Twins Nixon and Seth Hopkins were born on different days, and by very different deliveries. Mum Alison tells all.
“When I found out that I was pregnant with twins at my 12 week scan, my husband Matthew and I burst out crying and laughing at same time. In fact I was so happy, and crying so much that the Sonographer couldn't actually scan anymore as my stomach was moving so much!"
On the whole my pregnancy was great, then at 35 weeks pregnant, and 4 stone heavier I woke up with the feeling that the day may have come for the babies to make an appearance!
As I got up my waters broke but I wasn’t fully aware of what was happening! By 2 pm I went into the hospital to have a scan to check and was told by a doctor that my waters had definitely broken and I was going to have to stay at hospital and be connected to a monitor to check the heart rate of both babies. My birth plan was to have an epidural and pain relief, which was a good thing because by 6pm my contractions were coming thick and fast. I started with gas and air, which was a very odd experience! Apparently I just kept apologising to anyone who came into the room! Goodness knows for what!
A little late the pain got too intense for me so I opted for an epidural, which I can’t recommend enough! Then around 10pm I moved into the second stage of labour and soon after little Nixon turned up "naturally" at 11.07pm Monday night weighing in at 5.13lbs. Seth unfortunately was in breech position and didn’t drop down when Nixon was born as the midwife had hoped. The only time I felt scared was when the doctor tried to manipulate him into a cephalic position- head down and Seth was having none of it. I was worried about what was going to happen next, and eventually they said he’d become transverse and got stuck and I’d have to have a c-section.
I had wanted to do both births naturally but I went into hospital to give birth to two healthy babies, not be Mother of the Year so I didn’t really mind that my birth plan went to pot. The c-section itself wasn’t at all painful, just a weird feeling of having someone move about in your stomach and Seth turned up at 12.07am on the Tuesday morning weighing 5.09lbs
We all stayed in till the Saturday and were discharged but unfortunately the boys had a bit of jaundice so had to have treatment and we had to go back in on the Sunday for another five days, My husband Matt has been absolutely amazing throughout and didn't leave my side in all the time we were in hospital apart from going home to shower and have five minutes catch up on sleep during the day! He even slept on the hard floor of my hospital room for two nights.
Overall I think because of the c-section the recovery was hard, as I had to be careful of the stitches which was difficult with two small babies to look after. But I’m very lucky to have a great husband and wonderful supportive family to help me, which I think you need with twins. As for the delivery, whether it’s natural or not, you do get through it and I always feel very lucky with what you have at the end.”
Congratulations. I had twins in January 2008, I managed to have both naturally but only just!!!! Owain came out like a speeding bullet but an hour later my contractions had completely stopped. They had prepared me for a section but my consultant wanted one last try at moving Dylan down and it worked!! 11 minutes later and it was all over but being 9 weeks early we spent another month in special care before my boys came home to join thier older brother and sister.
I did it again a year later to complete our family with Gethin so it looks like it couldn't have been that bad!