When BIANCA met LACHLAN & SOPHIE
CW: This story involves infant breathing difficulties.
My waters broke at 4:22am on Monday 21st October 2024 and I was so excited my babies had choosen their own birthday. I text my midwife, Amanda and tried to go back to sleep but only lay in bed holding my youngest’s hands and stroking her hair knowing this would be our last time together with her as my youngest. By 5:30am I was too excited and had to tell my husband, Andrew that my waters had broken but nothing much else was happening. He went and tidied up a few loose ends with work and I went to cancel a few appointments and things I had coming up in the week.
We had my wonderful mother in law come around about 7:30am to help with packing lunches, getting the girls out of the house and off to school/daycare. While she was there I had a few mild contractions but nothing to write Amanda about.
Once they were gone I got into my birth robe (the same one I had worn for my other two births) and did a general freshen up. At 8:00 I got on the birth ball and tried to concentrate on the contractions to get a feel for how for along I was. Andrew filmed me for a minute while I was on the ball having a contraction, staring blankly into our backyard then seemingly out of no where telling him that I sang to the babies the night before. Which I had. I’d sung them the same song my dad used to sing to me and had a chat to them while rubbing oil and clary sage on my belly letting them know they could come now, we’re ready for them.
After about 10 minutes the waters had made quite a mess of the towel I had on the birth ball so I decided to go for a shower where I was having what felt like mild contractions and yelling at my husband to do random stuff around the house like strip the spare bed as well as practical stuff like put towels in the car.
By about 8:30 I decided I wanted to be with my team (Amanda, student midwife and photographer) who I thought my husband had organised to be there at the hospital already waiting. So at about 9:05am I popped my sunnies on and stepped out of the house only to realise as I crossed the threshold that I had also transitioned and had the urge to push. It happened so quickly I thought I might not be able to walk down the stairs that are two steps from our backdoor. Andrew walked in front of me to help me down the stairs and to the car. Once I got to the car I realised baby was coming, and fast! I kneeled on the front passenger seat and held onto the head rest to keep myself upright.
We hadn’t even left the garage when I had a change of mind and thought we better stay home, maybe that’s where baby wanted to be born but then I figured we’d come this far, let’s just get there as the hospital is only about 9 minutes from our house which felt way more achievable that walking back up the stairs.
“Let’s just go” I said to Andrew and he did so well to remain calm and drive as smoothly as he could. He called the hospital at 9:10 to let them know we were about 5 minutes away and would need someone to meet us in the car park. He then called Amanda who heard me in that pushing, grunting stage and suggested we pull over and call an ambulance. “Keep going” I said and I began to tap into my breath, using it to control bubs decent as much as possible. Little breathes. I remember I could see other cars around and thinking “don’t look” and then looking down at the floor of the car trying to get back into birth brain rather than my thinking brain.
We arrived at the hospital where we were met by two hospital midwives and Amanda with a wide seat wheelchair. I have no idea how I got out of the car but I knelt on the wheelchair as I could feel baby’s head right there basically being held in by my underwear. Andrew wheeled the chair and one midwife held my perineum/baby’s head as we ran through to the “twin birthing room”. Once we got into the room the midwife cut my underwear off and baby one flew out, I didn’t even have time to take my sunglasses off!
I whipped my dress and sunnies off as they passed him through to me and I cried with joy that it was a boy and looked straight at my husband who remained stoic as ever, holding back his elation at having a boy or maybe just in shock from what had just happened too. I sat down in the end of the bed with him and just laughed, I couldn’t believe how quickly things escalated!
I lay back on the bed and they did an ultrasound to see if baby 2 was head down. Which they were and I knew they were so wouldn’t have consented to this being done had I not been in so much shock and holding my first son in a love bubble. I remember the OB trying to lift my belly to get wand down low enough to see and me saying ouch! Then him asking hubby to lift my belly for him. Again, had I not been in such a vulnerable position I would have ripped my husband arm off!
