[sarabrynn82]

At 28 weeks, so far - everything has gone as smoothly as possible with my pregnancy, but I can't fight off this creeping dread that any week now I'll end up with a bad case of PIH that will send me into a hospital for delivery, or worse - that will lead to an induced labor!

Also, I've been brainwashed by the "twins come early" fairies and I'm also worried about that. I find myself hoping and praying that they'll just stay in another 8 weeks to hit the 36 wk mark so I can still deliver at the birth center. eta - and then I realize how crazy I am for not thinking I can carry these babies to term!

I need encouragement! Tell me that I can still have a natural, intervention-free out of hospital birth with my twins!!!

*ps - my midwife is great and isn't concerned about any of these - she's always been totally willing to move forward with our original plans, not to mention, her back up ob is also pretty non-interventionist, so I'm in good hands... I just need help remembering that nothing HAS to go wrong in my pregnancy!*

 

[royaloakmi]

Deep breathing . . .

You're doing great - no reason to think anything's going to change, right? Here's best wishes for a fabulous, full term birth. (There's been a lot of them here among MOMs at MDC to prove those "twins always come early" rumors aren't 100% correct)

 

[appleseed]

I just delivered twins on 2/22 at 39w5d, no PIH or anything else wacky whatsoever

I had some icky edema the last week, and my BP did go up, but never to levels that were concerning. I too never thought I would get that far with twins especially since my singleton was born at 36w, but I proved everyone wrong for sure

PS- an intervention free birth is totally doable. I labored at home completely natural with my midwives and we only ended up transferring (at 10cm, after four hours of pushing) for maternal exhaustion and because my DD was really poorly positioned (breech, and when they did the c-section they found out she had one leg up by her head and one almost folded under her... it was really weird.) So it can be done! The best advice I have is concentrate on nutrition (pound protein and water like there's no tomorrow) and optimal fetal positioning, which is SO important, especially with twins. I wish I would have started the positioning exercises sooner in my pregnancy, because if I had my homebirth would have been successful.

Best of luck

 

[sarabrynn82]

Thanks!!! I needed to hear that...

Appleseed - we're naming one of our twins Willa... everyone thinks it's Willow when we tell them though! ***I just noticed how recent 2/22 was! Congrats!!! And double thanks for taking time to reply with newbie twins and another kid in the house... what a mom!

At my last u/s the girls were both vertex and it turns out that most of the positioning exercises are just more comfortable for me anyway - so I've been doing them too!

 

[DoomaYula]

It can totally be done.

I was induced at 34w due to TTTS (which I knew about the entire pregnancy) and went on to have a really great vaginal birth, with a second twin who was a feet-first breech.

Other than the TTTS (which is a big deal, but more for the babies than me) I didn't have any probs. No pih, no edema, no gd, no gbs, nothing. After the first tri, which was pukey, I felt great. The usual aches/pains with twins, but it was fine.

So you can have a nice normal looooooooooooooong twin pregnancy. My best friend has DZ girls and she went into labor spontaneously at 36w.

 

[appleseed]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarabrynn82 Thanks!!! I needed to hear that... Appleseed - we're naming one of our twins Willa... everyone thinks it's Willow when we tell them though! ***I just noticed how recent 2/22 was! Congrats!!! And double thanks for taking time to reply with newbie twins and another kid in the house... what a mom! At my last u/s the girls were both vertex and it turns out that most of the positioning exercises are just more comfortable for me anyway - so I've been doing them too!

My twins thankfully LOVE their sleep and my toddler decided to go easy on me today

I was always comfy on my hands and knees toward the end of my pregnancy too... I spent a lot of time in bed on my hands and knees, on the laptop. I must have been a sight

Awesome that they're vertex at 28 weeks though. Mine were transverse-breech at 27 and they stayed that way

 

[MamaRabbit]

subscribing to share in the good vibes as well!

 

[maxymum]

sending good vibes and positive thoughts for a very long and healthy pregnancy!

i went to 40 weeks and had a terrific pregnancy. i "talked" the babies into staying in there every day. ditto on the water and protein, just get in as much as possible. and don't listen to any negative birth experiences if you can avoid it, it seems like people come out of the woodwork with their horror stories when they hear that you're carrying multiples!

best wishes, you can definitely do it momma!

 

[IlliniMom]

Ok, mine were early, but I had PTL with all of my pregnancies so I was not surprised.

My blood pressure never went over 112/70 despite my doc telling me each week it will go up.

 

[michellyn]

I went into labor at 38.5 weeks (well, my dates weren't firm, so it could have been 40 weeks) and delivered my twins at home (planned assistance with a midwife, but the first came so fast she beat the midwife here!). They were my easiest births.

