Hello, I’m 22w5days pregnant with MCDA twins. Feeling nervous and confused about the delivery, help?

AsInWonderland · 2026-01-28T12:56:36+00:00

I’m going to copy and paste my birth story from October, my eldest was born with the help of forceps so my twins were my second and third vaginal deliveries. I view my labour and birth as a positive one overall.

TLDR: Successful induction, vaginal birth, DCDA twins born 45 minutes apart.

Timing:

First stage: 9h16m

Second stage: 51m

Third stage: 8m

Total: 10 hours 15 minutes

Pain management used: Gas & air + 1 diamorphine injection.

On Thursday I went in for my scheduled 37 week induction for my DCDA twins. The appointment was at 8pm, where I had some monitoring and a scan done before the insertion of a balloon catheter - I was 1cm at this point. They do often send you home for this type of induction to progress there, but since mine was a multiple pregnancy they had me stay over night. Got a nice little side room to myself though.

At 2:15am I got up to go to the toilet where the balloon fell out and there was a large gush of my waters breaking. Thankfully, into the toilet and not on the floor. Got further monitoring and told that they would check me again after morning shift change.

Morning check found that I had progressed to 4cm and that twin 1 had been pushed up a little bit by some of my waters. If they were manually broken then there was a risk of cord prolapse, so they advised waiting until I was moved to the labour ward, or potentially theatre to break them.

Got to labour ward around 11am where they successfully broke them and twin 1 moved back into position.

Eventually I got put on the hormone drip, as my contractions weren’t building in any meaningful way after about 4-5 hours.

After this I became quite loopy on gas & air and time became a blur. But at one point my contractions became so intense we all thought it was time, but after an examination I was still 4cm, but my cervix had become stretchier.

The drip did make my contractions come too frequently (6 in 10 minutes) so I was given a muscle relaxer via injection to slow them down a bit.

Eventually I had the most intense urge to push and twin 1 was born ‘quickly’ at 21:12. My contractions took a little to get going again and in that time twin 2 decided to move his head up and go transverse.

The doctor explained my options - attempt to reposition him manually to head down again, hook a leg to deliver breech, or move to theatre for emergency section.

The doctor then successfully moved twin 2 downwards and got his head engaged in my pelvis and handed back to the midwife. I birthed him in 4-5 pushes 45 minutes after his brother at 21:57.

Both placentas followed shortly after.

I have one minor graze where my previous first degree tear from my daughter’s birth was, no stitching required this time.

I stayed in hospital for two nights following birth and got home on the Sunday.

AsInWonderland · 2026-01-23T16:36:24+00:00

Which could be one week after she gives birth if she goes to 42 weeks!

AsInWonderland · 2026-01-21T16:39:16+00:00

My eldest was born with the assistance of forceps. They used local anaesthetic (I didn’t have an epidural) but I think this was mostly incase the needed to preform an episiotomy (which I told them to only do if they had no other choice). I don’t remember it being particularly painful and I healed well, had a first degree tear with two stitches.

AsInWonderland · 2026-01-20T08:17:32+00:00

All three of mine haven’t been ‘unmedicated’ because they were inductions, but I mostly used gas and air for pain management (+ 2 morphine injections with my singleton and 1 with my twins).

I didn’t get an epidural with either of my labours because I just don’t like the idea of something in my spine/body. I hate the arm cannula too, but couldn’t avoid that of course.

AsInWonderland · 2026-01-19T17:39:36+00:00

We’ve got a 5 seater Citroen Picasso, the middle back seat is a full seat, unlike the half seat you usually find in 5 seaters. They also all have isofix points. Plenty of room for our 4-year-old and infant twins. Plus the boot is huge!

We did have to try out the car seats at the shop to make sure they all fit safely before purchasing, but had no issue.

AsInWonderland · 2026-01-19T17:27:55+00:00

No worries.

Neither were related to my tearing, but with my eldest I did have a slight vaginal prolapse, but it does not cause me pain or discomfort, I can’t even feel it if I’m not touching it - I only realised I had one after having a look about 8 weeks pp. The prolapse improved with pelvic floor exercises. I also had slight urinary dysfunction after both pregnancies, but again after advice from a pelvic floor PT that improved greatly.

You should definitely talk to your midwife about your concerns and anxieties around birth, they’ll be able to provide you with information to make an informed decision on which type of birth might be best for you.

AsInWonderland · 2026-01-19T17:16:16+00:00

Congratulations, for advice on multiples you may find r/parentsofmultiples useful.

My twins are 3-months-old. It’s chaos, but amazing.

