Did you have any complications in your twin pregnancy?

I was told from the outset that my twin pregnancy was “high risk”, but I never really gave it much thought.  Fortunately my twins were in separate sacks with their own placenta, which presented less risks than identical twins who share the same sack and/or placenta.

Thankfully, my pregnancy went very well (apart from common minor complaints such as heartburn, restless legs, back ache, pelvic ache and swollen hands and feet) until my waters broke at 34 weeks.

I was in bed and had just heaved my huge bump from left to right when I heard a loud pop, and a torrent of water was released onto the bed.  I was shocked at the amount of water.  I had no idea that there would be that much!  I was soaked, my jammies were soaked and the mattress was drenched!!

Hubby missed out on this surreal experience because he was working away from home at the time!  (In fact, he was working away through much of my pregnancy and during the first few months of the twins’ lives!)

I did not panic, but immediately went into auto-pilot.  I waddled and squelched my way to the bathroom.  As my waters were still trickling out, I skidded about the bathroom tiles like a hippo on ice!

After showering, I phoned the hospital and was advised to make my way there as soon as possible.  I then phoned my parents, and my mum made her way to my house, as soon as she heard my predicament, to drive me to the hospital.  Before she arrived to collect me, I phoned Hubby and told him to make his way back down to Glasgow (a two and a half hour journey!) ASAP.

When Mum and I arrived at the hospital I was strapped to a monitor, and advised that my doctor was on holiday!  (This was six weeks before my due date remember!)  The midwife told me that she would not be examining me.  I would have to wait for a doctor.  However, all the doctors were currently busy with emergencies.  (Apparently two ladies gave birth in the car park just before I arrived!!)  I was told that the doctor would give me medication to delay labour and to boost my babies’ lungs.

By the time Hubby arrived at the hospital a couple of hours later, I had started feeling contractions (though the midwife didn’t quite believe me!) and felt the need to empty my bowels (though several visits to the bathroom were fruitless!)

Mum went home (reluctantly!) to bed not long after Hubby arrived, and I was given a bed in the ward and a couple of pain killers.  As soon as I laid down on the bed though, my contractions came thick and fast.  Pretty soon, it got so bad that I literally barked at Hubby to go fetch the midwife.

This time the midwife conceded that I was indeed contracting, and assured me that a doctor would come examine me soon.

I was extremely relieved when two doctors eventually arrived to examine me.  However, this relief was short-lived, as the doctors discovered a major complication when examining me internally.  It transpires that a cord was presenting, which could result in a loss of oxygen to Baby 1, and was potentially life-threatening to all three of us.

I was immediately flicked over like a pancake (pretty difficult to do, considering my size!), and I was wheeled off to theatre with my contorted face in a pillow and my backside up in the air!  (How very dignified!  Not!!)  The midwife had her hand pressed firmly between my legs to stop the cord from coming out!  (I was too terrified to be embarrassed by all this!)

When we reached the operating theatre, I could tell that there was about a squillion people in the room.  A doctor told me that I was about to have an emergency caesarean.  I was told that they would attempt a spinal block, but if it didn’t work they would have to knock me out!  This filled me with absolute horror!

“No!  I want to be awake to see my babies!  I don’t want to be put to sleep!”

“We’ll do our best, but our main priority is to get your babies out quickly.”

Fortunately, they managed to get the spinal block in, but I very quickly developed a very painful headache, and felt very queasy.  I actually threw up a couple of times – once before the babies were born, and once in between the birth of the girls!

I only got a brief look at my beautiful girls, before they were whisked off to intensive care, where they only stayed for twenty-four hours, before being moved to the Special Care Baby Unit, where they stayed for just over two weeks.

All in all, we were in hospital for three weeks, and the girls have thrived since getting home five and a half years ago. 

But how about you? Did you suffer any complications during your pregnancy or labour?

Please leave a comment and/or link up on the blog hop below: