Vaginal, C-section, or Double-Whammy

Hi K., I had a very similar exerience with delivering my twins 9 yrs ago. Twin A was ready & head down (her water broke too) however twin B was not ready & breech position Drs said that i would be able to deliver twin A vaginally but would need to have a section to deliver twin B. Well, to make a long story short they rushed me in for an emergency section and it was such a rush & scary that i was sorry that i didnt listen to my dr's & schedule. With my next pregnancy (5 yrs later - single baby) i sheduled my section and it was so different & so much easier. I wasn't scared everything went smooth and as planne. Good Luck & Congrats!

J. B

Hi :)
Congratulations on making it this far. It is a scary road when you are pregnant with twins. I have 13 month old b/g twins that were born at 37 weeks 1day. They were both healthy. Baby A weighed 5.14 and B weighed 6.7. Baby A was head down and wehn I had gone for my non stress test the day before we saw B was breech and his knees were out to the side like he was sitting Indian style. My doctor had been a big advocate for vaginal delivery and the whole medical practice had a high vaginal delivery rate so when he thought that I should have a c-section because of B's position and their size I trusted his judgement and opted for the c-section. We discussed it at lenght before making the decision and he felt that I would be able to deliver A but would most likely end up having a csection. We all felt comfortable with the decision and my recovery time was not too bad. I felt pretty good but my incision did get infected. so just be careful of that. Either way all you will care about after the birth are those beautiful babies. They wont give you a chnce to worry about how you delivered!! Enjoy and good luck :)

Hi there,

i have 20 month old twin boys and received a C-section. I was the same as you... twin A was in the correct position and twin B was breech. I did decide to opt for the section because my dr. recommended that even if one of them were to be breech, it would have to be that way. I'm glad that it happened that way cause I couldn't imagine doing part of it vaginally and then getting the section... that would be a nightmare! best of luck to you... you are going to be having them very soon! :)

I actually switched doctors at 4 months because the first doctor said that unless the babies were both in head down position he would opt for a c section. I already had 2 children and somehow that didn't sound correct to me.

As it turned out my daughter was head down and son was breech at the beginning of labor. After my daughter was delivered the dr's plan was to move my son into head down position but it ended up that he did it himself and arrived head first into the world 15 minutes later.

Physicians are quick to suggest c sections because of the complications that can come from twin births. Discuss you wishes up front and if needed seek other physicians.

Hey there!
Congratulations on twins! Incredible and exciting!
I have not had twins myself, BUT my mother had twins. The first to come out, was indeed head first and the second was breech. My mother had a natural vaginal delivery with them. The story she has told me a million times was that they came out so fast that the first one (my brother Josh) swallowed fluid, but after a few pats on the back and a little love was fine and the second (my brother Garrett) just didn't want to come out head first at all. The doctor reached in there and tried to turn him around, but he kept flipping back to the feet first position....so the doc just grabbed him by his feet and pulled him out and he and my mother were completely fine. It is my opinion that these days doctors always tell you that the C section will be very possible, because it is easier for them....of course there is the child's health as a concern as well which is extremely important....BUT what people tend to forget is that women have been giving birth to twins since the beginning of time and that birth is a very natural thing and it all tends to just work itself out! Trust the process and your body, keep your faith in the vaginal delivery if that's what you want! Of course, see how things go and do what's best for the baby in the end...but make sure you're making your decisions based on what your heart and body tell you are right. You may also want to ask a doula to be there with you to coach you through it. Doula's are there to be the support to the mother and are trained professionals in the birthing process....they work as your advocate and also have best interest of you and your babies at heart.
Good luck and congratulations again!
S.

