overdue twins?

[MyFourGirls]

Hi there... Not sure I'm really 'overdue' as it all seems to be a matter of medical opinion which no two docs/midwives seem to agree on...however...I'm 38+2 with non-id twin girls...really hoping to go into labour unassisted (as had a traumatic induced labour last as well as wanting them to arrive when they're ready...)

was made to feel a bit freaky yesterday by doctor who said I was the 1st twin mum who at 38 weeks wasn't begging to be induced. She said they prefered to induce so they were 'in control of the birth' (alarm bells!)and so they can make sure I deliver during 'daylight hours' (scary!)

how far did some of you go who didn't want induction and had 'uncomplicated' twin presentation (mine are both head down)...

also did you go into labour gradually or with little warning?!

what's your understanding of the risks of going beyond 38 weeks? have you heard anything first hand?

just trying to shed some light on this funny ol time!

Hi I have two friends both had non id twins. They were both keen to labour when the babies were ready, they laboured at 39and 40 weeks respectivly.
They were having weekly checks/scans all of which were fine.
The medical model is to induce at 38 weeks but if babies and mums are well there really does not seem to be much research to support this.
Good luck with your decision remember many women "beg" to be induced because they have not fully examined all the pros and cons and are soley focused on getting the baby out.

Hiya, I was similar with my non-id boys (now almost 8 months ). I remember them saying v early on that most wanted them out by 37 weeks but they were happy to let us go to 40 weeks if all was well. I had a great pregnancy (first pg), both boys were head down & I wanted to avoid induction & the increased possibility of cascade of intervention.

We had foetal heart / placentae monitoring from 38 weeks and I agreed to a sweep at 38+6 and again 39+6 though I wasn't totally happy with that. My reason for going with it was that if it would get me into labour naturally then I'd rather that. Didn't totally do the trick, but I was 2cm dilated after the first and 3-4 after the second sweep.

That was the week before Easter & the consultant had already been getting increasingly twitchy but was def not happy about leaving us with no monitoring & the real possibility of twin delivery without having 2 teams ready for the babies over a bank holiday weekend. She booked us in for induction on the basis there was only 1 slot left, but said we didn't have to take it when the time came. We did & it only took the 2 lots of pessaries to get me going. Labour was fab & the boys arrived 4.5 hours later (Easter Sunday) which was 40+3.

I've not really looked at the evidence, but was told that the placenta gradually becomes less efficient after 37 wks and the potential for problems increase a lot after 40 wks. By then I was very conscious of the fears of the medics & sort of felt I needed just to make sure the babies arrived safely however that was. I would have liked just to keep going til they came naturally though. I'm sure it wouldn't have been too much longer since I was already so dilated. No regrets though, but I suspect that's just cos it ended up being so straighforward for us.

Good luck

hiya i went to 38+5 in the end with my non id twin boys. I was actually booked in to be induced the following day and wasn't particularly happy about it, i was really hoping my labour would start naturally and in the end it did, just in time! I had quite an easy time of it, and yes labour did start suddenly, was petrified driving to hospital as things seemed to be happening so fast just 4 hours in labour in total from the very first twinge at home to delivering no 1, then another 35 minutes before no 2 arrived. twin 1 was head down but twin 2 was always transverse but turned head down later. Noboby mentioned to me the risks of going beyond 37 weeks although i had read about it, my consultant seemed totally unconcerned and in no hurry! best wishes to you hoping you have a similar experience xxx

I went until just under 39 weeks. (Non -id twins, both head down, no other complications). They wanted to induce me the week before and I persuaded them to let me go another week but they didn't want me to go past 39 weeks so I was induced. I tried everything to go into labour own my own but clearly they were quite happy in there! I ended up with a c - section as labour did not progress (although there is a family history of this so not necessarily to do with being induced.) Twin 2 had to be forcep-ed out even with the section so I think that if I had been left to go into labour I might have delivered T1 vaginally but still required a section with T2. To reassure you although this wasn't the way I would have picked to have my babies, it wasn't at all traumatic. Good luck!

