Natural Childbirth?

Are any of you planning on trying for a natural childbirth for your twins or do you know of other moms of twins who have? This is assuming the babies are head down and no emergency c-section is needed and all that good stuff...

 

I wasn't able to, but a good friend of mine had a successful, easy natural childbirth with her twin girls. She carried them to 38 weeks.

 

I'm planning to! I also know several women who have delivered twins without any pain medications!

 

Our doctor made me have the epidural in place regardless of whether or not I was going to have the meds. This was in case I needed an emergency section. It was standard procedure in our hospital and I was comfortable with that.
I did end up accepting the meds though. It ended up I didn't need them because as soon as I got them the babies were on the way out. It relaxed me just enough for them to come forth with ease.

 

i had an unmedicated vag delivery for both my girls at 34w1d. i can PM you my birth story if you'd like (it's kind of long). let me know.

 

Hi
After 39+1 weeks i gave vag.birth to my boys. No painmeds.

In holland vag.birth is normal (also with twins) only if there is a medical reason they do a c-section.
Epi. is not standerd. Other painmeds are always an option.

Singleton births are standerd at home, only if there are med. reasons you go to hospital. Or you and the mid-wife can go to hospital, the mid-wife does the delivery, but you can get a gyn if needed

 

My girls were born at home at 39 weeks exactly. My labor was long, and I got dehydrated and needed IV fluids which my midwife provided, but otherwise there were no problems. Both babies had excellent heartrates, and were born very alert. They were both head down. No tearing and not to much blood loss, although I did have PP pit to control it.

No need for pain meds, but I did need a very experienced midwife to get me through a few minor issues that could have become problems in less skillful hands. My midwife works with many Amish women, and has attended 43 twin himebirths. Amazingly 3 moms in my twin club have had homebirths.

It can be done! Feel free to PM me if you are interested in my birth story.

Good luck!

 

I would like to, too. Unfortunately Baby A is breech, so I'm trying to get my head around the possibility of a C-section. I'm still hoping she'll turn (I'm 36 weeks today).

But, like Charley's an Angel, my OB has strongly encouraged me to have an epidural in place if we have a vag delivery. If they need to manipulate Baby B to get her properly positioned, it will be likely too uncomfortable for me to manage (she's currently "vertex oblique" meaning she's head down but she's more or less transverse). If they can't successfully manipulate her into position, then the only option is general anesthetic to knock me out and get B out however it's most feasible.

It's not my preference to have any pain meds. I didn't with DD, but I'm also thinking that a general anesthetic is much more harmful to Baby B than an epidural will be.

We'll see how things go in the next few weeks . . .

Good luck!

 

I'm a chicken when it comes to labor, so I never even fathom not taking any meds for the delivery of my twins. I do hope you get your wish though. My dr sounds a little like yours; she will only let me deliver vaginally if BOTH babies are head down, which is currently not the case. She warned me that I would have to have an epi in place in case, even if i am to have a vaginal delivery, for the reasons stated by PP. Did you ask your doctor how he handles pain management and whether he would support your choice, whatever it is?

 

The only friends that I have that have successfully had non-medicated deliveries have done quite a bit of preparation - like studying the Bradley method. Those that planned to do non-medicated deliveries but just took a regular birth class have ended up with epidurals. I personally cannot imagine going through labor without an epi!!

 

I wouldn't say I was planning on a natural birth I'm trying to be open to everything so I don't get disappointed in myself, (if I make a natural birth my goal and then get an epi). I had one with my son after 3 days in labour. I wouldn't say that Sweden is a liberal as Holland, as there are few home births here. However the births are overseen by midwives in the hospitals and OBGYN's are only called in when something goes wrong and a Csection is needed. Vaginal births are the norm here but pain meds are offered although there is a "pressure" felt by Swedish women to do it without. I loved my epi it saved my life, but I have some friends that have actually lied about getting one, because I guess they feel that they are being judged for taking it, it's a shame because it really made my birth the greatest experience of my life, I wonder what it will be like this time. I would be interesting to have a natural birth just to see if I could do it. Anyway I'll make sure that I include the epi info in my birth story when it's time. opcorn:

 

curious does this include breech births too? Or would they warrent c sections?

 

I had a natural birth with no pain meds. I carried my twins to 37w3d. My water broke at home and they were born almost exactly two hours after.

I hope you get a natural birth if that is what you are shooting for, it is quite an amazing experience.

 

Hi
Breech is not standard a reason for c-section, but the mother has the choice if she wants to have a c-sec. Most will go for the c-sec. Also the size of the baby makes a differents.
On my Dutch Twin forum someone gave birth to 2 boys both in breech (her older son also was breech).
And some gyn rather do a c-sec and others are pro vag-birth.

I don't know what I would have done...i think a c-sec.

 

Bumping this up... My Dr just told me I can have a vbac if baby a is in the right position (which I'm ABSOLUTELY thrilled at.) I've been doing the hypnobabies program and really, really want to have these boys naturally. The girls were born via c/s because of positioning issues, so I'm prepared for the "if" part of the equation, but am thinking positively and doing everything I can to prepare myself for a natural birth. I'd love to hear more stories of successful natural twin births!

 

:clapping: That is awesome!!! I'd totally do my VBAC again... course mine wasn't twins.

 

That's great news! I have a friend who had a twin VBAC. The statistics are on your side. Twin moms are just as likely to have a successful VBAC as a singleton mom, and with no greater risk, if my info is correct.

A second set of twins, that's my dream! Hope pregnancy goes well!

 

It depends on what kind of breech I'm sure. Footling breech would be very dangerous to attempt vaginally... But in the states we have a parinoia over breech of any kind. My hospital just started allowing them again! yay!

But back to the original question, I did natural labor with my vbac. It was a lot of work. My doctors with the twins strongly encouraged epidural if I would've been able to do them vaginally (they were both transverse)... just in case the second baby flipped and needed to be pulled out breech..or in case I needed an emergency c/s. It's a tough call, but you can certainly at least wait until an ideal time frame to get the epidural, like past 5cm for sure!

 

Thanks for the encouragement!! Our DS was a vaginal natural birth, then the girls were a c/s and when we found out we were having twins again I assumed I'd have to have another c/s. But I talked to my best friend about it (who is a doula) and did a lot of research and realized it doesn't have to be that way. And to hear my dr be so encouraging was wonderful.