Congratulations on making it this far. I think it all depends on you and your dr what you both feel most comfortable with. I had the same situation. My whole pregnancy my daughter was in the head down position and my son was everywhere. I went into labor at my 28th week but by staying in the hospital on medication I was able to deliver at my 34th week. My dr is very into natural delivery if it is possible. I had an epidural in place just in case i would need to have a c for my son. I was very nervous but luckily it was the easiest part of my pregnancy. My daughter was delivered vaginally without a problem and they thought my son would move down. He did the opposite he went up to my rib cage. My dr had her partner (they were both there for my delivery) push on my stomach while she went in with forceps to get him out. 6 minutes after i delivered my daughter my son was born. He ended up having the chord around his neck so it wasnt simple. But i really didnt feel any pain and there were so many drs in my delivery room all working together to deliver my kids vaginally. My dr told me afterward that most drs would have done vaginal and then a c section but they were monitoring us the whole time so if there was any distress they would have immediately switched to a c section. So i think it is possible but it has to be whats best for you and your dr. good luck!

they will be looking at the cord and the babies neck, trust your doctor's judgement on this. If they feel the positioning is not right and want to do a c section,let them, don't risk the health of your children. Doctors don't like to do c sections anymore as there is such a high rate of lawsuits for things like this. They will use the sonogram to double check and tripple check for you if you like, but trust your doctor or should be going to a different one if you can't trust them.

Hello K.,

Congratulations on your bundles of joy. I was in the same position with my twins. Through most of my pregnancy and at the beginning of my labor most doctors tried to convenience to have a c-section. I was determined on having a vaginal birth. I did get an epidural but I was in labor for only 6 1/2 hours. I was able to deliver both my babies vaginally. My son came 1st & my daughter arrived 9 minutes later. Trust yourself & your instincts and you'll be great.

My aunt gave birth to twins vaginally...it was 17 years ago, but nowadays docs are so worried about lawsuits that they section you to cover themselves! What happened with her was twin A was head down. She delivered without incident and the nurses held twin B from the outside, and steadied her into the right position. She was born 17 minutes later. They were both put to breast immediately and nursed for over a year! Point is, it CAN be (and should be) done as long as your babies are doing well. A lot of docs section twins no matter what, so you are lucky yours is willing to "let you" try. Worst case scenario, you deliver baby A and need a section for baby B. For me, I would risk it because if you choose a section, its 100% you will have one. If you do vaginal, it's only 50/50. Keep in mind though that your rate for success of delivering a breech twin after a head first twin is very, very high. Here are some links. The second one is a video of a woman delibering her babies...its older, but look how peaceful and perfect it was...birth doesnt have to be chaotic. I hope this helps!
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CYD/is_1_39/ai_11...
http://doulamamma.blogspot.com/2007/08/video-of-vaginal-t...

Congrats on your twins! I had twin boys in 2004 just before reaching 36 weeks. A was head down and B was transverse. I too had no desire to have a C section. I would have rather the doc reach in and grab, turn, whatever. The specialist at the hospital had been know for doing that and was very successful. So I went for it. After 12 hours of labor, pushed A out in and B flipped all by himself to be head down! The only thing I will suggest is this....
My other goal was too avoid pain medication. I did end up giving up on that goal after having back labor for several hours. I was afraid that I would be too tired to get them both out vaginally. I had to stay in my bed in the most uncomfortable position so that they could keep them both on moniters. Baby B was in a spot where the moniter would move anytime I did which would require the nurse to come and fix everything again. After giving birth, my ob said that I probably would have been given pain med (they would have strongly suggested) even if I didn't ask in case they had to do an emergency c section. I never thought of that beforehand so I am glad I had asked for it on my own and had the benefit of a few hours of rest. Best of luck! It is worth all the work and worry.

My twin A was head down, twin B transverse (Across my whole top) My doctor did not want me to have c-section and neither did I. he was confident that things would go well with twin B. twin A was delivered very easily. Twin B flipped during twin A delivery and became breech! My doctor successfully manipulated him out with his hands safely. They were born at week 33, both at 5lbs. 14 oz. Go for the delivery! The most incredible thing in the world. My twin boys are now 6. good Luck, you are blessed!

