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Mrs GG

Hey

Guess your in the middle of hectic few weeks in NICU, hope all has gone well and your all doing ok. hope to hear from you soon xxDBxx mum to id boys 12 months

http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/p/dev228pf___.png



[Modified by: doublebubble on 29 March 2008 12:19:20 ]

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  • Hi there - lovely of you to check up on me. I've been off-line for a few weeks as it's been pretty hectic since the birth. We had our gorgeous twin girls (identical) on 6 March - weighing in at 3lbs 8oz each. Names of Grace and Elizabeth. The birth itself (c-section) went very well - amazingly quickly actually and I'm recovering well. Unfortunately though it soon became apparent that the girls had a few issues we needed to deal with. Grace was rushed off to another hospital a few hours after birth due to a heart problem, and then a few days later Elizabeth was taken up to a surgical unit in Manchester for an urgent op. It's all stuff that can be fixed and we've got great surgeons helping us out, but it will mean a lot longer stay in hospital that we anticipated. Also it's been extremely hectic as we ended up commuting between 2 hospitals and home (none of which are close to each other). At the beginning we were really upset as we thought that the girls may not make it through - they seemed so little and frail. However, we've turned a corner now I think and things are looking up. They're such little fighters, I'm really proud of them. Can't believe how much I love them already.
    Good news is that they are both now in the same hospital so less driving. Grace needs a heart op but has to get up to 2kg first (she's currently 1.6kg), so we're watching and waiting. Elizabeth is doing really well - she may be home in a few weeks if we can get her feeding properly.
    So overall a rollercoaster of a few weeks! But things are getting there slowly. And I do have my 2 beauties - whenever it all gets too much I just have a cuddle with them and it all seems much better!

    Hope all is well with you xx
  • I have been trying to look out for news about you, but havent heard anything so thought Id better post. Pleased to hear from you and to hear that your girls arrived safe and sound. especially pleased that they are in the same hospital, as sharing your time between twins is hard enough let alone having to drive between hospitals

    May I ask what is wrong with Grace's heart. I met a lady in hospital whose baby only had 2 heart chambers and a leak on the pulmonary artery. She has had two operations but is doing so well, walking (more than the boys are!)etc n she has just turned 12 months. Consultants these days are amazing.

    Are they still being tube fed? I thought tube feeding was scary at first but couldnt believe how quickly it became second nature.

    I remember feeling that everything was really surreal when I was in hospital, its not how you expect to have your first child, so if you want to talk, moan or anything I'm here. I rang twinline in the early days and they were lovely too tel: 0800 1380509.

    Anyway look forward to hearing from you whenever you get a moment. xxDBxx
  • Hi there,
    I can't remember the name of the condition but it's something to do with a valve going into the wrong chamber - not uncommon apparently and something that's treatable so we're trying to stay positive about it. Although it is a bit distressing watching her with her breathing sometimes, geenrally she seems quite settled. She's putting weight on nicely so her op shouldn't be too far off.
    They are both still being tube-fed - I am trying to breastfeed but they're not taking anywhere need full feeds at the moment. I'm finding it quite difficult keeping up with the milk supply through expressing - I never seem to produce enough for the 2 of them! And it's difficult to express everything 3 hours when I'm trying to look after the 2 of them, I always seem to keep missing sessions. Then just this morning I developed mastitis which is making me feel really crappy. Still I'm on antibiotics so hoping it will resolve itself soon. So it's not going that well with the feeding but I'll hang on in there.
    It is surreal in hospital - the nurses are fantastic but I'm finding it hard not being able to hold them both when I want to. You don't feel like the Mum sometimes, more a visitor. I get a bit worried sometimes I'm losing out on the early bonding time with them, did you ever feel like that?
    Anyway nice to chat - thanks for the note.
    xx
  • I understand what you mean about not feeling like a mum, and tbh yes I think i did miss out on early bonding. Because the birth etc was traumatic and first time i met them they were all wired up i never really felt like they were my babies. I never felt that first rush of love. Eeven when i first had them home I did everything for them but it was more on autopilot. I can honestly say that they were a few months old before i really felt like their mum. I think this is true for many traumatic births but when you have two too look after your so busy sometimes you dont get time to enjoy them.

    As for the breastfeeding I found it really hard going in the early days but was pleased i perserved as the convienence of breast feeding at night can never be underestimated. However ready made cartons are also god send at night....def recommend. any way hope all is going well xDBx

    http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/p/dev228pf___.png

  • Hi there
    It's been ages since I last posted - a lot has been happening in the past few weeks so just thought I'd sign in again to update you. Firstly, the good news is we now have both twins home with us image. After 2 long months, we've had them home for about a week. It's lovely to have them here and we're just getting into the new parent routine (sleepless nights and washing machine going constantly!).
    The reason I've been offline is little Grace gave us quite a scare. I think I mentioned she needed to get up to 2kg before she could have her heart operation. Well in the end, she ended up deteriorating very quickly and was rushed up to Alder Hey. She was ok for a few days but we then got a phone call to come up urgently (bearing in mind the other twin was at a different hospital in Manchester). They wouldn't tell us what was wrong so that drive up the motorway was just horrible as we were both thinking the worst. The surgeons met us straight away and basically said that she couldn't wait for the surgery any longer. However, since she was so small they only gave us a 50% chance of survival from the operation. I can safely say I never want to relive that day again, watching her being wheeled off into the operation theatre and not knowing if she would make it was awful. However, make it she did - against the odds I think, the surgeons were quite suprised at how quickly she recovered. She's now back home and putting on weight nicely and the heart is now working as it should be. Heart surgeons are just amazing, I can't believe how they can work on a baby that small.

    So all in all a hectic few weeks, but we now have our little family complete at home and it's lovely. Hope all is well with you.

    xx
  • all is fine now thanks. They're both upstairs sleeping safely in their cot, so we're happy. I'm relieved to not have to be sitting in the special care units any more - it's quite wearing as you know. Plus at the end I had one twin at home & one in SCBU which was a logistical nightmare!
    The only thing I'm a bit sad about is I gave up on the breastfeeding. I couldn't physically do them both since they were apart for many weeks & I had to spend days away from one to be with the other. I tried expressing but I only ever got small amounts and it was really getting me down. The health visitor told me not to worry, basically I'd be superwoman if I managed it after everything. So they're now on bottles which is working fine, but I do feel a bit sad sometimes that I couldn't manage it.



    [Modified by: MrsGG on May 12, 2008 09:44 PM]

  • I think the fact that you expressed whilst going through the trauma of having your girls seperated and then having the stress of Grace not being well is blimmin amazing.

    Im so glad they are both home and doing well and your finally getting to enjoy being a twin mum. If you get a chance (which i know from experience isnt that likely) it would be lovely to see your girls as your avatar. xxDBxx

    http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/p/dev228pf___.png

  • Thanks Crilly. Hubby is supportive of whatever I choose to do - in his words, whatever makes life a bit easier for us at the moment. And I did manage to give them my milk when it mattered, i.e. in the first few weeks. Plus bottle feeding is a bit easier for twins, at least hubby can do one while I do the other!
    Sorry to hear you got PND. Having babies in special care does really affect you, more than I think people realise. My main problem was I didn't feel properly like their Mum as I only saw them a few hours at a time. Or I had to leave one to go and see the other. I managed ok with it in the end though, mainly due to my two little angels. Whenever I had a bad day I used to have a cuddle with them and that really cheered me up. Soppy but true.....

    I do have a cute picture but it's too big to add as my atavar. I'll get hubby to try and resize it and then add it on.
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