pregnant with twins

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I have just found out I am pregnant with twins. After the initial shock/euphoria/relief at having a reason for being soooooo sick, I am now feeling quite scared about what is in store. I have a 2 year old and am worried about the implications for me throughout pregnancy/health of the babies and the effect on my toddler. Any advice/comments/shared experiences would be very welcome.

Hen - hang in there.

I was diagnosed with SPD from about 34 weeks having suffered with pain for some time. I had never heard of SPD! Having contacted my GP I was referred to the physio dept of my hospital for treatment where I was issued with the support belt(extremely uncomfortable)and crutches. I had a great obstectric physio who was able to offer good advice regarding delivery options and give me a number of gentle exercises to do.

There is an organisation called The British DSP Support Group (Address: Head Office, 2 Chapel Place, Ramsgate, Kent CT11 9RY; Telephone: 01843 587356 Email: [email protected]) who offer good advice for suffers and also do a fact sheet with advice and guidance for labour.

I ended up having a c-section (unrelated to the SPD incidentally), and now have a beautiful baby boy. Hang in there, it's frustrating and painful while it lasts but the end result of a lovely baby is worth it!
Jan

There is a thread on SPD (on Mumsnet) called pubic bone pain during pregnancy... where several of us have shared our experience. I think it's fair to say that most of us have found (very good) relief - sometimes too late - when we did meet the right practitionner out there.
Honeybunny who is a physio and who aslo suffers from SPD would probably argue that an soteopath is better than a physio for this sort of thing.... and that's who she goes for treatment. I dare speak on her behalf because she and I have talked about it quite a bit and she is away for the moment.

Hi Hen
I was never formally diagnosed with SPD as I live in Germany with the forces. Antenatal care with a british midwife, scans etc by German hospital so the opinions vary quite differently. My midwife gave me a support belt which I found unsuccessful and I spent 4.5 months of the pregnancy tied to a hospital bed - nightmare. My consultant was as eager for me to give birth as I was and induced me at 36 wks - all I did was ask. I had a natural birth and my boys weighed a lovely 5/3 and 4/12. I thought my pregnacy was going to last forever but with good support you'll get through it. Twins are now 3.5 months old and life couldn't be better. It's all worth it in the end. Good luck.

cfr - no wonder the obst was "furious" with you..it's well researched that the pain a woman goes through in labour affects the baby/babies - your blood chemistry alters because you're under stress and there's consequently less oxygen in your bloodstream for them..so they end up in a "poor state". shame on you to damn such an effective form of pain relief which has helped many women and their babies. I had an effective mobile epidural after nearly a day in labour because I was very dehydrated (threw up from the first contraction) - and the pain on top of all the vomiting and effects of dehydration was simply too much for me to bear. As I needed an emergency caesarean anyway, the epidural meant I could be awake when my baby was born, a moment I will always treasure.

Steady on there Bundle. It has also been proven that having an epidural slows down second stage (which can result in the baby becoming distressed) and that you are more likely to have obstetric intervention if you have had one, which can again increase the chances of foetal distress or even damage in the case of forceps.
It is a little unfair to start castigating someone for making an informed choice.

So being in pain in labour 'affects' babies does it (I presume you mean negatively)? What on earth happened to the poor little mites before epidurals were invented?? 'Cos I've heard that birth is pretty painful, generally.

Oh and bundle, not everyone is able to choose such a pleasant form of pain relief as a mobile epidural. I guess all us country mums who give birth in hospitals with limited epidural facilities are really making their babies suffer. Oh, and people who give birth at home, too.

Grr, argh.

And how do they do it in 3rd world countries ???

Enid, babies - and mums - died, we all know that (& they still do in 3rd world countries where maternity care, eg even just basic education about hygiene is absent). cfr wasn't exactly making the epidural option (or other interventions) a 'neutral' one for anyone who'd like to make an informed choice. When you go to the dentist these days, you can even choose whether to have anaesthetic - oooooh, medical intervention! Women who give birth at home choose to do that, and I am not saying it is wrong. It just wasn't for me for the first time I gave birth. Whatever is right for you is just that and everyone's experience is valid and very personal. But the pregnancy police are too quick to damn those of us who don't take the 'natural' path for whatever reason. I am not saying I would choose the same option next time ie caesarean, cos I'm not too posh to push, just realistic when it comes to weighing up medical advice which in the end saved my baby's life and maybe mine too.

Er! Hang on a sec Bundle! You ARE saying that having no pain relief is wrong.
You actually said it effects the babies , giving them less oxegyn and causing them stress????

I have never in my life heard this argument before??
I can't understand WHY you would even think this.

