OMG-Freaking triplets!

[lesliesara63]

So I went for an u/s to make sure my twins are ok and there are three babies!!!!!!! I think I've calmed down for now, but its been an emotional day. Where do I go for information now? I'm completely overwhelmed right day.

[kawa kamuri]

Oh my! Triple congrats to you! 

[annettemarie]

Wow! Congratulations.

[lmevans]

Wow mama!! Congrats!

[Liora]

What a blessing!  Congrats.

[SashaBreeze]

Congratulations!  How wonderful and I am sure overwhelming all at the same time!

[Pearl1]

wow, congratulations!!!!

there is a website called "triplet connection" that might be a good starting point for information...

Edited by Pearl1 - 2/14/12 at 7:30am

[lesliesara63]

Morgan I think I read your post on there last night. Totally get what you're saying. Is your RE an OB as well? Mine is, although I don't know if I'll be switched to someone else or not. He does have experience with multiples since he makes them. I haven't seen him yet though, my appointment is on Monday. Ideally of course I want a natural birth. Both of my dd's were short, natural births. I get that there are more complications with triplets though so I'm trying to keep an open mind. Are you working out of the house? Any issues yet?

[charis4]

My RE isn't an OB and I was planning on using a CPM at a birth center if I had a singleton (one of the downsides to our new midwifery licensure bill is no multiples, but triplets are out of my comfort range for out of hospital birth anyway). I'm a birth doula and was familiar with most of the docs/mw in town but none of my favorites would take triplets, they want them all sent to a peri/MFM. I called every single OB office in my area and finally found an OB who had done vaginal triplet birth before (albeit not in many years) and would do it again in the right circumstances. Woohoo! Dh and i interviewed him and another who said he "might" consider it and it was no contest. I wasn't familiar with Dr K myself, but asked around my doula buddies and they loved him so that's always a good sign.

So I'm doing concurrent care with Dr K and a peri at the same hospital. I have my cervical length u/s and growth scans at the peri and she consults on the "high-risk" stuff, but Dr K is the main doc and will be attending the birth. The peri is totally against vaginal birth but she only does consulting anyway so its not a big deal. Dr K wants me to be moved to the OR for pushing (my preference anyway) and wants me to have a low spinal block just before or right after the first baby is born. This is in case I were to need a breech extraction with B or C, he wants the pelvic floor relaxed (and I'm not excited about the idea of a breech extraction without anesthesia anyway!). He wants me to be past 32 weeks to plan a vaginal birth since there's a higher likelihood of needing a breech extraction and before 32 weeks the babies are just too delicate for that. Those are really the only things he cares about though, everything else is up to me. He's fine with leaving the cord unclamped for several minutes, even in the case of a cesarean. He's fine wtih my pushing on my side. He's fine with me having both of my doulas in the OR with us and with us keeping the placentas. As long as the babies are old enough and doing okay, he plans to put each baby on my belly as they're born while the cord pulses.

I think the success of planning a vaginal birth with triplets is sooo dependent on finding a doc who is comfortable with the idea and who has confidence in their ability to deal with anything that may come up without going to cesarean unless its actually needed. It might take quite a bit of searching to find the right fit, but its worth it if you can find someone. I feel so good knowing that if I end up with a cesarean birth it would be because its what is medically best for me and my babies, not because it freaked out my care provider.

I was working as a birth doula and childbirth educator and teaching cloth diapering classes before I got pg, but I stopped attending births to do IVF and stopped teaching Hypnobabies before 20 weeks. Its a good thing, because there's no way I could be working right now, even a desk job. Just too uncomfortable and I have to lay down too much.

So far so good with me and the babies, everyone is healthy. I have a LOT of cntx during my singleton pg and that hasn't changed this time. Its probably normal bh cntx, but I started a low dose of nifedipene (procardia) last week to reduce the amount that I'm having just in case they would cause cervical change down the road. I'm not technically on bedrest, but its getting awfully hard to do much, I'm basically doing the bare minimum of taking care of my 2yo and 4yo, we're watching too much TV and eating too many pb and j's but its what I've got to do right now and its not going to last forever

Sorry to write a book, but I know when I was newly pg with the trio, info was my comfort, I felt so much better hearing other people's experiences. It makes it all seem more doable hearing how someone else was faring.

