How long did you carry twins and was an EMCS required?

[V478]

I found out a few weeks ago that I am pregnant with twins. I am absolutely over the moon but would like to know everything about what other mothers have gone through with their twin pregnancies, labour and whether the twins were premature. Would appreciate any replies. I have been getting lots of fab tips, ideas and information from reading other posts but have not seen anything along these lines yet.

Down side not size!

I was induced at 38+6 but they were still not ready to come out! I progressed very slowly, not helped by having to lie flat on my back and having an epidural, which slows everything down. Eventually, 10 hours in, went for em C-section as not progressing, 3 cm to 5 cm in 10 hrs, and everyone (both babies and me) were getting a bit distressed!

Subsequently had a great vaginal birth with my singleton :-)

Thank you so much for all the replies. I am 13 weeks pregnant with non-id twins. I have a four year old son who was born naturally and really would prefer the same again, but realise with twins you have to be prepared for anything, so this has really helped me get my head around things. Thanks again.

This is my first post, sorry I'm not up-to-speed with MN-speak...

Congratulations - you are so lucky to be having twins! Ours b/g twins are coming up to 12 weeks now and have both slept 7pm-7am for ten nights on the trot, so I am probably just elated at having had so much sleep! It's like crack! Their naps don't seem to last very long during the day now, but I never thought the sleeping at night would get so much better so soon.

I had them bang on 38 weeks. Both were head down and I was encouraged to have a vd. My foundation trust were quite flexible and they let me choose a C-sec. My husband (and I) were very worried about something going wrong, even though I'd been lucky and had a very easy pregnancy (not even any morning sickness) and wanted to control as many variables as possible, so I chose to have a C-section.

I worked full-time (even 21 days without at day off during the riots last summer - at around 26-30 weeks I think) up until 34 weeks, and started a new job on promotion at 30 weeks.

The C-Sec was fine, weirdly laid-back. I had some strange feelings in the weeks just afterwards about feeling I hadn't done 'the work' to deserve the babies, but I feel like I'm doing it now, so have got over that! DT1 was 6lb9 and DT2 was 6lb1 - we went home two nights later. The day after I was agony, laughing or coughing really hurt for about five days. After a week I felt much better and after three weeks I felt almost back to normal.

The whole bf vs ff thing came as a big surprise, I always knew it was a big issue but hadn't thought I would be bothered by it. I've got very inverted nipples and knew it was always going to be hard to try to breastfeed. It didn't work. I expressed for 7 weeks, but then I needed to get back on the caffeine to keep going! I was surprised by how emotional I was about it - especially when people said things like 'at least they are getting some', when I tried to make it 'sound better' by explaining that although I was ff, I was also giving them expressed breast milk. Then I felt a bit stronger and thought, 'Why am I justifying myself to some random woman in a Starbucks????? Who doesn't even have twins????'

You are in for such a journey. I made myself take each day of the pregnancy as it came and didn't really let myself think too much about the future, which was a bit weird looking back. We were just terrified that something would happen to them as several friends and extended family have been desperately sadly bereaved.

I feel so luck to have two lovely, healthy babies and wish you all the very best for the future.

Sorry for the long post - this is the first time I've written any of this down, and it all just kind of came out... sorry!

Congratulations. I had a fairly easy pregnancy but DT2 showed up small on scans and I had to have a fair bit of extra monitoring. Was induced at 40 weeks and delivered at 40+2. DT1 didn't want to budge... DT2's heartrate dropped with syntocin but we managed a vaginal delivery but both ventouse. DT2 was small (5'4) and had to spend 4 days in SCBU as he couldn't regulate temperature or blood sugar. All ok after that and its been fun since we got home! Its now 9 months and DT2 has caught up with DT1 in height and weight.

Congratulations also!
My story b/g twins induced at 38+ 3,weights 6 13 and 6 5-but...one vaginal delivery,followed by EMCS under GA when DT2 (who was breech ) was not for turning.After an hour trying to manipulate C section was done ,all well afterwards.
Breastfed for 6 months (but I`d already b/fed older daughter then 16 months so I think that made a difference).

They are now 17 months and are amazing,I would not change a single thing.

I also have 2 sets of twins. The girls arrived at 33+3 after prom and were in scbu for 20 days for feeding, apnea, blood sugars and temperature control

The boys arrived at 36+5 again due to prom. Twin1 was with us from the start and twin 2 was in scbu as needed recuss at birth and then cpap as still struggled with breathing.

