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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Natural birth vs C-section with twins

23 replies

Xariyahx · 28/07/2014 12:12

Hi I'm now 28weeks pregnant and naturally been thinking about childbirth since the start. I've wanted a c-section from the start thinking it would be safer for all 3 of us and also being shit scared of giving birth to two lol. until speaking to the consultant today and I was told it would be safer to have a natural birth. So i guess I just wanted some advice or opinions of other people that have been through it please

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Casey123 · 28/07/2014 19:02

I had an elective C section. Recovery wasn't too bad for me but its something you need to think about. You are pretty immobile for the first day and then it was fine, felt like I'd been on a 50000 mile hike after 10 minutes standing/walking for the first 2 and a half weeks ish but it got better. Also things like bending to pick babies up and trying to lift/move our double buggy was hard work. But honestly wasn't as bad as I expected!

I couldn't imagine giving birth to twins vaginally, I don't understand how one comes out yet alone two! I'm interested that your consultant said giving birth vaginally is safer, I was told the opposite! You can only give birth naturally anyway if babies are lying in the correct position, mine weren't in the first place so that was a no no even if I wanted to.

Casey123 · 28/07/2014 19:07

Good luck btw!

andadietcoke · 28/07/2014 19:09

I was exactly like you. I decided early on I wanted an ELCS and worried most of my pregnancy I wasn't going to be allowed one.

My advice would be to wait and see what position they are further down the line. At my 32w scan the consultant told me I'd have the option for a vaginal delivery, by 36w they were both breech and the choice was taken away from me. Then I felt a bit disappointed that I couldn't try and have a vaginal delivery!!

Recovery-wise I recovered very very well and very quickly. By 10 days post-op I could walk decent distances and could jump off the bottom stair with no pain (not as random as it sounds - one of my friends was asked if she could do it before she was cleared to drive and I was showing off). I think this is in part because the babies were in SCBU for 48 hours and we were in hospital for 6 nights so I was basically on bed rest which I'd imagine helped me heal a lot.

KittyandTeal · 28/07/2014 19:09

Not my experience but my friend has twins vaginally. She had no more 'damage' than I had with one. They were both pretty big as far as twins go too, both top end of 7lbs

Yikesitshot · 29/07/2014 09:53

I'm in a similar position to you. 25 weeks pregnant with twins (I already have two children to whom I gave birth 'naturally' - ventouse, drips etc. having been induced) What reasons were you given that it would be 'safer'?

I'm v nervous indeed about the thought of having twin 1 vaginally and then an emergency C section for twin 2, potentially compromising twin 2. Equally, I don't much like the thought of a C section.. A friend who had twins privately (with the head of obs and gynae at St Mary's Paddington watching over her) vaginally said it was nigh on impossible to get a consultant to agree to a vaginal delivery as C section was so much safer, particularly for the twins.

I'm trying to keep an open mind and not think about it too much (not easy in the middle of the night when I can't sleep) until I'm 32 weeks plus.

Dickiewiddler · 30/07/2014 19:12

I has twins via CS. Mine were always going to be CS for other reasons but I had a long chat with my consultant about it and are said that there were only a few circumstances where she would be happy to recommend VB and even then have a low tolerance for complications. She said if the woman had already uncomplicated VB before, a totally healthy pregnancy and probably fraternal not identical twins.

Yikesitshot · 31/07/2014 11:43

This is interesting Dickiewiddler. Why are we all being given different advice? Can I ask where you had your twins and how long ago? Thanks

GlaceCherries · 31/07/2014 12:07

I dreaded the prosepct of having a c-section for my twins (my community midwife said it would be highly likely). But actually due to their positioning, that's exactly what I ended up having at 37 wks.

It was fine. I only felt emotionally wobbly when they were doing the spinal block, otherwise the whole thing went very smoothly and both babies were fine. I spent 5 days in hospital, which probably helped with my recovery. Also my DH was off work for a week after I got home.

A friend from ante-natal class also had twins. She delivered hers vaginally at 37 wks. The first baby was head down so she had been given the ok to have a VB from mid-pregnancy. About 36 wks she felt enormous movements and a scan later on showed baby2 had also turned head down. Their birth went very smoothly too.

I also know a someone who had a VB where baby1 was head down, baby2 breech. Baby1 was delivered and then the midwife manually turned baby2 head down before he came out... ! They were all fine in the end.

You've still got several months to go hopefully, plenty of time to accept either scenario - the main concern is that you and the babies are healthy. Have you got much help lined up for the weeks immediately post-birth?

Dickiewiddler · 31/07/2014 17:55

Yikesitshot I don't think it's different advice so much as reviewing each individual case. My friend had her identicals via VB and was fine, but she's young, had had two uncomplicated VBs before, and the babies were well positioned.
The big factors are if the twins are identical or not and whether there's one placenta and its positioning etc, plus the health history of the mother.

Dickiewiddler · 31/07/2014 17:55

I had mine 3 years ago, and was consultant led.

