twins at home? - Page 6

[breathingmom]

lailasarmite, I agree with you! That is why the birth story of Princess is so amazing! She did not buy in to the idea that the second baby would get stuck! She advocated for herself and did an amazing job of it too!

How is everyone doing? ~Jill

[Augustine]

hello All!

I am doing well, anyone else?
I am having so many toning contractions, I am 15 weeks and everytime I nurse my 2 year old wow a wopper that makes my stomach mound way up.... kind of cool how much better I can feel my uterous and fundus, but it is such a familiar feeling, I am beginning to have a little more reality about the fact that I am measuring big.... I nursed all through my second pregnancy and then tamden nursed for 1 1/2 so this is familiar, but I don't reme,ber feeling lthat many contrax this early... hum.....
I cracked another double yolker from our hens eggs this morning for breakfast... heheheh........
hope all are well!!!
love,
Augustine

[gogi]

Just letting you all know I am officially 38 weeks and went for my Dr. visit today. I have gained 80 lbs. (I am sure at least 15lbs. is water weight I am sooo swollen). All the other stats are pretty much the same. 2cm dilated, 0 station. My fundal height is 50cm. Dr. says statistically (for their practice) I should deliver some time this week. From his lips to God's ears.

[Theo's Mama]

wow gogi! 50 cm! I'm 26 at 22 weeks, but I'm also 5'9". I thought 40's would be big. Those babies are nice and big and healthy. You must be so, so ready to give birth! Soon you will have your sweet babies in your arms. I'm so glad you shared this whole saga with us. Is your doctor one of the ones in the practice that was profiled in Mothering a few months ago?

I went to my doctor's appointment today. Asked a bunch of questions. He said I didn't have to have an epidural, but then would 'probably' be more likely to have to go out for the second birth if it is breech. Rather than pin him down on this, I think I will just keep asking about it, and talk to my midwife next time before I push further.

It seems that someone delivering twins at the hospital (I didn't realize, but he is director of Obstetrics there--don't know if that is bad or good) recently refused to deliver twins in the delivery room and they helped her find another hospital to deliver at. If I want to go into San Francisco, there is a hospital there that will let me stay in labor room. I also asked about moving a labor bed into the delivery room and he called the hospital to ask, and they said no, but then, it was only a nurse who said no, so I will pursue this further.

I ended up feeling pretty good about the visit, but asked to see the midwife next time, so I could check out her perspective.

Putting this all in perspective is the fact that my medical insurance company is going out of business Oct 31 (I'm due Dec 10). At this point, I have to choose between staying with my practice, but paying out 20% up to $6,500, which I can't afford, or changing to Kaiser. I think Kaiser SF is pretty good, but I just can't imagine walking in to deliver with someone I have never met! We're hoping that my hubby's company will pick up another HMO option in the mean time. Maybe this is all meant to make me reconsider a home birth?

Thanks to whoever recommended a recliner, I splurged this weekend, and although I feel like my 92 year-old great aunt in it, I feel so comfy. It is also great for snuggling with my son as my lap shrinks.

Hope everyone is doing well.

[Augustine]

Could you still be in the delivery room, but not on the bed? Why not bring a birth stool in and birth on that or standing? I have done this with clients in labor room just to keep them off the bed and the dr from doing epi or lots of unnessecary "streching" (translated causing tears...)
good luck to everyone!

[gogi]

Theo's mama

Yes, my doctors are Homefirst and there was an article about them in the last issue of Mothering. It was a complete surprise when I saw it, I had no idea they would be profiled.

I agree about the recliner. I sleep most of the night now in it becasue my pelvis hurts to lay on my sides and I can't breathe as well. My son also snuggles next to me, but he is now half on top of me since I am now wide enough to take up the entire width of the chair. We took some photos of me in a bikini this weekend and e-mailed it to all our friends and family who haven't seen my belly in a while. It was funny getting into it. I wore the same bikini on our trip to Florida in April. I was 22 weeks then and didn't know I was having twins. My belly looked very cute and I received many compliments from women on the beach who were glad to see a pregnant woman letting it all hang out. Now I look freakish. I don't have a full length mirror in my house so it was great to see what I really look like from head to toe!

Keep up the research it sounds like you are doing a great job of investigating all your options.

