So, you'd think that by now I'd be an old pro at being a pregnant mama, but nope! Carrying twins really throws a wrench in the works. Everything I've taken for granted during the pregnancies with Milo and Violet seems a luxury now -- like working right up until they were born. I don't know that I'll be able to do that this time around.
My biggest concern is that they will come early and need extra medical care. I feel very fortunate to live in a place where that care is available, but I'd do rather not use it if I don't need to. I'd rather have healthy, big babies as close to term as I can.
I didn't have a birth plan written for either Milo or Violet, preferring to "go with the flow" and make medical decisions as necessary. It worked well for both of them, but I know that delivering twins requires a good deal more planning and coordinating. It sounds like I'll most likely need to deliver in the operating room as a "just in case." I've peeked into the ORs at the birth care center and they're not too bad -- definitely not as comfy as a birthing suite, but it will be OK. I'm not afraid of labor and delivery, though I might ask that I not have an episiotomy, if at all possible. Recovering from that was worse than the actual births, I think -- I was itchy and sore for days. I tore a teeny bit with Violet, but needed only one stitch to fix it and I didn't even notice it.
Speaking of birth, how the babies will arrive is largely dependent on the positions they are in when it's go time. If both are head-down, I should be able to deliver them vaginally. If Baby A is head down and Baby B isn't too much larger than A, I should be able to deliver vaginally no matter what the position of B. If neither are head-down, I'll have c-section, despite my protests that if I can deliver Milo's 90th percentile head while pushing for only 8 minutes, I could sneeze a 6 pounder out, even if it is breech. As long as babies are cooperating, I am confident that I'll be able to deliver them. After all, they aren't likely to be bigger than 8lb 9.5oz Violet, are they? Could you imagine carrying 17-18lbs of JUST BABY? Nope, can't see that happening. Particularly knowing that they will be evicted at 38 weeks.
I am not assuming that their births will be a bad experience, just that it will be very different from my first two. Milo's was an induction with epidural, he was born just fine. Violet's was all natural and a truly wonderful experience. No matter how the twins are born, surgery, induction, violent sneezing fit, as long as they arrive healthy, I'll be a happy mama.
4 comments:
I should cross that bridge when you come to it - you'll know, nearer the time, what your options are going to be.
I know my daughter was worried about her birth plan with The Boy; as she said, she had never been in labour before, and didn't know how her body would do it. In fact, it did it rather well, and she only needed medical intervention because he was the wrong way up - not breech, but face up - and had to be turned. She was lucky to avoid a Caesar!
Healthy Mama, Healthy Babies - that's the best plan right there! Looking forward to hearing about your journey with your beautiful babies...
my neighbor had her twins vaginally, one was head up and one head down. She labored and delivered in under 10 hours! You've had two kids, you will be just fine!
birth plans, hmmm, first time i'm hearing about them. really. after 4 kids, this is the first time.
but i don't blame you, if i was having twins, i'd probably lose my mind trying to plan everything.
all will be great, you'll see, i'll be right again. :-D
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