curious.. epidural/ c section question

TwinMama08 · #1 (**permalink**) 02-24-2008, 05:59 PM

I was curious, has anyone here had an epidural and had a super long labor or one that ended in an emergency c section?

I never had an epidural, the thought of a needle being put in or near my spine scared me. So with my kids age 12, 9, and 8.. and the stillborn last year. I chose not to have an epidural. I did have back labor with all my deliveries and did take stadol through IV for pain. It does not make you numb at all though. I never had any long labors even with my 1st child.

I have read a lot of moms on the twins message boards had baby A and when baby B was about to be born he/she went into distress and they had to do an emergency c section.

I am curious if all those moms had epidurals. Logically I guess if you think about it, from what I understand an apidural makes you numb from the belly button down.. right?? Or something to that effect..

So if you can not feel anything, how the heck would you properly push out a baby or two? I am guessing it would take much longer, and if you were having twins then you may have to end up with an emergency c section after taking so long to get baby A out, baby B would be in distress by then.
I don't know.. I could be wrong.. Just had been thinking and reading.

I read this on one site...
1. Effects of epidurals on cesarean rate:
When the dose is too large or when it sinks down into the sacral ("tailbone") region of the body, the perineum and the vagina are anesthetized. Anesthetic is intentionally injected into this area late in labor to deaden all sensation. When it "accidentally" happens earlier in labor, the muscles of the pelvic floor are prematurely relaxed, thereby interfering with the normal flexion and rotation of the baby's head as it passes through the birth canal. This interference can lead to abnormal presentations which are more dangerous for the baby or to what is called "failure to descend," an indication for Cesarean birth

What do you all think, do you think the epidurals can make labor harder or longer and be risky for one trying to deliver twins vaginally?

I want to deliver my twins vaginally if possible but so many moms of twins keep saying that baby B will go into distress like theirs did after delivering baby A vaginally. I never even thought to ask them if they had an epidural.
scary!!

christel · #2 (**permalink**) 02-24-2008, 07:29 PM

There is not a one-size-fits-all approach to a twin delivery. There are lots and lots of ladies in my MOMs club that had vaginal deliveries for both twins. Lots w/ epidurals and some without. In my club, it's the rare person that had to have a c/s after delivering twin A vaginally. And then there are lots of us that had c/s for one reason or another. Do what's best for your babies at the time and also what your doctor is experienced with. Meaning, if your doctor is not at all comfortable delivering a transverse or breech twin B, then that may not be your best option w/ that doctor. Hope that made sense. Having a rigid birth plan for a multiple delivery can prove disappointing. Just be flexible.

TnMom · #3 (**permalink**) 02-24-2008, 07:41 PM

Well, I had a c-section w/ the girls (Baby A was breach), but I delivered my DS vaginally...w/ an epidural. I don't think it prolonged labor at all...considering he was born 3 hours after my water broke.

However, I agree that not "one size fits all" when it comes to labor and an epidural.

I was lucky and never had any lasting effects of the epidural either.

I agree that you should kind of just "go w/ the flow". Allow yourself to be flexible because you really don't know or can you necessarily predict what's going to happen. Big hugs to you!!

lauras5boys · #4 (**permalink**) 02-25-2008, 03:33 AM

I had an epi with all of my boys (although it didn't take effect with Lukie). Jake and Nicholas were both born vaginally with no problems and the labor with them was less than 4 hours from start to finish. They were induced so it went quickly. Epis do numb you but you still feel the need to push. I still think they were the best invention ever.

lauras5boys · #5 (**permalink**) 02-25-2008, 03:35 AM

And I also don't kow any twin moms who had twin B go into distress. I know it does happen but of all the twin moms I know nobody has ever had a problem.

TwinMama08 · #6 (**permalink**) 02-25-2008, 06:06 AM

they have a lot fo them posting on another twins site that trying to deliver vaginally is bad and dangerous. They all say baby b will go into distress and need to be delivered by emergency c section.. their doctors have told them that too, for those who ave not delievered. A lot fo the doctors seem to be trying to convince the moms that c section is the only way to deliver twins from the get go on the one messag board I go to.

yikes! what is with c section happy doctors!

lauras5boys · #7 (**permalink**) 02-25-2008, 08:36 AM

I'd stay away from that website. Wow...talk about spreading false information.

I delivered at one of the best multiples hospitals in Ca. My doctor told me how unusual it is for you have to do both vaginal and c-section. Why would twin B go into distress? In fact, my doctor even told me that as long as twin A is head down he would deliever twin B breech if necessary. Luckily they were able to flip Nicholas around after I had Jake because there was so much room. I'd take what those poeple are saying with a grain of salt. As I said, I don't know a single twin mom (and I know ALOT of twin moms) who has had to have both vaginal and c-section. I really do think it's fairly rare. You either have one or the other most of the time.

Kim-mom2MnEm · #8 (**permalink**) 02-25-2008, 11:13 AM

Definitely stay off that board. Not sure why they are giving wrong info....?

While it's true that there are a lot csections when it comes to twins, that doesn't mean you can't have a vaginal birth. I'm on quite a few multiples message boards and I can tell you the amount of women that have had one baby vaginally and the other by emergency C, is VERY VERY low. My twins club has 80+ members and there are only TWO in the whole club that I know of that have had different deliveries with each twin. It's not as common as you'd think.

It all depends on the babies in the majority of cases and then the doctors a close second. Most docs do like to do a csection because it takes a lot of the risk off of them I think. It's all planned, no incidences they can't deal with right then and there. But babies position makes a huge deal and if you have baby 'a' head down - there's no reason you can't try a vaginal birth.