Happy twin birth stories please

[kingfix]

Like lots of others on here, since recently discovering I'm expecting twins I've been bombarded with all manner of horror stories.

So please oh please tell me some happy tales of natural births, problem free c-s, short stays in hospital and bonny babies.

Make them up if necessary!

Please!

[alexhayes]

Also, apparently, induced labour hurts much much more than natural.

[alexhayes]

Hello!
My non-identical girls were born at 40 weeks + 1 day! I tried to give birth naturally, but after 17 hours of contractions cervix was only 6cm. As we found out later, it was because girl number 1 got stuck with her head. I had a c-section, lost quite a bit of blood, but babies didn't go to special care and we were out 2 days after!
Doctor suggested c-section at 38 weeks or induction, but I refused, to let the babies to mature as much as they need. They were born with very good weights - 7.2 and 7.9lbs :)

Most important is positive thinking! It's only twins, some women had more! :)

[kingfix]

Thanks for all these stories

[1stMrsF]

2 non-id girls born at 38+1 planned c-section (both breech). Brilliant experience - saw both emerge over low screen, had skin to skin minutes after birth, DT1 7lb6.5oz DT2 6lb12oz, cried heartily, both bf in recovery room within 30mins...

The hospital stay afterwards was less impressive but that's another story.

My cs tips are to do lots of reading (I found Mumsnet non-multiple threads very helpful) and write a birth plan. You get to meet the surgeon, theatre nurse and anaethatist (sp) beforehand and you can tell them what you want - be clear that you understand that if things are not going well, you bow to their superior medical knowledge etc. but if things are going well, these are the things you'd like to happen.

Good luck!

[3ismylot]

Congratulations and welcome to fun that is twins

I had a very easy labour with my boy/girl twins and would do it again tomorrow!

I was massive and uncomfortable near the end and begged the consultant to induce me and she agreed to do it at 37 weeks.
I had my 1st lot of waters broken and walked and waited but nothing happened so after 3 hours they started me on the drip, this took agaes to work and it wasnt until they had it up really high that I got a twinge, the contractions were intense but no more painful than my 1st labour.
After 30 minutes of contractions I told the midwife that I was "going to moo then have a baby" (by moo I meant the noise of blowing back down the gas and air tube like I did in my 1st labour lol) she didnt really believe my so had to jump across the room a bit to catch DD lol things calmed for a couple of minutes and then my 2nd waters went (all over the consultant who had been telling me I would end up with an epidural and cs as it was a twin induction!)and just minutes later DS2 was born feet first but fine.
The time recorded from 1st contraction to both babies was 47 minutes

DD weighed 6lb 1/2oz and DS2 was 7lb 2oz so Im glad i didnt let them take me to full term lol, saying that though DS1 was 9lb 13oz so I think I do big babies!

The best thing to remember is that what will be will be, just go with the flow and see what happens as long as they are both born healthily it doesnt really matter how they arrive

[rattling]

As you are probably gathering, twin pregnancy/birth does come with the chance of a few more problems. I think you would be sensible to accept that, prepare for the possibilities and enjoy it if all goes smoothly.

However, hopefully you won't find too many unhappy outcomes - my boys were born at 32 weeks after I developed pre-eclampsia. They were both 4lbs and required only 50min breathing support (one baby), a bit of treatment for jaundice, and a few weeks being monitored and kept warm till they came home fit and well. Snottiest children I've ever met, but other than that just fine. DH has just spent a week in bed being sick - boys (18 months) had nasty nappies and no interest in food for all of 4 hours!!

Best of luck with your pregnancy. Sounds like you are in the early stages now - a spring due date? I do recommend that.

[eme1989]

Hi!,
Have to say my labour was fine, had an epidural as twin 2 was breech and i was 28 weeks but both came naturally and are now thriving! I think it has a lot to do with the staff around you. I think i had the best ever midwife who didnt leave my side the entire time. I think the best thing is to remember what you'll have at the end! and let the hospital understand your wishes! i think some music in the background wouls have helped me relax more! Congratuations xxx

[kingfix]

I am Mrs Meek of Timidtown though.

