On Mothers Day (6th March 2016) I found out I was pregnant, at 3 weeks gestation. My husband and I had decided to start trying for a baby in January 2016, but he ended up being away offshore until February. We predicted that perhaps sometime in early 2017 we would be pregnant with our first baby, and maybe a few years after that baby number 2 once we had moved to a bigger home and so on...yeah right!
After the positive pregnancy test I got my booking appointment with the midwife arranged.
( See what happens at those first appointments - click here )
It seemed like an eternity before that appointment which was booked for 9 weeks into the pregnancy.
(At the booking appointment this can last up to an hour, you get a set of blood tests done to check your blood group, immunity, and haemoglobin levels etc), youll also get your maternity notes and fill them out, along with basic information on what to eat/not eat, making sure you're taking folic acid, and so on. - I was already taking folic acid along with a pregnancy multivitamin daily).
My tests at 3 weeks pregnant, yes I did two. Little did I know life would soon become #twoofeverything
So, in the mean time i had booked a private scan for 9 weeks along, as reassurance, and also because my husband was due to be offshore for the 12 week dating scan at the hospital.
We visited Pams Baby Scan in Norwich , which turned out to be money well spent!
Two heartbeats were immediately visible on the screen with two tiny kidney bean and grape sized beings , a moment I'll never forget. All i could do was giggle in disbelief and Andy & I were literally lost for words. It is from that day on April 14th 2016 that our journey truly began...
My 9 week twin pregnancy ultra sound, complete with 2 heartbeats
My 9 week twin pregnancy scan. The small round object to the left of one baby is a yolk sac, that they feed from until the placenta has developed in the weeks that follow.
More Scans...
My next scan was at 13 weeks along, at the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital. It was here I found out that I was having a Monochorionic Diamniotic (MCDA / MODI) twin pregnancy. This information was important to find out ( by routine ultrasound scan & an internal scan) as it determined how many scans and hospital appointments I needed!After the scans at the hospital, I also had an antenatal clinic appointment each time, checking blood pressure and seeing a hospital consultant/registrar. I was advised to start taking a daily aspirin by my consultant to reduce my risk of pre-eclampsia later on in the pregnancy. The risk of pre eclampsia is higher in a multiple pregnancy, so twin mums are now advised to take a small aspirin daily. It must have worked because my blood pressure stayed great throughout.
With an MCDA pregnancy you get scanned every 2 weeks during the early stages to monitor for any signs of Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS). More information on TTTS can be viewed on the Tamba website. Click here. Luckily the babies sailed through with no problems.
The 18 week scan was probably the most exciting for us, as we chose to find out the gender of the babies, primarily so I could start shopping for pink or blue!! Even if we didn't want to know, it was pretty obvious at the scans that followed!
So if you want a surprise, make it clear, or don't watch the screen when they're doing femur length measurements!!
My 20 week twin pregnancy scan. George (left) & Thomas (right)
The scans and antenatal hospital appointments continued, as did the midwife visits as advised. I was very well looked after and monitored throughout. At my 34 week scan, a delivery plan was made.
All along, my preference was for an elective Cesarean section. I had read around the subject quite a bit and felt with a monochorionic (single placenta) pregnancy, it was the quickest and safest way to get my babies here. However, there is no right & wrong answer when it comes to deciding your delivery. Read up on the subject , and make an informed decision for what is right for you.
I was booked in for my pre-op appointment, and two rounds of steroids to help strengthen the babies lungs prior to delivery at 36 weeks. I had dexamethasone injected with a 24 hour gap in between the two injections. Yes, they do sting a little bit, mainly afterwards, but its one of those things that have to be done...I asked to lay down for these injections and recommend it :)
In the UK they aim to deliver MCDA twins by 36 weeks, as studies have shown that the placenta begins to struggle after this point and the increase of the babies being stillborn increase. (National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines- click here)
Pregnancy Symptoms
I was so so fortunate not to have any 'typical'symptoms that goes along with a twin pregnancy at the beginning. So there was no inkling that there were twins in there.
There wasn't one time that I was sick throughout the whole 36 weeks. I will admit , from week 28/29 the fatigue was something else. Growing two human beings was exhausting and the tiredness couldn't compare to anything, not even the weeks that followed their birth!
I never got heartburn, stretch marks or acne, in fact I never really felt pregnant until my bump was showing at 20 weeks plus.
Maternity Leave
I left work at 29 weeks, primarily because I couldn't continue to do my job (sitting behind a dental chair as a Dental Hygienist), and I thought that perhaps the babies may come early, as in many twin pregnancies.
I'll never forget those blissful few weeks before the babies arrived. All I did was nap and head out for lunches with friends and my husband, and shop online! I treasured every moment as I knew life would never be very different in the weeks to come...
What to expect at the caesarean pre-op appointment:
-Confirmation of your op date & time to get there for on the day
-Explanation of what will happen on the day
-Ranitidine anti acid tablets given to take on the morning
-Fasting instructions given
- Blood pressure readings
-Blood tests
-Weight measured
- Meetings with possibly your surgeon/anaesthetist/midwives and consent forms signed
-Steroid injections if prescribed (I had dexamethasone administered twice, 24 hours apart), to speed up babies lungs development.
-information leaflets given - mine included what to pack for hospital/visiting hours/car parking info etc
View my hospital packing list here
