POP! Went my waters … twice!

• Preparing for a long wait
• Finally I was getting somewhere!
• It was a mad panic
• Two perfect little babies

On November 3rd 2003, I was admitted into East Surrey Hospital to be induced. I was 38 weeks pregnant with twins.

I arrived at 7.30am and was went straight into a labour ward. At 10.30am, the midwife came round and explained everything that was going to happen and told me that they would be using a pessary to try to start off labour. She examined me and, much to my disappointment, said that she couldn't even feel my cervix so the babies were not ready. This meant that it could be a very long process and I could be sent back home - not something I wanted to hear.

Anyway, they finally gave me the pessary at 2.30pm.

After ten minutes, I started to feel very strange. I had a horrible ache 'down below' and thought I needed the toilet but couldn't go. For the next hour, I was up and down but it just got worse. I decided to have a bath. It was very relaxing until slight contractions started. I didn't really believe that they were contractions because of what the midwife had told me and kept telling myself that I just needed the toilet (only the pressure that I was feeling was stopping me from sitting on the toilet!!)

I got out of the bath with a struggle and Tim was timing the contractions (every five or seven minutes). I went back to bed and when the midwife came I told her what I was experiencing (she was a different midwife - not my one and very stroppy!). She looked at my notes and told me that I had only been given the pessary two hours before and, judging by what was written in the notes, I COULDN'T be in labour! Well, what did she know, the stroppy moo!

When my midwife came she examined me and, again, I was disappointed when she told me that there was not much change. However, she moved me to a proper labour room so that I was more comfortable. I walked to the room, which wasn't very far, and leant straight over the bed in agony. I felt a POP - very strange! My waters had broken and were gushing over the floor. Lovely! I was told to get on the bed for another examination, only two minutes after the previous one! Much to her surprise, and mine, I was 6cm dilated! WAHEY! Finally, I was getting somewhere and was in labour.

The time after that flew by. I was having gas and air and remember the midwives telling me that because twin 'two' was breech, they would have to be born in theatre in case of any problems. They were not worried about the first baby being born but they were with the second. They said that when twin 'one' was out they would immediately do a scan to check the position of twin 'two'. By the time they had got all of that info through to me, in between a contraction every 30 seconds, we were off down the corridor to theatre. It was time to push!

The big scary room was full of people all dressed the same. I couldn't even make Tim out as he had to be dressed the same. I was calling Tim's name out loud and was really scared because of all the people in the room. After 30 minutes of pushing, twin one was born at 8.54pm - a little girl! I didn't get much of a look because it was such a mad panic. Three doctors and four midwives gathered around while one of the doctors did the scan. Twin two had turned around so was lying across my tummy. Exactly what we feared. They also struggled to find the heartbeat and I was shouting at them to show me where it was but obviously they couldn't see one. Thank God they did though after several long minutes. A midwife managed to turn the baby with her hands (on the outside of my tummy!) so that the baby was lying the right way - what the doctors thought was breech!

While a doctor stood at the end of the bed I felt another POP! My SECOND sack of water had broken and went all over the doctor! She went to get changed and to the others the panic was a little over. While everyone seemed to turn their backs to me, I gave one big push and out came my baby boy (head first) at 9.04pm. They just managed to turn around in time so that he didn't go off the end of the table! My babies were born 10 minutes apart.

While my babies were being cleaned up and checked over, I was losing large amounts of blood and had a very slight tear but that got sorted out pretty quick.

My labour lasted four hours and went pretty well. I had a super birth partner - Tim - and couldn't have done it without him. The midwife was also smashing and even stayed past her shift to be with me till the end. To my surprise, she was one of the midwives who saw me when I was in labour with my first baby too!

I named the twins Mia and Zac. Mia weighed 6lb and Zac 6lb 1oz. They are two perfect little babies and I am so proud to have three beautiful children.

Thank you for reading my diary and to those that are expecting twins, good luck. They are delightful. Lovely to watch with one another, to see that special bond/ connection between them is fab ...

Where to next?

• Read accounts of different types of birth
• Read accounts of other caesarean births