Conference moira::parenting_v3

    My son was born like this. He came out face first.  Labor was not bad,
    but the pushing was not pleasant.  They ended up taking him out
    with a vacuum extractor, because my doctor did not believe in using
    forceps.
    
    - Sandy
    

    
    
    My son was born like this too.  Face first. I can't answer on the labor
    part for I had an Epidoral (SP?).  They did end up using the vacuum
    extractor as well.  After he was born he had 2 bumps on his head
    because using it the first time it had fallen off.  Other then that
    he was fine.

Sarah:

	During my labor, my doctor decided that Cory was face up.  She also
used a vacuum extractor but lo and behold, he was born face down.  She's 
still not sure whether he was ever face up or if he was just "hung up" on
my pelvis.

	He had a small red bump on his head that only lasted a few days.


- Terry

Mine was like that too.  I had very painful back labor, and was told that her
position was why.  Towards the end of my labor (~6cm) they had me turn on one
side then the other, and keep changing positions, to turn the baby around.
I'm not sure how much she turned and how much the delivery was done by forceps.
I didn't have to have a section, though....

Good Luck on your labor and delivery!
Kristn

	"Sunny side up babies" are more likely to cause back labor.

	My daughter was both Face up and a C-section.  My c-section was decided 
on, because after *hours* of being on pitocin, I was still only 7cm dilated.

	The doctor stated that he felt that the reason for the lack of progress 
was 1) big baby (8lb 9oz, 20in)  2) small mommy (I have a vey small bone
structure and 3) the face up presentation.

Tracey

    My niece was facing this way.  They used the vacuum and forceps.
    My sister-in-law didn't experience the bad back labor that I've
    often read accompanies this type of birth.  What a lump that
    vacuum leaves on the baby's little head!
    
    Donna
    

In LaMaze they told us, "there's lots of positions, so choose the ones you
are most comfortable in."  I did, but my baby was also apparently turned
that way, and I was in back labor all night long.  Finally, the next morning,
after more than 24 hours of labor and being 5 cm all night, a wonderful nurse
came in (whom I hated  ;-) ) and said, "Turn on your other side."  It was
agony, but after less than an hour, I was suddenly 9+ cm. 

While I was in the pain, I "hated" her, and smilingly told her so (actually I
think I also "flipped her off").  :-)  She just smiled back and said, "I
know."  I wouldn't stop singing her praises afterwards, though.  She was
the best nurse I had.  I wish an earlier nurse had made me turn over so the
baby would shift.

         Carol

    Both of my babies were sunny-side.  With Maggie, they didn't know until
    she was well into the birth canal - seems she started in the right
    position (which, I believe is facing to one side or the other) but
    rotated the wrong way into the birth canal.  Because I also have a
    largish, hooked tailbone, (which they knew from a pelvic x-ray taken
    earlier) she got stuck.  The options were forceps (or vacuum) and break
    the tailbone - or c-section.  From what I have heard from women whose
    coccyx has broken during birth, I guess the section was the better
    alternative.
    
    When I was in labor with Brian, my o.b. discovered during an internal
    that he was probably going to be o.p. as well (occipital posterior).
    We had suspected this because I was having mega back labor all along.
    My coach, a lay midwife, asked if she could try me in a few different
    positions to try an turn him.  So I spent transition standing (with my
    arms around my husbands neck to hold me up during contractions) and
    kneeling and sqwatting.  It worked!  And he was a V-BAC to boot.
    
    So I guess it may depend, at least partially, on when the baby decides
    to turn o.p.
    
    Norma 

    Steven was sunny-side-up and I had no problem with the labor or
    delivery (except for the back labor, which is painful but not as
    bad as pitocin).  Took about six hours total, maybe two hours of
    hard labor and 10 min. pushing.  
    
    The only complication I did have is because the baby was facing
    forward, he kicked the organs in front of the birth canal --
    including my bladder, which was rather badly bruised and took
    weeks to heal (I couldn't feel when it was full because the
    bruising deadened the nerve ends . . . could have been
    embarrasing. . . )
    
    --bonnie

    Alex was posterior and he was delivered using forceps and suction.
    The pushing was the worst part and I was really not prepared for it
    (2 1/2 hours), I had a midwife who wanted to try to go as far as 
    possible without using anything, so actually it was a relief when
    they finally used the above.  Because of the complications a Doctor
    was brought in to actually deliver and he warned us the babys head
    would probably be somewhat misshapen due to all the manuevering.  
    Well he had the most perfect round head and even now (he is 5 1/2 
    months) everyone still comments on what a perfect little round head
    he has.  He had a very bright red forcep mard on his face that
    completely disappeared in days.
    
    I felt so lucky that I did not have a C-section happy doctor (although
    at the time I think I was begging for one).
    
    Good Luck,
    
    Mary
    

    My little guy, Alexander, came out sideways, that is, ear up.
    He was fully engaged in my pelvis at 28 weeks....so far down that
    by 32 weeks we couldn't even see his head via ultrasound.  Anyway,
    we didn't know ahead of time what his position was, and I didn't
    learn how he came out until after the fact.  His little nose was
    black and blue.  I kept waiting to feel the relief I'd heard about
    when the pushing phase started--no such luck!  It only took about
    45 minutes of pushing.  Did I say "only"?
    
