waiting for emergency section, 35 weeks with twins, handhold ?

[soontobemummyof3]

Hi all, I'm 35 weeks today with my identical girls. Been in hospital now for 3 days due to severe reduced movements and a drastic dip in their growth. They made the decision today to do a "non emergency" emergency section today at 35 week. No idea what time, so I'm sat here with DP twiddling my thumbs.

Both babies are head down and I'm showing signs of preterm labour and I was looking forward to having a induction/natural birth and I'm incredibly nervous of having a section.

Any words of wisdom or just general well wishes that might stop me from feeling anxious would be greatly appreciated as to be honest I'm crapping myself right now !

You will be absolutely fine! You're in the right place, and your DP is with you.

Good luck!

Hi
I had an elective C-section for twins. Bit later than you - 37 weeks. C-sections are much safer for twins. They can get all tangled up and trapped if not. And a planned C-section should be safe for you too.

In terms of recovery, I think we win over natural birth, and you do need energy with twins. C-Section seems easier to bounce back from than natural birth and so much less likely to be traumatic. Mine was lovely. We had gorgeous music playing. The nurses sang to the boys as they were being delivered. Happy time. I had zero pain from my scar. Friends who delivered naturally were crawling around with inflammation and badly torn skin.

One thing to watch for which they never admitted when my DC were born, is that C-sections wreck your milk supply. If you want to breast feed, you need to ask for some special medication (forget the name) which helps with the letting down process. And take milk thistle and fenugreek. And use a pump as they'll be too tiny to suck right now, but they'll need your milk.

Are you happy with the neo-natal unit where you are? Are they set up to cope with very small babies? One of mine seemed much more prem than the other. He was still covered in that white fur they have in the womb (pretty cute.)

I hope all will be well. Often with twins there are medical issues. It's so hard to do, but please try not to worry if this is the case. Pick off the medical issues one by one, and so long as they are not life threatening immediately just try and make sure they are comfortable and help them thrive in every way you can. One of my sons had a list of medical problems so long it was hard to believe he'd survive. Well he did. He's now late teens. He still has a host of complex medical problems due to being a prem twin. But he deals with them. He's a brilliant musician, applying to great unis and off today on a first date with someone who's been hinting for a date all summer, while his brother is abroad on a sports tour. So even if there are problems, try to remember that they can still have full and amazing, happy lives long term. Your twins are more likely to thrive and have a great life than not.

For now SLEEP - there'll be less of that once they're born.

OP, good luck! You will be fine. Rest as much as you can now and try to nap if possible - I was wiped out after my EMCS and couldn’t sleep at all because of gorgeous newborn (and all the noise!)

In terms of recovery I drank lots of peppermint tea (helps any bloating or wind which might put pressure on the stitches). Ask for Oramorph as pain relief; you can have this whilst breastfeeding and I found it really took the edge off the pain afterwards without making me feel drowsy!

Sleep with extra pillows.

If you want skin to skin contact straight away make sure you tell them! I had an EMCS so everything was rushed and I thought there was no time for skin to skin but they said afterwards they could have done this for a minute.

@milliefiori your points are interesting. I have never had a vaginal birth so can’t compare but everyone tells me c-section is harder recovery! And the milk thing I didn’t know. My supply was actually fine when it came in but DD had real trouble latching and could not get anything from me. It all had to be expressed!

Thankyou all. There's been a delay in the theatre room. I have a latex allergy so have to go into the latex free theatre. So still on ward I'm my socks and gown, now been given an IV drop as I've not been able to eat or drink since 3am, getting quite fed up. But keep closing my eyes and trying to rest. But the longer we wait the more anxious I get ! Just want them here now :( x

Also I did ask midwife about milk supply, she said a c section shouldn't delay milk coming in too much but it's likely they will fed through a drip for the first day and then will move onto breastfeeding so they will use hospital grade pumps to encourage and help me express so by the time they are ready to suckle my milk should of come in. If not I will ask for some medication to help x

Just don’t panic if they end up in Neo Natal, it’s very common with twins to whisk them off there, so just brace for a cuddle on delivery and then they may have to head to neo natal. After you are less groggy from the section you will be wheeled there too.

It’s not a guarantee they will end up there just giving you a heads up and reassurance that it’s common and the staff will have dealt with loads of twins and teenies.

Good luck, and a CS ought not to damage your milk supply but early delivery may delay commencement, again this is something your team will be able to advise xx

Good luck. I know it could be quite different with twins but I was induced for my son at 35 weeks because he wasn’t growing enough and he had very little trouble at all. He could breathe by himself and breastfeed, although needed some extra formula and expressed milk to put on weight. Soon he was as big as other babies his age. Hopefully your babies will be absolutely fine as well. Xxxx

Thankyou @Imtootired they examined me the other day and found I was 3cm dilated so I've had both steroid injections for their lungs so hopefully they will be able to breathe okay.

Also I've spoke to the NICU team, they will be there, they've said it's just circumstantial as to whether they go to NICU or not. The smaller baby most likely will for assessment due to being under the weight threshold but we will still. Still sat here twiddling my thumbs and hoping it's going to be soon 🤞 x

I had an emergency cs at 35 weeks. DD was in an incubator and we were in hospital a while but she is 4 and fine today so I hope that reassures a little. I had steroids at 32 weeks as I was in preterm labour.

We had jaundice treatment with the lights, she was in an incubator and she couldn't suck so was syringe fed and so on for a while , some of this might or might not happen depending on your babies but wanted you to know what my 35 weeker had, and it helped her massively. You are in the best place and they have all the resources there for you.