[Mommy of twins]

Theo's mama,

Glad to hear about your appointment. The suggestion about the birthing stool sounds great! That's what I used to deliver the 1st baby then the 2nd I tried every position possible until exhaustion because she was born 3 1/2 hrs. later I ended up laying in bed to deliver her.

Gogi,

I think my measurements ended up being 40cm and 45lbs. I have my records laying around here somewhere I'll have to double check. I cannot wait to hear how big these babies are. You sound like you are doing a good job. Keep your chin up!

[breathingmom]

Hey everyone, glad the recliner idea is working for you. I slept in it on the nights when I couldn't get comfortable and when it was hard to get out bed to use the bathroom. The catapolt action was the best when I was half asleep in the middle of the night and needed to get up!

gogi, you are so amazing!! You know it won't be much longer! You are sure in my thoughts these days! I'm sure these babies will be more than five pounds! I am so excited for you and your family!!

artofbirthing-sounds like this pregnancy is feeling a lot different for you! Did you decide on the ultrasound? If you don't have one it will be fun to see how things progress and if you are able to tell by movement, etc. that their are two. Sometimes I wish I didn't have any (I had two mini-versions), I really didn't need them.

theo's mom-I love how you are asking lots of questions! If you do decide on a homebirth you know that there will be lots of us here to cheer you on! Please forgive me for not going back and reading but did you say whether or not there was a midwife that would attend you at home? Maybe the new insurance will cover a midwife homebirth. BTW, our insurance would only cover one baby because they never had a CNM deliver twins at home before! I was so frustrated! Our midwife was really cool about it but it's so unfair because we saved them soooooooo much money by having them at home. There are so many decisions to make but whatever you choose I am confident that you will make the best choice for your family!!

twinsb3-I hope you have a good appointment tomorrow!

princess-how are you doing? How are those little babes of yours?

So glad to see this post continuing! Twins are awesome!!!! ~Jill

[Theo's Mama]

breathingmom,

thanks for the cheering on. I haven't even asked about midwives, but I have an awesome one I see at my practice and also privately as a homeopath, who has done it all, and if she doesn't do them, I think she would know where to direct me. One of my main drawbacks is being 45 minutes from a really good hospital (5 from a terrible one). Someone suggested a hotel room home birth, but I can't really imagine that.

artofbirthing,

I think you might see if you feel two seperate movements soon. I felt movement so much sooner with these babies and can definitely feel two different movements, especially when they move at the same time. Silly, but I'm crossing my fingers that they are twins, so I hope you're wanting that. By the way, Trillium is a totally cool name!

I asked if they would move in a labor bed and he called the hospital and "they" (a nurse) said no. I would pursue that further though. I never thought of a birthing stool, that would be even better. I pushed 3 1/2 hours with my son, and I'm sure it was because of position, so I'm bound and determined not to be laying down this time. I thought about a beanbag, even. Where would I find a birthing stool? I reread that and realize you must be a midwife. I guess I can ask some midwives here.

Standing would be better too. . . if there is any room for me what with the 2 obs, midwife, 2 nurses, pediatrician that I have been told will be "in attendance". . . AND WHO HAD BETTER ALL BE STANDING QUIETLY!!

gogi,

glad you did the pictures. Not sure I'll be up to a bikini. I took weekly photos au natural all through my first pregnancy, but don't feel in such good shape this time around!

I can hardly wait to see how big your babies are. I have a client who had twins 11 years ago. She gained a huge amount of weight, and delivered 8 weeks early, but they were 6 lbs 2 and 5 lbs 7 even that early.

[KatherineinCA]

What a great discussion! My twins are 7 now, but it's so fun to read the discussion of what a twin pregnancy feels like, it takes me back a few years.

twinsb3--responding to your post a while back: I'm 5'4, and my twins were born at 39 weeks, 6 1/2 and 7 lbs. It gets a little cramped at the end, but you will be able to do it! I followed the Brewer diet, and I'm sure that made the difference.

Congratulations to all you pregnant twin mommies! (I'm pregnant right now, too, but with "just" one!)

[twinsb3]

had my first Dr. apt. yesterday....

I absolutly love him and he is sooooooo laid back. He is willing to follow everything in my birth plan as long as the babies are big and close to term. He doesn't have a problem delivering a breech babe and said that I wouldn't need an epidural unless I wanted one. He also said that "he doesn't do episiotomies." He has done five in the last five years! This man was a rare find in our little town, so I am trilled and feel much more at ease. I have a sonnogram on Monday because at my first sono the machine broke down and he couldn't take measurements or anything besides just look at the babes. I have never had a male Dr. before and I was really nervous about how I would like him, but he seems to be so compassionate and trusting. And he is midwife friendly.

