My birth story... by Wendy

There I was playing golf every weekend at the age of 39 (handicap of 17 after 3 years), enjoying life but knowing in the back of my mind I would not be complete without having children. When I found out I was pregnant I happily trotted off to the doctors. The nurse we saw could not find a heart beat that would stay still, she thought it was one baby swimming around. The Doctor tells me to pretend I don't know my dates and sends me for an early scan. She must have an inkling as her parting words are "I don't want you to have the shock later on if it's twins". I think absolutely nothing of what she said and call Paul and tell him the good news we are having "a" baby.

Being older first time parents we take the news in our stride and I go to the first scan with my sister because Paul cannot get the time off work. Well don't we get a surprise when we see the picture on the screen (left).  I laughed with hysteria. I then called Paul and told him to sit down. He went very quiet and then said some swear words in shock. We were both laughing now with hysteria.

From day one until 7 months I had sickness all day every day, the only time I did not feel sick was when I slept. So bed time was 7.30pm most nights - poor Paul. Apart from the sickness, I had no complications whatsoever and was a good girl with food and alcohol (I had given up smoking 3 years before). Not because I was trying to be good, mainly because I just could not stomach anything remotely bad (weird how nature takes over) and the strangest thing I wanted to eat was yogurt and custard mixed !! Yuck!

Paul and I had a 4d scan in colour with The Carpenters cd playing in the background. It was fantastic !Paul then turned to me and asked me if he could find out the sex of the babies. Although not entirely happy, I decided that he could not play much part in this pregnancy so I could at least give him that. The babies were scanned again and we were having two girls! I worked until I was 36 weeks, I finished on the Friday thinking great got a whole week or two to myself before the babies arrive, but Oh No, - the girls had other plans! They were coming at 36 weeks 4 days, so Monday night my waters broke, and with a very big towel to stop the water going everywhere I trotted into the lounge very calmly and told Paul to take a shower as we were going to hospital.

Of course he ran around flapping but I managed to calm him down (!!) and he had a shower. 10pm we arrived at the hospital. By 1am the midwife told Paul to go home - the babies would arrive in the morning. But once again the girls had other plans. At 2am I am pacing up and down the corridors drinking water with contractions every 5mins. 3am I am still walking around on my own. 4am I go back my bed and the midwife decides to check if I have dilated ….mmmm she says 6cm I think we should call Paul. Between 5am and 7am I had contractions after contractions which I did not find too painful, more like a bad period. I had been given some great advice by a friend :

1. Take raspberry leaf tea after 32 weeks it prepares the uterus, Nigerian women swear by it.

2. Breath, oxygen to the uterus helps ease the pain.

By 8am I have been 10cm for some time but there is no-one for theatre until 9am, so I hang on til 10am. After pushing and panting for an hour , with no pain killers and no gas and air,  Holly was born 5lb 9oz and then 21 mins later Katie appeared weighing 5lb 4oz. They were both asleep not a whimper until they gave them the Vitamin K jab in the leg and all hell let loose. We love the girls unconditionally but it can be very lonely and hard work being parents to twinsThanks for reading,

Wendy
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