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Multiple births

Delivery decision with twins

12 replies

emma911030 · 23/09/2020 21:13

Hi. I'm currently 26 weeks with MCDA twins, I was told i would be delivering between 36/37 weeks ish.
How and when was a decision made for those who have already had their twins?
I am currently going for fortnightly scans and have been since 12 weeks.
They have said that if twin one is head down then I can go for a vaginal delivery but if not then they would look at doing a c section.. however. When do they decide? Do I just go for a scan closer to the time and then if twin one is head down and they are happy with estimated weight and development of baby they say right we will admit you now and start induction or do they literally go right your 36 weeks or whatever it may be, scan me and then say section tomorrow or induction tomorrow? If that makes sense to anyone I would love some feedback. I'm at the hospital for my 26 week scan tomorrow anyway so will ask but just wondering others experience. TIA

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whydoIhavetodoeverything · 23/09/2020 21:54

I asked for a c section but because I had had 2 natural births previously my consultant was keen for me to have a natural birth. At about 36 weeks there was still no indication of the consultant making any decisions so I asked for an induction at 37.5 weeks as the babies were already 7lb each at that point! One was head down, the other diagonal across the top of my rib cage. Natural birth was actually fine, very quick and little pain as had epidural in case they needed to take us into theatre - thankfully not. I was home the next day and actually glad I didn’t have the c section as it would have made breastfeeding quite painful having to turn myself from side to side to feed them both. Good luck! I was terrified and nervous but it all went fine x

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Wishing56 · 25/09/2020 12:40

I had MCDA twins via a planned c section (my choice) but they said that a labour decision can be made after your final scan. My last one was at 36+2 and my section was scheduled for 36+4.
They originally wanted to wait and give me my section date after my scan at 36+2 but as I made my choice for section they gave me a date when i was 32weeks.

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crazychemist · 25/09/2020 15:26

Hi @emma911030. Hope all is still going well with your pregnancy! I’m a few weeks ahead of you (30). I have an appointment with my consultant at 32 weeks, which is when I think the decision is going to be made - when I saw him at 16 weeks and expressed a preference for a vaginal birth he said there wasn’t any point deciding earlier on the basis that if they came before 32 weeks, it would be an emergency and I agreed that I’d be ok with an emergency c section if it came to that (as he said if something went wrong before 32 weeks timing could be crucial).

Casually, I’ve haD a different consultant pop into my scans a few times to say hello (I have my scans at a different hospital from where I will deliver as my local hospital has v. Little experience of MCDA twins). He said that, off the record, if he was my consultant he’d really be pushing for a c section. Although both of mine are head down and growing well, his experience is that there are fewer complications for a planned c section as when vaginal birth is attempted, they usually do it with an epidural (just in case they need to do an emergency section) and he says there is often rapid escalation to attempted instrumental delivery and then quite often a section anyway.

In all honesty, I’m not sure what’s best. I had a wonderful birth with my DD that was very relaxed and straightforward. I’d love to have that again, but I don’t like the idea of suddenly being rushed into an emergency c section because twin 2 is running out of time. I’ll see what my consultant says at 32 weeks.

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Jilljams · 25/09/2020 15:30

The plan with mine was vaginal, I was told as long as twin one was head down then this could work. But twin one’s waters went at 32 weeks. It was completely unexpected as everything had been totally fine until that point. So I ended up with a c section which I think is normal for this gestation.

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TooTrusting · 25/09/2020 16:02

My DTs were my 3rd/4th DCs, and I had 2 prior vaginal deliveries - first ventouse, second with no intervention.
The consultant encouraged me at the very first appointment to go for a vaginal delivery. It was made clear that I could change my mind.
37 is deemed full term.
I was having weekly scans towards the end, and in the last few weeks saw the consultant every time. DT2 was breach the whole way through. I was told not to worry about that, because after DT1 was born there'd be plenty of room to turn him. By my scan at 36 weeks I had chickened out and decided I was going to say I wanted a C Section. However, when they scanned me he had turned and was head down (god knows how). So even though I was by then keen on a C section, I just went ahead with the plan for the "normal" delivery.

