How to reduce your risk of back labor?
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Anonymous
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Back labor sounds awful, and I was told recently that about 1/3 of pregnancies result in back labor! I thought the rate was much lower.
Anything I can do now (at 32 weeks) to help prevent back labor? I've been lightly active, taking walks a couple times a day, but have been having back/tailbone pain, so not doing much else. I will if it will reduce my chance of back labor though! |
Anonymous
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I had back labor and yes, it was just hell. This article is very thorough: http://americanpregnancy.org/labor-and-birth/back-labor/
I think this article deals with back labor caused by fetal position, not unknown causes. Reading the complications, I pretty much had all of them (prolonged pushing stage, epidural, vacuum, and episiotomy). It was a long induction, so maybe some were unavoidable, but once she turned posterior during labor, I threw in the towel and got the epidural stat. Interested to read the other replies, as I do NOT want to do that again. |
Anonymous
I had none of the above complications and still had 100% back labor. I had nothing during labor that felt like a menstrual cramp! FWIW, once I got the epidural, my pain went away completely, I progressed very fast & had a smooth vaginal birth. Baby was face-down, so she was in the right position. No idea what caused the back labor. |
Anonymous
PP here. I don't know if research has been done on this, but I would bet that the risk of complications increases when back labor is caused by bad fetal positioning. It just makes sense that the baby would have trouble descending and making it out of the birth canal, if she's not facing the right way. Just guessing... I could tell EXACTLY when she turned posterior. One contraction was menstrual cramp like, then the next was insane back pain that didn't let up. |
Anonymous
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I had back labor with my first (normal to smaller sized baby, right around the 7 lb range) and unmedicated labor with my second two including one 9+ pounder.
The back labor (had an epi) was far and away worse than having either one of the other two natural. I had uncontrollable shaking, vomiting, pain radiating down my legs, completely unbearable pain. He was sunny side up so I don't know what else could have been done besides the epidural. Once I did that tue pain melted away. |
Anonymous
| I had back labor which was horrible (+ Pitocin). My mother had back labor for all of her children, so I assume that I can't escape it. My baby was facing the right direction but his arm was over his head. |
Anonymous
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The site spinning babies has great resources for optimal fetal positioning!
http://spinningbabies.com/start/in-pregnancy/daily-activities/ You can start anytime 
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Anonymous
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I had back labor for my first. It's not really the pain that was so bad since I had an epi, but it was the bad position. I had to push for 4 hours and had pretty bad trauma to the area.
For my second, I read spinning babies and made sure never to scrunch down on the couch or in a chair, and I did lot of the moves they suggest. Easy labor with 3 or 4 pushes. So much better. |
Anonymous
| Leaning forward when sitting is supposed to encourage the baby to position correctly. Lounging and sitting back on the couch encourages "sunny side up" positioning. |
Anonymous
| Doing the Miles Circuit exercises is supposed the help. My midwife told me to practice these at the end of my pregnancy. I did a lot of sideways stair climbing during labor. http://sharonmuza.com/resources/miles-circuit-positioning-baby/ |
Anonymous
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Bumping this again since I’m a different poster who had fairly traumatic back labor with a baby that was positioned fine.
With Baby #1, my doula had me do spinning babies/circuit stuff in the weeks leading up to labor (40 weeks on the dot), but it didn’t prevent anything since positioning wasn’t the issue. Do core or back exercises help? I’m just entering my third trimester and having flashbacks to the two days of unmedicated (not my choice) back labor I went through, unable to do anything but stand for 48 hours, and I’m beginning to get anxious... |
Anonymous
Oh this was me too. I’m so sorry you experienced that. I stood for two days as well, but eventually took the epidural to sleep and get off feet. Have you seen a chiropractor? I’ve heard that that can really help with positioning. A massage therapist with experience in myofacscial release, specifically for the pelvis in pregnancy would also likely be if benefit (I don’t know one or would refer). You might ask for a pelvic floor pt consult too, but a good chiro experienced with prenatal care would be dynamite. Keep moving and remember every pregnancy is different, it could easily not be an issue this time. I wish you well. |
Anonymous
| I had multiple people tell me that cat cows every day helps. |
Anonymous
| I’m a midwife and also a mom who’s had malpoisitoned babies every time (and therefore back labor). Spinning babies and the Miles Circuit are great suggestions. See a chiropractor and get accupuncture. Stay active and eat extremely well. But, sometimes there’s nothing we can do to change baby’s position. Going into labor on your own vs inducing gives them time rotate. If not, strong contractions and time in labor generally help with rotation. Choose a provider that will give you time and that offers sterile water injections (if you don’t want an epidural). |
Anonymous
I did chiro and massage therapy with my last pregnancy (I had started having low back pain in sacrum) and I'm about to start again with this one. I did pelvic floor PT after the first birth, but that's a good suggestion to get a consult about starting again this trimester. Again, the baby was positioned fine, but I was one of those unlucky patients who had back labor despite good positioning. |