Welcome Oliver and Louie: The Birth Story

Now the baby blues have gone (what's with them by the way?!), I have managed to gather my emotions to sit down and write Ollie & Louie's birth story! It's not massively exciting as it was planned a couple of weeks in advance so we knew when it would be happening!

If you follow me on Instagram, you'll be aware that as Twin 1 (Ollie) was a footling breech throughout the whole pregnancy, I had to have a planned caesarean.

13th July 2015

We had a scan and a consultant appointment at 34 weeks pregnant to check measurements and positions etc of both twins. Everything was great with the boys but Ollie was still presenting breech so it was decided that we would be having a caesarean section.

I asked if the consultant would be able to give us a date there and get us booked in or if we would have to wait until our 36 week appointment. She took out her diary and said, 'how is Wednesday 5th August for you?'. I was slightly disappointed with that date as it would mean I would be 37+3 and I just wanted them out as early as possible! Anyway, this was the earliest they could do it so I said book us in! Nathan was sat next to me and went slightly pale; it was as if it had actually hit him that these babies were coming out! 

27th July 2015

At 36 weeks, we went back to the hospital for another scan just to check Ollie was still breech and hadn't changed head down; I knew he hadn't so it was a pretty pointless appointment but I went anyway as I wanted any excuse to see the babies again! It was confirmed that he was still breech and so there was no doubt that we would be having a caesarean delivery. 

31st July 2015

Before a planned caesarean (it's called an elective caesarean but I refuse to say I had an elective because it wasn't my choice to have one - I had no safe alternative), you have an appointment with an anaesthetist. In this appointment you see a midwife as well and they both go through the different options and what will happen on the day.

5th August 2015

We actually managed to sleep the whole night and in fact it was one of my best nights sleep during the pregnancy! I think physiologically I knew the pain would be ending the next day and my body relaxed somehow!

We had to be up at the hospital for 7.30am so we got up at 6am just to make sure we had everything in the car and I had packed everything we would need. We picked my mum up on the way to the hospital as well as she was a birthing partner.

When we got to the hospital, we went straight to the delivery suite and they took us into our room; we were in room 9! The midwifes bought in everything Nathan and I would need for in theatre and strapped me up to the monitor to monitor the babies for an hour.

During this time, we also had a visit from the consultant leading the operation and the anaesthetist. They went through consent forms and the risks associated with the operation; if I needed anything to make me nervous, that definitely did!! It was at this point when I asked if we could use the GoPro to film he births but unfortunately we weren't allowed.

Then we were left to chill out for a while and at this point I asked when it would our time. They said they would hopefully be back to get us between 10 & 10.30am as long as there were no emergencies that needed to go in before us! This was a big fear of mine - if there was an emergency, how long would I need to wait? Would I be pushed back to the next day or would they still do it?

As weird as it sounds, I felt so relieved when I saw the anaesthetist's assistant walking down the corridor and into our room as it meant this was it! It was my turn and the end to my pregnancy journey! We walked down to the theatre with my mum and said our goodbyes! This felt really weird to me; I was saying goodbye to my mum before becoming a mum myself!

I was asked to sit on the bed and Nath was given a chair to sit on in the corner while they got me sorted. They put the IV in my hand (which isn't as bad as people make out by the way! I didn't even feel it!). Then it was time to do the spinal.

They asked Nath to come and hold my shoulders while they did it. Now if anyone knows Nathan, they will know that he is incredibly wimpy when it comes to needles! He was stood holding my shoulders for about 2 minutes and then all of a sudden the colour disappeared from his face. He went and sat back down with his head between his legs and they got him a glass of water.

They administered the spinal; again, no where near as bad as you think!! I used numbing cream throughout the pregnancy for blood tests and injections but wasn't allowed to use it for the spinal - I still didn't feel anything other than pressure from them finding the location. As it went in I was panicking as I thought I was peeing myself! I wasn't - it was just my legs going warm and numb!

They led me down and got me ready to start. The worst part for me was having the catheter fitted. It didn't hurt, it wasn't uncomfortable but I was completely aware of the midwifes lifting my legs apart and putting it in. I just felt really undignified and like everyone was just looking at my private parts!

While this is all going on, I'm led there looking at a still very ill looking Nathan while the anaesthetist is behind me telling the midwifes to remove him from theatre as they can't look after him. I think this made him perk up slightly as, of course, he really wanted to be there to see the birth of his sons! He was given a chair closer to me and was able to stay.

All the people in the room went round and introduced themselves to one another so they knew who was who. During this, I said to the anaesthetist's assistant that I didn't want to know when they were going to start. He looked over the screen they put up and said they are already about 5 minutes in! It literally felt like 5 seconds from when he said this to the consultant saying 'the first one is coming now'!

At 10.47am, our 5lb 12oz Ollie was born! He was crying, Nathan was crying, I was crying! I can just remember asking how much hair he had and how much he weighed!

Then at 10.48am, we heard a second cry from our little 4lb 13oz Louie! We didn't actually get to see them as soon as they came out as they took them straight onto the beds so we were both eagerly awaiting our first look at them!

They got Ollie all cleaned and wrapped up and gave him to Daddy! Louie was then put on me for some skin to skin!

With that, we became a family of 4 and our life had changed forever!

Time flew in theatre and we were back in the room by 11.20 to meet nanny! It truly was the best experience of my life and everything went so smoothly for us that I wouldn't have had it any other way! 

Maybe, just maybe, we will have to have another baby just so we can experience it all over again! 

Thank you for reading and sorry it's so long! Please leave a comment or email me if you have any questions to do with an upcoming caesarean or are worried about anything!

Below I have included a few photos from their birth-day!

Bags and everything at the ready!

Wearing my lovely stockings!

Last photo of my swollen feet!

Daddy ready in his scrubs!

Ollie a few minutes old!

Louie a few minutes old!

My boys!