According to CNN, about half of all twins are born by cesarean section, a method where doctors deliver babies through an incision. Several factors cause c-sections to be safer for twins. For example, the position of the babies and presence of preeclampsia or other complications in the mother can complicate natural birth and necessitate a c-section. Barring these situations, however, there are certain things mothers-to-be of twins may consider leading up to birth that may reduce the possibility of a c-section.
Avoid Induced Labor
Studies cited by CNN.com's Health News have demonstrated that inducing labor greatly increases the possibility of a required c-section. The reason for this is simply that the cervix in cases of induced labor has not been adequately, naturally prepared for the job of delivery. Pregnancies requiring c-sections can jump more than a third among women who choose to induce labor to make for a more convenient birth. Although avoiding induced labor might be impossible for mothers of twins, avoiding inducement unless it is medically necessary is one of the most effective ways to avoid needing a cesarean procedure.
Home Labor
Women who go into labor at home and continue there until they are at least 3 centimeters dilated have a decreased risk of needing a c-section according to CNN Health. Doctors believe this happens because home is a less foreign, less stressful environment than a hospital. Going into labor at home is usually more comfortable for mothers due to familiar surroundings, a more comfortable bed and the privacy and intimacy of your own bedroom. Many of the medicines and methods employed by doctors, while they may help women in many ways, also tend to slow down labor. With c-section rates continuing to increase across the country, laboring at home until dilation reaches 3 centimeters is a sure bet in reducing the possibility of a c-section.
Discuss Your Options
A c-section for twins might not be medically necessary, but women often feel that it is the "safest" route. Mothers carrying twins should talk with doctors to determine whether natural birth is a possibility---and what mitigating factors might necessitate a c-section closer to the birth of the twins. During labor, a woman and her husband may choose once again to discuss the possibility of a c-section with a doctor and determine whether the mother (and babies) may benefit from a natural birth. Because so many mothers of twins have c-sections for reasons that are medically necessary, a c-section birth for twins may be a foregone conclusion before the avenue of natural birth is even considered.
Tags: natural birth, medically necessary, possibility c-section, birth twins, determine whether, induced labor