Twins Club

[Amberc]

Here's the new thread!

Hi all,

Hope everyone is ok and Mrs S you are continuing to do well?

I'm looking for some advice on when to start my maternity leave. I was going to finish at 32 weeks, take 4 weeks holiday and then start the ML when I'm 36 weeks as I was that it is when I'll deliver. Met with my consultant yesterday and she reccomended finishing at 28 weeks. Im expecting id twins and the hospital policy is c-section between 34 and 36 weeks, 36 being the ideal, 35 weeks being the most likley scenario. She also said at 28 weeks they will start giving me steroid injenctions to boost the babies' lungs as could expect pre-term labour anytime from then.

As I've saved my 4 weeks hols I really want the benefit of them. If the babies are born before my estimated ML date, ML begins on that date and I lose the holiday.

My job is desk based, but I take a (packed) train and tube to work so I'm guessing it is going to be the getting to work that will be more of a problem than the being at work.

So, I am now thinking of finishing at 28 but that seems really early?

Thankyou for reading the waffle:)

Thanks strawberrylace

silverangel - Could you take the hol and if you're not ready by the time that is up then 'work from home' or pop in to work on half days or something? You may really not want to by then of course and any rest you can get in advance wil probably be worth it!

I hadn't realised it could be that early for section - is everywhere like that??? I'm going section but thought more like 38 wks doh!

I think working from home may be the way to go. I just cant imagine battling in on the tube esp if its a hot summer!

From what I've read it seems to change massively from area to area and what sort of twins they are - mine are monochorionic and they wont even consider a vaginal birth but for dichorionic they seem to push vaginal birth and not go for section. Consultant also said they consider 36 weeks is the absolute limit but my aunty who is a midwife thinks if there are no problems you should be allowed to go on to term...

I was originally told I wouldn't be allowed to go any further than 37 weeks by one consultant, but was then told it's better to wait if possible until 38 weeks by another (which is when she has booked me in to be induced) yet most things I have read have stated that 37 weeks is considered full term for twins.

I haven't been offered a c section as mine are head down and non-id but have been told that some hospitals encourage a section for twins regardless of their position. Have been advised to have an epidural though in case I need to be rushed for an emergency c section with my second twin...

Silver - I was told 35 if MCDA or 37 DCDA but I'm already high risk for another reason so my usual limit would be 39. Fortunately mine are DCDA. They are strongly encouraging me to have a c-sec but that's partly/mainly because it would be a vbac. I'm giving up work at 30 weeks. If they'd been MCDA I was planning on doing so at 28-29. Your ML automatically starts when the babes come so the holiday may not work out anyway. Can you carry it over to next year and add it to the end of your ML? I know my work will be ok with me doing some work from home towards the end and this did affect my decision. Otherwise it would have been earlier. I gave up work at 35 with ds and was shattered and am already feeling much tireder with the twins (although that could be ds's effect too!).

Missmollly - for a c-sec they tend to do a spinal so epidural won't make much difference other than you'll be in less pain and motion when they try to site the needle. I had an emcs with ds and had an epidural in already but they put in a new line for the spinal.

MissMolly i had an epidural for mine simply because of the risk of going for c-sec which i never ended up doing but it also turned out to be the best choice because my labour took longer than expected + all the prodding and poking... :x

Anyway only 19 posts left so maybe start thinking of a new name for a new twins club thread?

Tigger - I can accrue holiday while on leave but not carry over existing. Have decided that I am going to finish at 29, take the 4 weeks, and then start ML at 33.

Consultant told me that the reason for section with MCDA was that the second twin can become distressed in labour and can get tangled in the cord, or accute TTTS resulting in emergency section anyway. I don not fancy labouring one and then a section anyway!!

Have to say my hospital has been VERY pessimistic from the outset - they dont seem to focus on the positives but always the negatives. I am at the hospital every week at the moment - every other week for growth scans and the inbetween weeks to see the consultant. While I appreciate the level of care it has become draining and also means I havent relaxed at all through this pregnancy.

Silver - I'm ok for now thanks - had a bit of a scare on Monday at 24 +6 scan as the consultant was concerned that the babies' fluid levels were significantly different again. They referred me back to Birmingham Women's Hosp to see the TTTS Specialist again and we saw him this afternoon. He isn't particularly concerned about the difference as they are both still in normal ranges but he can't explain why they are different. He said that he doesn't think it is TTTS re-occurring again though (phew!). Have to keep being scanned weekly - like you - which I totally agree is very draining and I said the exact same thing about not being able to relax. I'm kind of hoping that when I get to 28 weeks I may feel a bit more relaxed as, even if there is another problem, at least they stand a good chance if they come out.

Having had TTTS, I've been told that - assuming all continues to be ok - they'll look to deliver them between 34-36 weeks. I haven't been told that I can't have a vaginal birth though ... although I think I will most likely opt for a csec as these poor babies have been through enough already!! I've always wanted a natural birth though so will hold out for that if at all poss. Incidently I had to have a spinal for my op 5 weeks ago and I didn't find that it hurt really at all when the needle went in - they are good at distracting you at the key moment!

vis a vis mat leave, I'm finishing work at what will be 27 + 3 (2 weeks and 2 days!!!!). I have 6 weeks annual leave to take then and, with bank holidays, I won't actually start mat leave until 34 weeks. I'm already ready for it to be honest!!!

MrsS you definitely deserve the break!!!

Hi girls, how is everyone?

Whos next on the list? i think it needs updating....

