I made her write it down for me....this is what she wrote...

1st Baby

'Turned an OP baby into an OA complex presentation and delivered in 55 mins with an epidural'

Woo hoo!

Good luck

[Roryrory]

My first son was posterior and I had terrible backache during labour. That said I made it to 9cm dilated before I got to hospital (on no drugs other than endorphins LOL) and asked for gas once I arrive but was told it wouldn't do anything (which it didn't).
I ended up pushing out DS on my BACK and my legs up (yes, you read correctly - it was my OB's bright idea that I do that!) without forceps or ventouse. Pushing took about 2-3 hours. I had an episotomy but otherwise no ill efefcts - I was doing yoga two days after he was born

So having a posterior baby does not necessarily mean c-section, epidural or forceps. It can mean unnecessary pain (if you are told to lie ON YOUR BACK!) and a long pushing stage.

My suggestion is read up on alternative positions, get your birth partner to word-up the midwives (if need be) and make sure no one puts you on your back. This last part is hard to do yourself because labouring women don't exactly tend to have their full wits about them lol so see if someone can do this for you.

You can do it. Posterior baby does not equal drugs or intervention!

[Mak]

My DD2 turned poterior during labour. I had a great birth experience - I was fully dilated by the time I got to hospital, pushed for ~40mins and ended up birthing her on my side. I didn't have any drugs, assistance with delivery and felt amazing afterwards. Trust your body and go with whatever feels most comfortable (bad choice of words perhaps...) at the time. I actually found this delivery heaps better than DD1 who was induced.

[Glamourcide]

Oh hun you'll do fine!! DD2 was posterior (although nobody workd that out until her head popped out and the midwife went, 'Oh, well would you look at that? No wonder you had trouble pushing!') and I didn't find it that much worse than DD1. I only had a couple of puffs on the gas and in all honesty, labouring flat on my back with my knees up was the only position I could push in - for some reason I felt like I couldn't bear down properly (the pushing sensation was all in my stomach and not down into my hips the way it's meant to feel) and being flat on my back seemed to only way to give me the 'leverage' I needed to get her out.
It was a short labour, maybe an hour and a half to two hours of pushing, and like I said I didn't need drugs or intervention of any kind. Just try to relax, know that your back is going to hurt like all-get-out unless baby decides to turn around, but that you can do it!! Good luck

[Just Me]

I have birthed two posterior babies and I found it very difficult to get comfortable in any position. The back ache was really painful - I didn't even feel contraction in my front because the pain in my back was quite awful. I coped okay until they ruptured my waters to try and get things moving and that's when all of my natural pain relief methods (hot water and hot packs mainly) stopped working. I also had an incredibly long labour with DD because contractions are not hugely effective with OP babies - 41 hours in all. I was exhausted. With DS, they hooked me up to a drip to keep things moving. I had an epidural with both after my waters were broken which is a little inconvenient (but such a good feeling). I pushed both my babies out without any further assistance - they did turn off the epidural when it was time for me to push with DD so I could feel it all but I think that was helpful.

This time I have an appointment with the physio to learn to use the TENS machine in case I have another OP baby. Since the pain is in my back, I thought the TENS might be helpful.

I hope your baby turns before you go into labour ... good luck.

[Roryrory]

With DS, they hooked me up to a drip to keep things moving.

I forgot - the same thing happened to me with DS - I was exhausted and pretty well gave up after a while (now I remember why I was on my back).

Taurean, if nothing else, think of this - my DS was born just over 3 years ago and I had forgotten such an important detail. So it can't have been that bad for me!