Both classed as emergency c-secs but was awake for both. Both had one breech twin and one head down.

induced with non id girls at 40+3. both head down. one forceps delivery, one ecs. 9lbs and 8lbs5oz. home (on my insistence) within 36 hours. very untraumatic. breastfed well. none of it (including the following year) as hard as everyone tells you it is. good luck. :-)

Sorry to hi-jack the thread but I notice a few people have more than one set of twins. Excuse the personal question here but were they both naturally conceived? (I am trying to work out what the chances of having a second set of twins were if I were ever to decide to get pregnant again).

Bb3, I was told by GP that I had a 1 in 9 chance of having twins again, but I had a singleton (I was relieved, DH slightly disappointed not to have twins again!). I think your chances increase as you get older and I was in my late thirties at the time.

MCDA twin girls were born at 36+5 weeks and weighed 5lb 15 and 4lb 6 - EMCS but would have been planned CS if I'd gone 3 more days but my contractions began and I started to dilate. dd1 was born in 2 hours 5 minutes and the twins were breech so they were scared they would try to come quickly so whisked us into surgery. Fab experience compared to dd1's birth and they are now 19weeks old and amazing - I love being a twin mummy.
Congratulations!

Forgot to say dtd1 was rushed to SCBU due to respiritory distress, dtd2 was with me until I was able to get to SCBU (6 hours after CS) to see dtd1 and at that point they moved her from the incubator into a normal cot and dtd2 was put in it with her due to her low birth weight. dtd1 then had jaundice but not enough for light therapy just kept an eye on. We were home after 8days and I am now mix feeding as fully bf was a struggle with a 3yo for me.

BB3, I have two non-identical sets, both sets conceived without fertility treatment. Apparently once you've had one non-identical set of twins, you are statistically a bit more likely than other women to conceive twins but it's still pretty rare. I was 34 when I had the first set and 37 when I had my second lot - a doctor told me that in your 30s you are more likely to start releasing more than one egg per cycle. Annoyingly, we thought about taking out "twin insurance" for the second pregnancy but decided it was so unlikely it'd be money down the drain...

I had identical girls, emergency section at 31+2 due to placental abruption which they think may have been caused by laser ablation at 20 weeks for TTTS. 6 weeks in SCBU. Just saw paeds for 6 month review, he's so pleased with their progress he is going to see them in July and if things keep going well he will completely discharge them.

Not an ideal pregnancy but a fantastic end result. Good luck!

I had identical girls, emergency section at 31+2 due to placental abruption which they think may have been caused by laser ablation at 20 weeks for TTTS. 6 weeks in SCBU. Just saw paeds for 6 month review, he's so pleased with their progress he is going to see them in July and if things keep going well he will completely discharge them.

Not an ideal pregnancy but a fantastic end result. Good luck!

They were born using privatge midwives at 40 weeks on the due day (!), 4th and 5th babies which probably helped. My midwives thought the NHS might have induced them at 38 weeks but instead we monitored them very carefully and I was very grateful they got the extra 2 weeks of growing time adn weren't brought out before they wanted to be. They were 6 pounds 8 and 7 pounds 8 at birth.

One was born at home fairly quickly. His twin was born in a different London borough but quite calmly the same day 7 hours later in hospital with my midwives, both normal births. It was just everything had slowed down after birth 1 - no one ever told me I woudl have 7 separate 7 hours labours one for each twin. This is very rare by the way both ther 40 weeks and two labours so don't think it is likely for you. There were no problems but we needed a drip to speed up contractions for number 2.

We came home the same night. The birth registrar had never had twins born in different London boroughs before.

They were conceived naturally, non identical.

I felt very very sick in the first 3 months, more than with the 3 single children but after that was absolutely fine, just quite large on the tube going to work pregnant at 40 weeks with twins. Was able to take work calls the next day and back at full time work in a few days as i was lucky enough to be based at home and the nanny brought them to me to feed.

Big important tip - if one wakes to breastfeed always feed the other at the same time even if it's sleeping once you've got going so you save a load of time.

I carried B/G twins through an uneventful pregnancy, finished work (a two hour commute each way!) at 36+2 and then had a planned CS at 38+1.

The planned CS was partly choice - twin 2 was breech, and consultant gave me the option of natural delivery with the hope she'd turn or a planned CS. They would have been happy to deliver twin 2 naturally in the breech position, so it really was a choice. I opted for CS after a lot of research, and they allowed a planned CS.

The pregnancy was fine - no morning sickness or other symptoms really, though I walked like a cowboy from about 8 weeks because of slight fanjo swelling. Not a huge disablement though.

