Do most people with twins have a C section?

Dori722 · December 2011

People keep asking me if I'm going to have a C section and I truly don't know! My OB said we will just have to play it by ear. Is that the norm for people having twins? I had a vaginal delivery with my DS.

Polofsky · December 2011

I went to 38 weeks which my OB said was full term for twins, he induced me and I labored for 15 hours ( I was terrified of C-sections)...but I only got to 2cm dilated and I finally decided a C-section was better than continuing on like that.

JenLC99 · December 2011

The statistics my MFM gave me were something like 50%. I think it depends on a whole host of factors. Some doctors will attempt a vaginal delivery as long as the presenting twin is head down, even if the other twin is in a different position, but others will only attempt it if both are head down. With twins you are also more likely to develop problems that would necessitate a c-section. And I do think having had previous vaginal deliveries works in your favor.

kelliwill · December 2011

Like PP said, I think it's 50/50. Both of mine were head up and so it was a scheduled c-section for me at 36 weeks! GL!

Mrs. Alice · December 2011

I agree with it being 50/50. I went in with the attitude of expecting a c/s and if by chance I could deliver vaginally it would be a bonus. However, due to the complications I was having, it was 100% safest to do a c/s.

ougrad1 · December 2011

Polofsky:
I went to 38 weeks which my OB said was full term for twins, he induced me and I labored for 15 hours ( I was terrified of C-sections)...but I only got to 2cm dilated and I finally decided a C-section was better than continuing on like that.

I had a similar situation with my singleton so, the repeat section was H.E.A.V.E.N. There are many women who deliver vaginally on the board.

nbk2d9q · December 2011

I delivered at 35w5d via c section after being in the hospital for 13 days due to severe pre-e. Both were head up so i knew it was a c section. I was absolutely terrified of vaginal so i was praying all along for a C Section. I healed so well and quickly.....I'm so glad it worked out the way it did.

tootlebug · December 2011

my MFM said that it all just depends on a host of factors, like PPs mentioned.

im hoping for a vaginal delivery (as i had one with my son). but im not going to insist on it if it puts the babies, or me, in a smidge of danger. im hoping that i can, i will be disappointed if i have a c-section but it is what it is.

ColleenS629 · December 2011

Both of my twins were vertex which is the only way my OB would allow me to attempt a vaginal delivery but the growth discordance and an estimated 2 lb bigger Baby B made it too risky so I ended up with a c/s.

reillyroowho · December 2011

Ours will be a scheduled CS due to a shared placenta and risk of TTTS development during labor.

lrrb · December 2011

I had a vaginal delivery but both babies were head down and everything went great during labor. I would say most do have a c-section but there are MANY woman that are able to have them vaginally! GL!

kafunder · December 2011

I had a c/s b/c both babies were breach (frank breech and transverse breech) my entire pregnancy. The dr also told us it was 50/50 for c/s vs. vaginal birth.

JustcallmeGG2 · December 2011

my OB said it will definitely be a c-section. i guess that is just their policy.

gringa78 · December 2011

I will be having a c/s with the twins because I had a 4th degree tear with my singleton. I had to have rectovaginal surgery postpartum and after that, my OB recommended that I don't put my lady parts through a vaginal delivery again (let alone a vaginal twin delivery). They're going to schedule it for 38 weeks, but he said they're flexible about when they'll go in and take them.

s270453 · December 2011

I had a vaginal delivery of my boys. I too have heard about 50%.

jcath · December 2011

Interestingly my RE told me no one would deliver twins vaginally and I had a c-section scheduled b/c baby B was transverse/breech but she turned at the last minute and I had both babies vaginally - delivered by a midwife (though a Dr was in the room)

I'm of the theory - any way you get babies out safely is just fine. Don't stress too much about it.

macchiatto · December 2011

JenLC99:
The statistics my MFM gave me were something like 50%. I think it depends on a whole host of factors. Some doctors will attempt a vaginal delivery as long as the presenting twin is head down, even if the other twin is in a different position, but others will only attempt it if both are head down. With twins you are also more likely to develop problems that would necessitate a c-section. And I do think having had previous vaginal deliveries works in your favor.

Ditto all of this. I had a vaginal delivery. Baby B kept flipping back and forth during the 3rd tri. Both were head-down when my induction started but when A came out we found B had flipped back to breech so he came out by breech extraction.

macchiatto · December 2011

jcath:
Interestingly my RE told me no one would deliver twins vaginally and I had a c-section scheduled b/c baby B was transverse/breech but she turned at the last minute and I had both babies vaginally - delivered by a midwife (though a Dr was in the room)
I'm of the theory - any way you get babies out safely is just fine. Don't stress too much about it.

That's so weird your RE would tell you that! Did you go back and tell him/her to get his/her facts straight?

ninjabridemom · December 2011

I'm really hoping for a vaginal and my OB is on board with that, to the point that she'll wait until 39wks if everything is looking good with everyone. She also told me 50/50.

I'd have a huge issue w any doc who defaults to a c-section.

Mrs_MBed · December 2011

JenLC99:
The statistics my MFM gave me were something like 50%. I think it depends on a whole host of factors. Some doctors will attempt a vaginal delivery as long as the presenting twin is head down, even if the other twin is in a different position, but others will only attempt it if both are head down. With twins you are also more likely to develop problems that would necessitate a c-section. And I do think having had previous vaginal deliveries works in your favor.

This is my understanding as well.

I do not have a choice as my singletons were delivered via c/s. I had planned on having a c/s this pregnancy even before we discovered it was twins. If I had vaginal deliveries previously, I probably would be planning on a vaginal delivery this time around - pending it being the best option.

AmyJoy728 · December 2011

My OB told me that I should plan on getting a c/s and if it works out that I could get a vaginal delivery than even better. However, she also said that with someone short like me (5'2) and having twins that it would be even harder for things to work out for a vaginal delivery.

flutepharm87 · December 2011

Both of my boys were vertex and I would have been allowed to have a vaginal delivery if I wanted to, but it would have been against medical advice. They found I had 17 grams of protein in my urine after 7 weeks of hospital bedrest for pre-eclampsia, so I was a huge seizure risk. I was HIGHLY encouraged to do the c-section to reduce the chances of me seizing, so I opted for the c-section since it was safest for the 3 of us.

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