I haven't seen my consultant yet so don't know what the current protocol is but I think they are happy to try for a vb if the first baby is head down, but like you to have an epidural.

From my limited knowledge I think an epidural means you can't move about and I'm afraid it makes you more likley to go on to have a c-s.

Anyway, as you say, let's get through the next few months first and the birth is only part of the story after all.

[e3chick]

Get yourself to 37 weeks and pray they get themselves into good positions. You've had 2 before, you then stand a very good chance of sailing through it.
Not being a first time mum gives you a lot more credibility (I reckon) with the consultants if you want to argue the case for going outside the hospital protocols.

[kingfix]

e3chick wow over 14lbs of baby! Respect.

All these stories have calmed me down, thank you.

[e3chick]

I had a very nice pregnancy, no more tired or uncomfortable than the others.
I got to one day short of 40 weeks. My plan was to stay at home for as long as possible, although I did have the agreement to use the pool if it was free. (The plan was a trace ECG on admission for 20 minutes, then I could get in the pool with manual monitoring and get out for another trace every 2 hours. I was happy with this as I was pretty sure I wouldn't be in established labour for that long).
My waters broke at around 6am, but no pain. We chilled and got things ready then watched a DVD. At 11.40am I called the midwife as the pain seemed to be getting labour-like, and she arrived pretty quick. She checked me and I was 9cm so we had to call the ambulance to transfer and I delivered dt1 really nicely and smoothly about 30mins after arrival.
Dt2 was not playing ball and continued to sit really high up (breech). I was not having any contractions at all so after 30 mintues I had the syntocinon infusion which was upped slowly, then after 2 1/2 hours (yes! really!) my waters were broken and she came out in 2 contractions.

Dt1 was 7lb 11oz and dt2 was 6lb 7oz and were absolutely fine.

So, all in all there were more interventions than I would have liked, and I did have a pph, but it was far from the horror stories I was fed from day 1.


I had

[MamaChris]

I had a fantastic normal birth :)

Our local hospital policy is for twin births to be managed by a doctor, and to have an epidural. I was very sure I wanted a midwife led, epidural free birth, and got a doula early on who knew who to talk to at the hospital. I switched to a pro-normality consultant, and negotiated with her and the consultant midwife to have the kind of birth I wanted. Doing all this negotiation early on meant that when I went into labour (at 38w), I was confident to go to hospital.

at the start of labour, dt1 was head down, dt2 breech. I had to have 30 mins of IV antibiotics for possible GBS, but after that was able to go in the bath for pain relief. at some point, dt1 turned posterior, and dt2 head down, because when the doctor came to scan us, both babies were head down. after that, we didn't see another doctor (obs or paeds). I was lucky to have confident midwives, who told the doctors knocking at the door they'd have to wait, and the babies were born only 6 minutes apart. we went home 8 hours later.

I know birth is only a small part of the picture, but for me it was a very important part, and a very positive one.

congratulations, and good luck :)

[jass77]

Hello
I had a stressful twin pregnancy (cervical stitch and bed rest from 20 wks), but the birth was fine. T1 was breech so I had a planned section at 38wks. It was very calm and relaxed (for an operation, obviously!) and I was able to cuddle both twins in theatre while they were stitching me up. They were born 3 mins apart and weighed 6lb6 and 6lb2. I fed both of them in recovery, was (wobbly) on my feet by the evening and discharged within 48hrs (though they would have let me stay longer if I'd felt I needed to, I was very keen to get home to DD1 and organising a house move!). A section wouldn't have been my preferred option, but it was fine, and as the others have said the birth is only a tiny part of the picture.
Hope it all goes well for you - having twins is wonderful :)

[MyFourGirls]

this is all good reading ladies...i'm 37 weeks today and playing the waiting game.... hard not to get a bit anxious when it's all so close...just want to meet our little girls now!

[tartiflette]

Mine was a planned section at nearly 38 weeks, 2 healthy babies after a fairly trouble free pregnancy... I was terrified the whole way through after hearing so many horror stories but it was FINE and now I just wish I could have relaxed. We did have an 8 day stay in hospital after the birth but that was feeding issues and nothing dramatic (although it felt dramatic at the time as I was climbing the walls and desperate to get home...)