Katherine...thanks for the encouragement on the hieght thing. I have been worrying about that a lot.

I'm off to my official last day of work...ugg! Wish me luck!
~jen

[Mommy of twins]

twinsb3,

I'm so glad you like your dr. Doesn't it make you relax more when you find someone who's willing to listen to your request? I'm really happy for you. BTW when I carried my twins (I'm 5'2") I could sit in a chair with my legs apart and my stomach would rest on the seat of the chair. It was the coolest thing! Good luck with work. Are you going to stay home and relax now?

Gogi,
How are you doing?

Theo's mama,
I think when you go into labor just start heading to the hospital that's 45min. away and tell them you were in the area when your water broke! Sorry I wish I could be of better help. What happens if you wouldn't make it to the hospital in time, then you could have a homebirth.

[gogi]

I am also 5'3 and have now oficcially gained 80lbs. I wouldn't worry too much about the height, although I am uncomfortable, it could be a lot worse. I have been sitting on my couch with pillows propped behind my back (i have a very deep couch), spreading my legs and restiing them on the coffee table. It is the only way i can fit my belly between my legs. It is the same position you get in at the dr. office when your feet are in stirrups.

I still have trouble recognizing the different baby movements. I never used movement as an indicator that i was having twins. It felt like a lot of movement but I never could pin point two distinct bodies (not intuitive that way). I have trouble now because baby B is tansverse so I can feel that baby on both sides.

I am now almost 38 1/2 weeks pregnant. I actually have slept well for the last 2 nights. Sleeping well to me is being able to go back to sleep after each potty break. I have started to eat less during the night in order to not fully wake myself up and go back to sleep. I figure I can get away with that at this point. I am so sick to my stomach and gag up a lot of food at this point. I am trying to push the smoothies to get enough protien. For most of the pregnancy I was eating 7-9 eggs a day, now I struggle to force down one.

I have had a terrible headache the last two days and thought maybe I would go into labor soon. I had the worst migraine of my life two days before I had my son. Nothing yet.

If I make it to 39 weeks (Tuesday) I will go in for an ultrasound and non-stress test to make sure the babies are still thriving and amniotic fluid levels are OK.

I can't wait to see them at this point. I wonder if they will look like my son or comletely different. My son got all our families recessive genes. He has the lightest blue eyes and blonde hair. My husband and I both a brown eyed and brown haired. My anxiety and fears about the birth are all gone and have just been replaced with excitment.

I am enjoying this thread so much and am now having trouble keeping everybody straight as it grows. Oh, I think you can buy a birthing stool through the midwifery today website. Check it out. For those of you who have already birthed your twins. What positions did you use?

[Mommy of twins]

gogi,

My heart goes out to you! I'm so happy your sharing your journey with us.

I don't know if I mentioned before but I used the birthing stool and squatted beside our bed to deliver the first baby. My husband sat behind me he was on the bed with his arms under my underarms to hold me up if I got tired. The second baby I tried every position I squatted, laid on the bed they even (this was embarassing) had 2 people hold me up and hold my legs to try and get the baby to come down. After total exhaustion I laid in bed and just pushed her out. That was a total of 23hrs. of labor. For the intense contractions the midwife held ice cubes in my hand and I would relax and not think of the pain. Something I remember my Bradley Instructor saying that stuck in my head the entire time was "Let your body relax, so it can release it's own natural pain killers and do what it was meant to do". This little saying meant so much I just repeated it over and over again inside my head. I also had a birthing tub that I got into every now and then. The temperature that it had to be kept at was uncomfortable for me. I felt like I was being trapped. And I actually love hot water baths (weird I know). Take care.

[breathingmom]

Katherine, I so glad there is someone with twins older than mine! I hope you will stick around and share some of your experience with us! Do you have other kids between your twins and this one? Were your twins your first?

twinsb3, I am so happy for you! Finding someone to attend you that you are comfortable with is so important! I hope you will continue to share your journey! How was your last day at work?

gogi, how are you? I know one of these days in the next 2 weeks we will get the wonderful news of your babes! I know you are interested in the weights but I am excited to found out the sex of your twins!

