Laura’s Twin Pregnancy – James & Owen

Laura and George, parents to  2 year old Zoe, were thrilled to discover they were pregnant with twins in the autumn of 2017. 

Pregnancy

We had a smooth pregnancy, but a bit of a journey to get pregnant in the first place. I have endometriosis and needed to take medication as a fertility aid, it was a similar story for my first pregnancy with our daughter Zoe.

We knew there was an increased chance of multiples with the fertility medication, but we didn’t think it would actually happen to us!

We’d had a miscarriage after having Zoe, so hearing the news that we were expecting twins was equally thrilling and scary, I cried with happiness and shock!

 

Choosing an Obstetrician

Our obstetrician Dr Binh Ly came highly recommended due to his speciality with multiples and high risk pregnancies; and the fact he delivered at Jessie McPherson Private, who I was told had the best facilities for twin births due to their location at Monash Health.

Binh has been nicknamed “The Magician” by my husband George, who was in awe of how incredible he was whilst delivering James and Owen. We could not recommend him highly enough. Binh is pro-natural births and because I’d had such a fantastic natural birth experience with Zoe, I was keen to do the same with the twins if medically possible.

 

Choosing Jessie McPherson Private

Being pregnant with twins meant that we had to carefully consider our hospital choice as many hospitals don’t cater to twins born prior to 36 weeks. For us, the most important thing was accessibility to the best facilities for our twins, should they need additional care and support.

Jessie McPherson was the clear choice, even with a 40 minute journey to get there.

 

 

Birth Experience

I managed to get to 38+5 weeks with the boys. By 37 weeks I was counting down the hours to my induction date, it was very tough on my body towards the end of the pregnancy.

The induction was a straight forward process and we waited a number of hours for my body to respond, I was well and truly ready to meet the boys!

I had a vaginal birth which was incredible. Owen (Twin A) was head first but posterior and James (Twin B) was both breech and posterior. Once Owen was born, he was put straight on my chest and as I held him, I had to keep pushing for James!

Binh worked for what felt like a long time trying to turn James (it was only a few minutes) but in the end he was born upside down and back to front!

I had both boys on me straight away for that crucial skin to skin time, which I feel so blessed to have had, as it’s not always possible especially in multiple births. James breastfed straight away and Owen looked around for a while before having his first feed.

I was tandem feeding the twins within 20 minutes of giving birth, a truly beautiful and memorable moment for me as a new twin mum.

I had incredible support from the midwives in the birth suite. I’m especially grateful to Annabelle and Amelia who recommended I express colostrum before giving birth, this became important later when one of the twins’ sugar levels dropped dangerously low.

The birth wasn’t without drama, a student midwife who had witnessed the entire birth fainted next to my bed. A code blue was called and a whole new team entered the room. The midwife was fine again quite quickly, but it is certainly a moment to remember!

 

Post-Natal Care

I had a fantastic double room on the ward, lucky as there were four sets of twins born on the same night. My care was second-to-none and I had incredible support from the midwives.

I’d had gestational diabetes during the pregnancy so the boys’ blood sugar levels were being monitored. James showed some early signs of low levels. We had to do mixed breastmilk and formula feeds, and constant blood tests under the paediatricians care.

It was a few days before he stabilised and it was largely due to the hard work and organisation put in by the midwives that got me and him through!

With George looking after our toddler at home over night, I was often on my own managing the twins. So, my reliance on and relationship with the midwives was especially important and I couldn’t have asked for better support.

Midwife Sarah was my saving grace and helped me establish tandem feeding before I left the hospital. Sue, I will always remember for helping me get organised before being discharged.

I remember having only one hour sleep in 24 hours and Sue coming to my rescue. Taking both boys during her shift just to give me a much needed sleep in between feeds, I felt so comfortable with my boys in her care.

These ladies went well beyond the expected level of care and I will be eternally grateful for their support during such an emotionally and physically exhausting time.

 

Life with James & Owen

At 7 months old the boys, although not the best sleepers, are laughing, almost crawling, and eating three meals a day and they still love their breastmilk feeds as much as ever.

Our daughter Zoe loves her brothers and they love her attention and constantly entertain one another.

The boys couldn’t be more opposite in appearance, personalities and habits which has been so interesting to watch as they grow!

Life is beautifully chaotic with my three gorgeous children and I feel blessed and honoured to have been chosen to be their mum. Our hearts are full and we are so grateful to everyone involved in their pre and post-natal care.

 

 

 

Find out more about Jessie McPherson Private and discover why we are the safest place to birth for all pregnancies, both high and low risk by booking on a Maternity Tour here.

Discover more about Dr Binh Ly, including contact details for booking in, here.