34 plus weeks preg with ID twins. VB or csec?? HELP PLEASE.... !

[hippy3]

just quickly and brief history..

Am 34 weeks and five days with ID twins. One baby is head down, {twin 1} second baby breech..have been advised to go for VB and thats what I am going to do, but started to google about breech babies and labour and am worried something will happen to second twin.

My consultant and MW both said there is no reason not to go for a VB as the first sign of trouble with either baby they will take me in for a csec anyway...

Anyone got any advice? I am not worried about the labour, am quite looking forward to it. They are saying they will induce me at the beginning of week 37..IF i get that far.....

any tips, advice.... asked my consultant what was the safest and he kinda said not getting pregnant in the first place..... {jokingly} I really like my consultant and he seems to want to encourage me to make my own decision...

Probably should google......

Google should come with a warning! You know it hardly ever comes up with what you want to read!
Have you spoken to your consultant about your concerns for twin2? Has your consultant got any experience in dealing with twin births? If not is there a twin coordinator at the hospital you could speak to? Queen Charlottes had one but i never got the chance to meet her and was told when i was in labour that she had left.

I would always opt for vb, my reasons being, i really dont like the thought of a c-sec, the recovery time is longer, the risks are higher. I think you'll do fine with vb.
Just try to be as relaxed as possible and your twins will be too! :)

We were always told that as long as twin 1 was head down, they weren't concerned about the position of twin 2 (though ours were non-id, I don't know if it is different in an id pg?). I think the reasoning is that the uterus is more stretched in twin pregnancies and the birth canal has already just birthed one baby so once twin 1 is out, there's more room to manouvre twin 2 if needed than in a singleton pg.

In the event, both ours were head down throughout so pretty much ideal. As twin 1 was born, the dr grabbed my tummy to keep twin 2 in position and scanned to make sure he was still head down.

If the consultant thinks vb is the way to go then I think that's what I'd do. Although a csec is always an option if needed for twin 2 (or both), my understanding is that it's fairly unusual to need to have it if twin 1 is born vaginally.

Good luck - I had a lovely labour/birth with my twins

I am not sure on this one as I had the nightmare birth of vaginal for first twin and c-section, there were about 3 of us at my local twinsclub with this type of birth. I was told the risk is 5%. Looking back, i wish I had had a section although i appreciate that I am looking at it with hindsight and if i had had a natural birth I probably wouldn't feel this way. I have had 3 c sections altogether and 2 VBACs and prefer VBAC by a long long way but with twins I am not sure. My twins birth was horrific and was a crash section for twin 2 he was starved of oxygen and it wasn't clear whether he would survive or be brain damaged as he was in such a poor state. Due to the rushed birth I had internal bleeding and had to be opened up again and arteries mended. It was a long road to recovery as we were both critically ill for days but we made it through and my DT2 only has minor visual impairment. I don't want to scare but just wish someone had told me about the risks beforehand, I wasn't offered a section even though I had a section previously for my 1st child (2nd was VBAC). I have had an elective section too and it was so much easier than a crash/emergency section although it takes longer afterwards to feel normal again. I was over 38 weeks when i had mine and so big!

I went into early labour at 34&3 with my id girls, twin 1 head down, twin 2 breech. I happily had a section and have no regrets, I hated the thought of pain & labouring for hours then ending up with a c section anyway. I scared myself watching too many labour programmes

Congrats & good luck, cone and join us on our life with twins thread

Sorry, am going to throw something else in here - after I had mine (VB, but both head down) I was told about the risk of TTTS between ID's during labour. We were fine, both others weren't. The situation & advice might have changed in the intervening 5 years, but at the time there was dramatically opposing advice given by different consultants about it. Some (mine included) said the risk was 'theoretical', but two well known multiple birth units in London (Queen Charlottes and Kings) were saying c-section at 37 weeks for IDs, no choice.

FWIW I had an ok VB with my two - it all went wrong with the post-natal care afterwards though, which coloured the experience somewhat.

If you are on TAMBAs boards they are a great place for advice and knowledge on TTTS.

I wasn't given a choice either, I was told I'd be having a c section at my 10 week scan. I was at Queen Charlotte's, my girls shared a placenta though, do yours?

thanks for ll the tips.... have juts got off the phone to the multiple birth foundation. At Queen Charlottes, spoke to a MW there who specialises in twin births and although she could not tell me what to do she explained the risks very thoroughly about both options, and has said at the end of the day I need to do what is right for me. (which I totally understand)

Taken into account its my first pregnancy, the second baby is breech and the fact that they thought i had developed mild TTTS at the early stages of the pregnancy I am now thinking I will go for a csec.

I am relaxed about the whole thing anyway, i was thinking VB and then they may have to take me in for a csec anyway. She has said I will need a doctor who is experienced in twin births and knows how to quickly turn the breech baby and manage any complications that comes with sharing a placenta.

so am ok and have now decided to go with a csec..... decisions decisions... honeslty am really not too bothered either way, just want the safest option.... thanks for ll the advice....x

Glad you've come to a decision that you're happy with. Good luck with it all hippy! And try to keep us posted :)