Birth Story

Thursday, 2nd July 2009 - Friday, 3rd July 2009
35w+0d - 35w+1d

I'd been home for a few days now and as per my OB's instructions started exercising my legs a little after 9 weeks of being too scared to move on complete bedrest. Tonight I squatted at the oven to put my dinner in and then wondered how the hell I was ever going to get back up. I also went to the nursery and flipped the cot mattress over because David had the waterproof side facing down. I guess I will never know if I overdid things.

I layed down in bed at around 9.30pm (on David's side ;) ) to relax and watch television and suddenly GUSH! I left huge puddles all over the floorboards until I could grab a towel. I immediately checked the colour thank goodness it was clear. My bulging waters had finally given out.

First I called Mum and told her to come over and drive me to the hospital (this was the plan all along). All she had to say was that she was in her nightie so I asked if it were at all possible that she could get dressed and get me as soon as possible. Uh, okay then. I then called David at work and asked him to meet me at the hospital. Next was my OB to give him a heads up that I was heading to hospital and then the actual hospital to tell them I was on my way as an unbooked patient. They asked if I was sure I hadn't just wet myself. No. I told them about my cervix effacing and dilating since the second trimester and they told me to come straight in.

Knock, knock. I open the door to MIL and SIL!!! MIL said don't panic, grabbed my hospital bag and said let's go. I said, Uh... I'm not worried, I'm just waiting for my Mum to pick me up :S WTF??? David had called them. I didn't want them at the birth!!! That's not the plan :( What the hell had David told them?

Soon after Mum arrived and we got going. MIL and SIL followed in their car. I don't think Mum could have possibly driven any slower. Thankfully I didn't have any contractions. I then went to text message Geohde to tell her that I was on the road but after hearing her beautiful voice on her message bank realised that I had pressed call rather than text so gave up on that idea.

I asked Mum to drop me off at the Emergency Department doors. As we were driving up the entrance to the ED Mum saw someone she knows on the footpath and wound down her window and called out to them. I asked her to keep going and to let me out. I am yet to figure out her thought processes. I then realised I had just eaten a heap of blue lollies and was presenting with blue teeth and a blue tongue.

I waddled in to the ED with a towel between my legs. Everyone in waiting room looked stoned. I stood at triage for about 10 minutes whilst the staff pretended they didn't see me and continued to chat amongst themselves. I told them that Midwifery had instructed that I be sent up to them in a wheelchair. They told me that they doubted that they would be able to find one and told me to walk. I insisted on a wheelchair as the Midwife had told me not to take no for an answer. I got my chair and was wheeled up. The clan of DH, Mum, MIL and SIL follow. Ridiculous.

Since I wasn't booked in to this hospital (mine doesn't take anyone under 36wks) there was a bit of paperwork to go through. They checked that I hadn't just peed my pants. I have worn panty liners for the majority of this pregnancy and they peeled it off and ridiculed me as if I had put in on the catch my waters. I was then strapped with two dopplers to check the heartbeats.

My OB arrived and did an internal. It bloody hurt and he acted like I was being a big sook. With my history I am used to being poked and prodded down there but this was different. He said due to the way I was acting from the internal (like I couldn't handle pain) and since Twin A had her arms and hands wrapped around her head and over her face that he recommended I have a cesarean. I agreed since it sounded safest considering her position also since I hadn't had any contractions and couldn't see an end. They checked with the SCN if they had 2 free beds first and thankfully we got the last 2 bumping them up to full capacity.

I was taken to the operating theatre with David whilst my groupies were told to get out of the elevator and to go back to the waiting room. My goodness, this party is invitation only people! I was given an epidural and had the best birthing experience ever. It was so quick and painless.

Twin A arrived easily at 12:49pm - 1965g, head 31cm, length 43cm. They held her up and she was screaming. Phew. APGARS 8 & 9. Twin B had to have her waters broken and be manoeuvred down. She arrived breech at 12:52pm - 2060g, head 31cm, length 43cm. APGARS 4 & 8. As they held her up they said here she is, she is a bit floppy. She looked lifeless. No crying. I watched to my left as they put her on a ventilator and an eternity later I heard a little cry.

Twin A was wrapped and layed down next to me as I was being stitched up. This scared the crap out of me as I was worried she would fall off the table. The girls were then whisked off to the SCN with David following them as I went to recovery. I was told that the bottom of the placentas had met and joined up.

I recovered quickly and was taken to my room. Going past the waiting room I saw that another BIL and SIL had also joined the party. I can only assume that they were there to pick up SIL leaving my Mum and MIL.

I was told that I wouldn't get to meet my girls until 9am. I didn't sleep for the next 8 hours.

Happy birthday baby girls 03/07/2009.

They're HERE!

Oh the outside.

Can we have a birthday party on the blog please?

It's Geohde here, Mrs M's fellow antipodean blogger. I'm passing along the blog break and enter good JuJu that the divine Mz Topcat did for me when I exploded multiple babies at once (geepers, nearly a YEAR ago?).

Regardless, this is not about me. It's about a newly expanded family of four, and I'm so happy to bring the news to you all.

