When a baby's head is descending the tone of the deep pelvic floor muscles help it to turn correctly into the birth canal. My early labour was posterior, but DD turned before descending. Even when babies are born face-up, still in the same OP position, the deep pelvic muscles do much to ease the head down and through the bones. When we have an epidural the tone of those muscles is greatly diminished and they cannot help the baby to turn as well - these are not the muscles at the vaginal opening but the ones higher up, inside, round the cervix. As a result of this one can suffer "deep transverse arrest" where the head is coming though the pelvic bones at the wrong angle and becomes stuck. In this situation forceps are often used to turn the head and then deliver the baby.

As others have said, without the epidural this is very unlikely to happen. You'll be able to move freely and push more efficiently if you can feel it all.

There's no reason to think the next bubs will also be posterior. Have you looked at Spinning Babies website? There are lots of tips on how to help bubs move and there's always moxibustion and acupuncture too. And if, after trying all these things, baby stays posterior, you can go into labour knowing bubs is in the best position for him/her. Babies ar smart and will always try to come out the easiest way - if baby's had every opportunity to shift and has stayed OP then that must be the best way for them to come.

I think my (UK NHS) midwives would allow one to push for 2 hours with no progress or until i asked to transfer (whichever was first) before suggesting going into hospital. They also keep you moving and changing positions to try to help "unstick" bubs if progress is slowed. Crawling on the floor is incredibly effective at unsticking babies apparently!

Bec