I labored in a birthing chair but was up on the bed when I deliverd the girls. I wanted to squat but found that my swollen ankles felt very uncomfortable when I did. I was on the bed with my dh behind me for the first dd. When my second dd came my dh was holding the first twin and I had a bean bag chair behind me.

theo's mom, how are you feeling?

Have a great weekend ladies! ~Jill

[KatherineinCA]

Jill--I can't believe I'm old to enough to be the "seasoned" mom! Yes, the twins were the first. They are 7 1/2, and we now have a son who's 2 1/2 and baby #4 is due 11/26. Since it's been a while since my twins were born, I have enjoyed reminiscing while reading the other moms' stories here.

And to all you pregnant and new moms--congratulations and hang in there!

[member234098]

homebirth

Dear Mothering friends:

My grandmother was a twin and she was born at home. She and her twin sister lived 70+ years.

I know of a midwife in MT who delivered triplets - she was anticipating twins.

"If the placenta cries, keep it." - told to me by a prominent childbirth educator. He told me of a story wherein he was to film the vaginal birth of twins in a hospital. The presence of twins was confirmed by two ultrasounds scans and the postiion of the twins was drawn on the mothers abdomen for the film. There was only one baby !

He wrapped it up and before he left the hospital, he asked to say good bye and congratulations to the new mother in recovery. He asked to see the mother who had mistakenly been anticipating twins and had been surprised by only one baby - the nurses in recovery did not know to whom he was referring because the woman's records had already been altered. No sign of that big boo-boo sonogram!

Just another reason to have your baby at home.

miriam

[Augustine]

That is hilarious!!
I love hearing sonogram boo-boos, like my friend who was induced because she was having a ten pound baby 'by ultrasound" Her six pound baby just slid out...
ultrasounds are a joke, our own hands, hearts and intuition can tell us much more!
love to all your strong ladies!

I have a quick question, still no word about whether it is one or two, but I have been having tons of toning contrax, I am 16 weeks and this is preg number 3. So I know you feel them sooner the more you have, but wow this is ridiculous, they take my breath away and last like 5-10 minutes, all day long. I nursed my daughter through my last pregnancy and am nursing my son now. It happens during the day even when I'm not nursing. I had a thought maybe it is becasue uterous is being streched alot? any ideas,is anyone else on #3 feeling this too?
thanks,
Augustine

[KatherineinCA]

Augustine,

I'm 24 weeks along in my third pregnancy, and have not had contractions like that. But, I did with my first pregnancy, which was with twins. They started around 15-16 weeks. I don't know how helpful that is to hear!

[gogi]

Augustine,

I have the exact same experience. With my first pregnancy I had so many contractions that the practice I was with then started having me come weekly starting at 18 weeks just to make sure I wasn't going into pre labor. That is very unusual for the first pregnancy. The conclusion we finally came to was that I am a body sensative person. I feel all the sensations going on. I accepted this theory since I always felt ovulation.

With this twin pregnancy the contractions have been out of control. They started very early and I will have contractions that also last 5-10 minutes. It concerned me the whole pregnancy but not so much since I had contractions through my first and still went to term. After a period of intense and frequent contractions I had a vaginal exam which showed no dilation and we all determined that this was normal for me. I made sure I was taking care to avoid all things that cause preterm labor. I pounded the water all day long, increased the amount of food I was eating, tried to get more rest etc. You might want to put yourself on an eating schedule and make sure you eat every 21/2 to 3 hours even if you do not feel hungry. That schedule and making sure I was eating 150 grams of protien a day helped calm the contractions somewhat. Getting more rest also helped. They never went away but the frequency certainly eased up when I started taking better care of myself, which is hard to do with other small children. Finding out I was pregnant with twins also made it OK in my mind to ask others for help, it was now Dr.'s orders. I know it is stupid but it made me feel less guilty.

One thing I did notice is that I would go through a couple of days with very frequent and strong contractions and then would notice that my belly would pop out. I think it was just the work of my uterus and abdominal muscles trying to stretch.

I was also nursing my son but decided to wean when we found out we were having twins. I was having trouble gaining weight and the contractions were making me nervous. It was so easy I thought he would cry and protest but he never did. As long as I held him amd gave him a hug when he needed it he was fine. He is waiting for the babies to bring in the new milk and if he resumes nursing I would be fine with it.

I will be 39 weeks tomorrow and really want to have these babies tonight to avoid another ultrasound etc. I have an appointment tomorrow. I will keep you all updated.