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.

[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!!

[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!!)

[joey123]

I had my mum sit behind me, while I was sitting up or laying down, and press REALLY hard with her thumbs into my lower back where the pain was. They were like magic buttons. REALLY helped with the pain.

And remember, stay as up right as possible through the labour. I forgot about this and am really p!ssed off that I did as I wonder if my birth would have been different had I remembered. I know it sounds hard to beleive, how could I have forgotten! Stuffed if I know, but I did!vv