Can you confirm what date you had Phin please? The timezones really confuse me and I'd like to update the stalking thread properly

[thepinkleprechaun]

Grrr I could have sworn I replied to this yesterday on my phone!

Phineas David, born December 26th at 9:50 PM (est)

And he was 6 lbs 12 oz, 20 inches long just in case you need that too

Thanks!

[Mars]

Katie, I hope you look back at this thread again, otherwise I will PM you.

When reading your birth story, you mentioned that Phin was in posterior position. Currently my little one is in posterior position and I'm trying to understand as much as possible in case she does not turn.

Did you know before that Phin was posterior?
If so, did you try any of those pelvic exams to see if he would turn?
Were you having back pains before you went into labour?
Do you know if he turned once he got to the birth canal?

Any info that you could help with me would be great since I'm hoping to have a natural birth as well and it gives me reassurance when I talk to others who went through a successful natural posterior delivery.

Thanks.

Is that when baby's back is against your back?

How did your m/w know, Mari?

p.s. Thanks Katie

[thepinkleprechaun]

Mari I will get back to you shortly , i'm just about to head out the door for lunch!

[Mars]

Fi, yes. That's when the head is down but the baby's back is to your back.

I found out from my 32w u/s with the OBGYN. The midwife should be able to tell too because of the shape and feel of the tummy when they do their checks. They should be able to feel where the spine is and where the legs are positioned. When my midwife did her check on Dec. 23, she said she could feel the legs up against my tummy and at one point the little one wasn't being very modest because it appears she had the legs open quite widely. When I think that her legs are apart and I press my tummy where the legs are open, the area there is really soft. In addition my tummy looks flatter sometimes instead of more round which is usually a sign and sometimes it's kind of evident during BHs.

I think that ideally, they want to feel the baby's spine right against to tummy or on either side. If they can't feel that, then chances are that the spine is against your back.

How very interesting. The last 2 apps I had (32 & 34 wks), she said baby's back was on one side of my tum and legs on the other. I must ask next week when I go! I hope she turns for you Mari!

[Mars]

Earlier on, her back was to my side and her legs to the other and I could tell because I was mainly feeling movements on my right side. Then around week 30-31 I noticed I was feeling them on both sides so I knew she'd turn, I just didn't know about posterior and anterior positions at that point until the OBGYN pointed it out and explained it to me. I had just thought head down was great.

But my OBGYN did not think that I would have too much of an issue delivering naturally (apart from the possibility of a long labour and back ache) because my baby's small. He said it's usually the larger babies that pose a problem.

I always feel a big hard lump on the top right of my belly and what feels like feet on the top left. So i'm guessing mine is sidey ways

[Mars]

I can't believe we are so close!

[thepinkleprechaun]

Did you know before that Phin was posterior?
I did, he was posterior pretty much my whole pregnancy, or at least from the 20 week u/s. I had an anterior placenta and the baby tends to face towards the placenta so I was worried about that. Also I could tell by the way my belly felt and because I was feeling movement in the front.

If so, did you try any of those pelvic exams to see if he would turn?
I didn't really try anything special, but in the last week or so before his birth I tried to sit on my birth ball a lot because it helps if you don't sit on comfortable furniture...as hard as that is when you're 9 months pregnant and uncomfortable anyways! We did do the belly lift during my labor, where the dad (or other support person) puts both hands underneath the mom's belly and lifts up during a contraction. That is supposed to help the baby turn, but we only did it a couple times because it kind of hurt with the contractions.

Were you having back pains before you went into labour?
Yes, I had some braxton hicks and those were only in my stomach, more of a tightening feeling than pain. But whenever I had real contractions (happened a lot in the last week or two) it felt like period cramps down low in my uterus and it would radiate around to my lower back. I also had back labor pretty much the whole time!

Do you know if he turned once he got to the birth canal?
I had to ask Christen but I guess he did turn fully around and he was born anterior! I actually remember feeling the back pain go away right before the contractions where I started pushing-you get kind of a "break" where you have a few contractions that are way less intense and don't hurt that much right before you start pushing, and those I didn't feel in my back at all. And the contractions I had while I was pushing didn't really hurt my back either.
I do remember the doctor saying that he could see his head turning, so I think he only turned fully while he was in the birth canal so his shoulders could come out.