[Trillian]

I have had two OP births. Both had some shoulder dystocia (getting stuck - first OP birth wasn't too bad in that respect, but 2nd one was and we had to manouver him out). I didn't actually have a lot of back pain really considering their position and their births weren't long either (and induced 4.5hr and an uninduced 6 hrs) but they were VERY hard work. I kept active for as long as I could, used all fours positions, sat on the loo (because sitting on the loo with your legs spread closes up the back of the pelvis while opening the front, encouraging bubs to get into a better position by following the path of least resistance). There are also some manouvers you can use duing contractions with an OP bub too. When a contraction starts, stand up straight with your legs shoulder width apart and while the contraction is on you pull your belly up, and in towards you. Once the ctx is finished you release. This can also be done with someone standing behind you and using a towel across your belly to pull it up and in during the ctx.

Most research tends to say that you should avoid birthing on your back as it limits how much the pelvis can open during birth - when pushing your coccyx (tailbone) swings back like it is on a hinge and it allows more room for the baby to pass through. BUT I came across some literature that said in some cases it was just as effective for you to be on your back during pushing as the upward pressure of the bed on your tailbone, stopping it from flexing helps bubs pop out under the pelvic bone. I gave birth to both of mine in a semi reclined position on my back and found it to be the most effective position for pushing - I felt like I wasn't getting any traction otherwise. The shoulder dystocia would have happened had I been on all fours or on my back. No instruments were used either.

You should prepare yourself for a longish labour if bub stays firmly OP, but it's not impossible to do have a successful vaginal or natural birth with an OP bub.

[Taurean]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! You've all made me feel so much more confident about the possibility of still delivery drug free! I just didn't think it was possible at all but hey, the proof is in the pudding!

Thanks for sharing your stories and suggestions. My DH and sister are my support people and they are both well aware, and very supportive, of my desire for no or minimal intervention and drugs during labour. I will share your stories with both of them too so they know what we can try on d-day.

I just feel so much better about everything now. Yay!

PS: quick labours run in our family but I'll be prepared for the fact that I could be in for a longer labour. I figure on the bright side that given it's my first baby, I won't really know any difference as I won't have anything to compare it to.

[blackduckies]

Hi, I have had 3 posterior bubs 1 VB the other 2 CS failure to progress..My waters tend to break and then labour does'nt really get started, needing induction. With my first DD induction was successfull, labour was very intense with all the pain in my back, no contraction felt in my tummy!!I went through that labour without pain relief mainly because I was scared that I might end up sick on top of the pain. I stayed upright, funnily enough instinctivly did a lot of the thing s Trillian was talking about, sat on the toilet, spread my legs shouldr width apart and walked.. shower, heat packs, massage were ineffective and painful, I could'nt stand my back touched..They had big coat hooks in the wall, that I would pull on during contractions to draw some pain away or to somewhere else..Pushing stage lasted about 3.5hours.. not fun..In the end I needed help, I was exhausted and baby was getting distresssed, so onto the bed (screaming with each contraction at one stage I asked one of the middies if she could put her hands under my back, only to scream at her to take them out then appologised profusely) vac was tried it popped off and then forceps did the trick, but very painful, no baby slidding out etc she was dragged and turned, (stick in your finger in your hand hold it as tight as you can then twist, feel the skin twist...now imagine thats your fanny.lol got the picture)
I would honestly say try want you want and go drug free, but pain does'nt make for a wonderful birth and if it gets too much try the gas first, with my 3rd I had an epi after labouring to about 6cm with huge back pain, my goodness what a relief, got to love an epi (says the anti pain relief girl) unfotunately she did'nt progress past 8cm she was stuck with a big grove around her head to prove it ended up 9pound 10 so no wonder.
Best of luck to you!!! You sound very prepared and good on you for doing research, I hope bubs turns and lets youhave a wonderful birth experience

[Taurean]

stick in your finger in your hand hold it as tight as you can then twist, feel the skin twist...now imagine thats your fanny.lol got the picture

OUCH!!!

