Revisiting Home birth again - Page 4

[DeannaK]

Revisiting Home Birth Again

I just wanted to update everyone regarding our meeting with Midwife #3.

I really like her! I like her experience, her attitude, her demeanor and her personality. I just generally felt extremely relaxed around her, her assistant and one of her midwife students. I am confident in her ability to handle a twin birth.

At this point we are going to move forward with a homebirth. I'll also continue with my OB care at the hospital. So basically I'll have an u/s each month followed by an OB appointment every two weeks and the midwife every two weeks.

I'm more main stream than many ladies on MDC, so for me to consider this route is sort of strange to my family. We have mentioned it to a few family members and received odd looks, a few comments, but mostly just skepticism. Most realize we are intelligent people and would not be making this decision on a whim and not be risking the lives of our babies. So I think while support isn't necessarily what we have, we don't have a great deal of resistance. I'll take it!

We have of course made sure to consider all of our options and we realize that there is not a "plan" really, just lots of plans. It will all depend on how the babies and I are doing as we reach full term. I am still unsure what to do should one or both babies be breech. I suppose time and more research will help me come to a conclusion on this. The midwife did lend us a few videos one of which is the Psalm and Zoya birth. I could not believe how easily the mother gave birth to her second baby, who was a footling breech. Amazing! It surprised me greatly as I had no idea the baby breech when I started watching the video.


So that is the update. I'm 29 weeks today and feeling great. My next OB appointment is on the 31st. And my next U/S and meeting with the midwife is Jan 6.

[Intertwined]

If you ever want to chat, my first twin was a footling breech and was born easily. I'm so glad you've made a choice you are comfortable with. I felt that way re: the 'many plans'. SO much rode on them getting to term, etc and when I finally went into labor at 39 weeks I felt like I'd held my breath for months!

[2+twins]

Congratulations on finding a good match! Re: breech - I did a lot of reading on that while pg with my twins. I found the book, Breech Birth Woman-Wise, very helpful. Might be worth buying and going over.

[mamaeliz]

Deanna, I'm so glad that you found a care provider who you are comfortable with. That felt so important to me. I really had to "feel good" about everything. Of course, as a twin pg goes, things change often, and sometimes I wasn't so sure of our course, but the care of a MW was a GREAT balance to my perinatologist's care. The way I dealt with my family's unsureness about a homebirth was to always give them the report from the doctor, while also mentioning the MW visit and what took place there.
When they would present different homebirthing challenges, I would reply that I had discussed those things with my MW, as well as my peri, and here are the benefits/risks of being at home, and the benefits/risks of being in the hospital. I was really appreciative of the perinatologist that I worked with, as he always used that phrase "benefits/risks" in discussing both birth options. In other words, I really appreciated that he could "understand" why people would choose a homebirth.
I also feel pretty "mainstream" myself, being raised by a nurse mother, whose mother was a nurse, as well as my sister being a nurse and two sisters-in-law being nurses. Because I did concurrent care, I don't think my family really believed that I would ultimately birth at home. For us, it worked out better to call them only AFTER the babies were born, though I had been tempted to let my mom know that my membranes had ruptured and that the girls would be arriving shortly. When we called them, it was about 2am their time and my DH talked to my mom. I cracked up b/c he told them first that the girls were here, second that Sierra came 3 hours after Serena, third that they were born at home, and the ultimate topper: they were born in the bathtub. I KNOW my mom did not sleep that nite. I had to laugh as I told him, "I would've waited 'til morning for details like those".

[fyrebloom]

I'm so glad you found a MW that you love! I wish you all the best and hope you have an amazing homebirth.

I agree, Psalm and Zoya's birth video is amazing! I watched that over and over while I was pregnant!

[DeannaK]

Thanks everyone for your support. It feels good to have a plan and to feel secure about it.

Now we wait!

[christyc]

I'm so glad you found a provider you're happy with!

Originally Posted by DeannaK

I'm more main stream than many ladies on MDC, so for me to consider this route is sort of strange to my family. We have mentioned it to a few family members and received odd looks, a few comments, but mostly just skepticism. Most realize we are intelligent people and would not be making this decision on a whim and not be risking the lives of our babies. So I think while support isn't necessarily what we have, we don't have a great deal of resistance. I'll take it!

