My Twin Birth Story

It’s incredible how a completely different birth, that was very much out of my comfort zone, can be just as positive experience as my previous birth with Olive (you can read her birth story here)

If you saw my previous blog post about the decisions that I made for my twin birth, you’ll know I opted for a planned caesarean. It just sat with me better, despite my utmost fear around needles, the fact I have to turn away at any surgical scene in ‘24 Hours in A&E’ and I’m just hopeless at the sight of blood. 

Nevertheless, at 32 weeks pregnant, I had my booking in appointment and opted for Wednesday 13th March 2024 to have my girls.

It felt very surreal knowing that I had a date where I was going to give birth, but then again, with 60% of multiple births being pre-term (before 37 weeks), there was a chance that they might be ready sooner… 

Even if I wasn’t!

The day before, we had a nice day spending time together as a family of three, ahead of my Pre Op Check Appointment with the twin midwife, Emma (who was utterly brilliant. If you’re having twins at Kingston, you’re in the best hands). Up until this point I hadn’t fully switched off from work and tuned into the idea of having two babies being very imminent. Knowing I was having the girls the following day, I suddenly felt ready.

At the Pre Op, we went through the final checks, questions and checked the heartbeats. On assessing my bump, Emma mentioned that my uterine muscles were contracted and asked if I’d had any labour symptoms of late. To be honest, I’d had a bit of discomfort, but I’d put it down to carrying two 6lb+ babies and that my abdominal muscles were tired! The girls’ heart rates had slowed (in a good way) which showed they’d matured and were ready for their entrance into the world.

I got home and the sensation of the muscles contracting kept coming and going every 20 minutes or so… Cue me feeling rather restless, mild panic that early labour was starting and that I really wasn’t ready as I’d had my sights set on a good night’s sleep and knowing how the birth was going to go. 

Long story short, we went to Kingston Maternity Triage, got monitored and they assessed my cervix which was still high and as closed as could be, having had a baby already.

Home to bed, with a car fully packed and ready to go, to be at the hospital at 7:30am.

The Birth Day

Waiting Room

This time around, it felt weird being in the waiting room, not making all the noises through contractions. After 10 minutes or so, we were asked to go through to the high dependency unit area where there was a bay with the gown, scrubs, bits for the girls’ birth and the rest were laid out for us ahead of heading into theatre. 

I was one of three mums waiting to give birth, and given I couldn’t see them anywhere, I assumed they were already in theatre. I later discovered that the pre op preparation takes a while to settle and inform you ahead of the caesarean, as it all kicks off from 9am.

Sitting on the bed, I was a bag of nerves. 

It’s all very much out of my comfort zone, and suddenly it was feeling less surreal and more real (proven by how much my armpits were sweating at this point!)

First we met the obstetrician who explained what was going to happen, and her role. 

Following this, the anaesthetist came to talk about what her role was, how I’d be given a spinal block combined with epidural and have a cannula in my hand. 

At this point, I just burst into tears feeling a bit overwhelmed (I hate needles, and the idea of a cannula along with a spinal block was not the one for me).

Lastly, the midwives came and introduced themselves. Saying there were two of them, one for each baby, and that there’d be two paediatricians in theatre too. 

Given all the people with planned caesareans that morning didn’t have any issues, they were going to assess the list and see who came first, but it was likely that we’d go first given that having twin puts us in the higher risk category.

Good to get it over and done with but, crazy to think that the birth was imminent.

To this point, towards the end of the pregnancy, a lot of people had been asking if I was excited about meeting the twins. 

Truth be told, I think the idea of having to go through a caesarean was a barrier to the idea of meeting my babies. Plus, the idea of having twins was still quite overwhelming and something that felt surreal (as with most pregnancies, I find you don’t quite grasp the fact you have a baby until they’re safe in your arms, and even then, it still feels surreal!)

Anyway, while we were waiting, we decided that the Ibiza chillout playlist we found on Spotify that morning on the drive to the hospital didn’t quite cut it for the birth playlist.

I’d planned to make one the night before, but the last minute trip to triage got in the way.

I mentioned to Charlie about listening to the One Day Official Playlist on Spotify and that was that. We’d found our birth playlist.

After being told we were first and they were ready, gown and scrubs on, we walked down to the theatre – I always find this weird as you always think of being wheeled into an operating theatre.

Birth Time

I was a complete ball of anxiety.

I’d done my reading around caesarean births to help get my head around it, but it was at the very limit of my comfort zone. 

I’ve never had surgery and found the idea of knowing what I was going into, but also not really knowing until I’d been through it, quite overwhelming.

There were around 12-14 people in the room, as there was a midwife and a paediatrician for each baby, in addition to everyone else who is in theatre for a c section (this podcast from Birth Ed is really handy at explaining all the roles). 

Everyone came and introduced themselves and explained their roles, while also saying that XY&Z would pop in shortly and said what their roles were. 

