Who did you use for your obs?

[happychild]

Was wondering who you girls used for your obstetrician to deliver twins....

I'm keen to have natural...(though i know that it's not within my control)...so would like an obs who is happy to try this if possible. Who did you guys use? I live in Sydney

I had a great obstetrician for my first baby...i would have gone back to him definitley if i wasnt havent multiple....am not sure what he will be likefor twins...so want to shop around...

thanks

[northshore]

Hi Happychild, I am with Stephen Morris. He delivers heaps of twins across NSP, Mater, RPA & Randwick. His offices are located in the city. Cost for pregnancy management is $4000 and $100 each time you visit him.

He is happy for you to try a vaginal delivery provided the twin A is not breech & twin B is either head or feet down.

One thing I did not realise is that most private hospitals & OBs have a strict policy on using epidurals. You basically have to have one. This is because of the high chance of C section (50-60%) and also the high chance of a breech baby which is really painful.

Northshore private requests that you come into the hospital as soon as you show any signs of labour. They will take you straight to the birthing suite and hook you up to monitor both twins, then give you the epi.

Good luck with your pregnancy!

[TripleTime]

I started with Oliver Brown (newcastles private high rusk multi guru) & than transferred to Andrew Carlin (same as above but public).

Can't fault either of them

[sm2j]

Hi I had Dr. Gregory Davis in Kogarah. He delivers at St. George Pvt, Hurstville Community, St. George Public. He is great he specializes in High risk...He never once mentioned a c/s until about 34 weeks when a few things came up, but I was able to have them naturally no problems...He is fantastic!

[studentmidwife10]

=

One thing I did not realise is that most private hospitals & OBs have a strict policy on using epidurals. You basically have to have one. This is because of the high chance of C section (50-60%) and also the high chance of a breech baby which is really painful.

Northshore private requests that you come into the hospital as soon as you show any signs of labour. They will take you straight to the birthing suite and hook you up to monitor both twins, then give you the epi.

Good luck with your pregnancy!

Are you for real??? :eek:
Is that the 'policy' for women pregnant with multiples, or for all pregnant women?

Either way it's pretty shocking. What a way to medicalise birth - come in, stick you on some machines and then anesthetise you with an epidural. :no:
People actually pay thousands of dollars to have this?? Unbelievable!

Also, there is no reason at all to give a normal healthy woman an epidural 'just in case' she needs a caesar. That's what spinal blocks are for, they can be set up and administered in under 15 minutes, with a full block usually felt within 1-2 minutes of the needle being inserted. And if there isn't that much time, general anaesthetic. And yes obviously a general is worse than an epidural, but still, not a reason to just 'give them an epi just in case'.

And there's not a high chance of breech in a private hospital, your baby's either breech or it's not, and you know this prior to coming in to birth, and most Ob's would already have the woman booked into an elective c-section. As mentioned, there are some Ob's who are happy to trial a vaginal breech birth. Those women would most likely not be given an epidural though.

Sorry I'm not attacking you northshore, just the situation.

[DoubleDelight]

Are you for real??? :eek:
Is that the 'policy' for women pregnant with multiples, or for all pregnant women?

Either way it's pretty shocking. What a way to medicalise birth - come in, stick you on some machines and then anesthetise you with an epidural. :no:
People actually pay thousands of dollars to have this?? Unbelievable!

Also, there is no reason at all to give a normal healthy woman an epidural 'just in case' she needs a caesar. That's what spinal blocks are for, they can be set up and administered in under 15 minutes, with a full block usually felt within 1-2 minutes of the needle being inserted. And if there isn't that much time, general anaesthetic. And yes obviously a general is worse than an epidural, but still, not a reason to just 'give them an epi just in case'.

And there's not a high chance of breech in a private hospital, your baby's either breech or it's not, and you know this prior to coming in to birth, and most Ob's would already have the woman booked into an elective c-section. As mentioned, there are some Ob's who are happy to trial a vaginal breech birth. Those women would most likely not be given an epidural though.

Sorry I'm not attacking you northshore, just the situation.

I think you'll find that a lot of hospitals have this policy for multiples

[studentmidwife10]

I think you'll find that a lot of hospitals have this policy for multiples

Not at the hospital I work at :no:

That was my question though - did the poster mean that ALL women 'had to have' epidurals, or just women with multiples?

[TripleTime]

Not at the hospital I work at :no:

That was my question though - did the poster mean that ALL women 'had to have' epidurals, or just women with multiples?


