Nicole’s Homebirth with Twins

Monday morning I was feeling really good. Had an appt with my midwife. My 6 year old told us the babies were coming tonight, no sign of labor though. After lunch, I had to run to the store then another store.

Walking through the first store, I started getting pains in my hips. By the second place I was getting rhythmic pressure on my cervix. It felt like the baby's head was head butting me. That lasted for several hours.

By dinner time, I was having very irregular but strong contractions. By 10, the contractions were irregular but in a pattern- one would be 12 minutes next would be 5, more or less steadily like that for an hour. I started to give up hope and assumed labor would just stall out, so I got ready for bed.

At 1150, I had a contraction and my water broke. I woke up my husband and we waited to see if anything was going to happen (my last single water broke first, but it was 23 hours before he was born, about 18 hours before contractions started).

After 12 minutes, I had a contraction. Then 5:40 later. Then 5. Then 4:20. Told hubby it was time.

I called the midwife and doula and let them know. I had already filled and covered the birth pool so we added a few cold pans to make it the right temp and I got in. It seemed like a minute before I felt like pushing. Everything was extremely intense.

I heard someone (the doula) say baby was breech. It took a few pushes and then Baby A was born. 110am. The most amazing moment was pulling him up between my legs and seeing him so calm and peaceful and wide eyed under the water. I held him for a moment before contractions picked up again.

I had really wanted to leave both cords intact until very last, but A had a short cord and I was scared I wouldn’t be able to keep him above water. His cord finally stopped pulsing and we cut it just in time to need to push with Baby B.

She came out much easier than he had, but again was breech. Someone (the doula) said she was breech too and I let some choice words out. It only took a couple pushes for her, though, and then she was born. 130am.

By this point, the water was dark and I couldn’t see her face like I had seen his. It was so relieving to have them both out, though.

I don’t recall how long it took to birth the placenta. Maybe 15-20 minutes.

Afterwards, I learned A was frank breech and B was footling, which explains why it was so much harder to birth him. Orion was 6lb 4oz and Luna was 6lb 3oz.  I was bleeding a little after the birth, so the midwife gave me some herbs, which seemed to slow it down.

I took both babies to the chiropractor within the first several days and that helped Luna’s breastfeeding latch a lot.