Oh, here's the links to the studies I've found about vaginal birth with triplets. I figured I'd post them here in case anyone else is interested too. One or two of the studies even includes quads and quints!

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8053876

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9776599

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15144337

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9790375

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11251500

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9822488

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3066096

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7243094

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1326209

and a couple of triplet birth stories:

http://www.ivillage.co.uk/vaginal-triplet-birth/81859

http://doulamomma.wordpress.com/2010/01/08/triplet-vbac-in-ga-with-dr-tate/

I hope that helps! :)

Morgan

[QueenEsther]

Oh ha! Wow! That is amazing! Congrats! 

[lesliesara63]

Thanks Morgan! I am not opposed to a c-section if it is in the best interest of my babies. I just think if conditions are ideal then a vaginal birth would be better for all of us. I have never had an epidural, but I am ok with it in this situation. I get that it can turn into an emergency c-section in a minute. Thanks for all of the links. I've been pretty frustrated with what I've found so far about triplets (and thats everything from birth, breastfeeding and stroller options). 

[charis4]

Originally Posted by lesliesara63 

Thanks Morgan! I am not opposed to a c-section if it is in the best interest of my babies. I just think if conditions are ideal then a vaginal birth would be better for all of us. I have never had an epidural, but I am ok with it in this situation. I get that it can turn into an emergency c-section in a minute. Thanks for all of the links. I've been pretty frustrated with what I've found so far about triplets (and thats everything from birth, breastfeeding and stroller options). 

That's exactly how I feel. I'm fine with a cesarean if its what's best, but if a VAGINAL birth is better, then I want that option, dang it! I've dealt with a ton of flack from people on forums, doctors, acquaintances, etc, who seem to think that I just want a vaginal birth for personal reasons at the expense of my kid's health. I want a vaginal birth if possible because its best for me and the babies, but even still I want all sorts of precautions in place, I want to be in an OR with spinal anesthesia (although I don't want it until pushing), I want pitocin/active management after the babies are born, etc. Its amazing how uninformed some people are (even quite a few doctors, which is particularly disappointing!) about what is medically necessary and what's not.

You said you were frustrated by info about breastfeeding triplets. What I've found so far about actually nursing them varies, it seems like there's a lot of trial and error to figure out what will work for a particular mother/babies. I've talked with a great LC that I've worked with as a birth doula and she gave me this link about maximizing milk production. http://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/MaxProduction.html Its amazing the amount of milk they're getting using this pumping/massage technique! It totally boosted my confidence that I'll be able to make enough milk for all of my babies. :)

I hope things are sinking in a little better, I'm sure that was quite a shock! I remember at every u/s until about 20 weeks I would always ask, "There's still just 3, right?" because I was so freaked out that they might have missed one. :)

Morgan

[hergrace]

Sorry to be so late to respond to you.  My trio are 3.5 and I have a high need 7 year old as well, so I am not here as often as might be useful.  Unfortunately, this is true of many parents of triplets.  We are just busy.

I remember that day of going in to check that my "twins" were okay and finding a third baby so well.  It's a massive shocker.

There is not a lot of info about natural parenting or pregnancy with triplets.  I read a lot of the resources that twin mamas mentioned on this board.  I subscribed to the apmultiples yahoo group, and I read the discussions about stuff like strollers at the Triplet Connection. (http://www.tripletconnection.com/) The conversation at Triplet Connection is very mainstream, so I really just lurked and scanned for reveiws of stuff I knew I needed, like a stroller.

BTW, I loved my Runabout stroller (http://www.bergdesign.net/Page_1.htm) beyond belief - and the Choo-Choo wagon later.

Where in Ontario are you?

[Sol_y_Paz]

Congrats! ! ! 

[Barefoot Farmer]

Congratulations from another triplet mama!  Vaginal birth wasn't an option for me as I had a previous vertical uterine incision, but my OB (in Albany, NY) has "facilitated" a vaginal triplet birth and would have allowed me to attempt vaginal delivery (except for the scar on my uterus).  His requirements were the positions of baby A and B (both vertex), low blood pressure, and of course no previous uterine scar that could tear.  HTH.  PM me if you have any other thoughts, questions over the next 8-9 months.  My trips are 13 months old now and it has been a long, strange, and beautiful trip.  Congratulations again.