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KATE ANN (5lbs 11) and AIDEN SIMON (6lbs 4) arrived safely on Monday July 16th at 3:53pm and 3:55pm.

At the Dr's

Throughout the weekend I was feeling very uncomfortable. My swelling was bad and movements were so restricted. My breathing was laboured and I felt stretched to breaking point. It really felt like my body had had enough, the weight of the babies was too much to carry.

 During the night I had my usual insomnia. I only got 3 hours sleep and had to go to a morning appointment at the Specialist for a growth scan. I rang the Dr's and asked if I could pop in to have my blood pressure checked as I had a gut feeling that I may have developed pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure, swelling, protein in the urine...a potentially harmful/fatal condition that needs to be treated). Somehow I drove the car to the office and had to park a distance away. I hoisted myself out of the car and started my waddle. Sure enough it starts to rain. What was I going to do? Nothing I could do so to add insult to injury I waddle along in the rain.

I had my growth scan and got to see the babies who looked great as always....little did I know I would see them later that day! The Dr said their approximate weights were 7lbs and 6lbs, what was fascinating was that we got to see how accurate they were.

After the scan I took the lift to my Dr's office and went to get my blood pressure checked. I hopped up on the bed and Debbie the nurse said I really looked ready to have the babies. I wholeheartedly agreed! She pumped up the blood pressure cuff and sure enough my blood pressure was high. Looks like these babies will be coming out today she said much to my delight and terror. I was so relieved that I wasn't going to have to keep living like I had been but I started to shake with nerves. Dr Nichols came in and started to discuss the emergency c-section later that day. I went and rang Aaron at work. I told him what was happening and I could actually hear him jump! I had to wait at the Dr's office for Aaron to get there and we had to leave my car where it was. We both said how exciting it was but how very scary at the same time. I rang Mum's work and paged her. Every time the page had gone during the last few weeks off she said everyone wondered if it would be me. Now it finally was. She leapt into a taxi and made her way home.

Mum followed us in her car and we finished packing my bag and rang some people to let them know what was going on. Then we made our way to the hospital.

Click on the pictures to enlarge:

In Hospital

We got settled in my room and the midwife came in to attach me to the monitor to check the babies' heartbeats. I then got changed into a hospital gown ready to go to theatre. Aaron also had to get changed into some "scrubs". The anesthetist came wandering in ready to explain the spinal.  He was an Indian man with great dramatic flair as he explained what would be happening. It would have been so much more entertaining had I not been terrified! He explained that I would feel things, contrary to popular belief, but what I wouldn't feel was pain.  He talked about the sensation as they would pull my stomach muscles apart....by this stage I was turning green. He explained it all with remarkable detail and I must say everything he said was exactly how it was. He ended up being absolutely fantastic and a great support as he explained everything to me ahead of time during the actual procedure. I thought it was a nice touch when he answered his mobile phone whilst still being able to administer me the anti-nausea medication halfway during the procedure!

I lay back in my bed and we set off for theatre. Mum walked with as as far as possible and then we said goodbye. In the theatre we met so many midwives and Drs who introduced themselves at a rapid rate and under no circumstances would I recognise any of them should we meet again, unless of course they were wearing their masks.

Time came to administer the spinal. I had to sit on the end of the theatre table and lean over a clutched pillow trying to round out my back. First the local was administered and this was the part that stung. I had a lovely midwife who held my hand and it was soon over. I didn't feel the big needle going in but I assume it must've because my sensations began to change.

They then hoisted my big fat swollen legs back onto the table and raised up a sheet so we couldn't see what was happening. There was a huge light overhead and should we wish to watch the operation we could see it in the lights. Must admit I only watched them sew me up as I was too freaked out during the rest of the procedure. 

The catheter was inserted and Dr Nichols and her assistant got ready to cut. She checked that I couldn't feel the scalpel much to my delight. Aaron was sitting to my right holding my hand and my anesthetist kept up his dramatic commentary throughout the operation. It was the weirdest and most surreal experience I have ever had. I could feel the pushing and prodding and even the yanking open of the stomach muscles but it didn't hurt. It just made me very tense and I concentrated on staying calm. I could hear Dr Nichols talking to the babies and then she lifted out Kate at 3:53pm who was screaming in all her glory. They lowered the screen so we could see our purple grotty little girl with her placenta still attached. My first thought was that she looked like ET but I daren't say that aloud. They took her aside and quickly bundled her in a massive towel and with everyone ooohing and ahhing they placed her on my chest. It really felt like someone had dumped their laundry on me as all I could see was a bundle of towel. Luckily someone helped me find the baby in there. With her squished up fat face she looked beautiful. At this point I was still trying to hold it together and they whisked her away to get looked at.

Next it was Aiden's turn and I heard Dr Nichols welcoming him into the world at 3:55pm. Once again they lowered the screen and there he was, peeing everywhere! He was taken to the table and checked out and then two bundles of towels were placed on me and Aaron helped me hold them as we both looked at them. Aiden was just as adorable as Kate. Everyone asked us the names and we announced the birth of Kate and Aiden. We did a quick survey of the room about whether it should be Aiden or Aidan. We smiled for all of the pictures and then I started to feel really sick. The anesthetist had explained that this might happen when the morphine kicked in. I felt awful and the lovely midwife held a container in case I was to vomit and she bathed my head with a sponge.  As the anti-nausea drug set in I began to feel better. 

Aaron left with the babies to go up to the special care nursery. I was left listening to the anesthetist who insisted I tell him I was alright at regular intervals. I watched them sew me up which was fascinating (I love medical shows) and then at the very end they rolled me on one side and then the other which felt horrid. Then I was transferred onto a mobile bed and we set off to recovery.

In recovery I got to lay on a slight angle and look at the ceiling and at some of the room that was in my line of sight. I felt fine at this point although perhaps a little off from the morphine. I lay there reflecting on it all and wondering how things were going in the nursery.

Eventually it was time to go back and I was very surprised at how late it was. I thought it was about 5pm but it was 6:30pm. When I got back to the room Aaron came in and said everything had gone well. Their apgar scores were both 8 and 9. They didn't need any medical intervention, not even oxygen. All they had was a bit of warming up in the humidity crib.

The midwife wheeled the babies in and the next phase of our life began!