At close to 37 weeks (can't remember now if it was a day or two under or over) my waters broke. It was in my notes that I labour quickly and was to have an epidural asap. But I was ignored for a while (felt like ages but really it wasn't, because actually I had delivered the first within 45 minutes of arrival) and when they finally examined me I was fully dilated and there was a panic to get me into theatre (you give birth in a theatre with a theatre assistant sitting there ready to assist in an emergency C section). No time for an epidural. Registrar stood by my head ready to intervene but left it to the midwives. DT1 born shockingly quickly at 5.30pm about 45 minutes after I'd walked in through the door, weighing 5.11. They then immediately hooked me up to a syntocinon drip to keep the contractions going. I had been told (can't remember by who) that if more than 30 minutes passed between births then they would perform a C section for DT2. So they were anxious to get his delivery going - after the drip did nothing they broke his waters and that got things going. Again, a very quick delivery (exactly 30 minutes after the first).
Apart from few minutes around the actual births (both of which were quick) I remember the experience being fairly calm.

So whilst a decision was noted down quite early on, it was made clear that it was reviewable at any stage.

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Bubbletrouble43 · 23/10/2020 09:49

At my 35 or 36 week growth scan my twins were both breech( for the first time, twin 1 had not been until this point) and I was booked in for a c section for 37 weeks as they were a good size already. Got to admit I was relieved!

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RoseWineandCake · 30/01/2021 15:36

My DTs were my first, baby 1 was in the right position but baby 2 was breech. I really considered a vaginal birth because I wanted one, but after hours of discussion with DH we agreed planned c-section was the best option.
We felt that to have hours of labour to deliver baby 1 and then maybe have an emergency c-section for baby 2 was foolish.
To be fair it ended up being the best decision. We had a scan the day before the planned c-section at 37 weeks, they estimated both DTs to be just over 6 lbs, baby 1 ended up being only 4 lbs so we probably would have ended up having a c-secrion anyway.

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isurvived3under2 · 31/01/2021 09:23

I was left to make a decision as I was the ideal candidate for a vaginal birth. Twin 2 was transverse. At a check at 36+5 they they asked me to come back the following day for an induction as I'd developed OC. Induction worked well, twins were born 12 hours after the pessary. Twin 2 was born breech (bottom first). I didn't have an epidural as they couldn't find an anaesthetist at the right time. Would do it again and was very relieved I didn't have a CS (had a toddler at home to look after too).

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andadietcoke · 31/01/2021 09:34

I stressed so much about this and that it was getting later and later and no one was talking to me about it. In the end it was out of my hands because one was transverse and one breech. The hospital also had a preference for planned sections for multiple pregnancies but it was made very clear to me in the earlier meetings that it was my choice. Until it wasn't!!

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emma911030 · 12/02/2021 09:40

Thank you all for your messages..
I had my boys at the beginning of December, twin 1 was still head down and twin 2 was breach. I was able to deliver both vaginally and no need for a section which was my preferred delivery. I realise I was really lucky to get the delivery I wanted.
I ended up going into spontaneous labour at 36+1 x

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ChampooPapi · 16/02/2021 18:51

@emma911030 congratulations! So glad it went well, amazing birth too 🙌

How are you finding it? I had twin girls on the 4th of November last year so are 15 weeks now

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emma911030 · 17/02/2021 22:46

@ChampooPapi thank you lovely!!
Hope you and your girls are well!
First month/6weeks I struggled but I'm finally feeling like I can do this and am trying to get out the house where I can and I feel like it's more possible to live with 3 kids!
I still have bad days and sometimes write the day off by lunch and just look forward to bedtime to start again the next day lol
How are you getting on? x

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