Lindsey's Story- Twins- Hospital

Twin A: 6 lbs., 4 oz. and 19 inches

Twin B: 6 lbs., 11oz. and 19 inches

Hospital

Mother's Height: 5'4"

How was your pregnancy?

Very smooth sailing, for twins.  Had quite a lot of edema, but there were no other negative signs.  I was preemptively put on bedrest at 31 weeks.

How did you feel about your upcoming birth?

I felt a lot of confidence that it would go really well and that I wouldn't need a c-section.

Description of your birth experience:

Well, it didn't go as we planned.  I had planned to birth in a free standing birth center.  The midwife induced me at 37 wks 2 days (by breaking my water and having me take homeopathics), basically in an attempt to beat the OB to the punch, as he was going to induce me at 38 weeks.  Both boys were head down and I had passed my mucus plug but basically had no other signs of labor.  The labor progressed more slowly than the midwife was hoping.  I was having back labor with Baby A, so there was no let up of pain between my "booming" (midwife's word) contractions.  I began vomiting and couldn't hold liquids down and the pain was becoming overwhelming.  The midwife didn't want to give me an IV and then have me transfer to the hospital, so the decision was made for me to go ahead and transfer.  I was about 6 cm dialated after about 9-10 hrs of labor when we went to the hospital.  One hour after being admitted, I was given an IV and two hours after admission (and very intense contractions) I was given an epidural.  This killed my contractions, so they put me on Pitocin.  After a total of about 14 hours of labor, I was declared complete and taken to the OR (required by my OB).  The room was freezing, very brightly lit and the table was enormously uncomfortable, there was no place to put my arms.  My legs were put in stirrups.  My husband and my midwife did join me, along with two OBs and at least 4 nurses (maybe even 6).  Although numb from the epidural, I was able to feel a slight tensing in my uterus during contractions which helped me know when to push, which I did as hard as I could.  I was given an episiotomy because the OB had decided to vacuum extract the boys.  About 45 minutes after being taken to the OR I birthed Twin A... I felt the urge to throw up, and as I did, he came out... I guess the push of the muscles from being sick was what he needed.
 
Twin B was so far up that I knew the OB was thinking we wouldn't be able to do it.  But, 29 minutes later, he was born, also by vacuum extraction.

How did you feel after the birth (first month)?

I was devestated that I didn't have a natural childbirth, but enormously grateful that I didn't have a c-section.  While my OB and I didn't see eye-to-eye on a lot of things, I was confident that he believed strongly in vaginal birth.  After my birth he visited us in the hospital room and said that a c-section "is like taking the roof off of a house instead of using the front door."

How did you feel six months after the birth? One year? Now?

I am still disappointed that I allowed myself to be induced instead of waiting for labor to set on normally and I am still deeply sad that I had a hospital birth.  If I have other children, I sincerely hope things will go differently.  Having twins really complicates things and alot of a woman's power to choose natural birthing options is taken away.

What did you learn from this birth?

That I should have listened better to my instincts.

Any words of wisdom to impart?

I tell all the expectant moms I talk to to try to tune into their bodies and trust their own feelings... don't let yourself be scared or bullied into birthing choices that feel wrong to you.  Ask lots of questions and demand your rights to informed consent.