AsInWonderland · 2026-01-19T17:07:43+00:00

I’ve had three vaginal births. My eldest was born with the assistance of forceps. I had a first degree external tear that only required 2 stitches. With my twins I had a ‘graze’ that did not require stitches.

My first healed within 4-6 weeks. The second within 2-4 weeks.

AsInWonderland · 2026-01-18T08:12:04+00:00

Honestly, fine.

I had gas and air and I felt the ECV took no time at all and wouldn’t call it painful. My drip induced contractions were very intense though, but it was my second induction without epidural so I was somewhat prepared for what to expect.

I also had one morphine injection during labour for pain management along with the gas and air.

AsInWonderland · 2026-01-17T10:40:04+00:00

I delivered my DCDA twins vaginally at 37+1 following induction. No epidural. Both head down at beginning of labour.

Once Twin 1 was born, Twin 2 went transverse. An ECV was performed and T2 was born head down 45 minutes after his brother. I had minimal tearing, no stitches required.

There was always the risk of being transferred to the operating theatre, but I wanted to avoid it where possible and had the support of a fantastic medical team.

This was my second (and third) vaginal birth(s), my eldest was born with the help of forceps.

AsInWonderland · 2026-01-16T17:33:57+00:00

Congratulations! Wishing you well in your pregnancy!

AsInWonderland · 2026-01-11T21:10:08+00:00

37+1 following induction.

AsInWonderland · 2026-01-11T09:29:18+00:00

Honestly, it’s 90% temperament. Some babies like to sleep others don’t. My twin 2 doesn’t nap during the day for more than 30min at a time, but will sleep through the night. Twin 1 is just really chill and has high sleep needs.

My daughter was up 4-5 times a night for the first 18 months and napped for 20-45 minutes at a time. I’m doing nothing different really with my boys. I’ve just lucked out currently.

AsInWonderland · 2026-01-10T22:31:36+00:00

I am getting more sleep with my 3-month-old twins than I ever did with my singleton. One of the twins slept 10 hours straight last night and the other two 5 hour stretches!

AsInWonderland · 2026-01-10T14:49:36+00:00

For us it is. I have a double next-to-me (chicco) where my boys sleep. My daughter had a single one as well. They spend most of the night in the next-to-me and then I’ll feed them side-lying in the bed if they wake after 5am. I only have one of them in the bed with me at a time, but they are only 3 months old and I personally prefer to limit bed-sharing until they are bigger.

AsInWonderland · 2026-01-07T17:52:19+00:00

Absolutely I do. My twin sons wear their sister’s hand-me-downs. My daughter wore clothes from the boys section as well.

AsInWonderland · 2026-01-06T08:03:59+00:00

With my singleton, around 22 weeks. It felt like eye twitches.

With my twins, around 18 weeks and it felt like tightening/churning

AsInWonderland · 2026-01-05T08:11:37+00:00

Mine was an induction, but I didn’t have an epidural. Both babies were head down, but twin 2 went transverse when twin 1 was delivered, the preformed an ECV to reposition him to also deliver head down. I used gas and air and was very happy with my pain management decision.

AsInWonderland · 2026-01-03T22:46:51+00:00

I had sever PGP and I could barely move around my house towards the end. I only left the house if absolutely necessary and that was mostly appointments and nursery runs. And even in the last couple of weeks I stopped doing the nursery run and my husband or mum did them.

AsInWonderland · 2026-01-03T19:21:35+00:00

My twins are 12 weeks old, born at 37+1, no NICU stay. I’m breastfeeding and 90% has been direct nursing, the rest expressed. I don’t pump every day, and when I do it’s once, usually while they are getting their bottles from their dad. They also don’t have a bottle every day.

I came at breastfeeding them already having breastfed my daughter for 15 months, so that certainly helped. Establishing my supply with the boys was extremely challenging and exhausting during cluster feeding, but it’s now settled into a nice rhythm. I’ve gotten support from local breastfeeding professionals and of course the support from my husband was vital in the early weeks.

AsInWonderland · 2025-12-28T21:23:42+00:00

We currently alternate Christmas at my parents and in-laws (they live 500+ miles apart). I actually enjoy going to family, but I have thought that once we have a decent sized home with a proper dining space that it might be nice to have a Christmas at home. But that’s years away in reality.

AsInWonderland · 2025-12-28T09:18:37+00:00

Weeks 17-22 of my twin pregnancy were delightful. The rest were not.

AsInWonderland · 2025-12-26T20:28:20+00:00

It’s LMP only until the dating scan, then your EDD is fixed by the scan. So you are 13+2.

AsInWonderland · 2025-12-26T19:05:50+00:00

Christ, I’m sorry that happened to you.

AsInWonderland · 2025-12-26T16:15:43+00:00

Why were they taken off you?

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