# Posterior labor pain vs. Anterior labor pain



## zebaby (Nov 4, 2006)

I recently delivered my first son! He was delivered vaginally in OP position







. I was wondering from you multi-child mamas that have experienced both a posterior labor and an anterior (regular) labor how the pain compares. Is the posterior labor much more painful or pretty comparable to normal labor? I was just wondering for future reference!








Kathy







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## Oana (May 15, 2006)

My first was lying ROT and asynclitic -- not as bad as posterior I guess, but tough enough. My second was LOA. Labor was pretty much "butt-labor" with my first and the splitting pain was severe after about 6cm (no meds). I didn't get to push, as he was born via c-sect after 7 hours at 8cm. With my second the pain of the contractions was anterior until close to transition at about 8cm -- only then I began to feel some butt-pressure. So, I would say, contractions-wise, the pain was more bearable with my LOA daughter. I can't compare pushing stages, since I only experienced that during my VBAC.

Hopefully your next will stay anterior, it is very likely the pain will have a different quality to it.

Oana


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## 3-StarSystem (Oct 26, 2006)

Well, I can't really speak accurately as I was laboring in the stranded bettle position and that probably intensified things immensely.

My Baby A presented normally, my baby B came out posterior with a nuchal hand. There's about an hour and a half of pushing between my twins and I believe that's one of the reasons why. I distinctly remember a heck of a lot of pressure/pain and the sensation of my tailbone feeling like it was going to break with my baby B and I think his position made all the difference.

I don't think it was more painful per se, but the amount of pressure on my lower back and tailbone was almost too intense although I'm quit esure it could have been helped with position changes and counterpressure.


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## laprettygurl (Dec 22, 2004)

Quote:

delivered vaginally in OP position
Me too, and honestly, it's a big big reason I am never having another baby. I thought I knew pain but now I know pain.







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## Spark (Nov 21, 2001)

My first was delivered vaginally in OP position and he had his hand up. He clearly was not in a good position. Labor began with my water breaking and I just think he wasn't ready to launch.

If only we'd all followed www.spinningbabies.com with out babies. On my other two births, I followed their recommendations from 30 weeks. You would never see me reclining or leaning back on my couch. I was fanatical about it!







But, it all paid off! My first was quite painful at times 18 hour labor, but my other two were intese but not painful 4 1/2 and then 1 hour, 40 minute labors.


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## attachedmamaof3 (Dec 2, 2006)

Both of mine have been born OP...DS#1 was 7 hr labor with pretty intense back labor which I managed by staying on all 4's and having DH beat the crap out of my back (literally, I had bruises the entire length of my back afterwards)..DS#2 was 2.5 hrs of labor very intense but again managed by major counterpressure and position changes/water in tub...born with 2 (count em 2 nuchal hands- hands up near his face)....this one was our unintentional UC (midwife didn't make it, we didn't think we were that close) and actually went pretty well!! My MW's have both stated that they believe I deliver OP because that's the way my uterus is shaped/body is built...spinning babies did NOTHING and I seriously mean NOTHING for me....*sigh*...SO, we're fully expecting #3 to be OP as well..but at least now we've had practice with what to expect!


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## Spark (Nov 21, 2001)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *attachedmamaof3* 
My MW's have both stated that they believe I deliver OP because that's the way my uterus is shaped/body is built...spinning babies did NOTHING and I seriously mean NOTHING for me....*sigh*...SO, we're fully expecting #3 to be OP as well..but at least now we've had practice with what to expect!

There is that, too. A percentage of women just birth OP because of anatomy differences. The thing is, the vast majority of women can influce their baby's lie. But, our current lifestyle supports posterior babies. We have bucket seats in our cars, we have the idea that reclining is good, our computer chairs don't support straight spines, our knees are often above our hips as we sit, we just sit a lot more than our ancestors.

Couple our current lifestyle with care providers who rarely talk about the important of proper positioning and what a mama can do about it. It just leads to far more posterior babies and more painful labors.


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## attachedmamaof3 (Dec 2, 2006)

Oh, I definately agree!!

I'm very thankful that I ended up with people who gave support, etc because I'm fully aware I probably would have been c/s if I'd gone to a hospital just because of my babies' positioning. I can't imagine how I'd feel if I'd gone through all that and THEN found out there was something really simple like spinningbabies I could have done that would have drastically changed my birthing experience!!







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## ferra (Mar 2, 2006)

My first and only was delivered OP. My labor also started with my water breaking. I think he sucked in that way.

It was really painful. Though I don't know any different. Pushing was the worst for me. No urge. Big cervical lip







: I think I would have be a C-section in the hospital as well. Luckily I had lots of stregth, wonderful midwives and birth partners. His birth story totally fits his personality. It's kinda funny how that works.


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## zebaby (Nov 4, 2006)

Do most OP babies get delivered by csection? Fortunately my Family Prac. never mentioned that - she was pro vaginal delivery all the way







.

Yikes! I never thought about the possibility of having physiological predisposition to OP births







.

I'm curious to know if my baby was anterior to begin with since they did an ultrasound that Thurs. and didn't mention anything about it being OP. I was on bedrest that night due to a decel in the HR being on observation at the hospital hooked up to a monitor and an IV. I wonder if that made him turn. I was only 1-2 cm dialated at the time I was admitted for observation. Hmmm...








Kathy







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## babycatcher01 (Nov 28, 2005)

baby one dd was op back labor, #2 ds was LOA and feelings were in front, a very different feeling then from my first birth neither were what I call intense pain just felt different.


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