Turning breech baby and c section - how are twins and triplets usually delivered

Breech birth: If your baby is breech, it means that it is positioned with its bottom downwards. This makes delivery more complicated. Your obstetrician and midwife will talk to you about the best and safest way for your breech baby to be born. You will be advised to have your baby in hospital.

Turning breech baby naturally ECV  

You will usually be offered the option of an external cephalic version (ECV). This is when pressure is put on your abdomen to try to turn the baby to a head down position.

C section for breech baby

If an ECV doesn’t work, you will probably be offered a caesarean section. This is the safest delivery method for breech babies but there is a slightly higher risk for you.

If you choose a caesarean delivery and then go into labor before the operation, your obstetrician will assess whether to proceed with an emergency caesarean delivery.

If the baby is close to being born, it may be safer for you to have a vaginal breech birth.

Twins early delivery - are triplets always delivered by c section?  

If you are expecting twins, labor may start early because of the increased size of the uterus.

It is unusual for multiple pregnancies to go beyond 38 weeks. More health professionals will usually be present at the birth. For example, there may be a midwife, an obstetrician and two pediatricians (one for each baby).

The process of labor is the same but the babies will be closely monitored. To do this, an electronic monitor and a scalp clip might be fitted on the first baby once the waters have broken. You will be given a drip in case it is needed later, and an epidural is usually recommended. Once the first baby has been born, the midwife or doctor will check the position of the second by feeling your abdomen and doing a vaginal examination.

If the second baby is in a good position to be born, the waters surrounding the baby will be broken, and the second baby should be born very soon after the first because the cervix is already fully dilated.

If contractions stop after the first birth, hormones will be added to the drip to restart them.

Triplets or more are almost always delivered by elective caesarean section.

Help and support

Contact the Multiple Births Foundation (MBF) or Twins and Multiple Births Association (Tamba) for advice and support.