    He is wonderful and worth every pain.
    
    Good luck!
    
    Linette
    

    Yes, I remember back labor due to a "sunny side up" presentation.  I
    was luck though, as both of of the babies spun on their own.  With my
    first, they told me I would push for a "long" time.  The nurses had me
    lay on my side and they held my leg up for every push (not the most
    graceful position I must say) but it worked. I felt him spin! It is 
    strange, but when they spin you can feel them come down the canal MUCH
    faster and all it took was 1/2 hr of pushing.  My second I felt spin
    and come down REAL quick; too quick actually it was scarry.  No nurses
    were with us and I hadn't been checked  since labor started because
    the Dr had gone back to his office.  Anyway, I labored kneeling on the
    birthing bed holding on to the head of the bed (had it raised all the
    way up)  The gravity really worked well - within 1/2 hr of getting in
    this position, the baby was born.  Total labor 3 hrs - 10lb baby.
    
    You never know don't automatically think you will have a "C" section or
    they will need to help the baby out.  One never knows - Don't worry
    about this, just keep yourself healthy and rested for the delivery!
    

    This one hits home. My daughter was in that position and I had back
    labor due to her head being on my spine. Back labor was painful sinc
    now you hurt all around. But the jaccuzzi in the hospital helped a lot
    to ease the pain. Fortunately for me she turned around at the last
    minute and then everything else was easy. So, the baby can surprise you
    even a few minutes before arriving.
    
    Shaila

    I had been laboring at home for 2 days off and one with Samantha.  She
    was almost 2 weeks late, so I had an appointment for a stress
    (non-stress?) test with the doctor to ensure she was okay.  Well,
    during the ultrasound we WATCHED her turn sunny-side-up!!!  
    
    To make a _very_ long story (and experience :) ) short, she stayed face
    up and that same day I went c-section for a number of reasons, 
    including: 1) fetal heartbeat began decreasing due to too-long labor; 
    2) she was face-up; 3) she was big, 8 lb. 5 1/2 oz., 23 1/2".
    
    Don't panic about any of the possibilities you may face, including
    c-section.  The baby comes out when it's ready and how it wants to. 
    And you'll love it more than you can possibly believe no matter what
    your birth experience is -- and you'll forget the details of the
    discomfort (okay, pain!) it took to deliver your little miracle.
    
    Best wishes for a happy, healthy baby!
    
    Cheryl              
      

<    and you'll forget the details of the
<    discomfort (okay, pain!) it took to deliver your little miracle.
    
HA!  Maybe you did, but *I* haven't.  However, it was worth it.

One thing I just was reminded of, my baby was facing up when born, but
he somehow shifted position enough so that I wasn't stuck anymore at
those 5 cm.

        Carol

    Hi again,
    
    Well thanks for all the information and encouragement!!
    
    I haven't given birth yet, and at the moment she is still in
    the posterior position.  I guess I must just relax and not
    worry about it!!
    
    I'll let you know how it turns out!
    
    Thanks again,
    Sarah

    SARAH,
    
    One thing I have seen work, not for turning babies around, but for
    comfort for you during labor is see if you can crouch, or be on your
    hand and knees, or bend over across a chair during labor.  
    
    I have had two "stargazers" and have coached another person through a
    posterior presentation, and the major problem has been keeping the
    babies' hard back of the skull away from my spine as much as possible. 
    Having your labor coach apply pressure to your lower back as the baby
    head comes through the pelvis also helps.
    
    FWIW: keep a positive attitude.  The real nitty gritty get done to
    breathing labor lasted only 3 hours on my first, 4 on the second, and 2
    hours on the lady I coached.  No forcepts or vacuum extractors were
    needed.
    
    Meg 

    My son was also a sunnyside up baby.  I, too, had excruciating back
    labor.  Most helpful for me was HOT showers throughout labor.  My
    doctor had stripped the membranes the morning before Josh was born
    and I always wondered if we would have just let nature take it's
    course if he would have turned on his own before labor.  Labor was
    difficult and extremely painful (pushing for 5 hours!!!) and I have
    not forgotten the pain but like someone else said--it was all worth
    it.  A few things the doctor had me try--loads of positions, including
    squatting and pushing with a "squat bar", laying on different sides,
    walking, stretching, and drinking cranberry juice to keep my energy
    up and the baby's heart rate going.  I would do it all again EXCEPT
    the cranberry juice--I was sick the entire time, vomiting in between
    pushing, and hope never to ever see cranberry juice again.  In the
    end (after being stuck between 8-10 for 4-5 hours) the "minivac"
    and squatting to push is would helped my little guy into the world.
    Yeah, slightly misshapen head, bruised face, some residual pain
    for me, but holding him in my arms made it all seem minor compared
    with the little miracle I had.
    
    Pam