Research and resources for perinatal professionals.
July 21, 2013
By: Cara Terreri, LCCE, CD(DONA) | 0 Comments
Ah, the notorious "back labor." You may have experienced back labor yourself, but if not, you've probably heard about it from a friend/sister/mother who loves to talk about her experience with back labor. Back labor is just another variation of normal labor, but women who experience it often describe their pains or sensations during contractions as centering primarily in their lower back or above their sacrum. It is believed that back labor is caused by a baby's position during labor and birth. Most babies prepare for birth by facing their mama's back, with their head facing mom's pelvis. Some babies, for reasons not exactly known, decide to face in the other direction so that their head rests on mom's spine (also known as an occiput posterior or "OP" baby). Because of baby's "malpositioning" for birth, mom can experience added discomfort in her back.
If you or someone you are with experience what you think may be back labor, there are things you can do to either relieve the pain and/or change baby's position (which should then relieve the pain).
Position Changes
Comfort Measures
photo credit: cscott2006 via photopin cc
Subscribe by Email
RSS Feed