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Did you/are many of you having a vaginal birth?

Hi ladies,

I had my 28wk scan last week and twin 1 is head down but twin 2 is breach. I asked both the sonographer and the consultant who both said that it is unlikely they will change positions now!! Apparently as twin 1 is head down i will have a vaginal delivery (i don't seem to get any say in it?). I'm concerned about this for a few reasons...
Firstly, i have heard so many stories of twin 1 being born vaginaly and then twin 2 not turning and having to have a section to get that baby out. I really DO NOT want to have to recover from a vaginal birth & a section!
Also i'm worried as my local hospital dosen't offer epidurals. So if they have to try & turn twin 2 i'm assuming it will be unbelievably painful?!
I do have the option to transfer to another hospital that does offer epidurals but it is almost 1hr away & as my last labour was fairly fast i'm paranoid about giving birth at the side of the road lol! Also if the babies are early & in scbu i would like to have them as close to me as possible, not 1hr away.

So basically i was wondering what kind of experiences you ladies have had. Anyone have a similar situation to mine?

I'm just really not sure what to do?:\?

Any opinions/advice greatfully received!
x

Replies

  • Hi

    I was in the same position as you inthat twin 1 was head down and twin 2 breach. I was very keen to try to have a vaginal delivery and the comsultant was happy for me to try.

    I went into labour naturally at 36 +5 and was 5 cm dilated within 1 hour. However we then stalled and there was no movement for the next 6 hours. DS was getting distressed and they were unsure how DD was getting on due to her position so I had an em c section.

    I am very glad that I tried naturally and wish I had managed it but it was not to be. I however would not have been confident going to a hospital if I could not have had a section if needed.

    HTH
  • Hi Imt,

    hope you are doing OK?

    both of mine are breach but my Obstetrician is still saying they can move positions up till 36 weeks so she won't even discuss my birth plan with me yet.

    its abit of a nightmare as i want a c-section but i've got another 6 weeks to wait before she'll discuss it.

    Re the turning, I'm not 100% sure, but I didn't think this was done under any pain killer or anaesthetic - don't think its an internal procedure, they just put pressure on your tummy to try and get them to move? Might be wrong.

    at your next scan, if they are still breach then, i'd try and discuss it again with your consultant

    nx
  • Hi,

    I was told too that if one baby is head down that I can have a natural birth. It was either on here or the bounty website that I read a bit more about it. After twin 1 is born they can try to chance twin 2's position externally (no pain relief needed) but if that doesn't work then is done internally and it said on the site pain relief will be needed.

    I had a difficult birth with my dd which I discussed when I had my consultant appointment a couple of weeks ago, I think that if I need to be induced they'll let me choose to have a c-section but either way I'll be asking for an epidural. I heard a birth story recently where the mum was induced for twins & they recommended an epidural so pain relief could easily be topped up if intervention was needed.

    Either way, I was told it would all be discussed nearer the time (am 19+2 today) I agree with you though, I don't want to have to revover from a virginal birth & c-section!

    I'd be tempted to go to the hospital that does offer epidurals to be honest, surely the other one wouldn't send you away if it did happen very quickly and you ended up there? Perhaps you could ask for more info re the turning & what pain relief they can provide, what do they give for a c-section then? Could that be given instead?

    Lisa
  • Hi,

    My friend had her twins virginally, with no problems. She's tiny at just under 5 foot tall and had two 6lb babies!

    xxx
  • I had a vaginal birth for our twins and delivered twin 1 head down and twin 2 breach. we attempted a turn after twin one one was out but it failed. You are offered pain relief for the turn but it depends on how quick your labour is- mine was 50 mins so as everything happened so quickly knnow time for a spinal block they just did it! in all honesty it did not hurt at all just like baby moving around in your tummy normall, theres so much room after twin 1s out its easy!!!

    It really is ur choice hun if you don't want to deliver vaginally and it doesn't really matter on the position then tell them i know plenty of mums who have.

    Hopefully it will help and not scare or worry you but miy birth story is below so you can see it from delivery as they are suggesting at present to you.

    16th December, 37+5 weeks

    Having tossed and turned all night with nerves I decided to get up at around 6:30am to do final ???????prep??????? before we had to head off to the hospital for around 8:30am, I must admit although nerves were very much kicking in I was also feeling a great sense of anger with myself that all the false alarms hadn't amounted to anything and yet again I was having to be induced, but at least we would finally be holding the babies!

    By half 8 we're were up on the ward waiting for someone to book us in explain what would happen etc....at 10am we were still waiting for this to happen when a MW came to tell us we were in the wrong place and as we were having twins had to be induced upstairs and to go straight up- to say we were far from impressed was an understatement!!

    Anyway we headed up to the labour ward and were booked in straight away and were introduced to our ???????team??????? who went through everything and promptly got us hooked up to the trace machines did an internal where I was declared 1-2cms and ready to insert the gel, this was done at 11:00am and we were pretty much left to our own devices, so hubby and I pretty much played cards, chatted and watched the snow that had begun to fall!

