When it comes to being pregnant with twins, you get two for the laboring price of one (and take it from someone who's labored twice — that's not a bad deal).
But while you'll be laboring only once, you'll be delivering twice — and it's probably anyone's guess at this point which delivery route your babies will take.
Right now, your chances of delivering twins vaginally are 50-50 (which means that your chances of having a C-section are also 50-50), according to Lamaze International. While there’s no way to predict with certainty which camp you'll fall in, certain things can influence how your delivery ends up going.
How your twins make their way into the world will depend on many factors that will ultimately determine which mode of delivery is safest for both you and your babies, including:
- How are the babies positioned? If both babies are head-down — and twins are this cooperative only 40 percent of the time — chances are good that your practitioner will attempt a vaginal birth (assuming all other factors are favorable). But if both babies haven't settled into that best of all possible birthing positions (one's head-down and one's breech, or both are breech, or both are sideways, for instance), their route to the outside world is more likely to be a surgical one. That said, things could change in the weeks or days leading up to delivery, which is what happened for What to Expect Community mom Becca-K. “I had a vaginal delivery for my twins. Baby A was breech a few weeks before delivery, but I visited my chiropractor who is familiar with the Webster technique and baby A flipped head down the night before my last ultrasound,” she recalls.
- How is the twin closest to the cervix positioned? If the baby in that key position is breech or sideways, chances are you'll need a C-section. But if that baby is head-down, there's a greater chance a vaginal birth can be tried.
- How is the second twin positioned? If your first twin is delivered vaginally, the second twin has an excellent shot at taking that route too, especially if she is head-down (and remember, that path will already have been broken in, so to speak, making it easier to travel). If the second twin is sideways or breech, your practitioner may attempt to 1) turn twin two to a head-down position after delivery of her sibling, 2) attempt a breech delivery, or 3) opt for a C-section (which would mean you'd actually end up having both a vaginal and a cesarean delivery — something that fortunately rarely happens). What to Expect Community mom mm3121 experienced the first scenario with her twins. “When I delivered, my doctor actually did an internal version to turn baby B because she was transverse. I was then able to deliver baby B head down also. I did have some pretty bad tears, but it was still worth it for me.”
- Are both twins the same size? If there's a big size difference between your babies, your practitioner may opt for a C-section to ensure the safety of the smaller twin.
- Is there one placenta or two? If your twins share a placenta, you'll probably have a C-section. That's because delivering the placenta after the birth of the first baby but before the birth of the second would be very dangerous.
Once delivery draws closer (and keep in mind that it'll probably draw closer faster for you than for a mom expecting a single baby, since term for twins is considered 37 weeks), you'll have a chance to talk over the various delivery scenarios with your practitioner and discuss the odds of having the vaginal birth you're hoping for.
Need more support as you prep for delivery day? The What to Expect app offers expert info, community wisdom, and resources made just for expecting parents of twins.
But as you do, remember that the best route your babies can take to your welcoming arms is the safest one.
Wishing you the safest delivery (and happy cuddling afterward!),
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