Type of Delivery, C or V - when did you know

Hi There
Im 29+ weeks and my baby boy 1 is head down posterior, baby boy 2 is head up with his feet in his brothers face. My Ob says it is too early to know how they will deliver. I have Gest Diabetes though theyre a great size and all things going well Im after a natural delivery.
When did you and and your docs decide on how to deliver and what were the contributing factors?

 

When we found out at 12 weeks it was twins, he just casually said that we would schedule a CS at 36 weeks.. and thats fine with me..

 

My babies moved all around until the last minute, which surprised my OB. She said all along they would do an u/s when I went into labor (or was induced) to check position and then figure a birthing plan at that point. They decided to do a c-sec on me after 14 hours of labor and 1.5 hours of pushing when baby a wouldn't turn (she was face up). If I did it all again, I would opt for a scheduled c-sec if given the option.

 

I had the choice initially. She said as long as baby A is head down we can do vaginal. We opted for a C so that there would be no chance of having to go vaginal then a C or if there were any issues the twins would just be delivered quickly. I thought that was best for them. I hope that makes sense. In the end, I had pre-e and I had to have an emergency c-section. I delivered my older DD vaginally and if I have to pick which way I prefer....well I cant. There are pros and cons to both. Good luck with your decision.

Rachel

 

I was told at my first appt at 10 weeks that if Baby A was in the right position vaginal was doable. My last u/s at 38 weeks showed that Baby A was in the right position (and the bigger of the two) so I was induced the next day. Baby A was delivered head first and Baby B was delivered feet first.

 

My doctor always said that I would deliver vaginally unless baby A would be non-vertex. Baby A has always been head down and even though baby B was breech, I still had a vaginal delivery with breech extraction for my ds. They were both average singleton size but still 12 days early. Honestly, delivery was a piece of cake (unlike my first ... 28 hours, 2 1/2 hours of pushing, forceps and 4th degree), very fast and smooth.

 

My docs would only consider a vag delivery if BOTH were head down (too risky otherwise), which mine were the whole time. When it was "time" that was the plan - v-delivery. But I also had pre-e and my pre-e was escalating faster than my labor was progressing. After about 12 hours they said they were worried I'd start having seizures (from liver failure) so they had to get the babies out asap. I ended up with a csection and, quite honestly, was happy about it. It wasn't nearly as bad as I'd feared.

I think the moral of the story is be mentally prepared for whatever that may happen!

 

Yeah, from the beginning my ob pretty much stated it would be a c-section. I would rather have a c-section than vaginal so I was fine with that. She did mention that if I wanted to try vaginal that they should both be head down. That was never the case with me. When they were born, DS was breech and DD was transverse. So now matter what I wanted, it was going to be a c-section.

 

From the begining everyone said prepare for a c-section unless both babies are in position. Baby A has always been in position and Baby B flipped @ 30 weeks and that is when I spoke to my dr about a vag delivery and he said I can absolutely go this way-they just prepare for emergencies since there are 2 and deliver in an operating room-which seems to be the norm...I am mentally preparing for either one-whichever will be best for the babies at that point b/c you can never know what will happen! I feel like it will be the unknown up until they come...
Good luck!

 

Normally my doctor doesnt' like to push C/S, but she feels that I will have one. I would rather not have a C/S but I want my girls to be alright and the doctor feels that is the safest plan of attack.

 

We didn't discuss it until 34 weeks, although she mentioned in passing before as long as Baby A is head down we could go vaginal. My Baby A has always been head down, my Baby B keeps flipping from transverse to head down, we've tenatively been cleared for a vaginal delivery.

I would like to avoid a c/s if at all possible seeing as it's major surgery, but I don't think a final decision will be made until the day of. In the long run, it doesn't matter how the babies get here, just so they get here safely, but if a c/s is not needed, I'm not signing up for it!

 

I agree with Rachel. I want a controlled enviroment that I know both babes will come out o.k. Definetly don't want to have a V AND C incision! Ouch! I delivered our daughter V and can't argue that it's a great recovery, but I am opting for C with the twins. I don't know if you've experienced this, but when I talk to other moms about opting for a C they can't believe it and almost make me feel stupid for feeling that way! However, none of them have twins!!

 

i haven't read all the posts so forgive me if I'm being repetitive. I've said this before, but there is really no guarantee for a vaginal delivery even if they are both presenting head down. mine were head down my entire pregnancy, but my bp shot up unexpectedly at 35w6d, and we had to do a section. I'd had no problems throughout my pregnancy until this. My ob said that it was best for me and the girls to do a section b/c this was my first delivery, i was not showing any signs of labor, and they would have had to induce me, so odds are it would have been a prolonged thing...we had to get them right then. I just think you should be prepared for anything.

 

We decided when my water broke! As long as Baby A was still head down, we were going vaginally (which is what ended up happening). But they moved around all the time so we didn't know for sure until the ultrasound at the hospital!

 

The plan was always a vaginal birth as long as they were vertex-vertex, which they were from around 20 weeks on. When I ended up having them so early (29 weeks) the perinatalogist (who took over my case when I was admitted to high risk antepartum) didn't even mention the word c-section. They were vertex, not in any distress, and I was 6 cm dilated when the decision was made that I was having babies that day. I labored in a regular L&D room, not an OR.

I pushed Lilly out and Kate turned. She was still vertex but she was folded in half and there was no way to get her out. I guess if we were term maybe they'd have waited and tried a version, but at 29 weeks, not so much, so into the OR we went for a section.

And you know what? I wouldn't trade the vaginal birth for anything. It was an incredible experience, even at 29 weeks, even with the underlying terror of such a premature birth. It was the most amazing thing I've ever done. If I could rewind, knowing what I know, and choose to repeat the "full birth experience" or just have a section in the first place, I would still choose the birth I had.

 

It was always going to be vaginal unless baby A was breech. They were head down most of the pregnancy, flipped around 33 weeks, then flipped back around 35 weeks. I was induced due to pre-e at 36w6d and delivered vaginally at 37weeks on the nose and they were 7lbs each. Also, I was not going to be induced unless medically necessary. My OB was pretty much in the favor of letting nature take its course as much as possible.

 

We had sono at about 35.5 weeks. Baby A (Isaac) was laying transverse across my cervix so we opted at that time to have no more sonos and plan a c-section for 37 weeks.

 

Sorry, I forgot to answer completely. We also felt pretty sure we would have a c-section as my doc is a family doc. We have a great hospital but we are a rural hospital. So, if any complications during birth, we are flown to nearest city. We opted since A was transverse to go for section so we could have 2 docs, 2 respiratory therapists, nurses, etc right there in room in case of problems. It was just a more controlled environment since I did not want to drive 100 miles to nearest city hospital.