Shallishanti · 31/07/2014 18:03

I had vb for twins (had previous vb)- was quite quick and not difficult- however, I refused epidural which meant I was able to labour and deliver upright/kneeling- DT1 was head down, DT2 was slightly transverse but went into head down position once DT1 was born.
Looking after DTs is hard work, I really wouldn't want to be recovering from a CS at the same time.
Would also reccommend bf as, in the long run, it's so much easier. If you ff, people will always be offering to feed the babies to 'help' you- then you tend to run round doing washing etc- if you are bf you HAVE to sit down.

Original poster

Xariyahx · 01/08/2014 23:41

Hey everyone, I have been reading along just not had time to reply but thank you for all the advice and experiences shared it's actually helping me with my decision . I'm 23 having non identical twins and am now 29weeks.. These are my first and last kids as luckily I have been blessed by having one of each sex . I have been told it's safer due to twin 1 being head down and has been throughout the pregnancy.. I will have masses of help from various family members and the husband once their here ... I would like to be involved as much as possible from the beginning but I am swaying towards the option of the c section.
Yiksitshot I have the same worries of having to deliver the second baby via c section if I got for the vb but I have been told it is in unlikely situations that the second twin is actually delievered this way.

OP posts:

slightlyinsane · 01/08/2014 23:50

I had my id twins naturally as both were head down, it was relatively straightforward. Glad I had an epidural as both were trying to come out with an arm up by their head and had to be pushed back up to unhook the arms. I also wanted an epi incase I ended up needing a section, I wanted to be awake for it.

Saying all this there is noway I would recommend vb over cs for ids at all, it's a long story but I'm beyond lucky they survived.
I would recommend vb for non I'd though.

mandy214 · 02/08/2014 00:01

I think (generally speaking) babies do better after a normal, natural delivery so I wouldnt choose a c section unless there were complications. My situation is different in that I had my twins early (12 weeks), both were head down, Twin 1 was born then Twin 2 turned and was born breech. My only comparison was another lady who'd also had twins early but by a section and she really struggled. She was bed bound for 3 or 4 days and it took a while for her milk to come in. Obviously people recover at different rates but its actually quite a serious operation so unless you're medically advised it would be better for the babies, I'd try for a natural delivery.

SoonToBeSix · 02/08/2014 00:02

I desperately wanted to avoid a c section and I was very grateful to have my ID twins naturally. The birth was no different to having one baby except I kept pushing for another six minutes and then delivered another baby.
I really did not want the recovery of a section on top of looking after twins.

SoonToBeSix · 02/08/2014 00:03

I went into labour spontaneously at 34 weeks both babies were head down.

Dickiewiddler · 02/08/2014 00:27

I've had. 2 sections and the recovery was fine. I felt like I'd done 100,000 sit-ups but that was it. If you have to have a section, try and have a planned one, then you're not doing it on the back of labouring and all your muscles contracting etc. A planned section is very calm and pain free. Honest, they're fine. x

Bue · 03/08/2014 18:59

Xariyahx you might want to have a look at the (very high quality) Canadian Twin Birth Study. It showed that CS does not improve outcomes for babies when the first twin is head down. And generally CS has a higher rate of complications for the mum.

littleomar · 03/08/2014 19:22

I did a bit of reading and think I must have read the study Bue refers to which made me feel ok about wanting a vaginal delivery (easier recovery, no scar, two older children to look after). It worked out for me - but I would have gone with a Cs for one or both if the consultant had recommended it. I was induced and had an epidural but no damage at all - they were small!

Diamondsareagirls · 04/08/2014 13:47

I gave birth to my DTs naturally as twin 1 was head down. Twin 2 was born breech - they took me to theatre for her birth as a c-section was a possibility.

Yikesitshot · 04/08/2014 14:40

Diamondsaregirls please give us a bit more info. How was it? Instrumental delivery? Recovery ok? Any top tips? Would you ask for a C section straight up if you had your time again?

Twotofive · 04/08/2014 15:14

I had a VB with my twins (with an epidural) and I found it quite easy & straightforward. However, I'd already had a VB with my 1st DC. I can remember my consultant telling me that if this was my first labour she wouldn't recommend VB. I can't quite remember her reason (as it didn't apply to me) but it was something about labour progressing too slowly and ending up with a c- section anyway.

Diamondsareagirls · 04/08/2014 20:51

I would definitely go for a natural delivery again given the choice. They did not need to use forceps etc which I think made a massive difference as I only needed a few stitches for a graze and therefore my recovery was relatively quick. 3/6 of my NCT friends who had single babies had c-sections and I would say my recovery has been much better.
I had an epidural on the recommendation of the consultant and that was definitely the right decision as it allowed me to get some rest in the marathon that is giving birth to two babies! The gap between my DTs was 2 hours which is quite long in comparison to others but this was because my contractions went once I had given birth to my ds (twin 1).

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