Congratulations and my advice would be to inform yourself within reason but don't scare yourself by reading too much! I totally second what throckenholt says.

[throckenholt]

the odd thing is before you have babies the birth is the big thing that concerns you. After you have them, and with the distance of hindsight you realise that the birth is only one small piece of the picture - hard work and dramatic at the time but very small compared to all the rest.

Whatever happens the odds are high that it will be ok and you will have two new babies at the end of it.

[poorbuthappy]

Congrats on joining the club!

My girls are 2 in 2 weeks...

went into labour at 34 weeks and tried to do vaginally but had a wonky cervix so ended up with an emcs.

I was very poorly afterwards due to my blood pressure not dropping straight away and not being let out of recovery for 14 hours.

Girls were in SCBU for 2 weeks due to problems breathing and feeding. We were all extremely well looked after and I will be forever grateful to all the staff.

It wasn't horrendous by any stretch, it was slightly stressful, but completely copeable (is that a word??)
Again congrats...take care!

[AtLongLast]

Congratulations .

My 7.5 month old non-id boys are my first children & I had a fantastic pregnancy and birth. Both boys were head down from 28wks onwards. I worked (teaching) until 37+1 and was induced at 40+3 (after months of thinking `any time now' after hearing so many horror stories) and gave birth naturally with only paracetamol as pain relief with labour lasting only 4.5 hours. Boys weighed 7lb 13 and 7lb 11 1/2. I did haemorrhage and need stitches for a 2nd degree tear, but no big deal really.

We had a little more of a problem with breastfeeding as the boys lost too much weight & we ended up mix-feeding (still doing this). The hospital were happy for us to go home less than 24 hours post-birth but I opted to stay in an extra night for breastfeeding support, for all the good that did us.

Twins are fab. I'd say all babies should come in pairs but then too many people would be in on the secret !

[Egg]

Me me, I had a great birth with my twins (and good pregnancy too).

Had DS1 already who was born with straightforward 4-hr labour and vaginal delivery at term.

DTs were born after spontaneous labour at 37 weeks, also 4-hrs (until DT1/DD). No epidural as not really time and also was keen not to if I could avoid it so had gas and air.

Both were born head down, although DT2/DS2 needed help with ventouse as I was not feeling contractions after DD came out. Did not have any probs with ventouse though and don't remember it even hurting!

DD was 4lbs 11 and DS2 was 5lbs 4. They didn't need special care or anything and we all went straight up to our room together once I had been cleaned up.

We did stay in for four nights but only because they needed to ensure blood sugar levels were ok before we went home. I loved the time in hospital though as we got given our own room and everyone made a big fuss of us! They have not had any health issues.

Have a look on my profile and prob all the other twin mums' profiles. You will feel v heartwarmed looking at the pics!

My twins are now nearly three. They have attitude.

Congratulations on your pregnancy. Whereabouts are you living? Find a local twins club and get to know them before you have your babies, it's reassuring meeting others before you get your own!

[PeasPlease]

Hello, positive story here! Boy / girl twins born 'naturally' at 38 weeks after previous CS. Used pool in labour, had occasional monitoring. DS was 6lb 5oz, DD2 was 5lb 12oz.

They had their shoulders in the way of each other so forceps wiggled DD2 out a bit but it really was fine.

The only negative was the blood loss afterwards, I can't believe I had considered insisting on a natural 3rd stage of labour! That placenta was absolutely huge!

[MarniesMummy]

P.S. DD's were my first children and first pregnancy.

[MarniesMummy]

I remember that feeling, don't believe the hype, it's not all true.

I thought I didn't believe the hype and it totally wrong footed me (as I obviously did believe) when I went overdue.

The doctors started to try to convince me to be induced when I hit 38 weeks. However they couldn't explain what medical evidence there was to support their wish to induce so I carried on.

In brief, I delivered at 40+3, both the vaginally, the second was breech (we knew this all along).
My DD's weighed in at 7lbs 1oz abd 7lbs and despite the "cast of thousands" in attendence only required a wipe before passing to me (by way of medical care).

My advice; keep fit (pregnancy yoga), eat well and what will be will be.