# Birthing twins without Epidural?



## DoubleTFun

I have had two previous singleton vaginal births with no Epidural. My Dr said it was procedure to have an Epidural and if I ended up not having the Epidural and needed a C section than I would have to have general Anesthesia. 

My question is has anyone who previously had twins chosen to not do an Epidural and had a positive vaginal delivery, or even tell me your own twin delivery story. 

Just trying to get myself in the mindset of what I should do. Of course if my babies end up breech I will go ahead with an Epidural and C section. I'm just trying to avoid the whole thing.


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## xxshellsxx

My boys were both breech and i had to have a c-section, they even scanned me that morning to make sure i couldn't have a vaginal delivery. My Planned c-section was actually a really amazing experience and i have no regrets about how i birthed my babies. I had delayed cord clamping, skin to skin asap and was Bf in the recovery room, dh also had skin to skin. I suggest making a plan for all the outcomes possible so you can still have things hat are important to you. Obviously in an emergency all we want is healthy babies and mummy x


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## Caelli86

I'm intrested in this as well, I had an epidural with DD and then a completely natural delivery without epidural with DS and I most definatly found not having one much better, so I would Perfer not to have one on the twins. 
I'm seeing my consultant on Monday so will speak about this, would love to hear twin mummies who have done it without too.


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## weebubba

I'm afraid I can only offer a story with epidural. My consultant advised epidural not because he thought I couldn't deliver my twins but should I need a c-section, for example if one is born "normally" and then an emergency situation arises and I needed a c-section with the second. I was dreading having the epidural but I did take his advice. My boys were born in the operating theatre (a precaution just in case!). I didn't need a section but did have a forcep delivery with both. They were born 21 minutes apart and I was shattered, but it was worth having the epidural as I had to have an epesiotomy! Ultimately it is your choice but as it was my first pregnancy I went with the advice of the professionals.

Wishing you a healthy pregnancy and hopefully an easy labour and birth.


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## DoubleTFun

I had a dream 2 nights before I found out it was twins that I delivered in my van on the way to the hospital while my husband was picking up our children at school and I was waiting outside. 

My first pregnancy was a quick 2 1/2 hr labor that I got to the hospital in time to push. My second was an induction. I had both babies early. 1st 37 weeks and 2nd 36+4. I'm just worried that my water will break and I'll go really quickly.


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## YikesBaby

I am following... as I DO NOT want an epidural and didn't even know until now that this was a thing. I am heartbroken that I can't have a home birth this time. :(


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## xxshellsxx

Yikesbaby all being said and done... you can refuse any intervention. they can not make you have an epidural if you don't want one, you just have to kind of accept the fact that if a c-section is required in an emergancy then a general anesthetic would be the only option. If i was able to have a natural delivery i would have had it sited but not administered so in case of an emergency they would fill it and i wouldn't have to be knocked out this was a compromise i was willing to make. 

I know that they say having one vaginally and the second via c-section is rare but i'm in a group of 7 ladies 4 of us had c-sections due to position, 1 birthed both vaginally and 2 had 1 vaginally and the other via emergency c-section. Just to be aware it does happen xx


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## DoubleTFun

Thanks ladies! I am going to a new Dr. office on Monday since my old office doesn't have privileges to deliver at the hospital with a NICU that happens to be 10 minutes closer to me. I am hoping to discuss what options I have and of course I understand everything can change based upon positioning of the babies when it comes time to deliver. I would just like to prepare myself for all possible outcomes since when I was in labor with my son a nurse scared me and said that the Dr would probably want to do a Csection when she came in.(I burst into tears and couldn't stop sobbing.) This was due to the nurse turning me onto my side that had low fluid and causing his cord to collapse for a few seconds. Luckily when my Dr showed up she reassured me that vaginal delivery was still a go and that nurse was replaced by someone else.


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## star1

I was told another reason for needing an epidural was in case twin 2 changed position after twin 1 was born and needed to be manually manipulated into place, which can be extremely painful for the mother. Basically, there's so much room in there after twin 1 is born that twin 2 can get into all sorts of weird positions! (Although I had a doctor holding twin 2 in place and a ventouse applied to prevent this happening)

I had an epidural placed with just a very small test dose administered. I fully intended not to use it, however I couldn't resist using it further in labour! However, they gave me a little button to press where I administered it myself and I never lost all feeling, just enough to take the edge off. I stopped using it about 45min before pushing and could feel everything then


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## DoubleTFun

I was wondering how it worked since I've watched some baby shows and they kept saying that they were pushing the button, or it wasn't working. Can they put the epidural line in and not run anything through it? Then run it through at a high dosage if a c section is needed?


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## xxshellsxx

DoubleTFun said:


> I was wondering how it worked since I've watched some baby shows and they kept saying that they were pushing the button, or it wasn't working. Can they put the epidural line in and not run anything through it? Then run it through at a high dosage if a c section is needed?

Yes :) Although i think they have to run a little through it to makes sure it's all in the right place. x


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## star1

DoubleTFun said:


> I was wondering how it worked since I've watched some baby shows and they kept saying that they were pushing the button, or it wasn't working. Can they put the epidural line in and not run anything through it? Then run it through at a high dosage if a c section is needed?

Yes. Basically the button you press only works once every 45 min and administers a low dose (or it might have been every half hour). I remember counting down the minutes until I could press it again!

However, there is an override that the doctor can use that immediately administers a high dose if needed for whatever reason

As the prior poster said though, they do need to administer a small test dose immediately x


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## DoubleTFun

Well my new Dr informed me that if my babies are both head down they will let me go without an Epidural if I choose.


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## xxshellsxx

great news :)


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## YikesBaby

I am labouring in water if I have to fist fight the nurses to get there. ;) As long as Baby A is head down, there will be no stopping me. LOL


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## messica

DoubleTFun said:


> Well my new Dr informed me that if my babies are both head down they will let me go without an Epidural if I choose.


Not at all saying anything about your choice, just be aware that they can change position during labor and up to the very last moments. 

My boys were both head down for nearly 8 weeks. I had an epidural placed because it's correct that if it's not in place and you need an emergency csection you will need to be put out under general anesthesia. I labored to 9cm when my OB brought in an ultrasound machine to verify positions before I started pushing and we discovered somewhere between 7 and 9 B had suddenly flipped breech. I would have proceeded with vaginal delivery under any other circumstances but his placenta was lower lying and pulling him could have been very dangerous to us both.

Had I not had the epi in place I would not have been awake to see the birth of my boys since placing one at that point would have taken too long. The time it took to do the ultrasound I went from 9-10 and was more than feeling the urge to push!


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## bizzibii

I had natural birth with my girls. from the beginning they have told me that baby 1 has to be head down. The position of baby 2 wasn't important . I was induced but it was very quick.


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