Labour & Birth

Labour and Birth

One of the first things you may be concerned about is the twin delivery.  A twin labour and delivery can prove a little more challenging and you may find yourself making some decisions as the pregnancy continues.  Your consultant will have been monitoring your pregnancy very closely and will be advising on the best way to proceed.  The key to Twin Labour and Birth is to be prepared for a change of plan at any time during the course of the pregnancy and the birth.

Twin Labour

The preparation for labour begins with the baby’s head engaging with the pelvis.  This can happen as early as 33-34 weeks but often does not happen before labour actually starts.

As with singleton labour the format is basically the same, the mucous plug dislodges, your water breaks, and you experience stronger, regular and more frequent contractions.

Vaginal Delivery vs. C-Section

It may be the case that you want to try for a vaginal birth and if the pregnancy has gone well and both mum and babies are fine there is no reason why this wouldn’t be possible especially if twins are Fraternal and head down!  If both twins are head down then normally you can try for a vaginal delivery.  If the babies are presenting in different positions then other decisions may come into place and if Twin One is breach or sideways then you may be advised to have a C-Section.  If Twin One is Cephalic and Twin Two is breach then it may be possible to attempt vaginal delivery and Twin Two be manipulated into a better position.

Things become a little trickier with identical twins due to the sharing of the placenta but still vaginal births are possible.  You may be advised otherwise (as I was) but that’s not to say a vaginal birth with identical twins is impossible.

Recognising Labour

Mucous plug (pink discharge) dislodging
Waters Breaking
Contractions

Pain Relief

Analgesia:  Decreases the pain but does not eliminate it.

Anaesthesia: Numbs you and may involve unconsciousness.

An epidural is often recommended as it allows the mother to stay awake and alert during the birth but also helps in the case of an emergency C-Section on.  If the medication has already been administered the transition can be made more easily if C-Section becomes necessary.

Hospital Stay

If you have a vaginal birth and your babies reach full term and are healthy it is likely you will only spend a short time in hospital after the birth.  However, if you have a C-Section you can expect a stay of around 4 days in the UK.  If your babies reach full term and are healthy and feeding well they will go home when you are discharged.  If the babies are born prematurely and need any special treatment or assistance it is likely they will have a stay in SCBU (Special Baby Care Unit).  The time the babies spend there will depend on how premature they are and what level of care they need.

Hospital Bag and Preparations

You will need to take a bag for yourself and a bag for the babies. What you will need will depend on when and how the babies are born. A good start is as follows:-

Disclaimer: The information on this website does not constitute medical advice, it is for your reference only from my personal experience of delivering twins twice. Always seek professional and current advice from a registered medical practitioner.