I would honestly say try want you want and go drug free, but pain does'nt make for a wonderful birth and if it gets too much try the gas first, with my 3rd I had an epi after labouring to about 6cm with huge back pain, my goodness what a relief, got to love an epi (says the anti pain relief girl) unfotunately she did'nt progress past 8cm she was stuck with a big grove around her head to prove it ended up 9pound 10 so no wonder.
Best of luck to you!!! You sound very prepared and good on you for doing research, I hope bubs turns and lets youhave a wonderful birth experience

Drug free is my 'rough' plan but I have nothing against the drugs either so I will be most happy to use them if I need to. I would imagine how good an epi would feel after climbing the walls with excrutiating back pain! Thanks for sharing your story with me. The more I know the better I feel about it all

[Trillian]

Personally, I would avoid an epi because once you have one you are stuck on the bed and you can't do anything to help yourself, or your baby get out. use other methods like a shower, sterile water injections (which if they are trained to do it will work wonders for any back pain), gas and as a very last resort pethidene. I used the gas heavily with the OP bubs as it was what I needed to help me focus and let my body do it's thing without trying to fight against it kwim?

[Taurean]

Personally, I would avoid an epi because once you have one you are stuck on the bed and you can't do anything to help yourself, or your baby get out. use other methods like a shower, sterile water injections (which if they are trained to do it will work wonders for any back pain), gas and as a very last resort pethidene. I used the gas heavily with the OP bubs as it was what I needed to help me focus and let my body do it's thing without trying to fight against it kwim?

I'm hoping water will be my best friend in labour as it sure has been throughout my pregnancy. There is one bath suite at our hospital but that room doesn't have a shower as well (there is a shower attachment in the bath but it doesn't look like a good pressure one) so I'm not sure whether to ask for the bath or a shower suite. I mean the bath suite may be taken already but if it's not, I'm not sure which option would be best. The middies said you can use the bath if it's free anyway so maybe that would be a better option as I might get the best of both worlds.

[YoYo]

Taurean - Which hospital are you going to? I'm in Perth (well I'm in Singapore ATM...) I had DS at OPH and it was great (my personal experience) I did have my epi and WAS able to move, although not far, and not allowed in the bath or anything (but that was more because of the induction) which I would have loved to do, but alas...it was not to be!. I was epi'd up while sitting straddled on the chair chatting to my GORGEOUS as anything midwife!

I was the same as you...would have loved drug free, but I wasn't going to be a hero if I couldn't handle it....and I couldn't! My epi was my best friend...and i did profess my love to the man administering it!

Good luck with it all...I hope bub turns for you

[Livinthedream]

My bubby was posterior and I was fine, so long as I was ON MY BACK doing it old school style. Any other position (On all fours, standing, squatting)was absolute agony. Lil Man also had his head at a funny angle and after 2 hrs of pushing with only short contractions (less than 30 sec) they decied to give me the drip, at which point I demanded an epidural (which was bloody marvelous )He was then vacumed out. I ended up tearing quite badly but even that healed up no worries, was all good after about a week.
It would have been totally bearable except for the fact that it took so long (and it is so tiring)
Good luck, you will be fine.xx

[Junglemum]

MLM- I was EXACTLY the same. On my back (well semi reclined) was least painful most effective for pushing.

DD2 was posterior. I had no idea until i was 9cm dilated and my body started pushing and i couldn't control it. Internal exam showed she was OP.
Because she was posterior she wasn't putting the right pressure on my cervix to make it dilate. During 2 contractions OB had to turn her. That wasn't fun, but not that bad either.... (Although i did tell him that i wished he had an f'ing vag1na at that satge. )

Yes labour was painful, i was trying to crawl up the head of the bed at one point. A few profanities with each cx, followed by lots of apologies between cx! But i really felt like i was coping well and ended up birthing her with no pain relief. Not to be a hero, not for any other reason than that was what i wanted. (That's not 100% true, i used a tens machine, so no pharmacological pain relief. I think the TENS really helped the back pain. )

I had to have an epi for my first labour for medical reasons, my labour this time without one was 1,000,000 better. But anesthetics and i don't mix too well. So if you are managing well i highly recommend not having one! Of course there are many reasons women have epi's and that's ok too, as long as you feel like you are in control of your situation.

btw, DD2 was not OP 3 days before i went into labour, so maybe your bub wont be OP when you go into labour.....

