What Does Internal Version Feel Like?

[2babies2kidsmom]

Hello everyone, I'm researching my options for the upcoming birth of my fraternal twins.  I am trying to find out what an internal version feels like, and if I really need to have an epidural in place "just in case".  I have had 2 kids vaginally, one was preterm, augmented w/ oxytocin, no pain meds, second was a water birth at home.  Has anyone here had an internal version (turning Baby B after Baby A comes out) with no pain meds?  Thanks in advance!

[momma-bear]

Great question. While I can't speak from experience, a friend of mine underwent an attempted internal version last month while delivering her firstborn at home. Her 9lb baby boy was eventually delivered feet first along with her midwifes arm. While she said it was indeed very painful, she handled it and like the rest of her labor forgot the better part of the pain once baby was in her arms. 

I just had this conversation with my doc today (I'm also expecting fraternal twins). She is young and admitted that she's not comfortable with a version because she has little experience with doing them. (My regular doc just had a baby and we're hoping she's back in time for my delivery) But she offered to call a few older private physicians to see if they would assist her in case of a breech delivery for baby B. My impression was that baby B could possibly be delivered in the breech position by someone with experience rather than necessitating an internal version. The epidural was also recommended to me, but as one nurse put it "the body of a mother is capable of extraordinary things." We joked that it's really the doctor who is afraid of being kicked in the face. 

[momma-bear]

Wow, just read this woman's amazing birth story with twins and an unmedicated version. Thought I'd share: http://noexpectationsmeansnodisappointment.blogspot.com/2009/08/long-story-birth.html

[star8kitten]

I ended up having a csec after a failed internal version to try and get baby B in position.  I wish they would have given me the epidural and done the version becasue I could not relax enough for the doc to get up there and get baby B.  Having the epidural in my opinion is a better option than havign a csec and facing that recovery with twins. 

I really don't want to scare you but I had one and it was the worst pain I have ever been through. I have had three natural births and it was worse than that. LIke, I was arched up off the table writhing in pain type of bad.  My doc was expeirence with it and tried everything she could before we decided to do the section.  I was begging for it by that point because the version was so bad. 

[star8kitten]

Oh, one more thing, my baby B (feels weird to call him that) was breech and we were all okay to try and deliver him that way.  He was very high up and turned sideways a bit but the doc thought she coudl get him.  He was so frogged legged she could not get a grip on him. 

[Adaline'sMama]

I had one, unmedicated. It was really painful, but it was fast. I'm glad I didn't opt for mess because b had to be transferred and I was having a hard time mentally coping as it was.

Afterwards, I felt bruised inside for a few days.

[Brambleberry]

My baby A was posterior and my doctor was able to rotate her by pushing her back up a little after I'd gotten her down to +1, then turning her head.  And then Baby B was transverse.  She rotated easily but then my doctor could feel her cord pulsing over her head and spent a long time getting the cord out of the way.  B had a hand by her face too that my doctor was trying to move, but she finally gave up on that in the hope that it would slide out of the way on its own - which it did.  It was painful, but not that much worse than the intense posterior double-peaking contractions I was having.  Sort of like having a cervical check while in the middle of a strong contraction... a really LONG cervical exam.  I got to have baby A on my chest for part of the time, which was a wonderful distraction from it all.