First, I think many of us are a lot more mainstream than we think each other to be, if that makes sense. I'm really not all that far out. Also, I betcha more than a few of us twin homebirth moms here either withheld info or offered vague and sketchy info to inquiring family members and real life friends when they asked about our birth plans. I know I did, and I know more MDC moms who did as well. Although I was confident with what I was doing, I just didn't feel like fielding the same 80 questions every time we told someone knew, and didn't feel like dealing with negativity about it once I had made up my mind.

Anyway, glad things are becoming clearer for you!

[purpleheather79]

I'm so glad you found a good midwife! I can't wait to hear about your birth!

[Crunchy Frog]

Hi. I just finished reading your thread, and am really happy that you've found a midwife you feel really comfortable with.

My options for my own twin birth are fairly limited. There are virtually no HB midwives around here at all, and I don't think the two I know of would even take twins. My OB is the friendliest toward twin vag birth in this area, but the one time I even got to meet him, he sounded very dubious about attempting it without both of them being in the vertex. Baby A has been pretty consistently head down, but Baby B tends to be either in the tranverse or breech most of the time.

I'm also not really keen on hospital birth in this state (NY) because of their draconian policies on certain newborn procedures, and the fact that they will call CPS on you if you don't comply.

I may actually end up looking into The Farm, and seeing if that might be a possible option.

I'm due with twin boys same month you are, BTW.

[Gena 22]

A question about natural birthing twins. When I was doing my research and planning my twin homebirth, after weighing all sorts of studies, I came to the conclusion that homebirth for the first twin was generally as safe as for a singleton. IE, as safe if not more so than a hospital birth. What I never came to a good conclusion about was the second twin. It seems like people worry about birthing the second twin, but I couldn't get any real numbers.

Is it a cord or positioning problem?

Don't mean to be glib, but having had a homebirth, it's a little hard to understand the big deal about twin births is. It's labor (possibly more difficult) followed by one normal birth, with another normal birth a little while later.

I heard a great quote from the Farm. Something like "Stop sending us your twin births. There's nothing complicated about them. Just a birth, with second birth right after." Which is not to discourage Crunchy Frog. In your position I'd do what I could to birth there, it sounds so amazing.

Anyone heard that quote from the Farm? Any thoughts about what makes people consider healthy twin births "high risk?" Why more MWs aren't comfortable doing them?

[DeannaK]

A couple of concerns about twins that I looked into and that worried me are:

Twins can be smaller and tend to come earlier. There can be a risk with a breech twin that is smaller as the body slides right out, and the head is too large to fit through a fully dilated cervix, so you have cord prolapse issues.

Also sometimes if baby B is breech the twins can lock in utero. Hard to explain, but the midwife was showing me how it works and why it is a concern sometimes. It is also a concern with a premie singleton.

Also hemorrhaging after birth. There is a much bigger uterus to shrink up and much bigger area from TWO placentas detaching after birth.

I think those were the main concerns that I looked into. I'm sure there were others I read about but in my current pregnancy brain state I can't think of them. LOL!

[Intertwined]

Yes, if you have a breech baby A and a vertex baby B they can get "locked". I know this because I had that presentation late in the game (along with many others!) and we talked about it. The real problem happens when you have both BOW broken. Otherwise, they just slide over the top of each other. I wasn't sure if I would have attempted a home birth with that presentation but I for sure would have had a vaginal birth in the hospital!

Hemorrhaging didn't scare me much as I have a history of a uterus that clamps down tight afterward (and it did--I did not have to have pit). My midwives carry pit and methergene but I would have eaten placenta first.

It is possible for a breech to get its head stuck. That is not exclusive to twin birth or small babies though, it has more to do with the positioning of the head. There is a maneuver to bring the chin down and help the head deliver and your midwife should know how to do this. But MOST breech babies are born just fine. Just like MOST vertex babies are born just fine.

