My birth stories Part 2: the twins

I have been slowly making my way through my birth stories, in a shortened simplified form. I could write so much about what happened and how I felt and how emotional I was but, I am trying to keep it brief. Such a challenge.

I am often asked about my birth experiences. People assume that because I have seven children that birth was an easy process for me and that was the reason that I kept going back for more. All of my experiences have been different and special in their own way and I find that I can relate to many other women because they have been so varied.

In my conversations with other mothers, I have met very few people who have actually had what I would call a somewhat easy birth. To me there is no such thing. Giving birth is downright painful, exhausting, overwhelming, exilarating and incredible all rolled into one.

Part 1 of my birth stories is here. Let's start on Part 2.

Sam and Eli

I found out I was having twins when I was about 8 weeks pregnant. I woke up one Sunday morning and discovered I was bleeding. This had never happened to me before and I was scared. I immediately went to the hospital for an ultrasound fully expecting to be told that I had lost a baby.

Instead, I was shocked, amazed and alarmed to discover that I was having twins. On the ultrasound screen were 2 small separate eggs and 1 small blur or smudge where they think the bleeding came from. Meaning there was a high chance that I really was carrying 3 babies and had lost one. I don't know and the doctors don't know for sure. At the time I was speechless and sad. Now that I look back on it I count it as a blessing. I do not know how I would have coped with 4 small children and then three new babies. I know we would have got through it and I really would have kept them all for sure, but I am so thankful we did not have to.

The next 2 weeks after discovering that I was going to have twins I cried every day. I mean really, really cried. I was upset and scared. I had seen my sister-in-law have twins twice and knew how much work was involved, how tiring it was and how much effort it took to keep a routine going. At the end of the two weeks I pulled myself together and started reading as much as I could about triplets to make me feel that having twins would be easy.

As I went through my pregnancy I had many doctors appointments and ultrasounds. As this was baby numbers 5 and 6 they really kept a close eye on me. Every time I went for an ultrasound I waited for them to tell me that something was not right, that something was wrong, that one of them was not growing properly, that I would have to make a choice between the two, that there were complications and that I needed to prepare myself for problems. I was ready. I had mentally and emotionally prepared myself for this to happen and was prepared to face whatever came my way.

After every ultrasound I would in disbelief walk out of the doctors office teary and so, so thankful that all the way through my ultrasound I would hear over and over the word normal. I still hear it in my mind when I think back to those times. Normal, normal, normal. I just could not believe it. The boys just kept growing and thriving. They grew evenly, in separate sacks and they grew together.

At about half way through the pregnancy! Looking like I am about to have a baby!

Early on in my pregnancy I knew when it came to giving birth I needed to be as careful as I could. Having just had an emergency caesarian with Harmony I knew my chances of having a vaginal birth with twin boys was very slim. I set out to do some research and carefully chose a doctor that I knew had a reputation for letting women try for a vaginal delivery with twins. Lucky for me he lived close by and lucky for me he was taking new patients.

My biggest decision for the boys with giving birth was to decide if I wanted a caesarian. Having a previous track record of successful vaginal births was on my side and my main concern was that I did not want to have a vaginal delivery for one and a caesarian for the other. I did not want to be sore in 2 places! My doctor was prepared to let me try for a vaginal birth if both heads were down and ready to go on the day. I knew that this was going to be hard work, that I would need to be focused and I started mentally preparing myself for it as early as I could. I imagined the births in my mind. I visualised myself giving birth to one baby, holding that baby, handing that baby over and then digging deep to go through the same experience again.

My pregnancy was pretty normal as far as a twin pregnancies go: lots of swelling, super large stomach, no sleep, pain in the back, put on too much weight, cramped baby space, swollen feet and lots of tears.

Oh yeah! do I look happy or what???

