Back labor

Back labor (less commonly called posterior labor) is a term referring to sensations of pain or discomfort that occur in the lower back, just above the tailbone, to a mother during childbirth.

Back labor may be noted when the baby is face up in the birth canal (occiput posterior), and not face down, so that the back of the baby's skull (occiput) is pushed against the mother's sacrum. But back labor can also occur when the baby is not in that position. The discomfort is often noted to be intensely painful, and may not completely abate between contractions. Whether back labor will occur cannot be predicted in advance. Reports of how many mothers experience back labor vary, though estimates in the range of 30% are common.