Thinking of you

Today you wouldn't even know she was prem by looking at her so even though its very nerve wracking right now, hopefully soon they'll be well and on their way home :)

@LittleTopic I was told C-section recovery is harder too. But ime, it wasn't true. My friends were exhausted after 36 hour labours with skin tears and then infections - all sorts of problems. And I just had the C-section and was up and about within hours, feeling fine. I used to sit around listening to their horror stories about birth and thinking I had nothing to add, it was all so simple and calm.

I was told C-section recovery is harder too. But ime, it wasn't true. My friends were exhausted after 36 hour labours with skin tears and then infections - all sorts of problems. And I just had the C-section and was up and about within hours, feeling fine

It's very individual I think. I had an emcs following pushing and failed forceps and 75 hours of back contractions with dc1. The midwife in charge of the postnatal ward stuck her head around the curtain to introduce herself 5 hours after he arrived to find me standing on one leg putting my tights on. I quite literally bounced back after both mine and I laboured first with both, no need for pain killers, was walking by myself to NICU within 24 hours feeling physically fine.

Good luck OP, hope everything goes as smoothly as possible.

Thankyou all, I've been very scared of having a c section after a straight forward induction with my first daughter. Still waiting and getting very emotional now as I'm tired for being on the ward for four days. I just want it over with and my babies here so I know they are ok. I'm hoping they don't need too much time in NICU but we will see how they cope once they are born.

Im on my own way into labour. Lots of tightenings and pains so I'm hoping they see me soon, midwife suspects that my waters may also be going so I'm praying my section comes through before my waters go properly. Sat in bed with a pad on and keep trying to close my eyes but a new neighbor on the ward is very noisy and has been on her phone for the past 4 hours very loudly on speaker

Argh! I really feel for you OP. I remember my anxiety building and getting quite emotional (not like me) the day of my C section as it was a long wait that day.

I don't know what to say apart from try to do some a couple of calming long exhale breaths and think of the end goal!

I did have to work quite hard on my milk supply after my section but it all happened in the end so try not to stress too much, just once the section is done drink plenty of water and try to eat as well as you can (tricky under the circumstances!).

@NameChangeForLocalThread
Honestly all I can think about is a big fat McDonald's which isn't like me at all . Still no word off labour ward or any of the doctors, I'm presuming it's going to be around 7pm the way it's going. My milk came in quite easily with my daughter, I'm hoping it's the same this time but obviously very different circumstances so I'll just have to see but just had a few deep breaths and feel a tiny bit better. Anxiety is definitely setting in now unfortunately x

My milk came in quite easily with my daughter, I'm hoping it's the same this time but obviously very different circumstances

I'd say the fact that you think labour is coming regardless is a good sign for your milk. Mine came in on day 3 with both (emergency sections but very different).

You should get tea and toast fairly quickly after your section if everything goes smoothly. Certainly my second arrived at 6am and I had tea and toast and then lunch at lunch time.

Is there a shop or similar anywhere for your dh to go get a book/magazine/colouring book to try and distract you?

Good luck op I hope you meet your babies very soon

@soontobemummyof3 the other thing to keep in mind if you’re anxious is that it is over so quickly! I remember feeling a bit of pulling and tugging around and thinking “OK, so they’ll be starting properly in a minute” and the surgeon announced that they were about to deliver DD

Hope you get to see your babies soon

@Dinosauratemydaffodils to be honest I'm so tired from being in the ward and having no food since yesterday all I can seem to do is lay in my bed and drift in and out of sleep but it's making me feel very groggy. Labour is definitely on its way, 3cm dilated, lots of signs of preterm labour, just not made it to 4cm which is established labour but if they leave me longer that's where I might end up, I'm producing colostrum so just hoping actual milk comes in fairly quickly. I can't bloody wait for that tea and toast

Thankyou for your well wishes to meet my babies soon ! Still here and still very pregnant it has to be soon.. surely ?? DP has nipped so I'm going to close my eyes again and hopefully I might get half an hour !

Here for the hand hold op!

I am 39 weeks with dc5!

Do you have names picked out?

@IVEgottheDECAF yes we do! Imogen and Isabelle are our leading names ! Hope you're feeling ok after the heatwave and this muggy weather especially at 39 weeks! It's been awful the past few weeks for me x

Good luck op, I has a c section and you'll be fine, have they explained the process to you?

Ps ask what stitches you get, I got the dissolving ones and my scar is like a piece of white thread across my abdomen. I don't know if they still use staples but worth asking for dissolving as it makes a huge difference, there is a non dissolving thread horizontally through it with beads on the end they just snip and pull it out.

Beautiful names op!

Were you due in Sept or Oct?

Good luck OP, here for the handhold. My baby was born on Saturday, almost identical circumstances apart from she was a singleton and 34 weeks. They did try to induce me with a tiny amount of gel but she just went into distress, wish I'd have just gone straight for the section now.

It was fine, she is in scbu now but she is doing amazing, had a couple of sicky days but now there is nothing holding her back.

Hope everything goes smoothly and you're meeting your little ones soon. I'd say try and rest up first but I know how difficult it is.

@Bluntness100 because of how rushed it's been (despite how long it's taking today) they've not really explained much, NICU have given me a lot of detail about babies but the actual c section procedure pretty much nothing. I'll see what they say about the dissolving stitches, Thankyou !

@IVEgottheDECAF ah Thankyou, I was due 4th October x