Gloria, I too wonder about the hysteria about cord prolapse etc and once they knew that the twins were so locked together that they weren't moving anywhere you have to wonder how serious the cord prolapse was going to get. However the ambos didn't know that nothing was pressing on the cervix and lying down for them really could have had tragic results. I think the transverse one was lower, blocking the path of the second cephalic twin and they were wrapped around each other preventing either from moving. Also the twin whose waters broke was fine at birth but the second twin was not ready to be born and had (to a NICU) minor breathing problems for a week or so. They both breastfed ok but the one that broke his waters did better, this was despite the hospitals very helpful advice that the were too young to feed.
Finally (furthering Gloria's point about the hysteria around cord prolapse) when the babes arrived in NICU no one was expecting them. When they were told whose babies the the reply was "But her babies died in utero en route". Nice. Gloria I absolutely agree it's a juggling act, I was planning a homebirth for my second and then turned out to be infertile. I now find myself as worried about moving too far from a level three hospital as I am about actually going to one. We have moved on to IVF now, so the risk of twins just dropped dramatically, which is a comfort. cheers Jo At 10:44 AM -0700 29/7/05, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: >The risk of cord prolapse is increased with a presenting part that is NOT >cephalic, however, there is a great deal of adrenalin production obstetrics >which I am dubious about. Nature does have another protection in the event of >cord prolapse called Wharton's jelly in the cord. When we try to ligate the >vessels after birth by tying cord tape or dental floss around it, we have to >really put our whole body weight and strength into getting it tight enough to >stop blood flow through those vessels EVEN WHEN THE PULSE HAS STOPPED in the >cord for many minutes. So, although no one wants to have a cord prolapse, >and, of course, smart, prompt action should be taken, I have come to suspect >pronouncements by obstetricians about what would have happened if >____________had not occurred. The greatest danger in cord prolapse, in my >view, is during second stage with a primip having the cord pinched between the >bony pelvis and the bony head. Another extreme danger might be the pack a day >(Or more) smoking mom who has a skinny umbilical cord and already compromised >baby. I think that a big part of midwifery is educating each other and >pregnant women to look more objectively at the drama that surrounds >complications in birth and ask ourselves "is the mythology actually true". >Thanks for posting that story, Jo, because it's definately not right to just >quote wonderful stories where everything turned out perfectly by just sitting >on hands. My question that I always come down to with modern obstetrics >is "How many are killed or injured by the fear who would have lived if they >had gone out and squatted in the woods somewhere?" It's a juggling act, for >sure. There have been so many second twins that die or are injured in medical >care and somehow those stories are buried. I think this is one of the reasons >that more families in N. America are saying "The hell with it, we'll take our >chances with Mother Nature and accept responsibility for the consequences." >Gloria Lemay > >Quoting Lindsay & Yvette <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Lindsay & Yvette" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: "Jo Bourne" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> Sent: Friday, July 29, 2005 12:42 PM >> Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Encouraging twins into a good presentation. >> >> >> > Thanks Jo, that's really good to know just in case that happened to me. >> > I'll mention possible cord prolapse to the midwife & Ob when I see them >> > next. >> > >> > Gloria I've seen that website, & seen the stills & read the birth story > > > though not bought the DVD. I've seen another DVD of a planned twins >> > homebirth in Melbourne of boy/girl twins, where the second baby was >> > breech, and it's truly inspiring. The babies were born into water & both >> > so alert, calm & healthy looking. The website for that one is >> > http://www.womenofspirit.asn.au/welcome.html >> > >> > My website for this pregnancy is >> > http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/t/twingirlslb/ >> > where I've been keeping a journal. >> > >> > Yvette >> > >> > ----- Original Message ----- >> > From: "Jo Bourne" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> > To: "Lindsay & Yvette" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> > Sent: Friday, July 29, 2005 9:27 AM >> > Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Encouraging twins into a good presentation. >> > >> > >> >> Hi Yvette, >> >> >> >> I hate hate hate conveying less good outcomes on a list like ozmid (or at >> >> >> all for that matter) so I nearly didn't send this. A friend of mine who >> >> had two previous text book natural births was pregnant with identical >> >> twins in separate sacks for her third pregnancy, she fought very hard to >> >> organise at least the opportunity to birth in her hospitals birth >> >> center - if she made it to term then she was to birth in the birth center >> >> >> and she alternated her appts with the birth center midwives and her >> >> assigned OB (who was the head of obstetrics). At her 34 week appt her OB >> >> started saying that he thought she would definitely need a ceaser because >> >> >> of her twins position (transverse and facing each other) but they would >> >> wait one more week to be sure. 2 days later her waters broke with full >> >> cord prolapse at home. With a combination of instinct and what she had >> >> learned at our EXCELLENT yoga classes she shoved the cord back in and got >> >> >> in the knees chest position (butt in the air head on the ! >> >> ground). >> >> >> >> When the ambos came (they were there within 10 mins) they tried to force >> >> her to lie down on the trolley thing for the trip to hospital and her >> >> husband had a screaming argument with them on the street to the effect >> >> that lying on her back would kill the babies and she was NOT under any >> >> circumstances going to lie down so they could either take her in the knee >> >> >> chest position or he would drive her in that position in their own car. >> >> The ambos gave in. She had a ceaser under general literally 3-4 mins >> >> after arrival in the hospital (the closest to her, not her hospital of >> >> choice) and both boys were ok but the OB that did the ceaser told her >> >> that she saved her babies lives by refusing to lie down for the ambos... >> >> So good outcome in the end but very scary and not the birth she had hoped >> >> >> for. Also once her waters broke and contractions started the contractions >> >> >> locked the babies together in their transverse positions and neither baby >> >> >> could move down, she could not have birthed vaginall! >> >> y so the transverse position caused prolapse and prevented her babies >> >> from moving down, it was all round a bad thing for her. >> >> >> >> I have been reading your story with interest and cannot tell you how much >> >> >> I hope that your babies turn and you get the birth you want. I guess I >> >> just wanted to be sure you were aware of the cord prolapse risk if your >> >> waters break while both twins are transverse. The knee chest position >> >> will slow labour down if anything can and takes as much pressure off the >> >> cervix as possible so it is a good thing to know in a precipitous labour >> >> that you need to slow down. >> >> >> >> Take care! >> >> Jo >> >> >> > >> >> -- >> This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. >> Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. >> > > >-- >This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. >Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. -- Jo Bourne Virtual Artists Pty Ltd -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