[kelebek]

This is only my uninformed experience, I wish I had found BB while I was preggers because I believe I could have done things differently which may (or may not) have avoided a c/section. I don't know all the technical terms so hope I have explained this as best as I can.
DS was fully posterior and he had a huge cone on his head where he was trying to get down the birth canal - it just wasn't going to happen while he was in that position. We didn't know he was posterior until I was in labour for over 16 hrs. I got to 5 cm's fine but stalled at 6 cms. I couldn't sit down, while I had a bath I wasn't capable of getting in or out of it, I found it painful to dry myself and bend down and pull up my undies for example. The shower was my friend, I was in and out all day. I was on my feet all day and didn't rest as much as I should have. I also didn't eat or drink very much at all. In those last days of pregnancy I was going to bed very late so I was only asleep for about 2 hrs before my waters broke. By the end the time I was being prepped for my c/section my labour had slowed, I was exhausted, dehydrated and my heart rate was irregular so at the time with the information we had available for our postieriour bub c/section was the right decision and after not having any pain relief until they were putting me under I have to agree the epi was pure bliss...

What I will be doing differently is...
I won't be sleeping on my back in the last stages of labour
I will do research on turning bubs while in labour, I can't think of it but there are some techniques you can use while in labour to encourage the baby to turn
I will find out position of the bub so I can work with my body more
I will eat, I will drink, I will rest more

at least that is the plan, be armed and good luck and hope that helps...

[Sweet Bliss]

Okay, well my bubba boy was 11 POUNDS 2OZ, 59.5CM and posterior! (okay, I am a tad proud of myself lol. I was convinced before hand that I would end up with another 3 day labour with epidural etc, so I suprised myself!)
I birthed him on all fours over a bean bag, and I didn't need any pain relief, and only had minimal tearing. (I had an epidural with my first born dd, and she was posterior also, but I didn't feel anything because of the epi)

Birthing DS was a really positive experience. (But this is just my experience, and could be totally different for any one else!!)

I found the pushing part really easy, and probably the least painful part.
The worst part was the backache that often accompanies posterior bubs.
I spent the entire labour (6 hours) doing one of the following:

1. In the shower using the shower head on my belly and back...HOT water

2. The only time that I layed on the bed I made (and yelled!) to our student midwife that I needed the hot packs pressed HARD against my back. I found laying on the bed the worst for my back, and would keep saying through each contraction "Arghh, my back, my back", hence I only stayed on the bed for about 30 minutes!

3. In the bath on my side, with either DH or our midwife pressing down very, very, very hard (I mean CRUSHING!) on my hips...this eliminated the back pain during the contraction. It actually hurt when they did it, but it was a nice pain in comparison to the back pain .
Once I started feeling the need to push, the back pain subsided.

I had to have my membranes ruptured (painless) to kick start labour as I was about 10 days over, and because Bubs was posterior, it wasn't looking likely that labour was going to start anytime soon because of his position. I did not need any other induction techniques though.

I think that the best advice I could give is to try not to let the fear overtake you. I found when I started to panic about what was ahead, the pain was so much worse, whereas when I just remembered to concentrate on just getting through each contraction I was fine.
Also, if induction is needed, see if you can just get them to rupture your membranes and let you go for a few (or overnight ) hours before starting any other induction techniques, because I know from experience with my first, that once they start the synto etc, it is really hard to say no to pain relief. I was lucky with DS that my GP doesn't like much intervention, so she was happy to let me go for a while. As soon as they ruptured them I started pacing the halls, and swaying my hips (even when I had a midwife tell me to go to bed, because tommorrow would be a long day...ha, I had a babe in my arms at dawn!!). Full labour started about 2 hours after they ruptured them!

Good luck, you can do it hon, however bubs makes his/her entrance.