My Birth Story

I had my planned c section booked for 8th December when I would have been 36+4days pregnant. My babies, however had a different date in mind. I had a feeling I wouldn't get to my date but I didn't expect them to come as early as they did.

It took a while before I realised I was actually having contractions. It was Sunday 19th November and we had actually just been to our last NCT class and I remember it being about 3pm and I suddenly came over extremely hungry. I felt like I hadn't eaten in days. I told James we needed to go for dinner very early as I really wanted pasta. It is probably the first time throughout my whole pregnancy where I was craving a particular meal. We went for dinner quite early and I had a really bad tummy ache. As we were walking from the car to the restaurant I honestly felt as though the babies were in my bum. But I clearly felt that the pasta was more important so we still went for dinner. I wolfed down a whole bowl of pasta as well as a side of chips and a starter too! Probably again the most I had eaten in one sitting the whole pregnancy as I used to get full really quickly. I felt like my tummy pain had gone so I figured it was just hunger, but as we walked back to the car the pain started again and I remember saying to James I'm not sure if this pain is right.

On about 4 occasions before this I did have moments in the middle of the night where I woke James up telling him I wasn't sure if I was having contractions. I would get period like pains and panicked.

Knowing I was having a c section meant I didn't want to wait at home for labour to kick in so whenever I had these pains I was always a bit nervous and unsure what to do. Eventually I would fall asleep and nothing happened so it was never an issue. This time I felt different and my gut was telling me something wasn't quite right. I decided to call triage at Barnet hospital and explain to them how I felt. I had braxton hicks from about 16 weeks and throughout my pregnancy my tummy was hard a lot of the time but the pain I was having now was different and my tummy wasn't getting soft at all. The hospital told me to play it by ear for the next hour and if I got worst to come in. After the hour at about 10pm I became very tired so I decided to just go to bed.

I then woke up at about 1am as I needed the toilet as usual. As I got up I noticed my tummy was still rock hard and I came over feeling really unwell. I still had a sore tummy but the thing that felt different to other times was feeling so crap. I felt really sick and not my normal pregnancy nausea sick. I remember people telling me that when your going into early labour it is common to be sick or have diarrhoea, and this just sprung to my mind straight away as I felt so sick. I got back into bed after going to the toilet and I remember just lying there thinking to myself.... I know I won't be able to go back to sleep like I have done on other occasions in the middle of the night. Something felt different. I woke James up and told him something didn't feel quite right and that we should go. His first response was 'go where?' Haha he was clearly half asleep.

So we rocked out of bed at about 1.30am and grabbed a few things together and headed to the hospital. We didn't bother taking the large suitcase for the babies but did take the little case I had packed for me with a few essentials for the night. We went into triage and very quickly I was seen and they listen to both the babies heart rates and then told me I would be taken to one of the wards to be monitored which to me was just standard procedure as I was always monitored when I came in. I was taken to the delivery ward which at the time I was none the wiser. I don't think they put me on that ward with any expectations of me having the babies, it was just a free room at the time. I was in a private room which was nice and put on the monitor at about 3am. Straight away we could see I was having contractions. I didn't really think anything of it as I had heard about a few friends that had had contractions for a while and then they stopped and their baby didn't arrive for weeks. They wanted to keep me on the monitor for a while to see how they were doing so I assumed we would be there for a few hours at least. As each hour went by the pain did slowly get worst. They did an internal check but my cervix was closed so again I assumed that after a while on the monitor I would just go home. I think it was about 5/6am when the pain really started getting worst. I did ask the midwife if I would be having the babies as I was having a c section and they were quite vague. At this point I decided to message my consultant. I actually had my consultants number and we spoke occasionally so I messaged her to let her know I was having contractions and I was at hospital. I made her aware of my last stay in hospital and it was her who told the nurses to give me the steroids so she tended to get things done quickly and make the decisions as to what was going on. Granted I did message her at like 4am so I didn't expect a reply but I wanted to see if she would help eventually.