Since I've given the game away in the title, I'll start with the big news: The girls are here. Born by c-section overnight and all are doing well. They're around 2kg each.

After such a nail biting ride, with the threat of imminent delivery so long ago, I couldn't be happier for the new family. Well done to the new Mama for all those weeks looking at the world horizontal, it paid off in spades!

I'll save the names and updates until I'm sure if it's okay to post them, but for now everybody is out, healthy and perfect :)

So very happy for everybody,

xx

G

35 Weeks

Sorry for the absence.

My OB said that I am now free to exercise my legs a little more so David and I moved back home. I am still confined to the house and the same rules - no housework, sex, baths, etc. - plenty of rest and feet up as much as possible, but I can be mobile around the house whenever I need anything.

Easing up on the bedrest wasn't possible at MIL's since I was isolated from the rest of the house by a flight of stairs. Exercising my legs with a staircase wasn't something I was willing to attempt. I can now also shower without having to wait for David's assistance since the shower over there was located over a large corner spa I practically had to pole vault to get in to.

My OB has also given my girls an eviction date for 37w5d. So either way my girls will be here within 19 days - eek! The plan is to attempt a VB if I go into spontaneous labour and only if deemed the safest option. If I were to reach eviction day it will be a C/S as I am not comfortable with attempting an induction with twins.

*** BOO ***

34 weeks today.

I can now deliver at my local Public hospital which has a high level SCN and is only located 15 minutes away. Visiting the babies will be so easy now. Another bonus is that my OB has admission rights to this hospital so assuming he is not off sunbaking at a tropical island somewhere or too busy playing golf as they say, he should be at the birth.

The Private hospital I am booked into just 30 seconds over the road wont accept you unless you are 36 weeks +. In the scheme of things the whole public vs. private hospital stay is irrelevant as long as my babies are getting the best standard of care. Having my own room and bathroom with David being allowed to sleep over during my stay would have been nice though.

After being on high alert for 2 months for any little sign of contractions or ruptured membranes I am now in denial that I actually have to give birth to these babies. Can't David do it for me?

I am 50/50 on the whole VB vs. C/S for a twin delivery. I told my OB that I am fine with him doing whatever is safest at the time under whatever circumstances we are facing. I have a new issue now though and please cover your eyes as it is a little TMI......... I have prolapsed hemorrhoids that I just can't seem to treat and get rid of. I guess the weight of twins just keeps pushing them out. I told my OB that I was worried my five or so will turn into five thousand if I attempt a twin VB. Anyone got any advice on this lovely topic?

33 Weeks

Just checking in to say that I am still here.

Making it to 33 weeks was beyond my wildest dreams.

I am going a little crazy though after 7 horizontal weeks.

Cruisin' Together

I saw my OB yesterday. He said that it was time for my 34 week Anti-D injection. I wish I was 34 weeks! I told him that we were still 1.5 weeks off that shot. I saw him in a different office to normal so he didn't have all my records, lol.

He once again congratulated me on doing a fantastic job at getting this far. The scan report showed no significant changes. Normal growth in the babies and no increased dilation of the cervix, yeah! He didn't tell me how much but also said that I have a bit of cervix left from the shortening (3 weeks ago it was 1.36cm). I was warned to be extremely careful though as Baby A's head is pushing down really hard and low.

I told him that I understand there are no guarantees but asked if it were at all possible I would last 1.5 more weeks to reach 34 weeks and deliver locally. He said that it's possible but that anything can still happen and told me about another patient this week whose bulging membranes ruptured at 27 weeks, :( poor thing really hope they are doing OK. That could have been me so I guess wanting to deliver locally is a little greedy in the scheme of things when I am so very lucky to get this far.

I'm not going to pay much attention to my OB and his fluctuating tape measure anymore. My fundal height is now back to 40cm and my waist is up to 110cm. Here is a pic of me at 32 weeks. My massive saggy boobs are resting on and covering the top of my stomach. I have to lift them up so my OB can measure the top of my uterus.

Another Scan

The u/s clinic recently got new machines so I found the scan a little confusing at times.

My girls are estimated around the 1800g mark so are just hitting 4pounds. They did the usual twin thing at 30 weeks with their combined weight gain slowing to thereon equal to the weight gain of a singleton.

The cervix scan now shows sideways on the screen so initially I had no idea what was going on but thought the presenting baby's head looked a weird shape and size until the Dr. laughed and said "that is me in there!" Ewww. I'm glad my baby does not resemble a dildo-cam.

I won't know where my cervical measurements now stand until I see my OB on Monday but I was told that Baby A's head is pushing right down against my internally dilated cervix so the waters aren't badly bulging out like they were. I guess her head is plugging up the hole more now.

I am a little disappointed as I was hoping for some answers today about how effaced and dilated I am now. I also didn't even get a new photo or to see them in 4D again.

The good news is that unlike my previous visits he didn't say that he was faxing the report straight over to my OB and that I needed to phone him to discuss the results.

32? Really?

I have hit 32 weeks.



Growth + cervix scan tomorrow to see how effaced and dilated I am now. Hopefully the girls have reached the 2kg mark.