Welp, here I am, almost 30 weeks pregnant with twins! It’s truly crazy how fast it has flown by. As the months have passed, I’ve talked to my doctors, read a book or two, and scanned plenty of posts from other twin moms. I have openly accepted that this birth will be much different from my last two. I will either deliver the twins via C-section or vaginally with an epidural, and I will deliver them in the OR either way. I am ok with either scenario. It will mostly depend on the position the babies are in. But I thought I’d share my experience with natural birth and impart my advice if there are any moms out there who are considering it and may be hesitant. You can do it, mama!
When I learned I was pregnant with my first, I knew I wanted to have a completely natural delivery. The idea of any sort of anesthesia scared me…even though my own brother is a CRNA and has probably given hundreds of epidurals to women in labor. I kept thinking, well sure it will be painful, but my body was literally made to do this! Women have been birthing babies without the help of any medical interventions for centuries! (Although, I am extremely thankful for the truly amazing things modern medicine is capable of.) To my pleasant surprise, my husband was entirely on board with my plan.
If you really want to have a natural delivery, there are steps that you can take that will make it a much easier goal to achieve. I compare it to running a marathon; you wouldn’t just wake up one morning and decide to do one. You would train and prepare your body both physically and mentally.
My number one tip is to hire a doula. I cannot say enough good things about the doula who was there for the births of my first two sons. My husband and I both agree that she was worth every penny. She provided both my husband and I with support and kept us informed throughout the process. I was very comforted by the fact that she had been present at over 700 births, so she knew a thing or two about what was going on and could reassure me that it was completely normal.
After hiring a doula, I would recommend taking a natural birth course or at least read a book about it. There are some great courses in Baton Rouge (we did Birth Help’s Natural Birth Series and Comfort Measures classes) and even some online. My husband attended the course with me, and it really helped him understand what was going to happen and how he could support me best. The Mama Natural Week-to-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth is a helpful and informative read.
Lastly, I would recommend seeing a chiropractor. I had never been to a chiropractor until my first pregnancy. I was a bit skeptical, but it really helps to align your hips and makes it easier for baby to get into the optimal position and make their exit. You’ll want to see a chiropractor that’s certified in the Webster method and deals with pregnant women.
A few other things that I believed helped me out were drinking red raspberry leaf tea (tones your uterus, which is a muscle after all), eating dates towards the end of the pregnancy (they are supposed to help ripen your cervix and shorten the dilation process), sit/roll around on a birth ball and lean forward whenever possible (leaning forward helps baby face the optimal way, which is toward your back and not “sunny side up”).
Whatever your circumstances, I hope you have the birth experience that YOU want! And C-section and/or twin mamas, feel free to send me your tips and advice!
