Posterior position, or as my mother says face to pubes, is often part of an explanation for why a baby apparently won’t come out. Delay in the first stage (baby mal positioned so won’t dilate to the standard 12 hour time limit). Delay in the second stage (timed out after a certain amount of time of pushing) . There is a recurring theme.
You can find lots of information in my previous post on posterior positioning
Sometimes no matter how much you try the baby just wants to be posterior and regardless to the system view that this is just too difficult, if you just go with it they birth perfectly well.
It is my pleasure to share these beautiful pictures with you.
Spontaneously the woman felt the need to lean back a little instead of leaning forward.
The baby's head is born looking up at us
She asked me to lift the baby up for her. As his shoulders were being born.
As you can see the baby has his cord around is neck but was born with no drama or emergency and was easy to unwrap after the birth.
Just for added interest this is the water after she has birthed her baby and stepped out of the pool. The placenta was born on the land just after she got out.
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How is it that there was no blood in the water?
Thank you for sharing these pictures. They are beautiful.
Interesting! My 4th was born posterior, and I also kept trying to lean backwards, especially the nearer the end we got.
I had coached my husband to help me stay off of my back through the labor, and so he kept moving me forward-leaning every time I would lean back, just like he had been taught!
Now it makes more sense! We got the sweet babe out in spite of that though!
(We were UP/UC)
amazing pictures, wow! how big was the baby? looks like a big one!
baby weighed in at 9lb 9oz
Beautiful!
Thanks for sharing that Lisa…and thankyou and congratulations to mama and family
How beautiful!
aww…makes me all teary and wanting more! lovely pics, thanks to all fr sharing. My first was posterior and painful and at home. i just had to take it easy and slow down the push so the 9.6 pounder could emerge!
What a great series of photos, baby looked like a good size!
The clear water shot is also good, thanks!
It’s funny – I arched backwards a lot during my labour with Arlo too, but he was LOA. I guess you should just go with what you feel at the time!
Thanks to the family and you for sharing these wonderful photos. Who is taking this set of pics?
A long time ago, during my training, I was told that these babies see the sunny side of life, as they are sunnyside up.
It was a fantatic Doula called Honey taking the pics. I was born posterior and I’m sure I always see the sunny side!!!
Amazing pictures thank you so much for sharing
Wow, that’s really pretty incredible.
Must blog about posterior, too. I’m skeptical that so many babies are post. In the old days, the grannies used to say “Do you have any backache, dear?” If you said “no” you weren’t having a baby any time soon. Back ache means something is happening–not a malposition. You’ll notice that no dr will put forceps or vaccuum on based on a vag exam. That requires a probing right in till they get to the ear and see which direction the ear is facing. I think a lot of practitioners have no idea of the position of the baby and say it’s posterior just to discourage the mother.
These pics are lovely. It’s so rare to have a truly face to pubes birth. I think they remain face to pubes because
a) the pelvis is roomy and they don’t have to turn
b) the cord is around the neck and it doesn’t feel good to the baby when it tries to turn, so he/she somehow puts on the brakes even tho the piston action of the fundus is working to force a turn.
I had little Noah (22 months) in water and it was clear too which was great because initially I felt it just too icky to sit in all “that goo”, all that was left in the water was a tiny piece of his little sac (cute.
Thankyou to this wonderful family for sharing such an intimate and precious time in their lives too enourage other women who are having posteriors and also to those of us who think waterbirth “too icky too sit in”.
Blessings to you all
Angela
Student doula and mother of seven
I had little Rain posterior also at 40wks + however I was not aware that she was posterior UNTIL the midwife asked me to stop pushing just when her head was on its way out.
It was my third natural labour and from start to finish was 3hrs and 20 mins. It was extremely painful and with a little gas I managed to get myself to a place where I could see the light at the end of the tunnel LOL. All in all I was told I did really well considering I had a posterior birth, this was truly a face to pubes birth!
By the way the photos are amazing! Next one we are having a water birth!
As Ina May said…. ‘we didn’t know about posterior babies ….. we just knew some babies took a little longer to be born”….
As a women who’s babies were all posterior…. i know.. it just takes a little longer… and if no’one gives you any reason to be worried… you can just go with it. I was 21… knew nothing… and birthed… posterior… after 24 hours or so… and that moment has stayed with me forever… the moment… Ella was born… I knew.. if i could do that… I could do ANYTHING!!!!! Thank you baby Ella for the best lesson of my life.
beautiful pictures! Both of my boys were face up. It can make things a little more challenging.
I love it when the first time anyone realised that a baby was in the OP position is when we first see this little face looking up at you. Who cares what position it’s in-descent is obvious and it’s here!!! : )
My baby boy was born face to pubes at home in a birthing pool. I didn’t know he was posterior before labour as MW did not palpate me and I had no back ache. I had a 10 hour prelabour, 7 hour established labour and 45 mins of pushing. Only found out he was posterior when his head was born. MW shouted to back-up MW “McRoberts Manoevre NOW!!” This involved pulling my legs back so my knees were near my ears so that his head wouldn’t go back in. I birthed in the same position as the woman in the pictures. My pool was also as clear as that except baby passed meconium as he was born. Lovely pictures and well done!!