This is quite a self indulgent post as I am having a bit of a down day. To cheer myself up I have been looking back through photos of the past few months and finding those that I think portray me … Continue reading
Category Archives: Prematurity
Reasons to be Cheerful Week 2
This week has been tough for me as David has been away at BETT 2011 promoting Zu3D. I am very grateful for the help I have had from my wonderful MIL and fabulous best friend but I have missed David … Continue reading
Reasons to Be Cheerful 1 2 3
Today I am joining a Blog Hop – new terminology for me and an exciting idea. This has been started by Mummy from the Heart and you can read more about her and the idea here http://mdplife.blogspot.com/p/reasons-to-be-cheerful.html Mummy from the … Continue reading
Are you stressed out right now? (If so, why? If not, why not?)
The short answer is yes or at least I feel stressed much of the time. This feeling comes from time or lack of it, and deciding how best to use it. I am loving being a Mum but 5 months … Continue reading
2011
And so 2011 has begun! This is a very special year for me as in the next 12 months I will see my younger sister get married, get married myself and celebrate Esther and William’s first birthday. I am feeling … Continue reading
Becoming Mum!
3rd January 2011 What’s the single most important thing you accomplished in 2010? Without doubt it is becoming and being a Mum of twins. In January 2010 David and I started our fifth cycle of ICSI in the hope of … Continue reading
Thank You William Harvey! You Saved Our Lives!
2nd January 2010
Name someone who deserves more credit than they get. And for bonus points, how to change things so they get more
This is an easy one! The staff at William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, Kent. Particularly a midwife named Fiona and the whole NICU/SCBU team, each and everyone of them provide care above and beyond their call of duty. And I thank them all from the bottom of my heart.
On the 10th July 2010 I was rushed into the William Harvey Hospital. I was almost 26 weeks pregnant and feared the worst. I was losing my babies. We were taken straight to the Labour Ward where it was discovered very quickly that actually the babies were fine, the problem was with me. I was given steroid injections to mature the babies’ lungs just in case I did go into labour, but that wasn’t to be. Not yet. It took 2 days of agonising pain and absolute fear for my fiance before I was operated on for a twisted bowel. Before this stage he was sure that we were going to lose the babies and there were times when we thought that I might die. I wanted to die rather than have anything happen to our babies.
The surgeon miraculously cut me from just below my chest bone to just below my belly button without disturbing the twins. It took me 10 long days in hospital and a blood transfusion to begin to recover from the op. I was nil by mouth and then had to drink yoghurt drinks before being reintroduced to solids. My whole body was swollen from pregnancy and water retention. I was on oxygen and in and out of consciousness. I was a mess! I stayed two days in ITU before being kept on the labour ward for 8 days where my care was overseen by Fiona. She was amazing, really looking after not only me but my fiance too. Everyone who cared for us was wonderful and steered us through a very rough sea. After 12 long days I was allowed to go home. Everyone wished us well and said they would see us again in 13 weeks for the babies to be born. 72 hours later we were back and this time I was in preterm labour and I was terrified. Once again Fiona was there, this time to welcome our children in to the world. It was so fitting that she should be there to welcome Esther and William.
I went home from hospital just hours after the birth but at 27 weeks gestation it was without my babies. For 59 long days and nights they were cared for by the fabulous doctors and nurses in NICU/SCBU. This expert team cared for our babies and also looked after me as I adjusted to life as not just a mum, but a mum of twins and extremely premature twins at that. You can read about them in this blog and understand what a fabulous job they do for very little recognition or thanks.
Thank you to everyone at William Harvey Hospital, Ashford, Kent. Thank you for helping my family get such a fantastic start and for supporting us, giving the babies time to grow bigger and stronger before we brought them home. Thank you x
2010 in review
The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health: The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow. Crunchy numbers A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. … Continue reading
RSV Updated for 2011
10.11.11 So many babies I know are affected by RSV at the moment. Some are having to use inhalers, some need home oxygen support and others have been admitted to hospital and in severe cases ventilated. Please take a moment … Continue reading
Where do the weeks go?
28.10.2010 Unbelievably we have now been home for over a month and the twins are 3 months old. They will be 14 weeks old on Saturday. The last few weeks have flown by in such a blur of feeding and changing … Continue reading