I have a question about back labour. If you had back labour with your first delivery, how likely is it that you will have it again in subsequent births?
I’m asking because I had terrible back labour with my first child (and no epidural due to unavailability of the anesthesiologist) and am currently 36 weeks pregnant. :eek: Chances are slim that I won’t be able to have an epidural again, but I am curious about whether or not I’m likely to have the back labour.
I can’t find any stats for how likely it is to occur again, but I can offer my sympathy and a link to advice for easing back labor.
I had back labor with my son and, like most, it was because he was in an occipital posterior presentation. That is, his spine was against my spine, so he was born face up, instead of face down like most babies. The spine and the occiput - the hardest part of the skull - pressed against my sacrum the whole excruciating 6 inches of labor.
25% of labors involve at least some back labor. Your doctor or midwife can tell you if the baby is occipital posterior today, but it could still change either way. Some of the little brats actually flip over mid labor!
Check out this page for some really excellent strategies for dealing with back labor. Consider packing a tennis ball or rolling pin in your birth bag so someone can use it to press on your sacrum (that big bone up above your buttcrack) if you feel pain. Don’t let them pin you on your back in bed if it hurts. Practice some pelvic tilts.
And good luck!