Question about Twins and Delivery

cswatch · April 2009

This is going to sound like a weird ? but it's something I heard so I figured I would ask...

If you are having twins, are you 100% going to have a c-section, or is there a small possibility of having a regular birth? I heard someone say that there is a chance to have a regular birth w/twins b/c the Dr. can "turn" the babies and then one comes out, followed by the other. It sounds odd to me, I just assumed ppl. having multiples would need to have a c-section.

Mysterious_wife · April 2009

How were multiples born before c-section? Think about it.

palomaLuna · April 2009

I'm a twin, and my mom delivered me and my sister vaginally. No complications whatsoever.

YoLinds28 · April 2009

You can have vag delivery with twins. I've never given birth to twins but from what I hear you deliver in an OR just incase a c section is needed.

weelass24 · April 2009

Mysterious_wife:
How were multiples born before c-section? Think about it.

This. SIGH

bensbabe · April 2009

If both babies are vertex (head down), they are delivered in the OR, with a quick U/s of twin B to make sure he/she didn't flip (if that's the case, emergent C/s)

If only one baby is vertex, it is about 98% likely for C/s, since flipping a twin in utero is VERY risky and most OBs won't try it. So anything other than vertex/vertex presentation will result in a c/s...Sometimes moms will just go through a C/s even if both are vertex, just to avoid the drama & risk...

tamerbelles · April 2009

I don't want to speak for her, but I think I remember Leslie saying her hospital's policy was that all multiple moms have to push in the OR in case an emergency c-section is needed. Which is good b/c she needed one.

ChrisnTris · April 2009

I work in a pretty large LD dept. (about 7000 births a year) and twins are actually often born vaginally but they always deliver them in the OR just in case the second one doesn't line up

Of course the chances of a CS are higher w/ twins but it doesn't mean it's impossible to deliver vaginally. HTH

easjer05 · April 2009

Well, for millenia before surgery was a readily available option, people obviously delivered vaginally, so yes it's possible.

My homebirth midwife delivered a set of twins at home last year and a set in her birthing center; in both cases, both twins were head down and they were cleared by the back up OB to proceed.

As for how often - less so these days. At least twin A has to be head down, and many docs require that twin B be head down as well. Deliveries usually happen in the OR, so there can be an emergency c-section if necessary. It does happen that twin B can be transverse and move to head down after twin A is out, but it has to happen before any part of the twin engages in the pelvis. There is usually room to turn after twin A is out.

Because of the liability/malpractice issues, I think most docs prefer to deliver twins via c-section these days.

Anasara · April 2009

There are lots of twins on both sides of my family. My dad's mom was a twin & was delivered vaginally as were the twins my mom's mom had. But my uncle's wife had twins & they were c-section. Now that I think about it, all the twins born before ~1980 were vaginal, after were c-section. Hmmm; I guess it's true what they say about the rising c-section rate.

Jason'swife · April 2009

Mysterious_wife:
How were multiples born before c-section? Think about it.

This.

And not all twins have to be turned. A lot of the time they line up on their own.

Jason'swife · April 2009

easjer05:

Well, for millenia before surgery was a readily available option, people obviously delivered vaginally, so yes it's possible.

My homebirth midwife delivered a set of twins at home last year and a set in her birthing center; in both cases, both twins were head down and they were cleared by the back up OB to proceed.

Wow! As pro birth center/home birth as I am, I don't think I'd try it with twins. I'd definitely want to go vaginally though.

staycee · April 2009

weelass24:

Mysterious_wife:
How were multiples born before c-section? Think about it.

This. SIGH

my thinking also while reading that.

easjer05 · April 2009

Jason'swife:
easjer05:

Well, for millenia before surgery was a readily available option, people obviously delivered vaginally, so yes it's possible.

My homebirth midwife delivered a set of twins at home last year and a set in her birthing center; in both cases, both twins were head down and they were cleared by the back up OB to proceed.

Wow! As pro birth center/home birth as I am, I don't think I'd try it with twins. I'd definitely want to go vaginally though.

I should be very, very, very clear that she doesn't do this often. I expect that if I were pregnant with twins, I'd be risked out pretty quickly. They have to be in excellent health throughout the pregnancy, be as low risk as possible for delivery, and both babies have to be head down, and they have to be cleared by the back-up OB and sign extra waivers. And she spends even more time with them discussing the risks of out of hospital delivery (and they have to make it past 37 weeks, which would dq a lot of twin births right there!). And she brings in another CNM and another assistant in addition to herself and her usual assistant, to make sure there is enough personnel to attend everyone in the case of emergency.

It's very deliberate and most of her normal clients wouldn't make it past the risk checks.

I don't want to give the impression that she is reckless or that this is common.

Useonfire · April 2009

I had a client who homebirthed here 3 kids. Two were twins, and they were born at home.... 6 hours apart.... with only 1 attendant. Not for me, but I was kind of impressed.

Want a personalized experience?

Question about Twins and Delivery

Re: Question about Twins and Delivery

Choose Another Board

Search Boards