My Twin Labour and Post-Natal Stay
For me, labour was the best part of my pregnancy by a mile!
After a horrible pregnancy, the joy of knowing it would soon be over was brilliant. As mentioned in my previous post, I had a scheduled c-section planned, and my waters broke on the day of my section (which was incredibly lucky!). So we arrived 30 minutes earlier than planned due to the fact my waters broke. I was monitored closely while we waited for the shift change, and for different doctors to arrive.
Once it was in, however, it was all go to get everything sorted and get my partner in for the section. As a distraction during the section, I spent time talking to the doctors about all the foods I could not wait to eat once the twins arrived and I would not be sick anymore. The main one was roasted brussel sprouts with cheese, which is the best way to eat them in my opinion!
Then before we knew it, Freyja was here. I still remember how silent the room was, and me repeatedly asking why I didn’t hear her cry. No one really answered me, but they seemed to get Niklaus out very quickly after, who did cry. Then we heard Freyja cry and I let out a breath I didn’t even notice I was holding. I learned later from my notes that she needed help breathing at the start, and was resuscitated. I still don’t know why I wasn’t told, but it was probably to keep me calm while they delivered Niklaus.
Freyja spent the time in post-op in an incubator, just to ensure she kept her temperature at the correct level and to keep an eye on her oxygen levels. Niklaus however was out with us, and it was so strange to finally get to meet them. I remember I kept asking the midwife if I could Niklaus home as he was just so adorable. Clearly, the medication from a section is good enough to make you forget that’s your baby!
My partner William did their first outfits after the midwife had done our final checks before heading to the ward. She was such a lovely person and I truly feel like she went above and beyond for us! I honestly feel like she helped create a beautiful environment for us in those first moments as a family.
As I gave birth in December 2021, it was still a rule at my hospital to only have one birth partner. This meant that my mum waited in the hallway outside the maternity ward for when they would transfer me. She got her first glimpse of the twins as I was being wheeled in, and was then let know when visiting would be later on. When I first got to the ward there was only one other mother (and baby) on the ward. It wasn’t too long before it was full with 8 mums and 10 babies! Alongside me, there were two other twin mums, but one had a baby in Neonatal, so only one of her babies was on the ward with her. The other twin mum on my ward had identical boys, who we still see now! It’s been amazing to get to watch her little men change and grow up alongside my little people!
We stayed on the ward from the 23rd to the 26th. Both twins needed a little help coming off my mental health medication (which was something I didn’t know could happen!) and they wanted to keep a watch on my blood pressure which was still quite high. Overall the stay on the ward wasn’t too bad, I had a low mood day when I felt like no one was being honest with me about the condition of the twins and I just didn’t understand why all but one other mum hadn’t been let home who came in after me. I know this was most likely to ensure that the twins were ok and continuing to thrive, but due to restrictions I only had someone else for 1 hour a day, for the rest I was alone with little to no help. While the midwives tried to help everyone, there were far too many of us for them to be there for us as much as was needed. I do not blame them at all for this, but if the restrictions had been lessened, maybe all of the mothers would have had the support they needed from partners and family.
Once I got home on the 26th, one of the first things I wanted to do was eat! While they feed you well on the ward, we all know you just want a taste of your favourite food! So I took advantage of my parents wanting baby cuddles and had something to eat. Recovery from the section wasn’t easy and included a stay at a different hospital with an infection for a week, but I still wouldn’t change a thing. I would recommend taking it very easy post-section but anyone who’s had one will also let you know it is not that easy! This then began the journey of being a mummy to two tiny people with big personalities. Every day the twins develop more as people and I still don’t know what to expect each day!
Bronagh x