Hi K. S
Congrats and God bless you with your twins.
Congrats on getting to 35 weeks, especially with toddler to care for.
Can't help much except to say listen to the OB's best advise.
When I was in labor at 18 weeks, I realized how much they wanted what was best for me and my twins. When the subject came up at about 30 weeks about delivery, they were thrilled when I realized that having had two previous c-sections these would be c-section as well. They thought they would have to convince me that it was the right thing.
At 38 weeks, after 1 week in the hospital on mag.drip, and 19 more weeks on complete bed rest on meds,all I cared about was live babies. The girls weighed in at 5'11" and 6'8" and both healthy.
Today they are 18 and in college. One is an artist, and the other wants to be a missionary.

Our sons are quite proud of their sisters. They were 19, and 14 when they were born and neither was in a hurry to have children.

Today I am married 38 years, Kids 37,32, and twins 18.
We finally have a grandson, born July 29th. We now have an empty nest.

Hi,
It may not apply to you, But I gave birth to my 1st baby vaginally when she was breech (we didn't know it at the time as she was head down before). :) She came into the world...butt-first! :) You CAN do it, our bodies are designed to handle weird stuff...

Hope this helps! Best wishes!!

Please discuss this with your doc, and the question to ask is will he/she be comfortable either delivering baby b breech or turning him after baby a is born. This is commonly done, very successfully. I am an L&D nurse, and a midwife, and have seen it done for years. It is worth the chance not to have a c-section, especially since you have given birth vaginally before. Good luck & God bless your growing family.
L.

My twins are 7 weeks old. They were both head down and after 19 hours of labor, 4 1/2 of them pushing, we ended up having a C-section to my dismay. Five days after the delivery, I ended up having a pulmonary embolism or blood clot in the lungs. I learned later in a converstion with my OB that there is a greater risk for a PE in a twins birth and a C-section birth. It is still quite rare though, so do not panic.

I would encourage you to try for a vaginal delivery. My second baby became head down the weekend before we delivered which was at 38 and 1/2 weeks. I also read and was told by our doula that once the first baby is delivered it is not uncommon that the other will change position and become head down on their own. Also, there is a maneuver called the Leopold move that OBs can do after one baby is born. There is ample room in the uterus after the delivery of one baby so they can help assist the other baby to move into a head down position.

For my labor, having pushed for so long, I had two places or recovery as you were describing above. I didn't have vaginal tearing but had the swelling and such. I can tell you it was not difficult at all to recover in both places. Once the babies arrived, nothing else mattered!

Good luck with your delivery. May you enjoy a wonderful experience with your two new blessings.

My mother is a twin and she and her sister were born vaginally with no problems. Back then dr.'s didn't want to section an immigrant with no insurance or money to pay for extra surgery!

I think you should definately go for it if you want it and feel good about it. Just keep surrounding yourself with successful birth stories. While I didn't have twins, I had an unexpected birth in that my husband was the only one around when my baby came out. It really afffirmed to me that the birhting mother is the greatest expert on her own birth!

I had a similar situation with my twins in 2004...A was head down, and B was breech. I carried for 37-1/2 weeks and because the babies were somewhat large for twins (6lbs6oz and 6lbs3oz), my Doctor chose a c-section knowing "B" had no room to change position. He didn't feel comfortable with "B" going through the stress of "A"'s vaginal delivery and then the stress of trying to manipulate her into turning. So, I had a very successful C-section and 2 beautiful identical girls!! Although I have never experienced a vaginal birth, I definitely feel the overwhelming joy of giving birth even through a c-section.
My advice is to do whatever is healthiest for you and your twins...no matter how they come into this world, they are a wonderful miracle! Good luck!!