As I reached the end of my pregnancy we (the doctor, Matt and I) made the decision to be induced at 37 weeks. The boys had grown to a good size and I was hoping in this way we could be in a controlled environment and monitor their birth in a slower, hopefully safer pace. I wanted to be as prepared as I could be and have help available if I needed it. I was still worried that something would go wrong and my goal was to get these boys out safe, healthy and alive.

I went into hospital early in the morning. I was strapped up to all sorts of devices, had an epidural to help with the pain and braced myself for what I was hoping was going to be easy, quick, uncomplicated birth experience. I knew that it was the second baby that there was the most concern for. They are at the greater risk. For this I was prepared to do whatever was necessary to get him out safe.

The day went on very slowly and I was checked over many times. Every thing kept going along smoothly and I was comfortable and pain free for most of the day. Late in the afternoon things really started to happen. My doctor came in to tell me he was leaving to go away for the weekend and was clocking off work soon. I really wanted him to deliver my boys and did not want another doctor that I did not know to be the one who ended up helping me. 

Shortly after hearing this information (I think it scared me a little) the time came for my first boy to be born. I was tired by this stage but pulled myself together and delivered Eli without complications and problems to me. When he came out they quickly checked him over and informed me that he had some trouble with his lungs. He was making a noise like he was purring like a cat and they needed to take him away to the special care nursery for some more attention. Before they took him away I asked to hold him. I held him in my arms and he was gorgeous, perfect and adorable. As I touched his cheek and held him close to me and talked to him, his purring stopped. He started breathing normally and the doctor and midwife were surprised to see him recover so quickly. Eli never went to the special care nursery. He stayed in the room with me constantly until I took him home. I know he just needed his mum to make him feel better :)

As I handed Eli over to Matt to hold I caught a glance at my doctor. He had a worried look on his face and was whispering to the midwife. I did not need to be told that something was wrong, I could tell by his look, the change in the feel in the room and I decided at that moment I was taking this situation in my own hands. As they were still whispering, I sat up, I told myself I needed to get this baby out and that I needed to do it FAST. I was scared but I knew I could do it as I had done it several times before. I could see from the look on my doctors face that he was scared too and he was trying his best to help Sam as best he could. The difficulty was that I could not feel anything. I could not tell if I was making any progress because of the epidural and I prayed that everything would work out alright.

After Eli was born, Sam discovered that he had lots of space and room to move. He decided to turn himself completely around. My Doctor some how (and I am so thankful I had an epidural!) quickly turned Sam around inside me. Don't ask how he did it - you don't want to know and I can't bring myself to tell you! I then pushed and pushed and got Sam out in record time. He came out quickly and easily. He arrived 20 minutes after Eli. He was healthy, super cute and gorgeous. When I held him after he was born I was so thankful and grateful that he had made it alive. I was teary to see that both of my boys had made it out safe and that I could hold them both in my arms. My Doctor even now years later remembers his birth so clearly, he says he was so scared that Sam was not going to make it.

Sam on the left, Eli on the right

I was able to take the two boys into my hospital room, healthy and complication free to spend the next couple of days and nights with me. I sat on my hospital bed many nights just staring at them, still almost in disbelief that I had two healthy boys who were mine to raise and love. I am so, so thankful that we could stay for our short visit there and that they could come home with me after several days. 

Both boys weighed over 6 pounds and were about the same in weight and length. Sam had very little hair and Eli had slightly more hair with a cute natural spike on top. Matt and I and the other kids totally adored them and we just loved having them in our home. It was crazy, it was exhausting but so lovely at the same time.

Sam on the left, Eli on the right

They grew into this:

I mean seriously...are they just too cute or what?
Eli on the left, Sam on the right.

I really enjoyed this age and we totally smothered them with hugs and kisses. Of course I had no idea just how much trouble those gorgeous smiles were going to cause when they turned 2. We managed to survive it...just!

Sam on the left, Eli on the right.

Sam and Eli today. Still full of smiles, still gorgeous, happy and healthy and so much fun to be with.
Love these boys. I hope you enjoyed reading a little more about them and thanks for being patient. So much for keeping it short!