On Sunday 20th March around 10:30pm I awoke and got up to go the the bathroom. As I stood up from the bed I felt a gush of water. My first thought was my waters had broken and I yelled out to Craig to wake up. As I sat down the water stopped, I also wasn't in any pain so I thought perhaps I was getting a little excited . Craig got up and rang the birth suite. I talked to the midwife who was also unsure what was happening but told us to come in and get checked out. Before we left I packed the last items into my bags and rang my mum to let her know we were on the way to the hospital.
When we arrived at the hospital we got a park close to the maternity ward so we walked up to the birth suite and met the midwife I had talked to on the phone. She took us to one of the birthing rooms where she asked me to pee in a cup.I was then hooked up to the CTG machine to monitor the babies and check for contractions. She left us in peace while she waited for the obstetrician to return from a c section that was currently underway. We turned the TV on but couldn’t really watch it as we were unsure what was happening. The midwife came back in around 10 minutes later to check the trace but the paper had jammed- so she had to start all over again. I wasn’t at anytime concerned about the babies as we could hear and monitor their heartbeats on the trace- they also started kicking and moving around again after a few hours of quiet time.
About 20 minutes later the obstetrician arrived to examine me, this part was extremely painful and she was surprised to find my waters had broken and I was 2cm dilated. At this stage she tried to persuade me to attempt a vaginal birth as she needed another obstetrician to assist with the c-section and would have to call her boss in given no other staff were available at this time of night. I stuck to my guns and insisted on a c-section, she then went to ring her boss and mentioned that it would probably take place first thing in the morning.
Craig returned to the car to collect my bags and during this time the obstetrician returned and said that I would be having my babies in ½ an hour. I was pretty amazed that things were happening this quickly, she inserted a cannula into my hand and somehow it managed to leak blood all over me and the bed. Craig then returned to find me covered in blood which I think freaked him out a little- I found it mildly amusing. Next the anesthetist arrived and we talked a little about the operation and the risks involved. We needed to wait for the results of my bloods as my platelets had been dropping in the previous three weeks and were now at borderline levels for a epidural or spinal block. The anesthetist was running with the scenario that my platelets were okay so he went away to complete all the paperwork. I think by now it was about midnight and the midwife needed to gather additional staff to assist in the operating theatre. Two midwives were required for the babies, two obstetricians were required to perform the c section, a pediatrician was required as well as the anesthetist and three theatre staff.
After the staff were in place the anesthetist returned to let me know my platelets were good and I would be having a spinal block. I was then wheeled down to the lift and we made our way to the operating theatre. Craig had to wait outside and it seemed like I was waiting forever as the theatre had to be prepped for my surgery. It was the emergency theatre so all the operating staff were running around draping and sterilising everything. When the anesthetist was gowned and scrubbed he came over to insert the local anaesthetic for the spinal block. The midwife and theatre staff helped me get into the right position and I felt a hot prick as the needle went it. After what seemed like ages the spinal block was inserted, I don’t recall feeling it go in but knowing it was in- I asked when it would happen and he said it already had. Next I was lowered onto the bed where I had to stretch out both hands- some iv fluids and drugs were inserted into my cannula while a pulse meter was slipped over my finger. I also had sticky pads attached to my chest with wires. They also placed compression socks on which pumped up and down. One of the theatre staff got some ice and started running it down my body and asking me if I could feel it. I knew this was the test to see if the spinal was working and I started freaking out when I could feel it on my stomach and pelvis but not the coldness. She said this means it has worked. My obstetrician arrived sometime during all this and came over to say hello. She then returned to start prepping my stomach.
Next thing Craig came in and sat next to me, the anesthetist and him tried to distract me with small talk and the anaesthetist stroked my hair. The theatre staff then erected the drapes and I knew it was time to begin. I kept freaking out that I was about to feel the cutting, I think by the time I had this thought they had already cut through and were ready to deliver twin A. I remember some intense pressure and pulling and the next thing I heard an almighty scream and the screen was lowered so Craig and I could meet our daughter Darby. She was then given to the midwife for checking. In what seemed like an eternity where the top of my stomach was pushed so hard I started yelling twin B was born. She also started screaming and the screen was lowered so we could meet our daughter Remy. At this stage Craig was asked to go over and be with the babies, he cut both cords and he and the midwives returned to me with Remy and Darby for a quick cuddle. They then all exited to the nursery while the obstetrician checked my organs and started stitching me back up. I had intense pressure during this time and kept saying how hard it felt, I also started to regain feeling in my toes and feet and was freaking out that they wouldn’t finish in time and I would start feeling it. I told the anesthetist that I could feel my toes and he put something in the drip. After I was stitched up the theatre staff remained to take my observations. I started shivering, a side effect of a spinal. Next I remember them ringing up to the nursery and trying to locate a wardsman to take me up. Because of the time of night only one could be found so one of the theatre staff volunteered to assist. Next thing I was being wheeled through a dark hospital into a lift and into the nursery........
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