Dear KJS,

I have not read the other responses but I can tell you, as a mother of twins (C-Section), that the mothers who took the longest to recover are those that tried vaginal births only to end up having C-Sections. If you have your heart set on a vaginal delivery and it poses no danger to the babies or you, why not try; if that is not terribly important to you, have the C-Section. For me it was a piece of cake. And I figured I was going to have enough on my plate and needed all the energy I could muster. Whatever decision you make, congratulations and enjoy your babies!

R.

I went into full labor with my son and tried to push him out for 2 hours and ended with a c-section. I really didn't think the recovery with the c-section was bad. If giving birth vaginally is very important to you then I would try 100%. As long as you and your babies are not in risk then you should do what's in your heart. Your recovery will be better having a vaginal birth especially with a toddler at home. Good Luck!

Normally I would say do a vaginal, but in the case where one child is breach , I wouldn't risk it, I think you should simply monitor the status of the babies, and should things change, and both babies get into position then sure attempt a natural delivery.

However as they are now, I wouldn't risk the lives of my children,simply not worth it to me!

Good luck

M

I delivered my twins vaginally. Baby A was head down, but Baby B kept flipping around, so one day he'd be head down, and the next, he'd be breach. The day of delivery, both were head down. Baby A came out fine and we waited about 20 minutes to see if Baby B would descend on his own. Suddenly, his heart rate started seriously dropping and then it went back up, but the second time, my OB shouted "prep for an emergency C". I was flipping out, b/c first of all I was nervous about the baby but also, to do a vaginal and then a C section would have been the icing on the cake for the terrible pregnancy I went through. Luckily, I pushed and got Baby B out really quickly and he was totally fine.

So even if both are head down, you risk having vaginal and C section. They made me sign a waiver or something that I might have to do that....

Good luck and hope it works out...

I had the exact same situation with my twin boys. At 37 weeks I went into labor and had a c-section. My doctor would not even consider a vaginal delivery because the twins were big (both over 5 lbs) and there was no way Twin B was going to turn on his own, there just wasn't any room to allow that. Also, to do both a vaginal and c-section delivery is too much and too dangerous. I had the c-section, the twins were perfectly fine and so was I. No complications, no labor, no episiotomy. I too was against the c-section, but in the end it's really the only way to go. Twin B, unless really small is not going to turn on his own, so instead of doing both types of delivery in one, just have the c-section and be done. Don't worry, it'll be fine, your twins will be fine too.

Hi there,
congratulations on making it to 35 weeks! I delivered my twins at 34 weeks and 5 days, and Baby A was head down, Baby B was breech. I did a vaginal delivery. Baby B, who was breech, was pulled out, feet first. While it was the most painful experience of my life, I am SO GLAD I did not have a C-section. If you trust your doctors and hospital, and you trust your body and partner, go for the vaginal delivery!!! My recovery was minimal, and there was only 6 minutes in between delivering A and B.
All best,
J.
Audrey & Scarlett 11/21/07 born at NYU.

I had twins, both head down, and had to fight tooth and nail to not have a c. I commend your doctor for not pushing you in in the direction of a c. If your dr is willing to give it a try, there is probably a good chance you can deliver both vaginally. I do have a friend who delivered one vaginally and one c and obviously, it was very difficult. I must say that recovering from twins was very difficult even after a vaginal birth. I can only imagine how hard it would be to have a c. I had two kids (not yet 2 and 5) at home and refused to deal with c recovery if I could at all avoid it. Best wishes to you. You really just need to go with your gut!
L.

Though I cannot speak from my own personal experience, my sister carried twins to 39 weeks, and she was in the same situation with the positioning of the babies. She did deliver twin A vaginally, but only after a very long labor. She had to deliver twin B via C-section because she was simply too exhausted to effectively push out for a second vaginal delivery. At no time were either of the twins in any jeopardy because of their position. My advice would be to do everything you can before birth to rest and reserve your energy, and make sure you have plenty of help afterwards in case you do need to recover from the "double-whammy".