Birthing a posterior baby

[fionas]

DD was posterior but because she was my first baby, I had nothing to compare to and honestly thought that although the pain was a bugger, it was kind of within the threshold of what I expected.

What really stuffed me up was the fact that I'd been in pain for three months beforehand with SPD (bad pelvic pain) so by the time labour came around, I was COMPLETELY OVER pain. The epidural was the only time in 18 months (pre-baby and post-baby) that I was pain free and it was bliss.

As for positions, I can't say I found one that was better than another but will be interested to see what other people say.

[Taurean]

What really stuffed me up was the fact that I'd been in pain for three months beforehand with SPD (bad pelvic pain)

OMG, sounds very familiar. I'm suffering terribly again the past few days from severe hip and lower back pain. I've had horrible groin pain for the past few months too. I had wondered if bubs position had anything to do with the amount of pain I've been in. I know it's probably wishful thinking but I hope that all this pain I've been experiencing will somehow make my labour a little easier. I seriously never expected pregnancy to be so, SO painful but then again, I think I've copped a bad deal compared to others.

Can't wait to meet this little monkey growing inside me, causing me all this grief! LOL.

Thanks again girls, your advice has been invaluable. I'm a bit of a research nazi and all this info has really restored my confidence in what my body can do.

[Just Me]

Taurean - about the bath or shower - everyone is different in their preferences and I had both for my labour but honestly, I just adored the shower. The bath was nice to sit in and relax between contractions, but when the contractions hit, I wanted the pressure of the hose on my back (the bath did have one of those, but it filled too much while I ran water during contractions). The shower was amazing for me (in later labour - I did the first 38 hours of labour with no pain relief except for hot water). The shower also had lots of rails and stuff to lean on during contractions. In early labour, I enjoyed the bath a lot more but we had a corner spa at home so I just used that till I went to hospital but I found it a bit constricting in later labour and had trouble getting in and out. But as I said everyone is different and you might enjoy the bath more than the shower.

Sometimes OP babies can be a bit unpredictable. DS was in the best position for labour until they ruptured my membranes and he turned instantly meaning I had another OP labour. I am refusing to have my waters broken for me this time ... I want to see if that makes a difference.

[~Serenity~]

To be honest I found it more painful and it was more in my back however It didn't make it slower /longer labour dd came out with her hand on her face too

[Carrie]

My labour was all in my back and I couldn't even contemplate lying down. So spent the entire labour walking, jigging up and down and leaning over something swaying with my Doula, mum or hubby massaging, pressing on my lower back and hip. I didn't end up having any drug and pushed bub out in about 15 min.
Goodluck, you'll be fine!

[Taurean]

Hi Girls!

Well good news from me - my baby has turned!!! I only spent a day focusing on favourable positions to get bubs to turn before the novelty wore off but it must have helped a bit. Either that or the little ratbag listed to my little speech I gave it - LOL

I saw my OB on Tuesday and he said all looks really good and it's now anterior, more to the right but he said he's more than happy with that. Yay!

Thanks so much for all your advice and stories. I'm sure this thread will/has been helpful for others

[Tanya]

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 think keeping the membranes intact would be helpful with a posterior birth. The bag of waters will push against the cervix causing it to dilate. When baby is posterior their heads don't push on the cervix as efficiently as an anterior baby's would.

Also leaning forward against the bed or your partner will help not only relieve any back ache but also move bub into a better position Maybe also hands and knees.

Have a wonderful birth
xx

ETA... Yay for baby turning into a better position!! Now bring on the birth!!

[Visitor7]

Both my girls were posterior. With DD1 I was induced with the drip and had an epi , but I was fortunate enough to not be stuck on the bed for the entire labour. With DD2, labour started on its own and I had no drugs. I birthed both girls on my back and I both girls were born within 10 minutes of starting to push and I did not tear with either of them. For me personally, birthing on my back was the easiest and less painful way.
Good luck!