The hardest bit for me was the spinal block and the cannula.

Once the cannula was in and I was hooked up (I think – I can’t remember at what point this happened), I was given a pillow and asked to hug it and relax so they could put the spinal block combined with epidural into my back. 

I was very much crying and trying to breathe through the idea of having it, as it was at the edge of my comfort zone. One of the ladies in the room was holding my hand through it, while poor Charlie watched me in distress at the idea of a large needle going into my spine. 

Firstly they numbed the area with a local anaesthetic. 

Following this came the needle. 

The anaesthetist advised that I should feel a lot of pressure, but it shouldn’t hurt. It felt very uncomfortable and was hard to tell if it was the definition of hurting or if I was a wimp. 

I mentioned it didn’t feel right and it was going to my left, so the needle went in again.

A HUGE sigh of relief once it was over and then I was asked to lie down on the bed as they lifted my legs up and rearranged me ready for theatre. 

As mentioned in all information I’d read on c section deliveries, the anaesthetist was there to keep me occupied by chatting away, as well as manage the fine balance of drugs going through me so the procedure could be performed.

She was the loveliest person ever, although had her work cut out as I did not cope well lying on my back, as my blood pressure dropped like a stone, which made me sick (up a load of air thanks to having been nil by mouth).

The sensation of being sick when you can’t feel your abdomen is very odd!

After checking that I couldn’t feel the cold spray in all the right places (feeling the cold has the same nerve receptors as feeling pain), it was okay to start the operation. 

I don’t really know what happened, but all I remember is looking at the screen with all my data on heart rate etc, as looking behind me, in Charlie’s direction made me feel dizzy thanks to the blood pressure.

I did feel like I had to just get through the whole thing at this point.

All of a sudden, I was asked if I wanted the curtain lowered as they were about to deliver “Twin A”. 

My response was only enough so I couldn’t see what was going on!

Suddenly, Florence was lifted over the top of the screen (the song her and Peggy were both born to was ‘Step It Up’ by Stereo MC’s which felt very apt!)

At that moment, all my anxieties completely disappeared and I was just filled with love and relief!

2 minutes later, out came Peggy in a bent v shape with her legs over her head. 

The weirdest sight, but apparently this is how a lot of breech babies are born (the position is known as “frank”).

They then took Florence away as she was struggling to breathe a bit. I felt a bit unnerved as I looked over to see her with an oxygen mask over her face and a paediatrician hanging over her. He later came over to explain that she was okay, but needed monitoring over the course of the day as her chest was indenting with every breath, which showed she was struggling. They said it could be a sign of infection, so, if it didn’t improve, they would need to take her bloods and give her antibiotics. 

Not what a tiny person needs on their first day in the world…

It feels sad to say, because I was given two babies, there was (and is) a part of me that can’t help but feel that something might happen to one of them – this moment was really tough as the worst case scenario played out in my mind.

The only thing I do remember is feeling like my stomach was being pushed up and down the table quite vigorously. Quite an odd feeling, but it really didn’t bother me.

The rest is a bit of a blur as I was so focused on holding my babies, unable to believe that they were finally here after a pregnancy filled with mixed emotions. 

Also, how on earth were there two babies?! 

It still blows my mind!

Once I was all sewn up, they gave me a debrief and told me that I lost quite a bit of blood (1.9L) and that they were going to do a blood test to check my HB levels, to see if I needed a transfusion (luckily they were at 111 so I managed to get away without one)

After the Birth

I got wheeled back to my bay in HDU where I stayed for the remainder of the day, hooked up to an oxytocin drip along to help my uterus contract. The rest is a blur as I spent the whole day feeling like I was in a fish bowl with a huge ball of cotton wool in my head. 

I’d told everyone I didn’t really want to know what was going on, so they didn’t talk much about what was happening apart from asking if I’d like the curtain to be lowered, minutes before they delivered Florence. Now I’m 3 weeks down the line, I wish I’d had it filmed as I find the whole thing fascinating now I’m slightly further removed and it’s less raw.

Charlie was going to go home after the first night to be with Olive, who was being looked after by my mum, but after the first night, I realised there was no way I’d be able to get by without him! Moving was so painful and I felt utterly hopeless, plus I wanted to make sure I let my body rest as much as possible.

Olive came to visit the day after the twins were born as we were desperate to see her and wanted her to feel involved. The postnatal hormones coupled with it being a huge life changing event for all of us, seeing our three musketeers become the famous five, was tough. As she left us, I bawled my eyes out at the guilt of Charlie and I staying in the hospital with essentially two complete strangers. 

She later refused to get out of the car when my mum got home as she wanted to be with us.

Cue more crying my eyes out and Charlie nipping home to do bedtime (she was absolutely fine after this)

So that’s the long and short of my birth story. A tad longer than Olive’s as I feel there’s a bit more to go with it. More to come on the c section recovery bit and how I’ve found it.