Delivery Date...what will your doc let you get to>

Ive read so many peoples OB's have delivered them or aggreed to deliver between 36-38 weeks for various reasons, and I have yet to hear otherwise, but my OB said he would let me go to 39 weeks?! (not induce/schedule CS but not stop labor) Im shocked and terrified at the same time. Aside from my huge-ness, arent the risks higher then the benifits of doing this? I realize he has gone to school for this and granted been delivering babies for 15+ years, but holycow...Im all for less NICU time, but can I get like a 38 week date??
Anyone know of anyone going this late, any problems/concerns?

 

there are lots of ladies on this site who have carried twins to 39+ weeks and i know a gal IRL who carried her twins to 40 weeks. if you're concerned about your doctor's decision you should ask for more information so you understand his/her thinking & can make your own decision. statistically, there is a slight increase of possible complications in carrying di/di twins past 37 weeks, however, you have to offset this with the risk of early delivery & the possible complications of that. it's a very personal decision & it bugs me that doctors make pronouncements about it - i really wish they would offer information to their clients & let the clients make their own decisions. :unknw:

 

my ob just told me he wont let me go past 37-38 wks. he doesnt want a c section but he def wont go past 38 wks for our safety.

 

my peri wouldn't let me go past 38 weeks - he said that delivery between 37-38 weeks was optimal....I only went to 36 because of pre-e but it depends on your situation, if you're having a complication-free pregnancy going to 39 weeks isn't necessarily contra-indicated....one of my friends delivered by c-section at 39 weeks and 3 or 4 days I believe...

 

They are di/di and we have had a complication free pregnancy (as all my others as well) mmm, I just dunno, this is the same doc that let me go to 42+ weeks with my singletons, my babies just WONT come out on time. ardon:

 

My OB said she wouldnt let me go past 38 weeks. I delivered at 37 weeks via c section due to size discordance between the boys

 

My OB takes twins at 37 weeks. I happened to be 37 weeks on memorial day weekend and she was going on vacation so she let me do my C at 36+4 days cause I didn't like the on call doc.

 

My OB said that a 37 week baby is still a 37 week baby, twin or not. Her preference was to wait until 39 weeks if everything looked fine. That would have required lots of NST and scans. A scheduled c-section before 38 weeks would require an amnio to assess lung maturity. As it turns out, mine came on their own at 37.5 weeks. If their placentas were still functioning well, I guess she would have let me go until 39 weeks.

 

My OB and Peri Dr's would not let me go past 38 (they said 36-38 was ideal) weeks and said after 34 weeks they would not stop labor if I went in on my own. They also would not induce me due to twin uterus complications. I ended up with a schedule c-section b/c my girls weren't coming out on their own - they were very content in utero. You might find out that the Dr is following hospital policies - I know I couldn't get my c-sections scheduled originally b/c they only schedule 3 c-sections a day - even the Dr wasn't happy with this policy. I know my Peri group was on my side for delivering my girls before 38 weeks, but they just couldn't find any valid risk for taking them before 38 weeks. I too was very nervous b/c I was getting quite large and my OB was getting a little concerned about my uterus getting too distended - they is another host of problems -- but I felt fairly confident since I was seeing the Peri group weekly for BPP and each week the girls passed with flying colors. As others said, I would find out the reason he's comfortable with 39 weeks. GL!

 

if your babies usually come late, then that would seem to me a good reason to wait - for whatever reason, they obviously like to hang out. have you had any complications from your babies going post date in the past? as someone mentioned, there is additional monitoring they can do while you're waiting to give you peace of mind. and as someone else mentioned, a 37 week baby is still a 37 week baby regardless of how many are in there - and while it's unlikely at that gestational age that they would have serious complications from an elective early delivery, it's not impossible. GL with your decision!

 

My OB, too, is in the 37-38 week camp. He thinks that the risk of placental breakdown increases too much to comfortably go beyond 38 weeks. BUT, he did schedule my C for 38+5 - my previous singleton had severe lung problems (he had a surfactant deficiency, 5 weeks in the NICU) at 39+ weeks and I was scared of a repeat performance. So my OB was willing to let me go a little longer. Plus I really, really wanted a September birthday for school purposes - so we did September 1.

 

My doc is also in the 37-38wk camp. Originally it was inducement at 38wks if both were head down, but when B went breech adn stayed that way, she and the RE both agreed that C section at 37wks would be best for me. My previous child was induced 2wks early at 38wks too due to the placenta breaking down early so they didn't want to risk the same earlier with the twins. I am having them in less than 48 hours!!! YAY!!!

