Posterior labours?

[~Kate~]

Hi
I was wondering if anyone could give me some information on posterior labours. How can this be prevented (or eased) and what can be done during labour to help out?

Thanks muchly

[Beach Mama]

I had one..most of the pain was in my lower back and mine eventually ended in an epi and c/s for other reasons too..... check out this link lots of info and the exercises on the spinning babies site are great too ...good luck!!!

Breech and Posterior Babies - Links & Resources

Oh I found the bath fantastic and at times massage of my lower back..some people like the heat from a shower head... i found it too intense though. You're lucky you know early so keep up the good posture techniques and exercises on these sites!!

[Tracey]

There's plenty of time for you, as bubs will still move around heaps between now & labour & it still has enough room...

My baby was laying ROP last Midwife appt which basically means bubs back is to the right hand side of me/ with back kinda facing toward my right side/back...
Hard to explain...

It was sufggested to sleep on my left side & to sit straight backed (which we all should do anyways) but to lean slightly forward so the backpart of bubs neck (The heaviest part) should rotate to the front/pubic bone...
She also suggested bouncing gently leaning forward on a fit ball...


But with 2nd, 3rd etc babies they can turn when labour starts etc so it's not too much to worry about apparently!???

[Trish]

Posterior labours can be avoided by not having a posterior baby. LOL. Things like slouching and not sitting up straight can cause bub to become posterior. So make sure you always have a nice straight back and sit upright.

I had a posterior baby with my second son. If only I knew then what I knew now. Still, if it was meant to be longer or harder it sure wasn't. I only laboured for around 2 hours. Actively for 1 hour. He was born posterior, I had no stitches, not even a graze. I aso had no drugs as he was a born in a birth centre. I used the shower for pain relief and found it a great help. The same goes for back massage.

The best thing though is prevention. You still have a while to go yet but I wish you luck

[Edensmumma]

i agree best thing is prevention, but i never once reclined in a chair, and lay on my left side from about 5 months.. but had an insane posterior labour.. some pelvis' just swing that way LOL.. I found the shower to be extremly helpful and also dancing with my midwife(swaying my hips thru the contraction).
Practise things that make u comfortable now- like the ball and all fours and beanbags etc...
Not all posterior labours are the same.... but great to know all ur options.

[Julie Doula]

Hi Kate,

Kelly lists a great site in this link, called "Spinning Babies"

Breech & Posterior Babies + Having a Vaginal Breech Birth


Basically, spend heaps of time during the last 6 weeks of pregnancy on hands & knees or hands & elbows, letting your belly hang to let gravity encourage the baby to be forward-lying.

Forward leaning positions and hands & knees are ideal for coping with a posterior labour.

A labour that does need special care with positioning is a labour with a right- lying baby. Sometimes they want to rotate anti-clockwise the long way round to get to the left from position before descending into your pelvis. This labour will take lots of work and patience - but all is not lost. If you sense this is what your babe is doing, going on hands and ke=nees will have your baby trying to rotate uphill! That will be frustrating for you both. So - the plan becomes - lie on right side - then upright - then left side - then hands and knees.

Check out "Rotational Foetal Positioning" by Nikki McFarlane of Childbirth International.

I would be interested to hear from anyone who has used this technique with good results or who has an opinion on its validity.

A Chiropractor can use the gentle Webster Technique to help your pelvis relax so that your baby is not prevented from moving into the front-lying position.

A doula can be a great help with suggesting & encouraing mobility & positions to help manage a posterior labour.

Also, submerging in deep water can be a great help because not only is it very soothing but the bouyancy can really help you choose positions to help your baby rotate forward.

[~Kate~]

Thank you very much ladies for your help. I know that I have a long way to go but want to be prepared. I have an anterior placenta and according to one of these websites, this can be one reason for a posterior baby (they like to face the placenta). I also have had terrible back pains throughout this pregnancy and these exercises sound like they would also help back pain. I love hot (not burning hot, just not luke warm) showers on my back and think that this could be another saving grace.

Thanks again and if anyone else has any tips, please feel free to post

[Janie]

Kate, I had an anterior placenta and posterior baby. I didn't actually know that Nicholas was posterior until he was almost out (which was probably a good thing)! It certainly explained the back pain I had, especially when pushing.

