37 weeks pregnant with Twins - Home birth here we come!

Excuse the minging mirror!

37 weeks today and it really is the best feeling to have got through to this stage!

I had a presentation scan today and after some moving about from one room to another (couldn't see clearly and they wanted an experienced Twin sonographer) Both were found to be still head down, except the little madam is in OP position. So I've been on my hand and knees and hoping she moves round, which she will likely do :).......... I have every faith!

Twin two's head is literally sitting right between her chin and shoulder, the sonographer commented that it looked  like they were both fighting for lead position! It certainly looked that way! :)


(gross post)
I have honestly never seen so much gunk......... had another massive show today and 3 small amounts, I certainly feel my body is gearing up!

Sleep is interrupted hourly with toilet or cramps, I take this as pre-baby training as I'm sure this will likely continue when they are here ;-)

My feet are swelling daily now (well it doesn't really go down), it's quite mild so just more of an uncomfortable nuisance. I haven't really had a lot of problems in this pregnancy and feel lucky to have gone through it as well as I have so I can't complain!

Everything is ready in the house. The pool has been blown up and propped up against the kitchen wall, my birth box and the hospital birth box is ready too.

Oh and I nearly forgot! we have a lady coming out to collect both placentas after the birth and she's going to make me a smoothie and placenta capsules! We decided we would have someone else do it and she has let us pay monthly to help :) I'm going to have lots of pills from both of these placentas! The smoothie sounds very erm interesting and apparently you can't actually taste it due to all the berries etc that is used, the reports of how women feel after is what has swung me to try it. I will certainly be reporting back when I have had it!

I have a feeling that maybe before my next update they will be here. When I do go into labour I will update my facebook page as it's much quicker, so keep your eye out!

Natasha x

Email from Supervisor of midwives

Thought I would share the email I received about the meeting!

Dear Natasha

I thought I would just update you with what was discussed at a meeting that I attended this morning regarding supporting you in your decision to have your twins at home.

At the meeting were senior community midwives, Supervisors of Midwives, the clinical risk manager, the delivery suite manager, the inpatient services manager (the community midwifery manager is on leave), and *** **** the Head of Midwifery.

With your permission we would like to leave a box of equipment at your house prior to you going into labour. Please do not be concerned at the size of it as some of the equipment it contains is quite bulky. I would like to reassure you that the plan is not to use all that the box contains unless we are faced with an emergency situation. However there will also be some essential equipment and items such a your red books and baby notes within it. I am hoping that either ****** (my midwife), or another member of staff, will be bringing the box before the weekend.

We plan to have 3 midwives present at delivery. One will be a community midwife and the other a hospital midwife who has experience of delivering twins. The third will be a Supervisor of Midwives whose role will be to support the midwives looking after you. I hope that you will be able to accommodate everyone!

Please feel free to contact me if you require further information.

With best wishes

***** *******

So my midwife is coming tomorrow for Antenatal and bringing the box!

I feel a mixture of happiness and then crapping myself at the same time, but I know it will be fine :)

Natasha

36 weeks pregnant with twins! - Scan - (well yesterday)

36 weeks! Really really pleased I've got this far :)

There has been no more contractions but lots and lots of 'show' and I really wish I didn't have to get up 345612 times a night to go loo. But hey they are still in there growing so a few more potential weeks of discomfort is nothing in the grand scheme of things, although I certainly question my thoughts at 3am when the heartburn becomes unbearable and I have to do some sort of 3 point turn to get out of bed......... and I don't drive! ha!

So the scan yesterday went well. Both are head down still... whoop!! (his head was tucked up right near hers!) and all placenta, water checks etc came back normal. They couldn't get all of Twin 1 measurements due to her being "Too low in maternal pelvis" (good girl! she's heading the right way!) and Twin 2 is estimated at 4lb 9. Although I feel it's a teeny bit dinky (but I shouldn't compare!), the measurements were most certainly inaccurate. The sonographer measured them differently to the others (which may have been the only way due to how cramped they are) but the Abdomen measurements were taken from a squished tummy (which you could see) and he didn't get a full view, so I'm really interested to see how much they do come out weighing! None the less I'm 5'5, small build so I'm hardly going to have 8lbers..........

I have been looking into caring for smaller babies in case they are on the very small side, and I can see my sling and boobs being out A LOT! :D (at least I get all the cuddles!)

I also have had the offer from a local mum to have some of her milk stash (I put a post up on HM4HB (Human milk 4 Human babies http://www.facebook.com/HM4HBUK) and the lady who contacted me I already knew! So I feel more relaxed about them possibly needing a 'top up' if I'm unable to pump. :D!! Thank you lovely lady and TINTERNET!

So back to the scan - When all was finished he made the comment "not exactly porkers, but everything is fine" and because I didn't have the Antenatal appointment after (the one that mysteriously didn't get booked.....) I was given my notes and off I toddled!

So for now it's a sit and wait game! I feel like a ticking time bomb and everyone (including many of the mums at the school........ the butcher ........... grocer......the man with the dog......... the postman ha ha) is waiting in anticipation! and I'm here legs firmly crossed or waddling around at 4cms and quite happy to wait a little longer :D !

We have just 6 more days before we are clear for the home birth, let hope they at least hold on for that!!

Natasha x

Preterm labour that very nearly ended up with two early babies and Supervisor of midwives visit

So around midnight on Tuesday the 13th I wake to lower back pain and braxton hicks, and then ended up on the loo with a most definite clear out (nice!). I thought that maybe the pain was from this and went back to bed. Only a few minutes later the back pain came again but it was constant and I kept getting braxton hicks every time I moved. I ended up back on the loo and I just knew I was in labour.