I am of the mind that barring any prenatal complications, twin birth was just like Gena said--two normal births that happened in the same morning. There were some extra things to watch for and MAN was I tired when I had to push out that second baby (!!!) but I had one birth and then I had another birth and then I had two placentas birth.

[mamamolly1]

Would another potential complication/problem of twin births is that there's less time for baby B to safely be delivered than baby A? Most of the time baby B comes very shortly after Baby A, which is good. But if things suddenly slow down, isn't that worse in the 2nd round, when the water may have been broken for a long time, the baby more likely to be in distress, etc.? (Not sure about this-- it's my general impression, so I'm asking)

[2+twins]

Originally Posted by mamamolly1

Would another potential complication/problem of twin births is that there's less time for baby B to safely be delivered than baby A? Most of the time baby B comes very shortly after Baby A, which is good. But if things suddenly slow down, isn't that worse in the 2nd round, when the water may have been broken for a long time, the baby more likely to be in distress, etc.? (Not sure about this-- it's my general impression, so I'm asking)

This isn't something I've heard and am not sure it would really play into things any more than a singleton who's mom has been laboring for a long time. My 2nd twin came just over 2 1/2 hours after my first but his BOW stayed in tact until just before I pushed him out. He was monitored throughout for heart decels just as any baby would be.

[DeannaK]

Originally Posted by mamamolly1

Would another potential complication/problem of twin births is that there's less time for baby B to safely be delivered than baby A? Most of the time baby B comes very shortly after Baby A, which is good. But if things suddenly slow down, isn't that worse in the 2nd round, when the water may have been broken for a long time, the baby more likely to be in distress, etc.? (Not sure about this-- it's my general impression, so I'm asking)

I think this is only a problem in a hospital when you are on a clock and tying up the OR they make you deliver in. I asked the question of my midwife, "How long do I have to deliver the second baby before you start to worry". She said, as much time as I needed as long as the baby's heartbeat was fine. She said there are things they can do to "help things progress" like changing position, walking, etc. Just like you would do for a slow first baby labor.

[Gena 22]

I think that's right. There was a little over an hour between my births. Baby B's water never broke on it's own, and going by her heartbeat, she was doing just fine the whole time. My MW did AROM and I pushed her out when I was rested and ready, but I've heard of longer intervals.

In the hospital though, there's a pretty strict timetable. Something like 30 min. max. before the "emergency" c/s.

[~bookcase~]

my double breech could have been lovelier if the care providers weren't so scared, and it wasn't in hospital, and they weren't preemies. i know - :yawning: sorry. i'm embarrassed how i'm not getting over the preemie thing. i should go vent it over at preemie parenting rather than being party pooper here! aaanyway.....i was expecting a gap between them, but it was only 4 minutes and placenta came straight after second birth. i saw it as a grace from God, really. 'my' placentas normally take an hour - can you imagine what they would have been like with that scenario

anyway, it's FAB you've found great support you can relax into: that can make/ break your birthing experience. :

[vanauken]

Originally Posted by shukr

my double breech could have been lovelier if the care providers weren't so scared, and it wasn't in hospital, and they weren't preemies. i know - :yawning: sorry. i'm embarrassed how i'm not getting over the preemie thing.

Don't be embarrassed about that! I've been having a hard time all day today, and I've realized because a year ago tomorrow I checked into the hospital . . . and it was two and a half months before all six of us were home again.

Having preemies changes you. You know that bad things can actually happen, in a way you never did before. You know that good things can happen, in a way you never knew it before.

And having preemie twins . . . means that you have no time to process it. So, don't be embarrassed about not getting over it quickly. You'll process it slowly, a moment here and a moment there - because your twins won't give you anymore time than that!

[carycaj]

[QUOTE=Gena 22;12883602]I heard a great quote from the Farm. Something like "Stop sending us your twin births. There's nothing complicated about them. Just a birth, with second birth right after." Which is not to discourage Crunchy Frog. In your position I'd do what I could to birth there, it sounds so amazing.

Anyone heard that quote from the Farm?QUOTE]

When my MW went to the farm for their twin birth course, Ina May stood at the front of the room and said something like "Stop sending us your twin births! They are simply a variation of NORMAL."

[Gena 22]

That's it, thanks!