Positive twin birth stories please!

[Jenbird5891]

Hi I'm almost 36 weeks with DCDA twins and getting myself mentally prepared for the big day!! Just wondered if people had positive stories about their own twin births they would share to help me build a positive frame of mind. So far im staying very open minded about type of birth with vaginal birth still on the cards at this stage due to twin one being head down twin two breech. I'd love to hear stories from anyone whether u had a cs, vaginal birth or both(!) thanks ladies x

Had c section, booked for one anyway but ended up having emergency one as babies came early. Was fine. Was in labour for 9 hours before the section though and was transferred to another hospital during labour as insufficient nicu beds at the hospital I was due to give birth in.
After care for babies was fab, for me was shit. Ended up in hospital for a month and had to have an operation. But I would still choose c section any day as it's less risky for babies.
Ask for private room on post natal ward, you will be priority after people with sick babies as you have twins. Take eye mask and ear plugs.
Don't let the pressure re breast feeding become all consuming and spoil your first weeks with babies.
Good luck!

Hi Heels thanks for sharing that. Was it you or the babies in hospital for a month? How early were they? What was the operation for? X

Congratulations, it's a very exciting time, but understandably worrying.

I had my non-ID twin girls by c section at 37 weeks. It was planned as DT1 was transverse and wouldn't have been able to turn with her heavier sister above her.

It all went so much better than I had anticipated. I was a bit shocked at the amount of people in the theatre, but that is apparently normal for multiple births. I had an epidural which wasn't too bad, bit painful but not too awful. The girls were born 3 minutes apart, great weights - 6lb 2 and 6lb 15.

I was up the next day walking around the ward, uncomfortable but not in agony. I had heard terrible tales about c sections, how I wouldn't be able to hold my babies etc and it was nothing like that. I spent three nights in hospital then we all went home.

Then the fun began ..... .

Hi, I've reported the post to try and get OliviaMumsnet on, she has had a twin birth. :)

All of us were in for a month. I was sent home without the babies for 5 nights and then taken back in as I was ill, c section complications, I then had the operation. I visited the hospital every day whilst I was home without the babies and stayed all day. Babies were 6 weeks early. Not all twins end up in nicu or can just be in for a couple of days, or just one can be in nicu. Some people were able to take one baby home and other had to stay in. Many variations, stay flexible and go with the flow is my advice! Have low expectations of the post natal ward! Encourage your partner to take paternity leave when you get home rather than when you are in hospital as that is when you will need the help. Accept all help offered on ward, as I was ill the staff did night feeds for me which did help as I wasn't up all night every night. Own room definitely helps, you get no sleep in a ward of crying babies and people going and coming all night.

Good luck! Twins are fab! All worth it

I had one child already and twins were dc2 and dc3. Twin 1 was head down and twin 2 was breech. I went overdue and was expecting to be induced. We were allowed to wait for half an hour until my consultant began her shift on labour ward. She had a feel around, told me I was 5cm dilated and we agreed that she should break my waters.

After that things went quite fast. The babies were born within 5 hours.

Bad things were pooing in a bowl and the midwife left it for ages which was humiliating. Also midwife couldn't get both heartbeats and kept trying to get me to be still. But I needed to move. She was not a great mw but I had asked when her shift ended and knew she wouldn't be with me for long. After the shift change someone shouted that the babies were going to be born soon.

I managed with gas and air and was able to give birth to twin one on my knees holding onto the bed. He was passed to Dad.

Meanwhile I was scanned whilst on my bed and twin 2 had turned to head down. They put a monitor on his scalp which I didn't feel. There was lots of blood and I felt pretty messy. We waited for a bit but contractions didn't start so I was given oxytocin and twin 2 arrived 50 mins after twin 1. I had read about twin births and the second one coming easily. Sadly, not the case for me. He took a couple of big pushes and I was feeling tired by then.

They breastfed immediately. A couple of hours later the mw wanted to transfer me to post natal ward but had no private rooms. So I said I would discharge myself. I felt fine, just a bit tired. In the event they found a room for us and we went home the next day.

Make sure you label the photos as we can't always tell which is which in their earliest baby pics.

I had b/g twins last summer. I'd planned on an induction at 37/38 weeks but the babies had other ideas and I went into labour at 33+4. I thought I had food poisoning but it soon dawned on me that I was having contractions (2nd pregnancy). They were strong and close together straight away so we didn't hang around. They were born about 1.5 hours after we got to hospital within 4 minutes of each other with gas and air. My boy was taken to NICU within an hour as he was grunting which suggested underdeveloped lungs. My girl then went to NICU a few days later with the same problem. They were in NICU for just over 2 weeks then on the high dependency ward while I established breastfeeding for another week. It was exhausting but we got there in the end. And I always felt that they weren't ill, just immature and needed a bit of help to grow. Anyway they're 10 months now and amazing! Hope this helps :)

Not me but my mum did.

She went into labour naturally at 36+5 waters broke and contractions started, admitted to hospital 3 hours later, twin 1 born an hour later and twin 2 had to be turned as she was transverse but she was born fine 20 minutes after twin 1.

She had 1 precautionary stitch and no pain relief as she had bad experiences with it with her first 2 labours.

Both were healthy weighing in at 4lb6oz and 5lb4oz. They were in SCBU for 3 days because they were early and home at 10 days because they were in the middle of moving house otherwise they would've been discharged at 5 days.

Congratulations on twins. My Dds are now 18, but i can cast my mind back. I was induced as was to term, everyone kept telling me they would be early but this was not the case (and they've never been early for anything since! ). I had an epidural which gave me a break from Labour pains but slowed it down. One baby head down and the other breach, when dd1 was born dd2 suddenly got more room and moved a lot. Ex-partner (he was already an ex then) said dd2 s hand came into view - he was terrified. The mw quickly sorted it, both were delivered v. safe and sound and didn't need special care. Agree with pp, it was a bit busy, but the amount of staff made me feel very safe. Good luck, twins are a joy imo x

I had my twins 3 weeks ago vaginally and like you T1 was head down and T2 was breech. I was induced at 34 weeks because the membranes had ruptured around the first twin two weeks previously. Had epidural sited before the drip was started. Gave birth in theatre around 12/14 hours later. Had an episiotomy and forceps to help twin 1, then twin 2's waters were broken and he was pulled out my his feet! The babies were in the neonatal unit for 12 days, they weighed 4lb 11oz and 5lb 1oz.

My sister had non-id twins by planned c section. They were transverse I think. She said it was AMAZING!!!! Best best experience of her life (and of course it keeps getting better). Top tip - she mix fed and they were fine with bottle and breast. (It's much more normal where she lives than in the UK. I also did the same with my dd). Good luck and sooooo many congratulations. My nephews are the light of our lives.