Author: J Moore
From the moments I was told I was expecting twins it was so surreal. I would never have thought at the time that I would have a viral twin baby momma dance! I was laughing and crying. Crying only because we had planned baby #3 thinking we would be able to be financially stable enough to have “one more”. I didn’t have morning sickness or any big complications but the biggest hurdle for me was my OB. At my 12 week appointment my OB told me that he’d be booking in a cesarean at 37 weeks, after 2 natural births. My friend who was also a twin Mum having hers naturally, I knew it was possible.
However they weren’t giving me any options to have them naturally. I left the appointment in tears and my partner and I vowed to at least try to see if I could find an OB that would help me attempt a natural birth – don’t get me wrong, if the babies were breech I’d take the doctors advice and go for the cesarean, but I wanted the option of natural if everything lined up.
Twin baby momma dance: Having twins in the public system
Being in the public system we really didn’t have many options without paying out of pocket. However there was one junior doctor at one of my many appointments that saved my bacon. At about 27 weeks I was going to my fortnightly doctors clinic, and saw a junior doctor. I ended up bursting into tears in that appointment. When he asked me what was wrong I let it all out. I was scared about being forced into the cesarean. I wanted healthy babies and would do it if needed, but didn’t want it booked in so early. After calming down and talking he told me he would transfer me onto the service of another OB who was the only person in the hospital that successfully helps twin mums have the option of natural IF twin A is engaged. I’d never been more excited and thankful to another person!
Twin baby momma dance: Feeling a lot more at ease
After meeting with my new OB I felt a lot more at ease. I’d have my natural birth with an epidural (you win some you lose some) as long as twin A was engaged. I was 30w at this stage and both babies were breech! I was going to the pool daily trying to get them to turn. At a routine scan at 32w showed that twin As cord flow was slower and had to be admitted to hospital for monitoring. It was scary to think of things didn’t improve then I could be delivering my little cherubs! It was at this stage I went on maternity leave from my job as a supermarket manager.
I had reached my goal of 30w at work but I was in so much pain. Walking was hard I felt like this was the final straw. The next morning at the ultrasound it showed that the cord flow had improved. The baby may of been squishing the cord, but I was fine to go home but come in for ultrasounds every second day. It was hard juggling a 4yo, 2yo and going to all of these appointments, but I managed!
A twin baby momma dance
My friends and I had always joked about doing a “baby momma” dance, and after a vivid dream of giving birth, at 36+5w I decided to do it with my friends! I posted it online and received over 30k views – but later that night I was feeling a pain on my right hand side, like I pulled a muscle. As the night went on it got worse and worse! It got to the stage where I couldn’t move without being in tears. Didn’t feel like contractions, but blinding pain. It was midnight when we called my mum and the maternity ward to let them know I should get checked out. My partner literally carried me to the car as I was in so much pain down my right hand side and every small bump on the way to hospital had me screaming in pain.
Click on the link to watch my twin baby momma dance!!
We got to the hospital and they checked me and I wasn’t turned or dilated. However both of the babies heart rates were all over the shop, slow, fast, slow and fast, and after looking at my history of previous births being less than 2 hours from no dilation to baby being born, the head midwife made a call to get the babies out and called in the team to deliver the babies via cesarean. I was fine with the decision because I wasn’t risking my babies and they were also both breech, it was the safest and only option at the time. I was terrified!
Abigale and Oliver were born
At 4:49 and 4:51am, respectively, Abigale and Oliver were born. We got to hold the babies for a few minutes before being taken away to the Special Care Baby Unit for a check over. I insisted Daddy look after the babies and I’d be fine, and I went to recovery for a few hours. When I got out I had been told Oliver had problems breathing and was being monitored however Abigale seemed fine. Oliver declined over night and had to be placed on CPAP and started on antibiotics. Abigale was on the ward with me and she was very lethargic, hardly feeding, and temperature always .1 or .2° too low.
I didn’t think anything of it as I wanted one healthy baby. However the doctors insisted on placing her in SCBU with her brother and start her on antibiotics as a precaution. I completely fell apart. Was it my fault both babies were in Special Care?!
Abigale had to be flown to Melbourne
My partner took me out to lunch to try and get me to relax when we received a phone call. Abigale had taken a turn and had to be placed on CPAP. There weren’t enough nurses to care for 2 babies on CPAP so Abigale had to be flown to Melbourne. I was heart broken. With two older kids not getting my attention and the twins in 2 locations 2 hours apart, how could I justify my time? Do I go with Abigale? Do I stay with Oliver? I ended up staying home and going to see Abigale every second day.
Seven days post birth I was still in so much pain from my cesarean but ran out of pain medication. I spoke to my doctor that because of my situation I haven’t been resting much and received a few more days worth of pain medication which was a godsend. I kept going between the two hospital and the babies were finally diagnosed with prenatal meningitis. The recovery was slow and by day 15, Abigale was transferred back to our home hospital. By day 24 we were able to go home. We still have to have regular checkups with neurologists and hearing tests. But currently just over a year on, both of the twins seem to be reaching their milestones and are happier and healthier than ever!
I love to look back at the video of my twin momma baby dance. It is such a special memory to have captured.
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