Dealing with back labor

pianist1989 · March 2013

What are some ways that you found helped you deal with back labor? I was told at my appointment today that at the moment LO could still go either way but it is looking like he will most likely turn posterior. I've been doing spinning babies exercises and seeing a chiropractor but neither have helped much so far. I would like to be as prepaed as possible to deal with anything that comes up...I know hands and knees and laboring in the tub are both supposed to help but what did you find most helpful? Did you try anything that made it worse?

Xles10 · March 2013

I haven't personally dealt with it, but I've read up about and spoke to my doula about it after seeing my SIL have it. What you need to do is try to get baby to turn. Anything that gets your hips movingcan help with this. Taking stairs two at a time can help. Dancing in place or doing the "hula" can help. You basically need to move around to help baby twist.

But know that many babies start on posterior and naturally twist on their way out. So I don't know if there's really a way to tell before hand if you're going to have back labor.

mommiella · March 2013

Hands and knees on the floor (for some reason that position up on the bed didn't help) was the only thing that worked for me.
Good luck!

sschwege · March 2013

I didn't have back labor. But what helped my back pain during labor was a warm rice sock (they are really easy to make), warm bath and counter pressure. DH used tennis balls and pressed them firmly into my back while I was having a contraction.

abell77 · March 2013

water, water, water! I sat in the shower, straddling a chair, with the water pointed at my lower back for a long time. Then I got in the tub when it was time to push. DH tried counter pressure on my back, but I screamed, "don't touch me!" so he didn't want to try again. I wish I would have had the presence of mind to let him try again, oh well. I labored mostly on my hands and knees. Also, just another thing to keep in mind... I was very reluctant to try different positions because of the pain. I felt like hands and knees was working so I didn't want to budge. I pushed for around 2.5 hours, when finally my midwife convinced me I needed to try something different. I moved from the tub to a bed (not lying flat on my back though) and DS was out 4 pushes later. I felt bad because he came out with a bruise on his head. We think because he wasn't positioned properly that he just kept bumping up against my pelvic bone. It seemed that when I got out and moved around, it may have allowed him to finally get in a better position to come out (still posterior though). In retrospect I wish I had been open to moving around more and trying different positions. He might have come faster. Good luck to you.

barnwife · March 2013

I've had back labor both times...and neither was posterior. The counterpressure from DH is all that made it possible for me to go med-free. He pushed so hard I was black and blue for a long time. And yet, during labor all I could think was "Why isn't he pushing. Push harder!!!"

The tub also helped with A. (I ended up birthing her there.) With J., I wanted nothing to do with the shower or tub.

Hands and knees was the best position as it gave DH easy access to apply the needed counterpressure. Sitting on the toilet was second best.

aylafsu88 · March 2013

I found that hands and knees was the best position. I labored in the tub and had my H.doula pour hot water over my lower back. When I was in triage I leaned over the bed and had them use counter pressure on my lower back. It was a huge help with the pain.

Annaeliz84 · March 2013

I've heard that lunges can help turn the baby. Also, turning your hips in small circles on a birthing ball. My mom also had back labor when she was in labor with me. What worked for her was turning one way in the bed and then onto the other side very quickly and then back and forth. My brother-in-law who is an OB says he also uses that technique to get the baby to move if the baby appears in distress b/c he is lying on the cord.

kathleen02 · March 2013

Laying down on my back and even my side was really the most uncomfortable to me...even in the bath. Being on my hands and knees and in the shower gave me the most relief. DS was stuck and I was stuck at 5-7cm (midwife "stretched" me to 7 but it kind of was more like 6cm from what the nurse said). The only thing that worked was relaxation and being on my hands and knees. If you get too tired you can support your belly with a bean bag and/or pillows. And if someone was able to massage the points in my back, that helped too.

A37licia · March 2013

Rebozo sifting at the end of pregnancy to turn a baby and The Miles Circuit in any stage of labor to turn an OP baby. I read an interesting article that maternal posture/positions before labor doesn't actually have a huge impact on baby's position - the take away for me was, don't obsess about how you're sitting, etc. leading up to labor.

Also many babies turn in labor from OP to OA. That said, having an OP baby *can* cause lots of "false labor"/prodromal labor for days or weeks because babe isn't situated well to kick labor into gear. Thus the rebozo...turned my daughter that Monday at 8:30p and she was born during the night. I had chiropractic for pelvic pain but she still went OP a lot (I don't regret chiro though, love it).

And, you can still have back labor without an OP baby, btw.

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