[Trillian]

If baby is still more towards the right (I assume you mean baby is anterior but back is slightly along the right hand side of your stomach?) it will have to go back into an OP position before it can get to LOA (back on left hand side) and then fully Anterior - this isn't always the case, some babies do move from OP to anterior anti-clockwise, but most will turn in a clockwise direction. So don't give up on the positioning techniques now as there is still plenty of time for bubs to move back to OP, so you want to keep encouraging him to move anterior.

[Crystalwings]

I had a 50hr posterier labour which was highly traumatic and painful. I ended up having a forceps delivery and a forced epi as well as an 4th degree episitotomy which resulted in a massive blood loss, fainting and anemia. Due to the fact that my waters had broken for 24hrs, I had to have ABs then I had sytocin as i wasn't progressing so was basically stuck to the bed. Previous to that I was walking around, stradling a chair, in bed, off the bed, on a birthing stool, in the shower, in bed, in an ambulance etc. I found hot water bottles a huge relief and massage on my back.
I went drug free except for a sterile water injection. It was the only time I swore in my whole labour but afterwards I felt so much more relaxed. I had to have an epi in the end as I pushed for 2.5hrs and still no results and after 50hrs I was absolutly exhaused. The ob was called and said that I was either having an assisted delivery or c/s so was pleased with my deleivery int he end as at least I got to give birth vaginally afteryeverything. In the end I was on my back as I had tried everything else and I was actually trying to stop contractions once I knew I was having an epi.
I still feel emotional thinking about Olive's birth but it feels all worthwhile now. She was still healthy after everything and I feel grateful that it was 2008 and not 1908 otherwise we may not have survived. I also had regular acupuncture during pregnancy and exercised daily which I also feel helped maintain my stamina during labour.
I'm not meaning to sound negative, only to share my experience.

[Midwifemum]

Hi Taurean, Don't get too stressed out over the position of your baby, most posterior babies rotate very easily and are born normally. I would suggest doing some positioning exercises for the remainder of your pregnancy such as leaning over a bean bag, sitting on a fit ball when at computer, supported squatting on a low stool whilst watching TV. Don't recline back in the lounge or car. When in labour use the fitball and rotate on it or lean over it whilst on your knees. The worst scenario is induction of labour, as your body and baby will not be in the ready position for birth and epidurals, they affect the pelvic floor and prevent the baby from naturally rotating into a good position for birth. Good luck and don't stress too much.

[cindyb]

My 2nd was posterior! I was enduced with her and still managed a drug free, 4 hour from gel placement to bub in my arms, no tearing birth! Do not go in there thinking it it going to be terrible. It was definately more painful than my non-posterior labour but hey the second that bub is out- NO MORE PAIN!!

I have heard there is a series of needles they can give you for pain relief- it is sterile water injected between the skin and the muscles and it is meant to be a real killer to have them but it works a treat. It is nick-named the 'bee sting'

[angelaartsstudent]

I had no drugs to birth Palmer - who was twisted half facing posterior and half sort of sideways - and they didn't notice until she was trying to make her way out becuase no one checked her position.

Good new and bad news...

Good news is that you might not think contractions are so bad afterall...but bad news...that's becuase the back pain is so bad.

STANDING was THE BEST labour position...if you don't have to (I did), don't let anyone make you sit or lie on your back becuase her back pressing against my back was horrible.

However

On your back IS the best for pushing, I agree...get someone to hold your legs up. More back pain, but the pushing was more effective.

Take some food and try to drink plenty....but I'd give that advice to anyone.

The bath really helps in early labour but once contractions got much stronger (8cm+), the hot shower running on my back was really nice too...sitting seemed to hurt back even more.

[Crystalwings]

I forgot to say GOOD LUCK !!!!
There are so many positive stories on BB to promote confidence and hope.

Quote - "It is nick-named the bee sting". Yep, this times 4 but it definatly helps.

[Taurean]

Thanks girls! This thread has been amazing!!! So much good advice and support. I love Belly Belly!

Well our little darling is playing funny buggers and switching from posterior to anterior and back again weekly at the moment. I'm on weekly OB appointments now so we'll find out what the latests is (again) on Monday.

