occiput posterior baby

a few questions all rolled into one. does anyone know why a baby ends up posterior? also, would the dr. know right away when you are pushing that the baby is "sunny side up"? lastly, could an epidural force the anterior baby into a posterior position?

my baby was posterior and i had to have an emergency c-section. her heart rate was sky high and i developed a fever. i got an epidural at 6 or 7cm i cant recall but i know that i tried to go natural but the back labor was so intense i could not even focus on pushing.(which i pushed for about 2 hrs). i guess im wondering if the dr. and/or nurse could tell right away (during my pushing) that my baby was posterior, could it have been turned manually during the early stages if they noticed?
i do recall getting on all 4's (lovely huh?) and after being wheeled in to do the emergency c-sect. dr.s attempted to turn manually, used the vacumue, tried manually again and no success.

did i do something during my pregnancy that caused my baby to turn? lots of questions i know. i also know this may be difficult to answer because no one was there but i guess if anyone has any general information that would help.
thanks a bunch!

[anothergirl]

You didn't do anything, your baby decided to position itself that way. Suggestions to get your baby to turn are completely theoretical and won't necessarily work, even the doctor trying to reposition (as you found out). I had the same questions because my first was delivered vaginally, with an epidural, facing up. It was painful even with the pain relieve and felt as if my pelvic bone was going to shatter. Now that I'm due with #2 in a few more weeks I was worried, I'd like to have this one naturally or at least with as little meds as possible. The childbirth class instructor said the doctor can tell by an abdominal exam what position the baby is in but that not all docs will try to turn a baby. My OB (different than with #1) has a wait and see approach and is just happy the baby is head down. Sorry I can't answer more and I hope this helps a little.

[corykis okay]

no you didnt go anything for your baby to be posterior -sometimes a baby can turn from the last time you were examined

[cutiemama]

I think with my dd they knew about 1/2 way through my labour that she was posterior and they manually turned her when I was fully dilated.  I don't think that we have any control over in what positions are babies end up. Good luck.

[duehring]

My first baby was face up and it was aweful labor. It causes severe back labor. I did it drug free but it was aweful. I had to push on all 4's too which finally turned her around.

I have had 3 babies since and none of them were positioned that way and I was able to push them out very easily. I think it just happens once in awhile and who knows why.

[Wanting]

ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THIS JUST HAPPENING???????

WHAT DID YOU HAVE??????  I AM SO CONFUSED!!!!!

PLEASE LET US KNOW IF THIS IS A PAST PREGNANCY OR THE ONE YOU JUST HAD!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MandaJo111]

My DS was frank breech.  His head and feet were in my rib area, and his butt was at the bottom.  

I had complained for a while that my ribs were really really hurting, and was told that it was just my son kicking my ribs.  I knew it had to be more because it was not occasional, it was constant.  

At 37 weeks, the sent me in for an u/s, and sure enough, his head had lodged in my rib cage and I also had low amniotic fluid.

They took me in right away for an emergency c-section.  They found out he also had a true knot in the cord.  

When he was born he had an indentation and bruising on his head from where he had lodged.  The bruising stayed for about 2 or 3 months before it faded away.  His head still at 3 has a small indentation from where he was.  

It was nothing I did to get him in that position.  Each baby has its own mind.  There is nothing you could have done any different.

Take care and good luck,

Amanda

[oceans3]

noooo, i am just obsessing about the past! my daughter just turned 4. i just have a lot of unanswered questions still! her being posterior was something we didnt even learn about in baby class! i never heard of it. so i was shocked when it happened.
still trying to learn.

believe it/not the other post about "c-section incision" prompted me to do a little research for her on why her dr.made the cut on the side. as i was looking for info., i saw "reasons" for a c-section and that just got my mind going all over again.

also, while reading, it said that you sometimes can have a vaginal birth after a c-sect. also, if you had a posterior baby, chances are you will have another. lastly, during pregnancy,sometimes the positions you sit/sleep in can push the baby in a posterior position. of course i didnt like reading those things (except the possibility of a vaginal birth after a c-sect.) sooo, i decided to ask any of you if you knew answers to my questions or possibly experienced a posterior baby.

sorry for the confusion and thank you all for responding i appreciate it. i guess i should just appreciate that she is a lovely, healthy, smart girl but seriously, it does feel like yesterday that she was born and pair that with unanswered questions just makes me wonder every now and then.

good luck to all who are trying! my husband and i were not trying and brought home a souvineer over the mexican border if ya know what i mean! total shock because i didnt think i was ovulating. my period had ended for 2 days and then we "got busy". so go on vacation, dont think about it, dont stress and see what happens!