    By 3:30pm things had started to happen and I was getting tightenings but they weren't that uncomfortable despite coming 3mins or so, but knowing how quick my last labour was and the lack of checks I asked to be checked just to see if there had been any progress. Unfortunately much to my disappointment there had been no change and I was not ???????in-labour??????? so would need the second lot of gel which was inserted at 5:00pm.

    At 8:00pm our new MW Louise came and introduced herself and see how I was doing. Again I was still fine so she advised having a bath and paracetmol if needed which I did as although the pains were coming and weren't that bad I was beginning to feel achy and wasn't able to relax.

    This is then how it carried on for the next few hours there was just no progress pains were no more intense or regular and no dilation so we were advised that I would be rested over night and try again in the morning. I must admit I was really upset it seemed like a wasted day, but more so that hubby would be sent home! Thankfully this wasn't the case and Louise bought a bean bag in for him to sleep on the floor next to me, and a birthing ball to see if we could progress on our own!

    17th December 37+6 weeks

    Louise came to check on us at 2:20am, unfortunately there still hadn't been any progress so she advised maybe another bath to relax and then some pethadine to help me sleep. So we headed back to the bath and stayed there for maybe 15 minutes, but I was so hot I decided to get out and head back to bed and try and sleep.......

    Its here where things get a little fuzzy and a lot hubby has told me. Now I felt I'd been dozing on the bed for around half hour maybe more and pains had disappeared when all of a sudden I had a really intense contraction which woke me up and a sudden need for a wee so I shot up and dashed to the loo ( I loose dashed loosely, lol) and realised that I just couldn't stop ???????going??????? and my contractions were coming quickly and were intense , not really sure what to do as I hadn't told anyone where I'd gone I had to pull the emergency cord...queue alarms going off!!

    Funnily enough the 1st person there was hubby telling me to open the door, apparently he just ???????knew??????? it was me! Next was a student MW who we later learned was absolutely terrified when she saw it was me as she only been there a week and it was her first emergency answer and I was high risk!
    I literally at this point (2:50am) couldn't move and was standing there in just my top no trousers or knickers on wih contractions coming every 2 mins and starting to bear down while we waited for my MW who had taken another lady downstairs to come back.

    Thankfully she walked past the bathroom and I think generally didn't believe that things had got that bad in the space of 15 minutes when she'd seen me get out of the bath, so quite calmly suggested I get back on the bed and would do a quick check.....well I'm told this is what she said cause all I kept saying was ???????no I don't want to do this anymore???????.

    So on the bed I get, quick internal and more ???????I can't do this from me???????, when I'm very firmly told by Louise I can do this and the babies are coming right now!! Queue drama, masses of people and I'm being wheeled down the corridor pushing to the main delivery room, hubby bless him has to grab everything and run after us.

    3:00am I'm moved on to the bed in the main delivery room handed G&A and everything is quickly being prepared around us and the rest of the ???????team??????? start coming in (anaesthetist, neonatal, registrar, consultant, lead MW).

    3:11am started pushing..
    3:13am twin 1 (Jack) delivered crying on to my chest and hubby cut the cord.

    Immediately the consultant is on hand scanning me as we already knew twin 2 was transverse and they needed to attempt to turn her. Unfortunately this went wrong and she turned breach and went into distress instantly, so we were immediately rushed through to theatre.....this was especially terrifying for me as I couldn't see hubby (who had been taken to get into scrubs) nor could I see my newborn son only my MW who seeing how scared I was just held my hand and stroked my hair.

    Once in theatre I was moved on to another bed and put into hanging stirrups, I don't really remember much from this point as it was all go and there were so many people to focus on but I do remember hubby arriving to hold my hand and begging to not have to deliver breach but to do a c-section which they were prepping for. Unfortunately our Poppy's heartbeat was getting weaker and weaker and c-section would take to long so with the next contraction I pushed the consultant put his hand in too and grabbed her sack and out she popped bum 1st in her sack with the cord twice round her neck at 3:34am

    Immediately she was rushed off to be resuscitated which took 3 minutes but to us felt like a life time for that little cry and still makes me tearful at how scared I was.

    So all in all our labour was around 50 minutes from my waters going to our little Poppy being delivered, it was scary due to the shear speed but so worth it, and I'm especially proud of myself that I delivered one twin on just G&A the second on nothing and managed to get away with no tears, stitches or grazes and two beautiful babies!!

    Lilac*
    xxxxxx
  • Thank you all for your replies!

