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Back on Track

Tips for Easing Back Labor

By Kendeyl Johansen

"My back labor was horrendous," says Lynne Anderson of Salt Lake City, Utah. "I felt excruciating lower back pain, originating in my lumbar area and radiating around to my abdomen. It felt like my back was literally breaking in two, and I was arching off the bed in response to the pain."

Most women have heard of back labor. But what exactly is it and how can the pain be eased? Dr. Glade B. Curtis, OB/GYN and author of Your Pregnancy Week by Week defines back labor as pain during the last few weeks of pregnancy or during labor that is experienced in the lower back or on the back of the hips. "Back labor is caused by the baby being in the posterior position," he says. "A baby in this position moves through the birth canal with his or her face towards the ceiling instead of pointed down at the ground. Delivery works better with the baby looking down and extending the head as it comes out."

In general, labor pains involve the abdomen (uterus) and the pain is caused by the contraction or tightening of the uterus. "It's possible to have back labor come and go as the baby negotiates the birth canal changing position and pressing on different areas of the pelvis and birth canal," Dr. Curtis says. "Back labor can seem alarming to some women because the pain is in a different location then expected."

Sandra Rees-Bowen of Ferndale, Wash. knows what back labor feels like. "During delivery I couldn't move without vomiting and I was in extreme pain," she says. "The pain seemed to radiate from my back around to my belly."

Rees-Bowen had decided on natural birth and she tried Lamaze breathing, but that didn't ease her pain. She credits her doula (a supportive companion trained to provide labor support to birthing women and their families) with helping her relax. "Husbands are wonderful and definitely needed, but they (and my husband told me this himself) feel rather useless when the contractions begin," Rees-Bowen says. "A doula can keep you focused during contractions, and use things like massage and aromatherapy to help you relax."

Want to see more?

• Just in Case: Making a Plan for Cesarean Birth
• Speedy Delivery: When Forceps are Necessary
• Optimal Foetal Positioning: Rocking Your Way to a Straightforward Birth

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