Can you imagine going for your first scan or seeing your Midwife or Doctor and for your new pregnancy and all of a sudden, your told oh, congratulations there’s two.

After the excitement & let’s be honest a little bit of shock settles down, you share your news and all of sudden you have to now decide on maybe a change of Model of care due to being

” High Risk “! Or maybe you’re so early you haven’t decided on a care provider yet!

The types of twins may be important in this deciding process.

The types of twins may be important in this deciding process.

Monochorionic twins are split into two types, two babies share one placenta & one sac = monoamniotic and or monodiamniotic = two sacs, each baby has their own amniotic sac

Clear as mud!  Often known as identical and will be the same gender.

Dichorionic

Diamniotic = two placentas & two sacs, each baby has their own placenta and their own amniotic sac,  often known as as non identical and can be same gender or male or female.

Phew now we have that sorted, twin pregnancies will be “labeled “ – High Risk !

Now as a midwife I’ve not much ever cared for that word without actually knowing what that risk is, where the information comes from and making sure the woman has all the information to  make  an informed choice about how that may have benefits or risks to her or her babies outcomes.

Choosing a care provider for twins will absolutely make a difference in how you birth. 

Obstetricians will mostly care for women with Mono, Mono or MonoDi twins , however for Dichorionic Diamniotic twins, you can find a Midwife whom has collaboration with an Obstetrician and or twin experience.

This can be an excellent choice as you will receive midwifery led care with an Obstetrician overseeing if things become complex in your care.

As I mentioned earlier sometimes twins may carry more chance of things developing due to higher hormonal load or a women’s physical capacity to carry two babies , or sometimes they don’t like sharing their blood if they share a placenta , sometimes gestational diabetes or preeclampsia or PUPP , cholestasis may develop.

Just because they may happen doesn’t mean they will and we need to focus love and not fear based care.

Now as a midwife I’ve not much ever cared for that word without actually knowing what that risk is, where the information comes from and making sure the woman has all the information to  make  an informed choice about how that may have benefits or risks to her or her babies outcomes.

Choosing a care provider for twins will absolutely make a difference in how you birth.

Obstetricians will mostly care for women with Mono, Mono or MonoDi twins , however for Dichorionic Diamniotic twins, you can find a Midwife whom has collaboration with an Obstetrician and or twin experience.

This can be an excellent choice as you will receive midwifery led care with an Obstetrician overseeing if things become complex in your care.

As I mentioned earlier sometimes twins may carry more chance of things developing due to higher hormonal load or a women’s physical capacity to carry two babies , or sometimes they don’t like sharing their blood if they share a placenta , sometimes gestational diabetes or preeclampsia or PUPP , cholestasis may develop.

Just because they may happen doesn’t mean they will and we need to focus love and not fear based care.

It’s caesarean awareness month in April and in Australia 2015, 71% of twins are born by caesarean section, that’s gone up significantly from 24% in 1983!

The WHO states a caesarean section rate higher than 10% does not decrease mortality – so just because there’s two babies does not necessarily mean an operative birth. In di/di twins I love the saying “it’s just one baby after the other “

• If you want to plan for a vaginal birth ask your Obstetrician, Midwife care provider about their twin statistics, their breech experience, as often not always, but often one or both babies can be breech or turn breech last min or even during labour.
• Make sure the hospital your care provider is working in, also supports vaginal breech and twin births and not just for the second baby.
• Plan for emotional support, doulas, midwife, psychologist, kinesiologist as birth can bring previous sub conscious experiences along – so make sure you are prepared beforehand.
• Eat well, good nutrition and supplementation early, will help you support two babies to term, fingers crossed 🤞🏻
• Exercise and build resilience & strength /yoga and breathing 😮‍💨 skills

Physiological birth works, often the advice is having an epidural just in case for the second twin, get informed about what this means for the entire physiology of your birth and for your babies.

• Ultrasounds!! Often suggested to have 2 -4 weekly depending on type of twins 👯, close monitoring is necessary especially up to 28 weeks & beyond for Mono twins as they are often the babies that may steall blood from one another
• If they are using Hadlock your twins will often look like they start falling off their growth charts around 28 weeks, discuss with your sonographer or MFMU if they are using twin growth charts
• Breastfeeding –  find your tribe now and see a lactation consultant in advance for education and support
• Postpartum plan – be prepared, meals, family support/timetable, other children, shopping, postpartum doula

Some great references I’ve learned along the way are Breech without borders, Dr Stuart Fischbein and Bliss on birthing instincts.  I have a mentorship with Dr Stu and have attended his twin /breech masterclass – I’ve learnt so much from him

Dr Marisa martin & Dr Andrew Pickering both very skilled and women Centred Obstetricians

I’ve just attended my 12th set of twins – happy and in gratitude to say they were born safely, my daughter had a vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) with her twin boys, my Grandbabies and what a gift the twin boys are to our family.

Black and White Photos are by CaraInk Photography @carainkphotography