I told Paul and I decided to call the maternity unit (as that's how they started with Charlotte, except my waters broke with her first and I was 5cm already) I explained previous birth and twin situation and she said ring back in an hour, take paracetamol... the usual but then went on to say that actually if in an hour they didn't go or got worse to come straight in.

I had a bath to see if they got worse or stopped.... the got worse! They were also in my lower tummy now as well as my back, so called the unit again and she said come in.

We got ready and my sister came to watch the girls for us. When I got to delivery I was met by a very smiley midwife (it's now 2am wed!) and she was very nice. I was seen very quickly and I accepted an examination. She said I was 4cm (although wrote 3... weird) and then took us to the day room while they got the delivery suite ready. I was getting contractions around every 3 mins or so but then would be irregular in length (some 1-2 minutes and some 30-40 secs) so although I knew I was in early labour I didn't totally feel that this was it.

We got taken to the room and my heart just sank, the room was massive and there was two resuscitaire's in there. It just looked so wrong and I just couldn't imagine them both on one.

I then met the midwife who was going to look after me (and she did) and she read my birth plan, it was amazing to see her facial expressions as I doubt she'd seen anything like it for a twin pregnancy! She gave me the guidelines on some of the points I have on it but then respected that I wanted to be active and we made a compromise on the fetal monitoring. She was lovely and we had a laugh with her, I felt surprisingly very calm about it all and confident it would be ok. The Midwife warned me (yes really lol) that the consultant who was on duty may have a few things to say about my birth plan and to be prepared for her to be a bit funny (which I was anyway).

The consultant came in and was surprisingly not looking like she was about to rip the babies out of me there and then and was very polite. But she really didn't get off to a good start, "so Natasha this is your 3rd pregnancy, 1 csec and 2 vaginal deliveries?" my face must have said it all as she said "no?!" (shocked face) I then said that I have had 4 pregnancies (well on 4th), one I miscarried and I have never had a csec, first was assisted ventouse delivery and the second I birthed at home. The Midwife also relayed this information and said that she must have got me mixed up with the lady next door but yeah she looked like a Dick.

She then went on about my birth plan, and again was very polite and just reiterated what I have been told and read many many times about the "high risk" twin pregnancy and then pointed out that there is a twin study that is going to show that all twin births are safer when having planned csections (yes probably if you get subjected to high amounts of intervention and get scared into thinking your body can't do it's job........... *sigh why can't they work with women) She then tried to convince me to get an epidural (the contractions were more regular then and getting more painful) I said no and then to shut her up said I would consider it, she then said that if I wanted she would get the anesthetist to come and have a chat with me (she would not leave it alone!) and I said no thank you! So then off she went and left me to it. I eventually got a ball to labour on and me and Paul were pretty much on our own, the Midwife was great and just left me to be on my own and just checking every now and then which was fine and I was happy with. The contractions then started to die down but I started being sick so thought maybe things were progressing (although deep down I knew they weren't and it was just from being over tired and still having morning sickness) By 6am they really had tailed off and I asked her to examine me (so I could confirm my own feelings on it being over) she said I was 4cms and agreed that it looked like it had all stopped.

She then went and I was met with a new midwife and again was very nice, they tried to get me to stay but I discharged myself as I knew it was just pre labour and that I still have a little while yet (accept this morning 15/03/12 I had a lot of show eeeek stay put babies!) So I got home Wednesday 10am and my god I felt so poorly and tired.... I slept well last night!

I'm so pleased it stopped and it actually kicked my head into gear about being worried about stupid things and to get a grip ha ha! Although initially I crapped myself when I got home because of how close I was to having them anyway! If I had accepted that epidural I would have ended up being induced and then would have had two very small and very very not ready to come out yet babies!! It's scary how close I was and can't imagine how often this must happen!!!

Now the Supervisor visit :)

It went very well, she was really nice and we just went through my birth plan, changed a few things (which i'm happy with) and my Midwife did the Home birth check. The supervisor said that she will be having a meeting with the Head of Midwifery next week to discuss a plan and I will be able to see a copy of this next week when my Midwife comes out for an antenatal visit. I was so happy that I actually had the meeting as 6 hours prior I didn't think they would be still inside!

I'm looking forward to seeing this plan :)

It seems to be getting more eventful everyday and the closer we get to their birth (whenever that may be!) I just hope they hold until the 26th!!

Natasha xx

35 weeks - Twin Pregnancy

Eeeek 35 weeks!

I feel like I have 'dropped' a bit, you wont see it in the pic but under my top you can really see how low it's hanging there! Twin 1 is burrowing herself right down and I'm sure she has engaged somewhat due to the pelvic pain and full on duck walk!

I've been getting painful braxton hicks, well more ache than pain I guess but uncomfortable and all the pre birth prep is flooding back to me now from DD2s pregnancy. It's quite exciting!

I went to the home birth group and picked up the birth pool as the next meeting I will be nearly 39 weeks and going by my 39 and 37 weekers (and now carrying twins!) I thought it was unlikely I'd make the next!

I'm really happy to see it here as the water helped so much with DD2 and it would be lovely to have them both in water.

My Midwife and the supervisor of Midwives is coming to my home on Wednesday to discuss the home birth. I will update after I've seen them of course ;-)

I also have an Independent Midwife coming the following week as I have invited her to the birth, I thought it would be great for her to see a home twin birth (and quite likely a long time before she sees another!) so will have a chat about whats going to happen and in what way she will be involved but she will be mostly observing I think :)

It feels a little surreal, I'm actually very near the end and over the next 3/4 weeks I will have our two babies. The anxiety about birth is lessening now due to feeling very fed up and over with it! Which is great as it was getting to me a little.

Not much else now to add but will update with more news soon! :)

Natasha x