I really didn't find it to be that bad, my labour was 14 hours from when my waters broke, I had 13 hours of contractions. Yes, I had some back pain, but that was helped immensely by a number of things -

*the shower (there were two nozzles, one for my back and one for my tummy)
*the bath (this was the best! I saved it til last)
*heat packs applied to my lower back during contactions (DH's job)
*massage of my lower back during contactions (DH's job)
*walking around, and rocking my pelvis while leaning forward

Obviously I didn't do all of these at once, but I just went with what felt right at the time. Here is my birth story if you want all the details Nicholas John's birth story (very long!)

I really hope that your bub ends up being anterior, but if not I hope that info helps

[Julie Doula]

It's nice to hear a good story about managing a posterior labour, sezjm. Posterior is still another good head down position. It can be a tougher labour but it's not impossible!

Yesterday my client went to see a Chiropractor, I went with her. The Chiro adjusted her gently and told her she might feel the baby moving over night. The Chiro thought her baby was lying transverse. Just now, my client's called me, saying she's not in pain any more, the baby had moved, she's now sticking way out in front, more than before, she can feel the baby's back right along her front, the head feels well down and she's feeling lots of pressure down there ... and she's getting good strong braxton hicks. Amazing, such a change from one trip to the Chiro. The Chiro even offered to come with us when my client goes to the birth centre if need be. I'm impressed.

[Aranah]

I've had 3, well, 2 and a half posterior labours.

My first was induced and posterior. I did it without drugs, all up it was 8 hours. I coped with *THAT* pain by spending heaps of time in the shower with the high pressure nozels on my back, leaning over a gym ball and also during pushing by the midwives putting heaps of pressure on my back.

My second started posterior, but it was early and the back pain wasn't too bad, and at 5cm, I had an ARM and she turned so the rest of the labour I breezed through without drugs at all. This labour was really really easy because it wasn't posterior and the pain was minimal compared to my first birth.

My third labour was just nasty. The pain was absolutely intense and it was a long labour, 14 hours. The baby was posterior but also very large and the pain became too much for me. I ended up having gas which I still haven't gotten over as I wanted my drug free birth again and I feel like I failed (which is stupid, I know). I 'lost it' as such due to the pain, I had no let up of back pain between contractions and the contractions were way worse this time than first labour and the pain made the first posterior labour seem a breeze. It was worse because, it was a much longer labour, I went into labour at night and hadn't slept since the previous night and was very tired, and because this baby was much bigger than the previous two. I 'lost it' from the pain because I ddin't have the natural pain relieving things available to me this time. Like the high pressure nozel on the shower, the pressure was not much better than a drizzle. Also the water wasn't hot enough. I did have a bath in there, but it was a single bath and I couldn't really fit in it, I was wedged in once I was in there as I was ginormous this pregnancy. The gym ball was useless, pumped up too much and too slippery. And I was put in the delivery suite which was more suited to medical situations than a natural labour ( I wasn't allowed in the hospital's birthing centre because of high BP which had all the natural pain relief).

For the record, I did do all the exercises to turn the baby but he didnt' clunk into place until labour anyway. I had an active upright labour, actually walked the whole time as I couldn't sit down from the pain, but he still engaged posterior. I'm sure it's the shape of my pelvis.

So what I would recommend if you find yourself in the unfortunate position of having a posterior labour is lots of hot water, someone to rub your back hard, labouring on all fours or leaning forward - anything to take pressure off your back (don't lie down, ouch!), heat pack for your back and a very understanding partner.

Like what's been said, it can be done naturally you just have to think differently about it. upside is that you don;t even feel the stomach contractions because the back pain is so intense and any labour that's normal after that will be a breeze

[widdly]

i agree with evrything that has been posted so far, just thought i'd tell u about my posterior birth. As with the others lying down during labour was unbearable, i could only cope through contractions by leaning over the bed with DH rubbing my lower back with his hand. I had stained waters which meant that bub was in distress so i was forced to lay on the bed in one spot with monitor attatched. cause i wasn't able to move i could no longer cope with contractions so had an epidural and drip to intensify contractions to turn him around. My labour took 13 hours, midwives predicted it would have only taken 8 hours if he wasn't posterior. he turned at the last minute and i pushed him out by myself, he was perfect no bruising or mishapen head or anything, i think i must have a big birth canal or something!

Anyway, what im trying to tellu is don't worry too much about it, its fine, labour is just different thats all, and if its ur first bub, like it was mine, then you'll never know its differnt from a normal labour anyway.During pg I tried to make sure i didn't slouch, and i felt like i was always on the floor on my hands and knees trying to get him to turn, and turn he did, but he turned many a time in the last 3 weeks, and still ended up facing the wrong way!

