Time between twins?

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Specializes in OB.

I had a looong delivery of a patient with a 35 week twin pregnancy last weekend. She went into labor on her own, got her epidural (the plan was for a lady partsl birth since baby A was vertex and B was breech), started some Pit. augmentation around 8 cm or so and ended up delivering the babies 6 hours apart! Both were lady partsl births. Poor thing was sooo exhausted! Her uterus was just useless. Couldn't get contractions to dilate her fully after baby A was born. Baby B was verted to cephalic after A was out, but the cervix just wouldn't cooperate.

Of course, mom bled after B was born. Ended up requiring a couple units of blood. All in all, not a smooth delivery! (B ended up being drug out with forceps but both babies did fine!)

Anyone else had twins deliver this far apart?

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The longest I've experienced was a little over three hours between twins. Vertex/vertex presentation, but A baby was almost 2 lbs smaller than B baby and cervix had to dilate further for B to fit. Took ages for cervix to fully dilate again, and did end up using vac to assist with B's delivery. No excessive bleeding or anything. Mom actually wanted to wait another hour to deliver twin B, because she wanted the twins to have different birthdays.

The OB doc said that 3 hrs is the recommended limit between twins, and he does a lot of research, etc and stays up to date on OB issues. This was term delivery. Obviously rules change when you're dealing with preterm labor.

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Specializes in L&D all the way baby!.

opps double posted... weird

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Specializes in L&D all the way baby!.

This is a quad story that I am privy to from many years ago (before I was in nursing school). My best girlfriend was admitted to a large metro hospital for PTL and was on bed rest for several months. While she was there I visited every day (I was the only support and had no children yet of my own to keep my busy) and got to know a gal who was PTL with quads. She PPROM'ed and delivered one of the babies at a little less than 24 wks. another one at 25 and the other 2 at 26. Thay all lived and were healthy at that time. I remember going home and researching because I thought it was so bizarre...

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Specializes in nursery, L and D.

The longest I have seen our docs wait before calling a c/s for the second twin was 1.5 hours. Usually only 20min-1 hour.

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My twins were born at home, 2 hours and 15 minutes apart. Both vertex, apgars 9:10, 10:10. 36 weeks, 6 & 7 lbs. Total labor time, 3 hrs. 15 min.

I have not seen much time given in the hospitals where I've worked (10-20 min.), but I have heard of other docs waiting longer.

I'm convinced that if I'd had my boys in the hospital, twin 'B' would have been sectioned. I had to stand up to get him to decend and engage. What doc would have ever suggested that!? - none that I know.

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Specializes in PICU, ICU, Transplant, Trauma, Surgical.

I work in the NICU, the longest I've seen in between twin births (admitted to our unit) was 3 weeks. Baby "A" was a 25 weeker, Baby "B" was a 28 weeker. That poor mama. Atleast she got a good 3 weeks of time on "B", and boy did those 3 weeks make a big difference!

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There was one I went to that was about 2 hours apart. Term twins, SVD. Mom closed to 7 after she delivered twin A and she had to dialate again!

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I was a 'stretchy 7' between my twins, but it was because twin B wouldn't put pressure on the cervix. Once I stood up for a while and got him to move down, it went quick.

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Specializes in Adult and Pediatric Vascular Access, Paramedic.

I am a paramedic who did a home twin delivery, both vertex thank the lord above. Anyway Baby A delivered as they were calling 911 and baby B delivered about 10 minutes after we got to the home, so they were aout 15-20 minutes apart.

Sweetooth

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