Question for OB nurse, midwife, or doctor...?

Question

My sister in law is in labor right now and my mom is updating me over the phone. She has been pushing for over 3 hrs and the baby is in the occiput posterior position. Should they have been having her push that long if it was in that position? And also, as soon as the head was visible, apparently a different nurse came in and took her hand and pushed the baby all the way back up. I am not a nurse, but that didn't sound right to me. And now they are telling her they are going to wait 15 min. and if the baby is in the same position they will do the c-section.
I am scared they are waiting to long to do that. She has already been at the hospital about 20 hrs with nothing to eat and exhausted. To me, the nurse shoving the baby back up the birth canal sounds harmful to the baby.... Can anyone help me out and tell me if I am right or that is something "normal?"

Thanks to anyone who can give me some insight! :)

Answer 1

Occiput posterior position means baby is "sunny side up" which causes back labor and makes it difficult to get baby out. They get "stuck" coming around the corner down there. Babies are supposed to come out looking down at the floor then the head turns to the side. Most likely the nurse was trying to turn the baby's head so baby could descend effectively with each push.

I have some "real life" experience and can tell you that regardless of what you may hear, pushing more than two hours, especially after a long labor lying flat with an epidural and fluids often causes the cervix and perineum to swell badly and mom to get exhausted and discouraged.

It's not a hard and fast rule though but generally if baby hasn't made his way out by the two hour mark the OB starts talking about vacuum delivery or a c-section.

Answer 2

It's OK.

OP means that the baby is facing the wrong way. The baby is supposed to come out with it's face towards mom's tailbone. Instead, her baby is trying to come out with it's face towards mom's front. Babies CAN be born OP, but it's harder and more painful for mom.

I'm guessing she may be a first time mom? Many first time mothers push for a long time. 3 hours sounds exhausting, but it's not outside the realm of normal...especially with a first time mom and an OP baby. AND if she has had a epidural then her ability to feel what is going on and to change positions has been taken away and that can make pushing take longer. (BUT.....I can't imagine making a mom push that long if they weren't seeing progress?)

I am guessing that when the nurse "pushed the baby all the way back up" she may have actually been trying to get the baby to turn into a better position.

If your SIL is not numbed from meds already, have her try changing positions and getting onto all 4's if you can get ahold of your mom to pass the info on. This is a good position when baby is OP.

If the baby is coping well with labor and the heart rate is OK, then all is fine. I'm sure they've been monitoring this on a regular basis, if not constantly.

SIL is going to be exhausted and baby may have a "conehead" for a little while from being in the birth canal for so long, but it will go away. I'm sure they'll be just fine.

Answer 3

I am NOT a doctor but have been told by a midwife that the United States is notorious for performing unecessary C-sections, and for making them seem "Medically necessary" - usually by interfering with the natural progression of childbirth. IE, pushing the baby back in?? I don't know for 100%, but I thought I would share that.

To me, and in my own opinion, based on what informations I've been given,

That sounds Wrong.

Sounds like they want to hurry up and get her out of there, and they'll perform a C-section in order to do that. Also there is this thing, once the water has broken, and a foreign object (hand, forceps, other tools etc) has entered the vagina, the doctors "Have" to deliver the baby 24 hours later because of "risk of infection".

They are really doing something wrong, it seems they are trying to give her a C-section instead of letting her deliver naturally. I don't know what her preferences are, but it doesn't sound right to me.

Don't take my word for it though; I am NOT a doctor, midwife or OB at all. I am 6 months pregnant myself and have been researching birthing options and studying the stuff about pregnancy and delivery, talking to midwives on here and such.

I've read some articles on CNN and other news sites, stating how some hospitals are more prone than others to perform C-sections.

I hope everything goes well and she delivers soon!!

I send good energy her way, and lots of peace and calm.

EDIT TO ADD:

Also, if the baby was visible there really shouldn't have been any reason he couldn't have come out... Seems like common sense, but I could be wrong. My instincts are telling me, though, that was wrong.

Answer 4

I have my mom on the phone and she is a OB nurse. She said that no one should push after two hrs if ther is no progress. Or they can push for 3 hrs is ther is progress. She said the nurse shouldn't have pushed the baby back up. She said that most doctors wouldn't do that. She said if no progress after two hrs they should do a c-section. She said that the baby could have been born like that since it was already that far. She said the nurse could have hurt the baby but won't know until it is born. If so get a lawyer!

The above answer: the baby was sick becasue of what went on.

Answer 5

A midwife is extra of a holistic, "whole care" method. Yes, there are midwives within the US. Midwives are not able to participate in c-sections and wish on OB gift for such a lot prime-chance and/or emergency tactics. If you have got an OB and prefer them, I advocate staying with them. If you're watching for anything exceptional, do a little study on midwifery on your field. There is also one to be had at your possess OB institution train.

Answer 6

Well I don't know if its normal but it happened to me . I was in labor for42 hrs before I started pushing. I pushed for 2 hrs and he wouldn't come out. He was face up instead of face down. The nurse kept pushing him back up and trying to turn him. Finally the paniced doctor arived and said it was too late for a c section so he gave me one hell of an epesiotomy and used the forcepts to get him out. SOOOOOOO painful even with an epidural! My son was very sick when he came out, He was in the nicu for one week! If I had it to do over again, I would ask alot of questions and demand answers. She needs to demand what she feels is right!!! good luck

Answer 7

i am not a doctor or nurse but they should went ahead and give her a c-section

Answer 8

you have to be a doctor!