They had to check if I needed steroids again, which thankfully I didn't as they killed, but I had to have a fibronectin test which they had done of me before. They take a swab and test it to see if you are likely to go into labour. It's not very accurate with twins so I'm not sure what the point was in this but I guess if it came back positive they would have been more rushed to get something done. This came back negative so again I assumed nothing of it really. By 7am my consultant replied to me to let me know she would be coming to see me in 40minutes and at this point my pain was very uncomfortable. I knew once she arrived we would then have some answers. It was near to 8am when my consultant came to see me. She casually walked into the room, looked over at the monitor and said she could see they were doing well and she was impressed I had got to what was now 34 weeks and they seemed like good weights at my last growth scan so I was going to have them today. She said it so casually and I remember my mouth dropping and looking and james and then we both smiled in shock but then I suddenly got really emotional as I was worried they would be really little and it was too early. She went on to say that I've had the steroids which will help and they are obviously keen to get out and it's unlikely I'll hold them in any longer and prolonging it won't be an option if I want my c section. She then informed me that there was one emergency c section first then I would be next so to relax and no longer eat or drink and I'll be going down in a few hours!!! I was literally like oh my gosh! I was going to be having my babies today!!! I was really panicked but James reassured me that things were going to be ok and I needed to be relaxed.

I called my mum and told her what was happening and she needed to get the suitcase we left at home and a few other bits because now it was pretty clear we were not going to be going home for a while. I remember being soooo thirsty but being nil by mouth I couldn't have a drink. So we waiting in the room we had been in and I had to stay on the monitor but I kept needing to go to the toilet. I don't know if this is because I had twins or maybe as it was a c section but I had to have the monitor on me at all times. This meant I had to literally stay on the bed and pretty still, but as the pains worsened I really felt better walking or standing which I was unable to do. I also randomly had some huge nose bleed which was really weird!

One of the most painful parts of the whole experience for me believe it or not was my canula in my hand. They put this in and it felt like it wasn't in correctly and it just constantly hurt. James got changed into his scrubs and I was given the sexy hospital socks that are really tight and go up to you knees to stop blood clots. Before we were taken to the theatre, my contractions were bringing me to tears. It was extremely painful and I never actually knew if I had dilated as they didn't check after the first time once we knew I was going to go for my section, so who knows how far I actually went naturally. We were taken just before midday to the operating theatre but first I had the pediatrician and anesthetist come and explain the procedure to me and they explained that there will be a lot of people in the theatre but not to be alarmed. There was 2 of everyone for both babies. So 2 midwives, 2 consultants, 2 anesthetist and 2 pediatricians and so many more people who were watching the procedure.

It was a really surreal moment being pushed into the theatre awake. I felt like I was on an episode of greys anatomy but unfortunately there was no McDreamy. Once I was transferred onto the table I sat on the side and one of the midwives had to sit by me holding the monitors in place to constantly check both babies heart rates.

They then had to do the epidural. To be honest I don't remember it hurting. I think I was concentrating so much on trying not to move as my contractions got worst and worst, but I do remember getting this really warm feeling around my bum and down my legs. The next part I'm not so clear on. I remember lying on the bed and james was by my head holding my hand and one of the midwives was by me too and explaining things to me. I suddenly became really shaky. It's a common side effect from the anaesthetic because I wasn't actually cold but my teeth were full on chattering and I was shaking. James was telling me to breathe slowly and every time I really concentrated on my breathing I managed to stop the shaking for a bit until I got distracted and it would start again. I remember feeling this pulling sensation and tugging like I could feel they were doing something down below and the top part of my body would move a bit but I couldn't actually feel anything. It was really weird!!

Then some of the doctors and nurses started laughing and made a comment about no longer needing a shower as they broke my waters and they all got drenched lol. So embarrassing!!! They said I was carrying at least 2 litres of fluid and they weren't surprised my bump was so big. I'm not sure how long it all took as i have no idea when they started but I remember hearing that first cry. The thought of it now still makes me emotional as I am writing this. The relief that comes over you as soon as you hear your little miracle make a noise. I burst into tears it was just the best noise ever. At that moment I fell so completely in love and I hadn't even met him.

