Author: Nicola Rainford
Being diagnosed with increased umbilical cord pressure for one twin.
Our pregnancy was not easy. It started with Twin B being in the 5th percentile for growth. Skip ahead to 24 weeks pregnant and an ultrasound found increased umbilical cord pressure for one twin (Twin B – Logan). We were transferred from Werribee Mercy Hospital to Sunshine Hospital. Here they also found Twin A (James) has craniosynostosis (part of the skull already fused) and Logan was still extremely small. They decided to do an amniocentesis. We feared there were some big chromosome issues with Logan and James. Thankfully this came back all good.
At 30 weeks the increased umbilical cord pressure for Logan, saw extra fluid in his sac. We were transferred to the women’s hospital. At 31 weeks I was admitted to the hospital with threatened pre-term labour, however was discharged after a few days. A couple of days later, the umbilical cord pressure for Logan had gone up again, so they decided I need to stay in hospital until the boys were born. They said this was to be no later than 34 weeks.
On the day I was 33 weeks and 3 days an ultrasound showed more increased umbilical cord pressure for one twin. It was decided that I was to have my boys that day!
Twins born at 33 weeks + 3 days
Our boys were delivered on the 31/518 at 16:41 weighing 1.9 kgs (James) and 16:43 weighing 1.3kgs (Logan) via c-section. Logan required CPAP after delivery and James was doing pretty well.
I had a postpartum bleed of 1.1liters. James was in NICU for 3 weeks and his journey was very smooth. However after being home with him for a week he became so unwell with bronchiolitis he was sent to the Royal Children’s Hospital.
I was also in hospital again with placenta accreta (not picked up during pregnancy). 5 days later James finally came home again. Logan however was in NICU for 5 weeks and was very up and down, he kept dropping his heart rate and oxygen levels all the time and had emergency calls about 2 times a day. Every time my phone rang I was scared of what they would say. Finally we got to bring him home.
We had both our boys home together for a week. Then Logan was taken to the Royal Children’s Hospital with pneumonia and was there for 10 days!
It was an extremely hard time for us but now our boys are doing so well and are happy and healthy. We are now just waiting for James to have a big surgery on his head when he is 8 months corrected.
Twinfo is Australia’s largest, most supportive, online community for parents of twins and triplets. Twinfo offers advice, products and services that make raising your babies easier, freeing you up to enjoy all the precious moments.
You can connect with Twinfo via the Website, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or Etsy.