Goodluck, im wishing you a very normal, uneventful labour and birth.

[Edensmumma]

juliedoula- was that a chiro for preg ladies or just a general one... i still have constant back pain since my preg/labour... the pain feels like one of the minor contractions.. wonder if a visit would help me now?
and like what widdly said- some people dont even know they have a posterior baby, and my bub turned from early labour to five cms... stubborn little so and so... i lived on my hands and knees- wouldnt even recline in the car seat!!!

[August]

hi kate

I spend some time each day practicing labour positions many of which are useful to discourage bubs from settling in a posterior position.

Like Julie Doula suggested, the on-all-fours is an ideal one. Kneeling forward also takes the weight of the baby off your back and off your sacrum during labour and rotating your hips helps the baby to descend.

Kneel forward on the floor, hands and knees a foot apart and rotate your hips in a circular motion, up and down, side to side and just rocking back and forth feels good too. To relax your tummy during this position, curl up your back like a cat, breathing in, then exhale curling forward and release your tummy muscles.

I also have a little padded stool which I lean over while reading or watching tv. DP was even leaning over it the other day wiggling his bum, absent minded, after seeing me doing this all the time. It was very entertaining!

I also practice leaning forward against a wall rotating my hips, squatting, and standing squats, all of which allow maximum opening of the pelvis.

Keeping your knees lower than your hips is basically the best thing you can do. Sit on the very edge of a chair, and you will feel your pelvis naturally roll forward and your belly protrudes. Sitting on a gym ball also naturally encourages sitting in this position.

Thanks also to all the others mums for sharing their stories!

[Julie Doula]

juliedoula- was that a chiro for preg ladies or just a general one... i still have constant back pain since my preg/labour... the pain feels like one of the minor contractions.. wonder if a visit would help me now?

She is a woman chiropractor who I met when I was reading her copy of "Well Adjusted Babies", which is a book about pregnancy and birth written by a Chiropractor. I was happily nodding & agreeing with all I read and then the Chiro appeared and I asked how I could get a copy? She sold me a second hand copy. We later met for lunch and she told me about Chiro for birth and I told her about doula work. I have never been to a Chiro and didn't know anything about it so it was interesting. She does not specialise in pregnancy, and is not yet a mother herself, but she assured me that she was very gentle and seemed understanding of the way birth works. I never thought I would be referring a client to her so soon.

But my client told me she was experiencing pubic pain. I googled Symphysis Pubic Dysfunction and found an informative site called "Plus Size Pregnancy" which has a wealth of info for ANY size pregnancy IMO! It mentioned how Chiros use the Webster Technique to adjust the pelvis and the ligaments so that nothing is preventing the baby from turning to anterior. It just removes the hindrances. It explained how the pelvis being a little out of whack could result in a malpositioned baby.

My client read the article and said, "I can relate to nearly ALL of this!" After the visit to the Chiro, she rang me the nxt day to say she was out of pain, and the baby was now LOA. Amazing.

I think to find an angel Chiro like this near you, you'd just have to shop around and ask lots of questions until you find one you feel is pelvis-friendly. I hope it's successful, it would be nice to find relief from the continuing discomfort.

There is some great wisdom in this thread from women who've experienced a posterior labour. Thanks for sharing!

[BellyBelly]

Another thing you can ask about is if anyone there is trained to to sterile water injections. They are very successful in taking all or most of the pain away in posterior labours, but it's not widespread - only a few hospitals have midwives who have done the training. They inject the water under your skin to form a blister, which apparently has quite a sting to it, but gives relief for a couple of hours. So if your bub does happen to be posterior at birth it may be something you can try if all the above has not worked.

[Aranah]

I had these injections in my last labour. I was told it's a new thing and one midwife there had seen them work 100% of the time, and the other 50% of the time, they were the two trained to do it. They did this when I was in transition and the back pain was extreme and I'd kind of lost the plot. I do remember them hurting bad (i screamed with one LOL) but really it was minimal compared to the back pain.

In my case they didn't do a thing, but I think that was because of the size and position of my baby and that his shoulder was wedged on my back bone by this time, and maybe because I was in transition anyway. They would be a god send if they did work as was described to me. There are 4 injections, and they do two at a time to lessen the time they are doing them. If I was going back again, I would ask for the injections earlier in the labour to see if they would help.

It's great to see they are trying to develop more natural (well non drug) ways to deal with posterior labours.