well i'm 39 weeks today and still here... can hardly believe it! a real test of patience...having a s and s this morning... am hoping all the niggles i've had have already made some progress... hospital happy toleave me til 40 weeks but i think only because they don't believe i'll actually hack it that long!

thanks for your positive messages...it is a v weird time ....

you sound like you are doing brilliant mentally MFG, I went to 42 weeks with my single pregnancy and I know how exhausting it can be waking up each morning and wondering if today is the day. Was induced in the end and it wasn't that bad. Just think in 10 days you will have your girls, and anything earlier is a bonus! Good luck and let us know how you get on

thanks girls...thing is, i feel ok physically - obviously it's hard work but it's not hellish by any stretch. i'm managing to sleep ok and resting a lot, but psychologically i've nearly reached my limit! esp when i've had about 4 days in the last 2 weeks where i've had some regular contractions and thought 'right - this is it.

anyway midwife visit a bit disappointing - no s and s as no head is engaged and can risk waters breaking and cord prolapse so she wasn't happy to do it. 1cm dilated and 'soft and stretchy' cervix (TMI?!)

DD1 was 19 days over so am thinking i just brew babies for a LONG time... now getting my head round the potential idea of another WEEK of pregnancy??!!?? bloody hell. didn't consider for a moment that these would be december babies!

My non id twins arrived at 38+4. The consultant midwife at my hospital said that at her last hospital most twin mums went to 40 weeks. The consultant tried to scare me about going beyond 38 weeks, but said she didn't have any statistics to back this up.

I'd been having regular contractions on and off since 35 weeks, and just wanted to get on with it. I had a sweep at 37+3 when I was 1cm, "soft and stretchy". I had another at 38+3 (3cm), and went into labour the next day :) Fantastic births btw, with confident midwives who told the doctors they'd "just have to wait", so that I had no doctors present to try and "control" anything.

Good luck!

That sounds lovely and positive mamachris Thank you. It's reassuring you had so many 'practice runs' before the real thing kicked off...

I had a similar conversation with my midwife today...for the last twenty years or so most twin pregnancies have been early/elective c-section/inductions after 38 weeks making the likelihood of anything approaching 40 weeks quite small as most women choose, understandably, to end their pregnancy - esp when given lots of scary 'warnings' coupled with feeling bloody uncomfortable. They don't really have any recent data about long natural gestations and their implications... I've had doctors and consultants use the word 'term' for 37/38 and 40 weeks with twins...no-one can agree because nobody actually knows! No-one I have seen in the last 9 months has given me any actual statistics because there simply aren't any!

When it comes to the labour I feel quite strongly that so long as the babies are ok there is no reason to interfere at all - it'll be great if we could have some wise strong midwives about...

So here's to the possibility of another week...aaarrgghh!

I haven't had twins but I am one. We were born at 40+3 naturally, no induction. My mum just went into labour at 40+2, spent 16 hours in labour. My sister was born first (head down) and I was born breech 14 minutes later.
That was 24 years ago but if women have been able to do it naturally in the past then I'm sure you can too.
Remember you don't need to accept the induction. You're the one who should be in control, not the hospital!
Good luck!

Hi, I was waiting for natural contractions and they finally started at 40+1 :) Twins CAN go full term and there is nothing wrong with that!

I refused induction and planned c-section as offered at 38 weeks.

Couldn't do it naturally though, first girl got stuck, but at least i know they had all the time they needed in mummy's belly :)

Myfourgirls are you still with us or have you gone to have them/had them??

I went to 39 + 6 and was comfortable like you till the last minute. Best of luck.

yep...still here...39+2...beginning to feel like an endurance test now but more psychologically than physically really... helpful positive comments from mumsnetters def helps my resolve tho...

How you doing myfourgirls ??