Multi's

[jessicana]

My Dr has said they give epis for multi's as Twin A may be head down and delieverd but Twin B might be difficult to get out and they literally have to reach in an pull it out (ouch with no epi) or may have to give an emergency c section straight away (no 15 mins to wait for a spinal) to get twin B out.
I definately do not want a general.

[bgbgbb]

I wasn't keen on having an epi, but it was a condition my ob had for me to deliver vaginally. I couldnt see why as both twins were head down prior to labour. But, after twin a was born, twin b became breech, presenting with his bottom which is not deliverable. My ob had to stick his forearm up inside my uterus to grab bubs feet so I could deliver him. I was so glad I had the epi and didn't feel that!

So, it may be medicalisation of delivery, but I agree that it is necessary. A mother shouldn't have to go through unnecessary pain if intervention like mine is required, and with twins the risk of intervention being required is a lot higher. (and in the past, when everyone delivered vaginally, there was a much higher mortality rate with twins because of these risks)

[MamaBleech]

I'm keen to have natural...(though i know that it's not within my control)...


This really stood out to me. This is YOUR body, these are YOUR babies and is is totally in your control.

Find a care-provider that supports what YOU want. Research and read as much about birthing twins as you can get your hands on. Watch videos of twin births on you-tube and understand the birth process.

Hospital policy dictating epidurals and and continual feotal monitoring not only undermines your rights as a women it significantly reduces your ability to labour actively and thereby sets you up for failure. Honestly, I would opt for a c-sec rather than birth under these conditions because it is likely you will end up with one anyway.

Sorry to be blunt, but the system sucks.

[Timestwo]

This really stood out to me. This is YOUR body, these are YOUR babies and is is totally in your control.

Find a care-provider that supports what YOU want. Research and read as much about birthing twins as you can get your hands on. Watch videos of twin births on you-tube and understand the birth process.

Hospital policy dictating epidurals and and continual feotal monitoring not only undermines your rights as a women it significantly reduces your ability to labour actively and thereby sets you up for failure. Honestly, I would opt for a c-sec rather than birth under these conditions because it is likely you will end up with one anyway.

Sorry to be blunt, but the system sucks.

Its not in yours or yours babies best interests to try for a natural delivery of twins if Twin A is presenting breech and standard practise of a breech Twin A is to book a c-section. For some of us, me included, it was out of my control. There was no room left to turn my baby and I tried my best to turn it so it was out of my control regardless of that fact that I wanted to deliver natural.

Studentmidwife10- It would be very rare for a hospital to allow a multiple mum a natural delivery without an epi in place already. Unfortunately for us and the health of our babies, our pregnancys and births are often medicalised. Multiple pregnancies and births are difficult and high risk. If having a medicalised birth means that I get to take BOTH of my babies home healthy then I would much rather that than losing a child because the Ob couldnt get it out in time.

[happychild]

WOW! Thanks girls for all your responses!

I just realised there's so much to read and research on still! there's so much i dont know!!

I'm learning so much just from listening to you all. THANK YOU!

[Sheer Bliss]

Sounds like a few good suggestions - I am in Newcastle and had Dr Mcgrath from Maitland with a natural delivery and no epi.

For the record - around here, it is NOT common practice to force an epi on someone who doesn't want it. It is purely choice for thost that want it. Maitland public, John Hunter and Newcastle private all have NO policy requiring an epi for natural twin birth. The m/w at Newcastle private was quite horrified that it happens when I asked the question. My OB was also very open to how I wanted to birth (of course within reason as twins can be riskier than singletons). I had twin a head down, twin B breech. We were both happy to take the risk, and hope he turned after she was born (which of course he did :D). In my head there was very little risk of him requiring to be turned as I would have delivered him bum first breech if needed, and my OB was experienced in breech births. Incidently there was no time anyway, as DD2 arrived within 7mins of getting to the hospy! It was a beautiful, safe, and unmedicalised birth. :cloud9:

[kabailz13]

I'm not really sure what shocks me more....

The fact that epidurals are 'forced' upon women (I know a lot of women don't know that doctors can't force them into things but only recommend), or that someone (bgbgbb is that the right UN?) was told that bottom first breech is undeliverable.

I am now 12 weeks pregnant with our twins and was going to be having a second homebirth if I was only having one. The fact that I'm going to be birthing to two babies does not take away any of my rights nor make me less likely to birth just as I have in the past.

I refuse to consent to arbitrary guidelines. I WILL consent to intervention if MY specific circumstances validate those options. Epidurals just in case are much too likely to increase chances of intervention which may very well otherwise not be necessary.

All that being said, I have no problems with people choosing to go along with all recommendations made to them. Different strokes for different folks and all that. I simply wish that there was full disclosure of relevant risks for all suggestions/recommendations.