FAQ

I am asked to answer question quite a bit by women who are expecting twins and are wondering about the projected date of induction or c-section. Many people are horrified that my OB allowed me to carry twins past 38 weeks. My response to them is that like every high risk medical condition a pregnancy is personal. As a result you should be taking medical advice from your own doctor. If you don't trust your doctor then get another one. I do not have warm fuzzy feelings about my OB at all, but I trusted that she would bring us all safely to the finish line. If I did not, I would not have sought advice on the internet, I would have found another doctor. Regardless, this is why I agreed to stay pregnant past 38 weeks.

My OB allowed me to go past 38 weeks with substantial monitoring: 2NSTs and 1 ultrasound with a high risk doctor per week, after week 36. If you haven't read my blog, I carried my boys to 39 weeks and 6 days when I was induced. I had concerns because I heard that many women's OBs were inducing as a matter of course at 38 weeks.

My doctor referred me to this study, which she believes is the most current information about the optimal time for twin deliveries in an uncompliacted pregnancy. I attached a link to the study, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1397866/ but if you don't have time to read it the conclusion is "when the pregnancy is uncomplicated, twins continue to grow and mature with advancement of the gestational age. In the absence of significant maternal complications, it is advisable to deliver twins only at 38 completed weeks' gestation or later to avoid neonatal complications."

Her position was that 38 weeks would be the first time that she would considered a scheduled induction or section, but that it must be done by 40 weeks. There were other doctors at the hospital where I delivered that disagreed with her and would automatically schedule at 38 weeks, but never before. Mine would not consider letting me go past 40 weeks. Not because she was concerned about the placentas, but because she was concerned about the potential size of the babies (it is impossible to get good measurements on them after a point because they are so crowded) and because their size can start puting pressure on the cord, which is life threatening.