I think the fact that I spent most of the transition period and end of my labor in a semi squatting position helped him turn around, by the time I was pushing I had kind of leaned back against Jeremy more. I can't really imagine (me personally) giving birth in the squatting position just because my kids tend to come out FAST and I think it helped to be in a semi-reclining position instead.

One mom in my DDC had an unassisted home birth and her son I believe was posterior the entire time and (I think) came out that way. I know she said that the ONLY thing that worked to push him out was to squat, and she tried hands & knees and other positions and they just didn't do anything. But...with me it only took like 3 or 4 contractions to get him out lol!

You can definitely have a natural birth even if baby doesn't turn around, you might just have to get creative with positioning like I did

[soImarriedAnerd]

Mari a good thing to do to get LO to turn is get on all fours and raise and lower your back--about 3 times a day for 2 mins. Baby's back is the heaviest part of the baby and they go to gravity so if you want back to belly then you need to keep belly lower. Also try using a birthing ball and lean forward while sitting. Try to avoid recliners and laying in bed-this only encourages posterior babies (many bedrest moms have this issue). But many many babies turn at the last minute. Also a non-med pain reliever for back pain is a saline injection--something you may want to look into. Being in a squatting position and all fours will help you the most, also being in the water helps. Plenty of babies are born "sunny side up" (what we call it in the hospital) without any issues at all!

[Mars]

Thanks so much Katie and Angela!

I've been reading up a lot about the different ways to help baby turn but have always been a bit skeptical that they could be counter productive but Angela, you explanation makes perfect sense to me so I will give the all fours method a try. Also, I like Katie's idea with the semi-reclining position. I'm always skeptical that in the squatting the position the baby will shoot out and get dropped. I know, I'm just paranoid.

I've also heard about the saline injections and plan to ask about them at my birthing classes which begin on Monday. Plus I do plan to labour and birth in water depending on how comfortable it is for me.

I've not had back pain up to this point so that why I am curious about them starting when the baby engages or during labour.

I had been contemplating buying a birthing ball (they're pricey here) but I think I will go ahead and get one now.

[soImarriedAnerd]

Thanks so much Katie and Angela!

I've been reading up a lot about the different ways to help baby turn but have always been a bit skeptical that they could be counter productive but Angela, you explanation makes perfect sense to me so I will give the all fours method a try. Also, I like Katie's idea with the semi-reclining position. I'm always skeptical that in the squatting the position the baby will shoot out and get dropped. I know, I'm just paranoid.

I've also heard about the saline injections and plan to ask about them at my birthing classes which begin on Monday. Plus I do plan to labour and birth in water depending on how comfortable it is for me.

I've not had back pain up to this point so that why I am curious about them starting when the baby engages or during labour.

I had been contemplating buying a birthing ball (they're pricey here) but I think I will go ahead and get one now.[/b]

This sounds funny but for some reason they charge more for "birthing" balls then gym balls or exercise balls....but they are the SAME thing so look into the balls with other names, you can probably find one cheaper.

[Mars]

Thanks Angela. I think the ones I saw were gym balls and someone told me they were the same thing but I'll be sure to look around.

I wish I'd decided earlier cause I could have let me sister bring in one from Canada when she came for the holidays.

Gym balls are deffo the same as birthing balls. Mine is a gym ball but I saw the "birthing" ball at the hospital physiotherapy unit - exactly the same! Mine is 65cm diameter which seems perfect for me (they appear to start at 60cm up to 70 or 75).

Interesting read re the posterior. I must remember to ask my midwife on Friday. This morning I was aware of baby spreading out across the top of my bump... not sure if it was butt at one side and feet/knees at the other, or if he/she was doing a spready-leggy like Mari describes. I can really never tell paccurately what's what by feeling my bump

[thepinkleprechaun]

I got my "birth ball" for $10 at wal mart
It did the job though!

[Mars]

That's why I love the US!

The cheapest one I've seen so far is about BD$60 which is about US$30. I've seen some pricey ones on Amazon but I've also seen some from around US$10.

try ebay mari - mine was around £10 which is approx $20usd

[Mars]

Fi, you're a doll!

I could get a ball from Ebay or Amazon but my problem is that at this late time it might get here after I've had the baby unless I order express shipping and that would run my costs back up to around US$30 which means I could've just got it here.

With standard shipping it'll take around 2 - 3 weeks to get here which is a little too close for comfort. I'll just have to get one here. May make for a good toy for baby to play with in the yard when she gets older.