FIRST TWIN HEAD FIRST-SECOND IS BREECH-ANYONE HAD VAGINAL DELIVERY WITH SECOND TWIN BREECH

[valz]

Hi Ladies

Had a scan yesterday and my first twin is head first and the second is breech, they have been in this position for a while, im 35 weeks pregnant on monday. The consultant said they will deliver the first twin as normal and deliver the second breech, i asked would they not try to turn the second when the first is out and she said no in fact even if the baby started to turn itself most obstricians would take it back to the breech position put their hand in, grab the legs and deliver it in breech. she said this is the preferred way as the first baby has already the path laid for the second baby and if the second baby started to turn itself sometimes it can take too long for it to make its way down the birth canal which is why they whould turn it back to breech.

I was just wondering if anyone has had a vaginal delivery with the twins in this position?

My mum did. This was 1958 and she had no idea about the 2nd baby being in there at all until the doctor declared "That's a foot!" rather than a placenta... . My brother was in ICU for first 2 weeks, but turned out okay otherwise.

I know someone who (in last 10 years) had vaginal birth of twins where the 2nd baby did turn itself to head down after first was out. Both those twins turned out fine, too.

the second twin suddenly gets lots of room - so they do often turn round. I remember the midwives holding firmly either side of my bump when my second was on his own in there - they didn't want him to have a chance to flip round. He had been regularly flipping about for weeks before that (he still does actually and he is 6 now ).

I think also once the first one has gone through everything is opened up enough for a baby so a breech isn't such a risk as for a single (or first twin).

dt2 turned for me too

Thanks girls

Throck so you did have the second breech then? if so much damage down below?

head first I think (it was 6.5 years ago - I have forgotten !!). He was sideways when labour started.

I don't think damaged (tearing) is any worse with a breech.

Hi there
My second twin was breech and I had a successful delivery. They tried holding him in place to stop him turning and he was delivered breech.

No problems whatsoever.
Good luck.

my second was breech but midwife got me to move so that 2nd twin would flip over to head first, which he duly did
delivered both naturally. Ir was miles easier than my first child actually, twins were both about 4 and a half pounds whereas my son was 8 and a half. Twin labour was shorter too. Good luck

hi there, my second was transverse at time of birth and first head down. as soon as twin 1 was out, twin 2 swung around and no probs. they had said they were going to manually turn twin 2 once twin 1 was out but no need in the end. good luck!

not twins, but I did have a breech - it is possible (friend of mine was told her baby would die if they didn't turn her or do a C-section )

I had twin one vb then twin 2 by c-section and the whole thing went fine.

Twin 2 (the boy) stayrd transverse with the cord hanging below him so off I went to theatre.

Mind you when they scaned my three days earlier both twins were lying side by side heads down.

My experience here:

TW1 - head down but she got stuck so had forceps

TW2- was head down but when TW1 was born she went breech - so the Dr. basically reached in and pulled her out

All fine with all of us - did have an epidural though as it was hosp. policy with twin deliveries in case I needed emergency c-section.

Both my twins were breech, found a very lovely consultant (compared to the first who seemed to think CS was mandatory), and delivered them both breech. Didn't have any pain relief other than gas and air, and the two paracetamol them seem to insist on giving you.

I had already had DD, who was head down, and had no problems. DT2 was left in the breech position by my consultant as she prefered to do it that way. I had no tearing, or anything, but I expect that is unusual.

Good luck, my best advice would be to have a very open and honest communication with your consultant, find one who understands you if the one you has presently doesn't.

mine were delivered just as you describe OP, with the added complication of forceps for DT1, but the breech bit was the same, a bit disconcerting, but as others have said, DT1 clears the path. Good luck

first twin head first, second twin breach.

Second twin born 15 minutes later- no problems.

Consultant tried to pull but midwives held him off! Dh said it was pretty hectic, but for me it was fine.

I had a vaginal delivery.
My first twin was head down, second twin was breech.

First twin born and then m/w grabbed legs of twin 2 and pulled her straight out.

No problems whatsoever, babies delivered 6mins apart, gas and air only, no cuts/tears.

Good Luck.

ah thanks ladies, my minds a bit more at ease now, it seems to be quite common. im 35 weeks plus so expecting an appearance any day now, packed me hospital bags yesterday and getting a tour of the labour ward this evening so im all set to go. thanks for the replies.

If first is head down then everything should be fine. The second can move after the first is gone as everyone says so they don't normally pay a huge amount of attention to how the second lies in late pregnancy. Second breech twin is not normally a problem for tearing as the head of the first has already stretched the cervix and perineum so fresh tearing is unlikely and delivery is easier - if you are going to tear it will be more likely to happen with the head of the first - relaxing and pushing at the right times help gentle stretching and reduce the likelihood of tearing as with a singleton.

Some doctors and midwives (in UK anyway) are not willing to deliver a second breech despite it being much different to a breech singleton (because of a randomised trial which says section is always safer for breech delivery) and can offer a section as policy so you should check what policy is in your area if vaginal delivery is important to you (personally I would rather have elective section for both than labour and deliver the first only to be sectioned with the second). If the baby is transverse (they could try to turn) or footling breech after the first has gone then the cord can more easily become trapped during delivery and you might be offered a section to remove the risk of the baby being starved of oxygen. If the second is frank breech or complete breech there is less risk of this and a vaginal delivery is safer than with footling or transverse.

However things progress it is likely that anyone with a multiple pregnancy might have to make some choices about how they want to deliver the second twin at the last minute so personally I think it's worth looking up all the options you might be offered for each different position that twin 2 might get itself in after twin 1 has been born but I am a HUGE control freak and need to know everything in detail before it happens.

I don't want to worry you (hope this hasn't) at this late a stage but feel it's important to differentiate between these things so you don't have something you are not sure about sprung on you during labour. Either way, there's no reason to worry about tearing. It's the first that matters, breech vaginal delivery for a second twin is much, much safer than for a singleton (and generally considered a normal presentation) and twin deliveries are normally easier than singletons (apart from the fact you have to push two out) because each baby is likely to be smaller than a singleton.

As I say, breech is fine but if you want you could look up some things you can try to either get the baby to turn head down in pregnancy (rebozo - the spinning babies website is something some ppl swear by) or ways to keep the second in position after the birth of the first. Things I have found during my own worrying (24 weeks with boy/girl twins) are that delivering the first standing up, on all fours or with your knees up at your chest are all said to help keep the second baby in position as is getting a midwife to hold the baby still as the first is born.

If you're worried you should talk to the consultant obstetrician but maybe look things up and think about them before you go so that you understand the answers and can ease any worries that might crop up because of things they've said. If you like you could e-mail me to see anything I have dug up about risk factors and policies on things. I am not a medical professional but have been exploring all these issues during my twin pregnancy and have two parents and a sister who are qualified doctors with access to research and experience of obstetrics/twin deliveries. [email protected]