The delivery was as described by consultant/midwife, and I was well cared for (as were the babies). I was given some support with Breastfeeding in hospital, though I doubt the hospital support would have been enough to successfully feed. The community midwife who came out to me after the birth (for 4 weeks!) was absolutely fab - she really invested time and effort to support us and get us feeding well and confidently. I am still breastfeeding both babies now, and they're 15 months old If you want to breastfeed, don't let anyone tell you it'll be too hard to feed two, or that you won't make enough mill, or that a CS will make it too hard - it might be absolutely fine

Good luck with your pregnancy, delivery and afterwards (when the fun really starts!). I would advise looking for a local twins club - start with a search on TAMBA (and join TAMBA too), but also ask your midwife/NCT person as they're often aware of groups.

Good luck and enjoy it all :)

I have MCDA girls, they were born at 35 weeks at 4lb4 and 5lb4. We were in hospital for 2 weeks, I really appreciated the time to establish feeding so well. Labour was spontaneous, quick (2 hours) and unmedicalised.

My DCDA boys are 13 months - where did that year go?
They were both transverse and I was admitted at 34 weeks due to risk of cord rupture if I started to labour, so I spent a miserable Christmas on the ward, bored rigid. I'd wanted to cook them for as ling as possible but they were HUGE, off the scale on the scans, and I had polyhydramnios so I was the size of a small family car.
I had dual private care and begged my consultant to deliver me ASAP. I wanted a section anyway (DS1 was CS and I didn't fancy attempting vbac with twin baby giants!) so I was delivered at 36+0 by very calm planned section. They were 6-7 and 7-1, even at that early date, and were absolutely fine, no scbu or anything.
I however had a severe PPH which knocked me for six, didn't feel well for months really. I had a lot of risk factors so they were well prepared (as they would have been anyway) but all the same that was horrid. But the babies were fine and I recovered well. The CS itself was a total diddle and the PPH wasn't related to it, it would likely have happened with a VB.
Best of luck!

My dcda boys were born at 33+4 following PROM 3 days after we moved house. Ds1 was an emcs after failure to progress in induction. These 2 were both vb although the hospital switched policy on ELCS to nearly enforced vbac 2/3 way through my pg due to recent financial pressure. Thankfully it was all ok. Dt1 was pushed out in 38 minutes with an epidural that wasn't working properly which is probably why I avoided anything bad. Dt2 then was turned internally but was a little reluctant to come so they used syntocin and 26 mins later he arrived although they said he was a girl!!!! I was rather disappointed when they corrected that mistake.

Dt1 weighed 5lb2 and stayed with me. Dt2 weighed 3lb13 and was sent to scbu for just under 2 days. Both had low blood sugar but I was expecting that as I have type 1 diabetes. Dt2 also couldn't temperature regulate. Dt2 joined us on post-natal on day 2. Day 3 dt1 got jaundice and went under the lights next to me. Day 4 dt2 got jaundice but just needed a billi-blanket on his back. Day 5 we went home. Day 10 we got re-admitted to another hospital's scbu because dt1 was very lethargic. It turned out he had hypothermia because he couldn't temperature regulate and this was causing his feeding problems. They admitted dt2 as well on the grounds he also needed a bit of help although not as much and we stayed there for 11 days, all of us. We would have been discharged from paed care at the 6 week appt if not for the fact that dt2 had a blue in the face not breathing episode ending up with us being re-admitted again 2 weeks before and then a grey episode 3 weeks later. So we got discharged from paed care 12 weeks after scbu discharge.

Scbu's are great but they are not always good at giving information or anything definite on when you're going which makes it hard to manage your expectations.

Two sets of b/g twins here. First pgcy fine until 34 weeks when I got bad pre-eclampsia. Induced at 35+2- vaginal birth, twin 1 head down 6lb 3oz, twin 2 4lb 5oz breech. Two weeks in transitional care for me to get better and them to get feeding, temp and weight established.

Second pgcy plain sailing, SROM at 37wks, three hour labour, vaginal birth. Again twin 1 head down and twin 2 transverse but registrar performed internal podalic version and breech extraction. Weights 5lb15oz and 5lb13oz. Home day 2 but readmitted day 4 for feeding issues which became a ten day stay as both babies developed infections.

Ignore horror stories and be prepared for anything to happen with twins It's amazing holding two babies....

Hello, I've just had my twins by planned cs due to twin1 being breech, at 37+6. The would havd been happy for me to get to 39, but contractions had started so it was done a bit earlier.

Must add I was put on bed rest from 27 to 35 wks due to a shortened cervix. I still managed to another 3 weeks, my ob is still in desbelief!!

Best of luck!!

DF's were induced on their due date and both well over 7 lb.
My two singletons were both under 6.5 lb and a few days early.