Dachs is currently in hospital and has been told that she may lose both twins. The waters have apparently gone on twin 1. Thread going on www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/1214970-Freak-out-room-for-those-newly-updiffed-after-mc-Part-VI - her dh is now posting for her.

Oh how awful, poor Dachs. Just hideous. Fingers crossed for the miracle she's hoping for. I was convinced I'd lose mine at 20 weeks but touch wood, fingers crossed I'm now 25+6 and all seems ok at the moment so you never know. Will keep everything crossed for her.

Oh god that's dreadful news. Likewise will be keeping everything crossed for Dachs and family. Amazing things can happen.

MrsStevo glad to hear that you're doing ok. I remember getting to 26 weeks with such a sense of relief.

Silverangel: I work for myself so had the luxury of winding down gradually, but certainly from about 30 weeks I was struggling to walk very far and needed a lie down in the afternoon. I/the babies put on quite a bit of weight between 23 and 30 weeks and I felt much more cumbersome and exhausted. I'm not sure I would have wanted to work beyond that point.

.....oh sorry SA just read that you are due to finish work at 29 weeks. Yes - very sensible! My brain....hopefully it will return at some point!

Poor Dachs, dreadful news.

Hi all, can I join in?

I'm 13 weeks with my first pregnancy and found out a couple of weeks ago it was twins. Had second scan today (were too small for NT last time), and also a meeting with the consultant who will be in charge of my care from now on.

She was very much 'You WILL be induced at 38 weeks, you WILL give birth in theatre, it WILL be very noisy and crowded and you will just have to deal with that'. I was a bit... Fortunately the mid-wife was a bit more positive, and said that depending on how things are going intermittent monitoring and even some labouring in water might be possible, but I can see I'm going to have a job on my hands to get any sort of say in my birth experience even if things are tickety-boo.

Just wondered how this compares to other people's experiences/rules?

Course you can join! Also theres a twins club or two in multiple births section.

I had a natural delivery with mine - was very glad not to have c-sec
But i had non ids and both had their head down so the odds were in my favor.

Do you know what you're having? I'd not stand for her telling you how you will give birth - see how things go and decide later, you've got awhile yet!

Sorry to hear about Dachs, anyone got an update?

Thanks holidays - yep, I'm DCDA, so theoretically nice and low-risk. Hence I was a bit surprised to be told 25 weeks down the line that even if things are going well, I will have a highly medicalised birth experience and no control over it. Fortunately I'm stubborn .

Was wondering if the theatre rule was standard though? (Have read that induction deadlines etc vary wildly depending on where you are)

Oh and there is an update from Dachs 2 hours ago this morning on that thread for anyone following it.

Hi Peeling - I have seen you on another multiples thread - many congratulations!

I think I made this point on that thread...so sorry, at the risk of repeating myself...I have the opposite "problem" ie that no-one has made a fuss of me because I am expecting DCDA twins. I haven't seen a consultant yet in my pregnancy, only the MW. My pregnancy has been treated as normal/low risk save for the additional growth scans at 26/32/36 weeks. So, I think it definitely depends on area/hospital policy. I'm in central London.

Now, I have no idea as to what will actually happen on the - rapidly approaching - day, but my plan A is a VB, and I have the understanding that if anything goes wrong/changes, I will need to be transferred to theatre for C/S. Certainly there has been no mention that I will start out in theatre (I was also told by the MW that I could labour in water if all was ok) so no, theatre as Plan A is not "standard".

Personally I would have preferred a slightly more medicalised approach to my pregnancy, but, like you, I wouldn't have taken kindly to being told what would happen! I went to a very useful TAMBA evening session early-ish in my pregnancy, where the speaker talked about birth options etc. Perhaps something like this (and some additional research) will give you further confidence to query the consultant's protocol?

In the meantime, take good care of yourself in terms of eating, drinking, rest - and you will hopefully maximise your chances of remaining "Low risk for twins"..and therefore more likely to have the birth you want. Kitty

Hi Kitty
I suspect if my twins had been a couple of mm bigger at my first scan i wouldn't have got booked in to see the consultant until my 20 week scan at least, and I don't think I see her now until 32 weeks, so although it's 'twin-specialist consultant-led care', as far as I can see that basically amounts to her coming in and lecturing me for 10 minutes! Fortunately the one thing I do have is continuity of care from the mid-wives and sonographers, as they run a 'twins day' at my local hospital, so you always go in on the same day of the week and the same staff are rota'd on, which makes sense to me.

Really good to know about theatre. I think I'd definitely like to see if I can go on a TAMBA course and arm myself with info.

Restingkitty which hospital are you at? I'm at st mary's. I'm being treated as high risk but that's because of type 1 diabetes. I was told at 9 weeks that only if the twins were ID would it affect my care and increase my appointments. For DCDA (which they turned out to be) I just get a slightly earlier eviction date (37 weeks) as opposed to 38-39 for non-diabetics. I had a c-sec with ds so all obs have been very anti anything else until the one this morning who said that if no. 1 was cephalic (ie head down) nearer the date we could see what could happen. I am resigned to the fact that it will probably be another c-sec much though I'd like a successful vbac. If it is a vbac I imagine it will be highly medicalised.

St Thomas'. The message seems to be: we'll discuss birth nearer to the time (I'm now 36 weeks)/if you go into early labour, come in and we'll figure it out from there.

I think the normal me would be a bit stressed out by all this, but those pregnancy "it'll be fine" hormones have really kicked in!

As I said before: what actually happens on the day remains to be seen.....!

New thead is here.... www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1218259-Twins-Club-2-All-Welcome

:)