My baby boy born first at 12.47 weighing 4pound 7oz with a lovely high pitched cry and the first thing they said was we have a blondy!! I was just shocked he had any hair as I was a complete egg until about 3 years old. He was taken straight away to the side room without showing me him as he was quite blue. At the time I didn't know this I just thought it was the norm to take them straight away being that young. If I turned my head to the left I could see the side room but couldn't actually see anything going on in there. Without having much time to even take all of it in another little cry was made and straight away they said you have a brunette and my first response was is it a girl and they said yes and again the tears started.

My little baby girl was born at 12.49 weighing 4pound 9oz and just like that I had my perfect family of 4. She was taken straight away to the side room as well and James and I were just so emotional and couldn't believe it! I told James to go to the side room and get pictures and video to show me. He went back and forth taking pictures and videos and then showing me them. It's really difficult when your lying there and you can't get up and go and look at your babies. I was sad I didn't get that instant skin to skin. Obviously that would have been a dream but I knew that was never going to happen especially with them being 6 weeks early. James watched them being cleaned up and then they weighed them and then our little baby boy got taken straight to NICU as he was struggling to breathe.

He said they seemed extremely calm and didn't show any panic and said he was fine but just needed some assistance. He was the smaller out of the 2. Just before our little baby girl was also taken to NICU they brought her over to me and I got to see her face and touch her cheek. I got so emotional. I got to finally meet and see my beautiful baby girl. She then got taken away and I waited as I got sewed back together. After a while once they were all done I got taken to recovery and james went to go and get my mum to come to where I was. This is all a bit of a blur now but I do vaguely remember being in my bed separated by a curtain to another woman and I could hear her with her baby and I just remember crying. I found it really tough hearing that she was with her baby and I wasn't. I told james to go to the NICU and check on them as I wanted them to be with someone and my mum stayed with me. Whilst I was in recovery I was given some water which I slowly sipped as too much would make me sick and I also remember being shown how to hand express the colostrum out my boobs. I was really keen to try and breastfeed so wanted to get things going asap, especially as my milk would probably take a while with them being so early.

After a few hours the nurses said i could have my bed wheeled into the NICU to see my babies! Omg this was so exciting.

In Barnet their NICU have 3 seperate rooms. Room 1 was intensive care where babies were on breathing monitors, room 2 was longer term care and room 3 was the best out of a bad bunch I guess. Our baby boy was in room 1 and baby girl in room 3. We went into room 3 first and I was allowed to finally hold my baby girl. One of the greatest moments of my life!! She was so small photos just didn't do it justice. She was perfect. I was then wheeled into room 1 but sadly I couldn't hold our boy. He wasn't allowed out of his incubator and the most frustrating thing was that my bed was too low for me to see his face. I couldn't sit up at this point as I was just too sore so for the first day I only got to see his feet. It was seriously hard but I needed to remind myself that he was in the best place with the best care.

Once I went back to recovery I was there for a few hours as there wasn't room on the ward for me for a while but eventually one of the nurses told me there was a private room available but when you have a c section you aren't allowed to be in a private room for 24 hours. I think they felt sorry for me not being with my babies. The whole ward would have been mums with their new babies so I think that's why I got my own room and they bent the rules.

The nurse told me that if I could get up and walk to the wheelchair then she was happy for me to have my own room so obviously I got up and walked. I also had the Cathata removed at this point before going into my own room. I had now been awake for about 20hours and was unsure how I was still functioning. Once we got to my room all I wanted to do was go back to see my babies but I knew I needed sleep. I was told to hand express regularly so I knew although I wasn't feeding my babies I was going to be up a lot throughout the night so I decided to try and get some sleep. It was such a weird feeling having just been at home enjoying the weekend to suddenly, before I knew it I was in hospital and had given birth to 2 babies and we were separated straight away. I am sure this happens to a lot of mums and it's something that is hard to get to grips with but eventually you have to move passed it and enjoy the time you are eventually going to get together. X