Is the second twin easlier than the first?

[monkeytrousers]

In vaginal delivery. Just asking on behalf of my SIL again.

[throckenholt]

usually yes - I think.

One problem is there is suddenly so much room the second twin can flip round in to a bad position - my midwife kept a firm grip on my tummy to prevent this. But even a breech second one is not so much of a concern as a breech singleton.

The only other problem - sometimes the body thinks it has already given birth and stops the labour and the cervix starts to close - it has somehow forgotten about the second baby. I think that is pretty rare - but maybe one of the reasons they don't like home births for twins.

Ah - just one other - if they are id you can sometimes get problems with the shared placenta - but that is a special case - and your consultant should be aware of it. Mine wanted me to have an epidural in place just in case the second one had problems and they needed to do an emergency cs.

I had no problems, mine are id, and gave birth vaginally.

[expatinscotland]

The second twin can be breech or turn breech after the first is delivered.

This happened to one of my first cousins in January.

She delivered the first vaginally, the second via csection.

She had had an epidural and laboured in the theatre, b/c apparently this can happen w/the second twin.

[sandyballs]

I've heard that a lot about twins - the first being vaginal and the second caesarean. Freaked me out when I was pregnant with my two, you'd be sore everywhere! I ended up having a caesarean for both as the bottom twin was transverse and had no hope of moving with her 7lb sister on top of her

[speedymama]

My friend delivered her twin girls vaginally. There was an hour between each delivery but she had no problems.

[2plus2plus1]

Not when the second one turns breach - sticks one foot out & doc has to go rummaging for the other foot OOOUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHH!!!

[2plus2plus1]

I have to say I think it was hard to push too as the uterus was all 'baggy' round her cos there was space where her sister had been. OTOH - I had learnt how to push from the first twin.

[frumpygrumpy]

My second twin was easier (breech too, had been for a couple of weeks). Still had to huff and puff a bit but definitely easier. He arrived 17 minutes after his sis so that was good. When is she due?

I had an epidural too in case of the normal delivery/c-section thing. That did scare the hell out of me, there was NO WAY I was having BOTH in the one sitting!!

[Kelly1978]

My consultant insisted that one was ceph, but I was also worried abt the 2nd twin csection thing, so I opted for a section for both. I thought they were both breech also, and it turned out they were.