 

No my babies have never had any problems, just big healthy fatty's!! Rolls and Rolls of cutness! I guess I will need to ask more questions, if its the hosiptal policy, then thats that, but really I cant imagine a hospital having say over a doc recomended procedure in any case.
Aside from the fact we live 45 min from the hospital, my labors have never been any longer than 4 hours (from the time *I* realize "this is it") and only a couple hours at the hospital... even this with my singleton wasnt enough to convince him to schedule anything even after the 40 week mark.
I mean he is telling me no matter what, I will need an epi and will be delivering in the OR those two things combined with the above would just make me think scheduling *something* would be the best way to go?

 

My doc also said she would not let me go longer than 38 weeks and would take my cerclage out at 35 weeks.

 

My doc has said that babies will be here 9/21 at the latest. Which would put me at 39 weeks 2 days. However they are monitoring us all very closely and the first sign of anyone going down hill and they'll take them so he said the likelihood of us actually carrying to that date is pretty slim but it's the deadline!

Which I realized today is only 93 days away!!!!

 

My OB would have just let me go until labour I think. I requested a C-section at 38 weeks and she agreed but said that she would not take them a day earlier than 38 weeks.

 

something to consider - just because it's hospital policy, doesn't mean that's that. it just depends on how much, or if, you want to :stir:.

my OB told me that it was hospital policy to deliver in the OR. when i was actually in labor, a different doc was on call & he said that it wasn't hospital policy, and i could delivery in the L&D room. :huh: so one of them was wrong (or lying) but regardless, at the end of the day, it's your body, your babies & your birth. they can't do anything at all to you that you don't consent to (unless you're unconscious in which case they assume consent).

 

I have no problem stiring sh*t up, especially when it comes to the health of the pregnancy, and honestly my lack of patience that last two weeks, but dang 39 weeks?! I dont have a problem delivering in the OR Im just wondering with all these other circumstances and my HX how that will happen... another question to add to the list.. :FIFblush:
Im soooo going to have some major venting sessions prior to then .. hold on ladies!! :laughing:
3 weeks is a big difference 37 weeks vs 39 weeks, I doubt I will go into labor myself by 39 weeks, I never have..then again Ive never carried 2 bebes... Thanks for all your imput!!

 

There is a study out there that says 38 weeks is the ideal for twins. That's where a lot of OBs get that number from. But, that study has been criticized because it lumps all sorts of twin moms together - mono-di, moms with GD, preclampsia, all sorts of complications that affect the outcome.

There are also studies that show twins, like singletons, need a full 40 weeks to decrease the chances of respiratory issues and NICU time.

So, I'm a fan of this study and thought - that in an otherwise uncomplicated twin pregnancy, you should let a mother go into labor spontaneously. At least up to 40 weeks.

http://www.uptodate.com/home/content/topic.do?topicKey=labordel/5122

Man do I remember how hard this is. Everyone tells you twins come early and then the weeks roll right by. I went straight from worrying about the twins coming too early, then worrying about them coming too late. But, provided everything looks good, every extra day you give them is important. Not only is the saying true - that they're easier to care for them inside than out. But when your twins are born, they will be easier too - bigger babes, better chances with breastfeeding (should you plan on that), less reflux, in all sorts of little ways the extra development time helps.

Try to be patient and make it through. Sounds like you have a good doctor and that everything's going well with your pregnancy!

:youcandoit:

 

My OB always said that full term is 40 weeks, it doesn't matter how many babies you are carrying. She would not induce me! My water broke at almost 37 weeks so it wasn't an issue for me except that at the time I was begging for an induction date and she would not schedule me!

 

My OB said that she wouldn't take the twins for any other reason but for medical reasons. She could have cared less if I was in pain or not. She delivered me at 38 weeks 5 days because Gavin was starting to take the nutrients away from Olivia and even then the induction wasn't successful. So, I'm sure she would have let me go past 40 weeks if I was all good.

 

The maternal fetal medicine specialist at the practice I go to said they wouldn't schedule an "elective" c-section until 39 weeks too!!! I almost fell off my chair - I'd been pushing for 37 weeks but would have been okay with 38 weeks. She said the guidelines set forth by the American Pediatriac Association (or whatever they're called) indicated they should not schedule delivery before 39 weeks. I completely understand your concern!! I want to do what's best for the babies but I'm 34 weeks now and I really don't feel like I can make it to 39 weeks. She did also say that 50% of twin pregnancies go into labor on their own before 35-36 weeks and only 5% make it 39 weeks.

Good luck!

