My twin birth story

Nothing goes like you think it will!!!

I found out I was having twins at around 22 weeks when I took my first ultrasound. The only reason I went to do an ultrasound was because I wanted to switch from my doctor to a home birth midwife but wanted to make sure everything was 100% good first. After finding out it was twins I had to switch my birth plan to hospital, and let go of control, as it might end up a c section.

Thank G-d, baby A was head down the whole pregnancy, baby B was transverse and turned head down sometime in the last three weeks before I gave birth. Baby A was bigger, so we figured it would be easy birth for baby B afterwards.

My plan was to do as natural as possible. I had an amazing support team of my husband and doula, the head doctor knew and suppported my plan as well. I read so so so so much on birth, did hypnobirthing training all through the 3rd trimester, and really thought I was ready for what was to come.

I wasn’t!!!

At 38 weeks 5 days (I made it far! Doctors couldn’t beleive I had a perfect pregnancy thank G-d) I was laying in bed and I felt a pop very low in my pelvis... I had a feeling it was my water and I jumped out of bed so it wouldn’t get wet. Sure enough pinkish water started coming down (not gushes but enough that I had to keep changing pads every 5 minutes). This was at about 10 pm.

My husband was out so I called him to let him know. I also called my doula. We were going to wait to go to the hospital when contractions were 3-5 minutes apart consiststantly for an hour.

Contractions started right after my water broke. Felt like period cramps at first, then escalated very quickly. I got in the shower, was feeling good and breathing through them first. Got out, sat down and started to time them. By now they are getting much worse, and they are 1-3 minutes apart, but’s it’s only been 2 hours since my water broke! I call my doula, she thinks I still have a lot of time. I continue to time them, but they get worse and I can’t talk or think through them anymore, and they are still 1-3 minutes apart. I call my doula she comes over and we go. I can’t walk or move when a contraction comes, I can barely get in the car, I make my husband stop the car for every contraction (it was about 1:30 am at this point, no one on the roads).

We get to the hospital and they check me.... less than 2 cm 😭😭😭 I can’t beleive it the contractions are so bad and non-stop! Because it’s twins and my water broke, they admit me. I get on the monitor, try to get up and shower after a while but the water hurt my back so much!!!! Still less than a minute break between each contraction and they are really intense. I try breathing through them but end up tensing up through each one.

This goes on all night. In the morning they come to check me... still less than 3 cm!!!! At this point? After 12 hours I couldn’t take it anymore. I asked for the epidural! They gave it to me st around 11 am... (the worst part I still remember was them rubbing the alcohol on my back— hurt so much!!! I was getting back and front contractions). After the epidural kicks in I can start to relax and talk again. They come and check me a little later and I’m at a 7!!!! Yes!!! I always thought epidurals slowed birth but in this case it helped!

The whole afternoon I continue to labor, now with the epidural so it’s manageable. They check every so often and no progress. The doctor mentions he is starting to get worried, as I’m having good intense contractions so should be professing. Also baby A was 100% effaced since we arrived at the hospital. Towards the evening, they tell me I have to start on Pitocin to help the contactions. Now the epidural starts to wear off and I feel even more intense contractions! I feel it in my back, my front, and I feel my hip bones stretching apart...

They keep checking and seeing little to no progress. They try stretching me with their hands while I push, and that helps a little. Finally, I am at a 9.5 but need the extra opening. We try to push through contractions to open me that final bit, and it helps but baby is not moving.

Finally, the doctor says we need to move it to the OR. He wants to try vacuum but it might end in c section. baby A has now been without water for almost 22 hours and for some reason won’t come out.

We go to the OR and there are literally 15 doctors there. They reattach the epidural, and we start. They do the vacuum and tell me when to push (I couldn’t feel contractions). We try this a couple times and it’s not working, the head doctor says “let’s try one more time!” And another doctor pushes on my stomach to get the baby straight (he was at an angle bc of his sister above him) and i push with everything I have. I don’t see what’s happening but the anesthesiologist loooks over me and says “he’s out!” And I see them rush my baby boy (with a coned head) out to the team of doctors outside). A minute later I hear him crying and it sounds so good!!!!

I hear the doctor say about baby B “he’s too high” I tell him no!!! Let’s push him out!!! (I’m not about to have to recover from regular deliver and c section). I push and they use the vacuum and 4 minutes later my baby girl comes out. They bring me each baby so I can kiss them before they go to the NICU to get regulated.

Meanwhile, I am completely out of it, am shaking uncontrollably and throwing up, while they are stitching me up. I found out later that they cut me 3rd degree inside and outside. I go into surgery recover for 1 hour, then am wheeled out and get to see my husband.

Baby boy was born 6.5 lbs and baby girl was 5.5 lbs. they only needed a couple hours in the warming light, no NICU time. Thank G-d they are now 3 weeks and doing great.