 

[twin monkeys]

I made it to 37w 6d with mine had PTL at 34 weeks but it was my own fault I was working anywhere from 60-80 hrs a week and did not push my doc to cut my hours back to 20 if I had I could have gone longer but I also had movers in packing my house while I was in labor. I had great BP too 130\70 you can do it I am the president of our local moms club and in the last year since taking over the earilest any our babies have come has been at 35 weeks you can do this you are strong. I told my boys the whole time they needed to stay in and cook as long as possible and as much as I wanted to meet them they needed to wait till at least 37 weeks. Just listen to your body and if it tells you to take a break do it put your feet up and rest drink water I would take a gallon jug to work every day and drink it then refill it and drink some more. I also sat next to the bathrooms so it made it easy to drink, drink, drink and I also drank tons of protein shakes too.

 

[EdnaMarie]

Edited for anonymity.

 

[Tassy]

It can definately be done!!! I did have some bedrest towards the end and it does get UNCOMFORTABLE!! (DO YOGA!!START NOW!!) I was induced (water borken) on my due date and other than the AROM, had a completely intervention free vaginal birth standing up for both! Being aware of the increased risk allows you to do everything you can to avoid it! protien and water, rest. Oh, and for positioning, I did sommersaults and handstands in the water...the babies both went right into position. Our stats were 40 weeks to the day....Baby A 7lbs 3 oz baby B 6lbs 15 oz.....the birth was spectacular and you can do it!!!!!
tassy
DS 5, DD 2, DDs 4 mos old

 

[RightMama4]

i delivered 10 wks early, ptl. but no pih at all for me!!!! and i delivered both vaginally with a footling breech baby b!

 

[Zadee]

39w2d, no PIH, but edema galore. Boy, were my feet huge by the end!

 

[nd_deadhead]

I delivered my babies at 39 weeks, and they weighed 7-14 and 8-0.

I did end up developing HELLP toxemia at the very end (DH took my BP every day - at 7:30 am it was fine; at 11:00 it was through the roof). I had a C-section under general anesthesia that afternoon. But that didn't stop me from successfully breastfeeding my babies! I was totally prepared for a vaginal delivery, but it was better that I actually live through it. I have no regrets whatsoever about the way it turned out.

Up to that point my pregnancy was very uneventful. I worked up until 36 weeks (and stayed home after that not under Dr orders, but because I was so uncomfortable sitting at my desk). I gained 65 pounds, and my uterus measured 52 on the day I delivered!

It CAN be done - hang in there!!!

 

[2+twins]

You can do it! Just keep up the nutrition stuff - lots of protein, tons of water and rest when you need to. I had my twins at home at 37 weeks & 4 days with no illness to speak of. It was a fabulous birth - story is in my sig line. Hang in there mama and start envisioning yourself full term & healthy and nothing less.

 

[SlingWearin'Mama]

I delivered at 40w3d, I gained nearly 80 Lbs, each boy weighed 8Lbs 15oz. I was due mid-august in Michigan. The last month+ my feet were HUGE my, toes were pushing each other out of the way and the only thing that fit was a pair of stretched out flip flops. I even wore them to a wedding

I always felt great. Towards the end my BP did begin to creep up and I began spilling some protein but my OB never said anything and it always stayed just on this side of normal. I had been determined not to deliver early but even I was surprised when 40 weeks came and went. After that I started telling the boys in my tummy that they were welcome to join us and how much we were looking forward to seeing them. It was a great delivery, double vaginal and things went great.

Passing on happy pregnancy vibes your way!

 

[LoisLane]

I delivered vaginally at 37 weeks, no PTL, no PIH (although my BP was consistently higher throughout the twin pregnancy for me than it was in my singleton pregnancy -- around 115 over 80, usually 90/100 over 65.) Babes were 5.7 and 6.2 and nursed right away (still are nursing happily now, 20+ months later!) Twin A was vertex, twin B tried to come out with both feet and a first and my doc tucked her hand back up and pulled her out by her feet... she's been seeing the world in a different way ever since...

I had horrible M/S the first 25 weeks (threw up every day from week 6 to week 24... not fun) but it came in the evening, so I was able to keep up with everything (including a then-wild 2-year-old) and just s-l-o-w-e-d way down in the p.m. to prepare for the barfing. And at the end, I had what my OB said was carpel tunnel syndrome -- hard to bend my fingers (although they didn't look swollen...) or hold pens, etc. Very weird. But nothing scary...

YOU CAN DO IT! Eat, drink, rest. Take care of yourself, talk to your babes, and eat some more protein! Good luck to all the mamas gestating multiples!

 

[midwestmom]

You can do it. I had PIH (had it with my first 2 singles too) but still held those babies in until 37 weeks and had big healthy babies that BF fine and went home with me.