I'm being a bit more cautious of how I sit, spending more time on the fitball, etc but I get the feeling our baby takes after its mum and had a very strong mind of its own. I'm confident that we'll work through this together though and achieve the amazing birth I'm desperate to have. I a big believer in the power of positive thinking and it's worked wonders for me in the past so hopefully the same will happen for the birth.

I feel a lot more prepared to tackle a posterior labour though with all the great tips you girls have shared. I just have to remember 'I can do this, we are doing this'

[allycat06]

My bubs was posterior and found standing to be the most comfortable at first then later on I was on all fours or kneeling over a birth ball. My contractions were a hideous back ache for which I needed constant firm pressure or a wheat bag applied. I ended up using the gas towards the end of the second stage as the contractions became more painful, I found it really effective and helpful to control my breathing as well. Although it made me a bit stoned lol. This was all well and good until the pushing stage where not much was happening and the mw got me to lie on my side which i found really awkward but was too tired to make a fuss. Bubs heart rate wasn't coming up after each contraction so I eventually ended up on back in stirrups (which was excruciating with the back pain!), strapped to a monitor and bubs was delivered with forceps. Ended up having a small episiotomy which took a fair while to heal. I think the best thing is to just trust you'll know what the best position for you at the time. I found myself just moving around because it felt right..my doula later told me that the positions i chose were common ones used to try and turn a posterior baby. Yor body just knows these things!

[SammyRo]

Taurean - hope bubs decides to get the right way round! DD was on my side in the last few weeks if pg, and the mw could never really tell which way she was lying - she still wasn't sure if DD was posterior or not during labour!

DD was posterior - seemed she turned the wrong way, although Trillian's post may explain it too!

my waters broke spontaneously at 39w4days, and not much happened for the next 15hours or so! They finally ramped up and I was exhausted so we went in to the hospital, and my lovely mw had the bath all ready run - I jumped straight in, and DH used the spray on my back. I was trying to push from about 6-8cm dilated, which apparently is common with OPs, but the mw was great - she could tell every time I got to the point where I couldn't ignore the urge to push, and kept me moving - I hopped from the bath, to leaning on the bed, while standing, kneeling on all fours, in the shower, back on the bed bum up and head down (very attractive I'm sure!) and then when it all got to much she gave me th gas bit you put in your mouth (but didn't turn the gas on, not that I realised at the time) to try and make me concentrate on my breathing. When I was finally fully dilated, I then pushed for 2.5 hrs, I was on all fours for a while, and kept getting told that they could see the head - I didn't believe them, and after shouting at them to stop lying to me, my mw turned me over so I was sat up with DH supporting me from behind and my knees up around my hips, and put a mirror so i could see the head every time it made an appearance -DD was stuck and would come out a little way and then go back in - the mw reackons that this stretched my perinium and so I didn't need an epi or tear. She finally slid out with a huge swelling on the front of her head, and was a little flat - the mw had been monitoring her hb all the way thru the birth, but reackons the shock of finally coming out took it out of her so she was taken off for oxygen, they monitored her in the nursery, but she was fine.

All in all, I deliverd DD posterior with no pain relief, and while it was excruciatingly painful at the time, I still look back on it as a very positive experience - I'd almost say empowering! I apparently must have a good pelvis to do it drug free. In fact, I was talking to MIL tonight, and her SIL, who is a nurse, reackons that I must have been mistaken and it wasn't posterior or else there would have been no way I'd have been able to do it drug and intervention free!

So if the little bub doesn't turn, give it a go! Good luck!! (ps sorry for the long post!!)

[angelaartsstudent]

I 100% agree that birthing posterior bub is excruciating but a REAL achievement to do drug free. I didn't think it was when I went into ICU...I thought that her having trouble coming out was my fault (as no one has explained anything to me at that point) but the more people who say congrats for going drug free I think "Hey, maybe it is an achievement".

Even though the pain is terrible with posterior drug free, I would def say go for that instead of drugs becuase you need ALL your focus.

I was given gas when I was being stitched up and omg it was trippy! No way could I have concentrated on pushing if I was drugged...but that's just my personal experience.