Twin birth question

Naamel · February 2013

Okay...I am pregnant, measuring large and I have an ultrasound on the 25th to see if there is one or two in there. But one of my biggest "hope it never happens" is a c section. So my question is do you HAVE to have a c section if one twin doesnt present head down or can you still insist to birth vaginally?

shaunah816 · February 2013

Twin A needs to be head down. I don't think you'll find any doctors nowadays willing to attempt a breech delivery on the presenting baby. Many will attempt a vaginal delivery if Twin A is head down, even if Twin B is breech/transverse, but it depends on the training of the doctors in your practice. I had a C-section because my baby A was breech since week 30, but if he had flipped we could've tried vaginally, regardless of whether B was head down or not.

ETA: You don't WANT to insist on a vaginal birth with a breech twin A, frankly. There are stories of women doing this, but it is very, very dangerous, particularly if you were pregnant with identical (mono-di or mono-mono) twins. C-sections are terrifying (to me, at least), but we're lucky they exist to help save women who otherwise may have died in childbirth centuries ago.

GoMaltby18 · February 2013

At my hospital I have been told by several doctors that if Baby A isn't head down I will have to have a c-section. I will be trying a VBAC again, but only if the babies are in the right positions. I personally wouldn't mess with trying a breech vaginal delivery. (well, if B flipped or something during delivery, sure, but I wouldn't go into it knowing they were breech)

karo112 · February 2013

You don't HAVE to....but if the health of the babies are endangered, I would definitely defer to my doctor and not "insist" anything....

Brummy14 · February 2013

It depends on your practice. But, with a twin pregnancy, many of us didn't get to call the shots...many have, but in lots of cases, the health of both you and your LOs is primary concern, and the method of delivery secondary. A csection is not the end of the world, really. I had a speedy recovery, as many do but, if you are carrying twins, just realize the game changes big time.

chickaboo1974 · February 2013

First don't worry about something you are not sure of yet.

Secondly- if you are having multiples then you need to talk to your Dr. about delivery. At my OB practice- if A presented head down- and was delivered vaginally- and B was breech- well they would NOT under any circumstances do a breech extraction- so if the baby didn't flip head down or with some assistance flip. It would mean the double whammy- a vaginal birth along with a c-section.

I didn't have to make that call since I delivered early because of pre-e and both my guys were breech. So I had a c-section.

My recovery was so very easy- seriously. I was up and moving as soon as they would let me- but I had a lot of motivation- I needed to get to the NICU to see my boys.

new+tothis · February 2013

Could your dates be off? I think that's more likely than twins. In any case, no, a c-section is not a given. I had a c-section with #1 and the nurse at my OBs clinic said even that didn't mean I am necessarily going to have a c-section this time with twins. I have an appointment next week and she will tell me what she thinks then. I know she has v-bac'd twins before.

Naamel · February 2013

Thanks! I wouldn't say I was worried, but I love babies and birth anyways and have been a coach/doula for lots of friends and more always wondered! Of course when your pregnant you're always thinking about everything! And I do know baby A needs to be head down. Just wanted to know if docs/midwives would deliver vaginally if baby b wasn't. I know a c section wouldn't be the end of the world. I have had two unmedicated vaginal births and am hopefully gonna do it again. Of course they always say... You plan and God laughs!

elizabeth0705 · February 2013

My OB would do a vaginal delivery if both twins were head down, or potentially if Twin A was head down and Twin B was breech.

My Twin A was breech, and Twin B was transverse/vertex (he kept switching) basically the entire time, so my c-section was a given.

elizabeth0705 · February 2013

Also, my c-section was not bad at all! It was my first surgery ever, so I was pretty scared going into it, but it all went very smoothly. By the end of my hospital stay, I was only taking ibuprofen, and I stopped that after about a week.

I've heard that an emergency c-section after attempting a vaginal delivery is a much harder recovery (the dreaded "double whammy").

rn8 · February 2013

You are putting the horse way before the cart.

But... if you are having twins, then you will just deal with whatever you have to do.

My "A" baby was vertex and "B" was transverse. The drs. tried to talk me into the csection, but I insisted on trying vaginally. I wound up with a double whammy (and the recovery was physically rough), but more important, I could have lost my son. I wish I just scheduled the Csection.

Dragonfly1226 · February 2013

It depends on your OB. IF you are pregnant with twins, then this is something to discuss with your medical team. Mine supports me in wanting a vaginal birth as long as it is safe for me and the babies. But if it isn't safe I will not demand anything. Everyone's health comes first.

SkyBee · February 2013

Twin A has to be head down.

KDR1979 · February 2013

If twin A is head down, you should be able to try for a vaginal birth. Make sure your OB has a lot of experience with twin deliveries.

Mrs. Alice · February 2013

rn8:
You are putting the horse way before the cart.
But... if you are having twins, then you will just deal with whatever you have to do.

Exactly... If you are pregnant with twins there are lots more things to be concerned about other than how they will be delivered. It's about 50/50 between vaginal and c-section for twins. I personally had a c-section because it was the safest given my condition. If things had gone differently, my OB would only allow vaginal if both were head down.

macchiatto · February 2013

karo112:
You don't HAVE to....but if the health of the babies are endangered, I would definitely defer to my doctor and not "insist" anything....

Yep.
That said, my baby B flipped to breech at the last minute so I had a vaginal delivery of both twins, with a breech extraction for baby B.

kiwi443 · February 2013

chickaboo1974:
First don't worry about something you are not sure of yet.
Secondly- if you are having multiples then you need to talk to your Dr. about delivery. At my OB practice- if A presented head down- and was delivered vaginally- and B was breech- well they would NOT under any circumstances do a breech extraction- so if the baby didn't flip head down or with some assistance flip. It would mean the double whammy- a vaginal birth along with a c-section.
I didn't have to make that call since I delivered early because of pre-e and both my guys were breech. So I had a c-section.
My recovery was so very easy- seriously. I was up and moving as soon as they would let me- but I had a lot of motivation- I needed to get to the NICU to see my boys.

This x a million. Maybe it's just a one baby, don't play out all the "what ifs" until after the ultrasound.

If you are indeed carrying multiples, there a lot of factors that impact whether or not you will need a c-section: what type of twins you have (separate of shared placenta), position of the babies and the policy of the hospital where you plan to deliver.

tombomb84 · February 2013

My baby A was breech and I had absolutely no choice but to have a c/s. That was the safest and smartest decision so I didn't even think twice about it. Of course I would have preferred a vaginal birth, but the c/s wasn't even bad.

Want a personalized experience?

Twin birth question

Re: Twin birth question

Choose Another Board

Search Boards