    I just hate this feeling of everything being up in the air (although really i suppose all deliveries are, twins or not!) It was all just so simple with dd.
    My consultant actually told me that an epidural is normally reccomended for twin births as there is a high risk of intervention. So why on earth do they not offer them??? The funny thing is that they do spinal blocks for c-sections so i can't understand why they don't do epidurals? I would just like the option as in addition to my other worries there is a horrifying chance i may have to give birth alone!! We have not lived here long & have no one to look after dd if anything happens at night and she is my priority so if it means dh having to stay at home with her then that's just what we'll have to do. My mum (lives abroad) will be here when i'm 35/36 weeks for my brothers wedding so if anything happens then we'll be ok but otherwise who knows. At least if i could have an epidural i know i could do it as i had one with dd and my labour was pretty easy! Then again if something were to not go to plan god help me if i'm on my own...what a nightmare!
    Obviously a planned section would help us out with this issue as i could just arrange for dd to be in nursery that day but can you imagine the reaction i'd get from my consultant if i asked for a section so i can arrange childcare!! lol I don't think he'd be impressed.
    Sorry i'm rambling now, i just have so much running through my mind at the moment.

    Bennetnic - That's good to know that you were told they can still change positions up until 36 wks, i thought 28 wks was a little early for them to run out of room. How are you feeling? Is your spd bothering you much?

    Lilac - thanks for the birth story, it's always great to hear peoples actual experiences & well done you!!

    Hope some of that made sense?

    Thanks again, hope you are all well. xx
  • hi

    i was lucky both twins were head down and from the moment they used the gel to twins being was 4hours,i had just gas and air and it was fine.

    i have spoke with others who 1 head first and 1 breach and they say its not too bad turning the 2nd twin and they glad they went for natural birh.

    my twins were born at 39weeks 1 weighing almost 7lb other just over 6lb lol

    me1975 xx
  • Hi,

    I also delivered my twins naturally at 36+6. (I was induced).

    Both were head down though.

    Twin 1 - at 05.11am

    Twin 2 - at 06.32am

    Em, x
  • I'm glad you posted this!! I met with the anaethetist last week to discuss pain relief options. I will be having my twins in hospital as i am classed as high risk, a) because it's twins and b) because of previous stillbirth. I advised that I would prefer a natural birth and the anaethestist advised me that they would prefer me to have an epidural as I will be ready if i needed any intervention. My consultant advised me that as long as Twin 1 was head down then it would be fine to go for vaginal delivery. My hospital is about 40 minutes from me and they told me last week that I need to come in pretty much from the first contraction and not wait at home as I would if it were one baby. I know it's not that easy for you because of childcare but i would opt for the hospital that can offer you the epidural, for your own safety as well as the babies xx
  • Hi i have non id twin girls they were born on the 17 nov 09 at 38wk exatly i got induced as i had very low iron levels both twins were head down but as twin 1 was born twin 2 turned round but they managed to turn her round whilst she was still inside me you could always ask if this is an opotion for you when you go into labour i was also dreading recovering from a c-sec and a vag birth!!!!!!!!!! good luck anyway and try and enjoy been pregnant with twins i know its hard and youll be glad when they are here but if your like me after a few days after giving birth to them i was a little sad and missed them kicking in my belly and and that warm loving feeling i used to get :cry:
  • hiya - your concerns about the twin birth sound EXACTLY the same as mine were when i had my twins 2 years this month....
    as previous repliers have put - twins def can turn up until they are born. I had mine at 38 weeks - and twin 2 moved to breech that week.
    (just my luck)
    i was in labour for 24 hours with my twins - but they were hugging each other so tightly that a natural birth was impossible - and they were delivered by emergency c-section. had to be detangled i was told!!!!
    hope you are ok, and try not to worry because you are a high priority to the medical people - multiple mums always are!
    good luck hun
    x

  • Hey hun
    I had a vaginal birth with the girls! Twin 1 Ruby was head down so that was no problem but Ella was hlf breech she was in the process of turning to head down because they were early she hadnt quite finished lol so they do move up until there born lol! however they turned her really quickly and compared to the vaginal birth i had just endured i hardly felt a thing it was externally though so dont know about internally turning them! But as i say there is 3 mins between them so they turned her dead easy! They said she was breech as Ruby was squashing her the fatty hehe! I tore slightly but other than that it was the best experience of my life and im proud i managed! Having said that the hosp asked me if i wanted a section and everything i refused but the option was there at least! I wouldnt want an epidural as you cant walk after and have to stay in bed so that makes going to see them on SCBU impossible it happened to a lady when i was in couldnt see her baby unrtil she was 8hours old i was at the twins side within 45mins! Pethadine is good but can make baby drowsy if in doubt gas n air n morphine lol! Its up to you its your birth maybe ask them why you dnt have the op[tion of a section after all its a high risk pregnancy dont be afraid to ask there supposed to help you get what YOU want for YOUR birth! Unless theres a clear reason why no section then complain its rediculous my consultant was begging me to have a section but i wanted natural! Perfectly understandable about not wanting the twins born an hour away like! Let us know how you get on xxx
  • Thanks again ladies,
    It's great to hear what your "real life" experiences have been & what others are planning to do.
    You have all given me lots to think about & ask about at my next consultant appt.
    I will let you know how i get on.
    xx
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