 

Thats me... Im rooting for 37 weeks but Id be ok with 38 anything beyond 39 scares the crap outta me! :escape:

 

:wacko:I'm in a bit of a different situation, so my Maternal FEtal Specialist recommended an early c-section. My firstborn was stillborn at 37w3d and there was never any reason found for her demise in my womb. My MFS said that twins are full term at 36 weeks and hence scheduled me for a c-section at 36w1d. A) to avoid another potential stillbirth and B) to avoid placentla breakdown and C) my daughter weighed 8lbs9oz when I delivered her at 37w4d. My babies will be about 7lbs at 36 weeks and he anticipates no NICU time based on that. And THANK GOD he's taking me early. I honestly wouldn't stand myself any longer than that.

 

I am new to all things twin, being only 10.5 weeks along. However, I am so surprised at the lack of trust doctors seem to have in nature and women's bodies being able to do this without intervention. I understand the careful monitoring in the last trimester, but to state that all twins should be born by a certain time seems arrogant and lazy. From all my reading on pregnancy and birth (I have eight children and was studying to become a doula before this pregnancy), the whole 40 week pregnancy timeline was just an estimate when first established and many women go well past that benchmark without problems and yet, doctors keep pushing for earlier inductions and intervention instead of allowing a woman's body to do what it was made to do.

I fully understand wanting to be done early. My seventh pregnancy was so uncomfortable that I was ready to go at 37 weeks, but that wasn't to be. My eighth came at 41+ weeks! If everything still looks good at 38, 39, and even 40 weeks, shouldn't these babies be given as much time as they need to mature?

Just my thoughts as a new twin expectant mommy trying to learn about common medical practices regarding twins. I am interested in hearing the science behind the early births, especially the doctor who stated twins are full-term at 36 weeks.

 

the reasoning is essentially the same as that for a singleton pregnancy that goes "post"-date. statistically, your chances of intrauterine demise of one (or both) twins goes up slightly after 37 weeks. they've taken a statistic & applied it across the board & made it policy - which isn't necessarily a bad thing. what does get my goat is when doctors say "i won't let you go past x week" - frankly, it's not their decision. it's their job to tell you the pros & cons of elective early delivery vs waiting to let nature take it's course, but at the end of the day, it's your body, your babies, your birth. and your decision.

 

Yes, many women go well beyond the 40-week due date with no problems at all. But considering there are 25,000 stillbirths annually in the US alone, 50% occurring between weeks 37-41 and of 'indeterminate cause' I guess doctors choose to be cautious and take the baby early during the subsequent pregnancy. Personally, having lost a child at 37.5 weeks, I am 100% in support of this practice. Sometimes your body just does not know when to do what it needs to.

 

I have decided to have a repeat c-section with my twins. My DD was born c/s as she was footling breech, and so I am having another and getting my tubes tied at the same time. My DR told me they routinely deliver mono/di twins 35-36 weeks, so thats when we will be delievering, pending nothing happens before then. I was a little surprised, I thought 37 weeks, so I am going to push for 36 and something for our delievery, I really don't want NICU time. We shall see.

 

My MFM won't schedule a c/s pre 39 weeks unless it's necessary. They will let me go all the way to 40+ if Baby girl A is head down, they will just increase their monitoring of how we're doing.

 

My doctor says she won't let me go past 38 weeks so that means I have 20 weeks to go!

 

My point was not to criticize cautious doctors, but to question blanket policies. I am sure I will be anxious to follow my doctor's lead as I progress in this pregnancy. I just hope to find a doctor who doesn't already have his mind made up. I called one practice and they said that they schedule twins for a c-section at 37 weeks. No questions about how many children I have had or types of deliveries. I think that attitude is horrible.

Babs, I am so sorry for your loss and can imagine how cautious you need to be. I will keep you and your precious babies in my prayers!

 

I'm from Singapore and from what I've seen/heard/read in our local twins/triplets community, a lot of moms have delivered no later than 37 weeks! Reading ur posts have brought on some encouragement.

I'm expecting di/di twins and having gone through 1 natural delivery, I really hope the twins will be in ideal positions for natural delivery. My elder daughter was delivered at 39 weeks, 6 days. I was 1.5cm dilated the day before and we requested the induction as DH wanted her to share the same birthday as him.

My obgyn has emphasized for the 2nd time in our meetings so far that we should be prepared for the possibility of a C-section. That aside, I was really hoping that I will be able to carry my babies to 37 weeks, also to avoid NICU.

So far the pregnancy has been going smoothly. I've only had some light implantation bleeding at 4 weeks. At my 20 weeks checkup, an u/s revealed that my cervix measured 3.5cm, which I assume lowered my risk of PTL.