Doesn't anyone remember the results that a Swedish hospital published last year (it made the news in July I think). They had installed cameras in birthing room and had noticed that mums who had epidurals found it harder to breastfeed after the delivery (I think it was because babies were sleepier) and then it went on to say that bf immediately after birth is preferable (if possible of course) because it releases the right hormones to get your uterus to shrink back, to produce more milk, etc

I couldn't give a tinker's cuss whether someone has an epidural or not. But I'll make the point again that not all women have the choice to have an epidural. Our local maternity unit has ONE anethetist and if he's busy then you're stuffed! So bundle, remove that chip from your shoulder, its not just hippy dippy types that want to do things 'naturally' that forgo an epidural. I had a shocking and very difficult labour but had to manage without one and don't think I'll bother next time.

calm down. what I was saying was that I'm sick of people damning those who CHOOSE (when it's available) to have whatever kind of pain relief they want. And I don't "think" that pain in the mother affects the baby adversely, it's been shown in a number of scientific studies, not just anecdotally. Stress hormones (stimulated by pain, fear etc) affect your blood chemistry and the amount of oxygen available for you and the baby.
Epidurals have been shown to slow down labour, and you take this into account if that's what you choose to do (& if it's available).
Some women may be able to cope better than others with the labour pain and I applaud that. Good preparation & support before/during labour is obviously the key, including the skills of the midwife, knowing what your options are if you choose pain relief. One of my friends used TENS v successfully, which is great, but it didn't help me.
On the feeding issue - after my daughter's birth I breastfed her as soon as my caesarean scar had been stitched up, she wasn't sleepy at all. A good start to breastfeeding depends very much on the support around you, including when you're back at home on your own. I got fantastic help from a La Leche person, as I was struggling during my third bout of mastitis. she gave me advice over the phone, sent leaflets and called me back. I'm still feeding my daughter (aged 20 months) in the mornings as a direct consequence of her help.

So lets get this right, Bundle!

Your don't want people to say its wrong or it affects the baby if you have painrelief!

But , its perfectly fine for YOU to say that having no pain relief is wrong because its bad for the baby!

HHmmmmmm!!

Seems to me that you, Bundle have some serious issues going on in your head!!

Having natrual childbirth is no more bad for baby than a medically managed one.

It seems to me you were dissapointed in having an emergency c section, so you have convinced yourself that natrual chidbirth is wrong and bad for baby.

Bundle - would be very curious to hear more on the studies showing that pain during childbirth impacts babies more than intervention as I too have never heard of this. Do people really get "damned" for choosing an epidural??.

what I'm saying is that people should know the implications of having AND not having pain relief ie both sides. there's been a lot of publicity about how epidurals & other forms of pain relief affect babies/mums, and I believe in people making an informed decision with all the available information. I am not saying having no pain relief is right or wrong (nor am I saying that having pain relief is right or wrong), I am saying that few people know that the stress of labour affects the baby. then the choice is up to you, it's too personal for me to dictate to you - or others - about what they should be doing. that's what these discussions are about isn't it?

Bundle, Let me refresh your memory!!

you actually said. "shame on you" to cfr because she DIDN't have an epidural when she was in labour.

You said THIS was the reason her babies were born in a poor state.

So don't start telling us that your not saying natrual childbirth is wrong.

I notice you havent come up with any figures to support your absurd claim.

And who on earth is getting dammed for having an epidural!!

You need to get a grip on your brain and perhaps get some therapy!

I said "shame on you" for damning it as a form of pain relief ie for ALL women. it's fair enought to relate experiences, but in the end IT IS UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL. trust you to get all personal & abusive about me needing therapy simply because I want people to see all the options before they make up their minds. I will get hold of the figures, but I will need some time to do that from the original research papers. I doubt you'd be interested in reading them anyway, you've already made up your mind (seemingly on behalf of us all) about the whole issue anyway.

and once again I DID NOT SAY that natural childbirth is wrong. I was simply pointing out that there are a number of reasons why a baby could be born distressed, and not all of them are to do with drugs.

I think I can say on behalf of most of the women here that we would certaintly not condemn anyone foe using pain relief or foe having a natrual birth!!

You are the only one doing the condeming, Bundle!
Your views on not having pain relief are extreme to say the least.

How dare you say "shame on you " to cfr. It is entirely HER choice to not have an epidural. It is nothing to do with you.

I can't fathom why you think the mother being in pain causes the baby to go into distress.

Even if you have had an epidural the baby still feels the contractions exactly the same. Or did you not know that.

And BTW. I wasn't getting "abusive" by suggesting you get some therapy.
I really do think you need it!
Your own birth experience has twisted your view.

I think it's a shame that you're not willing to listen to someone who has experiences which are different to your own. I took a lot of interest in this subject when I was pregnant & researched the medical literature as well as canvassing friends. I wouldn't condemn anyone for their choices. I think it's a shame though to put others off one option.

No bundle, You are not a docter, So iam not willing to listen to your research.
How do you know my experiences are different.
I have had one v medically managed birth with an epidural and one totally without pain relief.
Both times babys were fine!
And do you really think YOU havre researched pregnancy and labour more than anyone else here!

Some people have a baby and then think they are a midwife.
Bundle there is a lot more to it than that.

callie, my baby's birth is the best thing which has ever happened to me, as I'm sure it was for all of us. I was very much in control of what happened - with help from open & friendly midwives/consultants - and my view hasn't been 'twisted', I just want a free flow of information for women to make up their own minds. I find your assumptions about my mental state quite offensive