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01-25-2013 at 11:22 AM
Spacebunny...
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Sunny side up, back birth & epidurals...?

So, I posted previously that I had talked to my doc and decided to go sans-epidural this time because my epidural for DD#1 didn't really work.  As it didn't work but I was bed-bound, I couldn't take advantage of a lot of the other techniques (such as walking or getting in lots of better positions.)  Doc & I both thought this was a good idea.

Well, yesterday I was re-reading my "What to Expect..." and I was reading about the different presentations & also more on epidurals.

It specifically talked about what happens when a baby is sunny side up--DD was.  How the pressure is so intense that it often makes an epidural ineffective unless the dose is significantly increased; how even if the baby gets turned, the residual soreness & pressure is still incredibly intense, etc.

On the flip side, it also talked about the best positions to be in if a baby is sunny side up (kneeling) if you're going natural.

 

So...I'm kind of back on the fence.  My doc (who was a NP and not my OB who delivered DD) that I talked to didn't discuss the role that DD being sunny-side up may have played in the efficacy of the epidural.  

Anyone else have a sunny side up baby?  

I'm just thinking that maybe a better game plan this time is to decline pain meds until I'm examined, and then find out if DD#2 is likewise sunny side up, and if so, just go without and do the counterpressure and so forth, but if not, try the epidural again and hope *that* was the reason it wasn't effective for DD#1.   


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01-25-2013 at 11:34 AM
+adamwife+
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I had an epi with #1 and he was posterior.  I actually got the epi because of the pain of the posterior birth.  I think I could have done it without it.  Anyways, my epi worked well, so the position didn't effect it.

#3 was also posterior and I did it without the epi.

01-25-2013 at 11:47 AM
SpringPeep...
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DD was sunny side up and when I eventually got the epidural for a forceps delivery, it worked. Well, the had to up it after the first bolus, but I could still move/feel my legs, so I assume it wasn't insanely high.

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01-25-2013 at 11:51 AM
lildevil96...
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Lurking, but DD was sunny side up, and I had horrible back labor with her. DS was also sunny side up, a lot smaller than DD, and I did not have back labor with him.

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01-25-2013 at 11:53 AM
AmieV3
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My DD was sunny side up and I had back labor.  However I choose IV drugs.
01-25-2013 at 12:18 PM
BelhurstBr...
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DD was sunny side up as well and it was the back labor that led me to get the epi. 

I've never heard that sunny side up affecting the epi, but it makes sense in relation to my experience. I found that the epi, at best, dulled the pain and I was frustrated to then be tied to the bed.

I wasn't examined prior to the administration of the epi and found out after that I was at 8cm. I think had I known that I would have tried to wait it out. The epi most definitely slowed things for me and considering the pain I was still in I was pretty frustrated.

My game plan this time is to still just go with it.  



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01-25-2013 at 12:47 PM
nyki06
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My daughter was sunny side up for the first 25 hours of labor and then flipped at the last minute. We did exercises like door squats, stairs etc to encourage her to roll over. I'm not worried about this baby being sunny side up because every baby is different and it's way too early to assume that they will be. I would highly recommend not using a reclining chair though because I've read a lot about reclining being related to bad positioning (sorry, too lazy for links). 

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01-25-2013 at 1:23 PM
PandasMama...
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DD was sunny side up and we didn't know until she born. Since she was my first, I had no idea all that back labor was due to the back of her skull on my sacrum. I had the usual epi but once she started to descend, I might as well have had nothing at all. I wish I had known about all the issues a sunny side up baby would present because I would have declined the epi all together and opted for counter pressure and being in a tub for the labor. This time, I'm not even bothering with an epi unless I know for sure baby is facing the correct way. 

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01-25-2013 at 2:33 PM
BrittKav
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Interesting. DD1 was sunny-side up, though we didn't know until birth. My epi didn't work at all. I had horrible back labor and the pressure on my butt was the most intense pain I'd ever felt.

DD2 was born the correct way and my epi worked fine, and it was an easy birth. 


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01-25-2013 at 3:37 PM
elizhope
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My DD was my first and she was sunny side up. My epi did not work at all and the birth was very painful. Especially in my back and butt/thigh area. I can still feel where the pain was on my butt. They kept pumping me full of pain meds, but nothing was working.

My son was my 2nd baby, and he was NOT sunny side up. He was in the perfect, normal position. The epi worked beautifully and I had a perfect, amazing delivery. I felt pressure, but no pain. It was such a great experience.


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01-25-2013 at 3:46 PM
PotomacSt
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I had a sunnyside up baby, intensely painful back labor, and an epidural that was so fabulous that I had zero pain but still had great control of my legs. So that's definitely not always true.

 

01-25-2013 at 4:07 PM
BoatsNHoes
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DD was sunny side up, no back labor and my Epidural was a gift from god. I felt nothing until the very end.

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01-25-2013 at 7:11 PM
Spacebunny...
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elizhope:

My DD was my first and she was sunny side up. My epi did not work at all and the birth was very painful. Especially in my back and butt/thigh area. I can still feel where the pain was on my butt. They kept pumping me full of pain meds, but nothing was working.

My son was my 2nd baby, and he was NOT sunny side up. He was in the perfect, normal position. The epi worked beautifully and I had a perfect, amazing delivery. I felt pressure, but no pain. It was such a great experience.

See, this is what I'm thinking!  

If DD#2 is sunny side up, skip the epidural or risk repeat of last time.

If she's not, go for the epidural.  Assume it'll work and have a much more easy experience.

So far we're joking that DD#2 is the "cooperative" one (DD#1:  I had GD, weird WBC issues, and decided to come 2 days after my mom died--c'mon, 2 days earlier, she totally could have done that!)  So I'll tell DD#2 that she should arrive on April 2 (that's a good convenient date for us ;) and that she is NOT to arrive Sunny Side Up! 


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01-25-2013 at 7:36 PM
alohachris...
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My first was sunny side up and my epi wasn't as effective, I tried it again with #2 ad it worked perfect and he was not sunny side up.

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01-26-2013 at 2:04 AM
Kimbus22
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DS was sunny side up. I had an epidural.  It was awesome.  It did jackshiit when I was pushing but it was nice when I was just having contractions.

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01-26-2013 at 10:30 AM
DMG122183
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The doctor should be able to feel the presentation of the baby by just palpating your abdomen. There are a bunch of maneuvers on www.spinningbabies.com that can help get him to the right position to begin with.

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01-26-2013 at 11:10 AM
PrincessFi...
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Lurking, but for me DD being sunny side up definitely decreased the efficacy of the epi. I could feel every contraction, was absolutely miserable the whole time. Luckily I couldn't feel my vagina, that was the only benefit. I hated being bedridden. I plan to go natural next time I have a LO.
 
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