Amanda was taking photos and video of as much as she could because my photographer and student midwife had not made it and nor would they. My photographer was overseas and was due back in the country the next day and her back up was at another birth. There was 18 births in that hospital alone that day. Amanda knew how much I want to capture these last births of ours so she just jumped right in. I’m so grateful she did because I’ve watched the birth of my daughter back about 1000 times. The camera roll goes from me on the birth ball at home to holding our son laughing in the hospital 😆 I’ve relived the birth everyday since.
One minute after I birthed Lachie the OB stated they wanted to do CTG, put in an IV and break my waters (the trifector 😑) to which I said no while still laughing. The midwives were actually surprised when I consented to intermitant oscaltation (Doppler). Not that it was much use because by that time every time they went to get a reading I’d have a contraction. Amanda and the hospital midwives did what they could to clear the room and keep to my birth plan as much as possible. We managed to bring in my birth bag which had music, two birth combs, beautiful beads from my girlfriends we put together on my mother blessing weekend away, a rebozo, fairy lights, lip balm, heat pack…but it all sat in the corner untouched. I really only used my breath. The power of our breath is so underestimated!
I handed Lachie over to Andrew and they had skin to skin while he stood right by my side through the birth of twin 2. The hospital midwife Anne, raised the bed for me and I used that to lean forward on while contracting. About 30 minutes into labouring with Sophie I wanted to break her waters so laid on the bed and had them broken, in hindsight maybe I was transitioning but maybe my body and baby were telling me to hurry up for whatever reason. Once the waters had broken the contractions came on HEAVY. It was a white knuckle moment of holding on to the bedrail. I remember thinking I didn’t want to be on my back but couldn’t move because the contractions were so intense. Anne suggested I feel my baby and that was so powerful. I was able to gain control back and breath baby’s head out slowly then with the next contraction Anne guided her out and straight up onto my chest. I announced it was a girl and starting rubbing her vernix covered back with my hand as she was a bit purple. The paediatrician came and rubbed Sophie too, squeezing her little lungs to get the air in. Sophie was crying but I wasn’t sure she was getting air in. The midwife asked if they could take her and put her on the resusitation table to clear her breathing. She was on the table for about 30 mins but responded really well and quickly. She was almost crawling off the table at one point!
I had Lachie and was trying to get contractions started again by breastfeeding but his mouth was just so little. I got up and went to the bathroom to try and release but still nothing.
The midwife who had held Lachie in while we were wheeled up came in to congratulate us and offered some acupressure to get contractions going which I took up. She pressed down hard into the spot between my neck and shoulders and almost immediately contractions started again. I birthed the fused placenta in one big push.
I had a second degree tear which I was unsure about getting stitched up. The midwife found a mirror for me so I could make an informed desicion about what to do and I decided to get the stitches which was the worst part of it all but really help speed up the healing process.
We spent the rest of the day hanging out, eating Vegemite toast and drinking hot drinks. Babies and placenta got weighed and measured. My mother in law came and bought the colostrum from home and met her last grand babies before going and picking up our girls Chloe and Bonnie. Amanda left after helping us with logistics and navigate what would happen next. We decided on names and messaged a few key people. Then tried to debreif what had just happened?! We went from being parents of two to being parents of 4!
I left the hospital the same way I came in 😎
We got home at about 5pm that day and introduced our girls to the twins. They were so surprised and excited to finally have their babies home.
I’m breastfeeding them both (tandem when I can) and Lachie is getting bottle top ups from Andrew which has been so nice for him for bonding and for me to have help through the night. It’s made the sleeplessness much more bearable. Andrew is lucky enough to be able to take six months off. I don’t know if I’d be able to do it without him. More support for twin parents is needed and supporting women to have twins vaginally is my mission.
What do you wish you knew before birth?
I wish I knew I could say no, that everything was my choice. I wish I knew what I know now the first time round. I wish I’d hired a doula rather than an OB.
If you could, would you do anything differently?
For the twins birth I wish I had of stayed home.
What did your partner do that really helped during labour/birth?
He backed me 100%. Whatever I wanted was what was the safest option for us and he understood that. He never left my side the entire time and had complete confidence in me.
What advice/honest truth would give a mama-to-be about birth?
It’s your body, your birth, your baby. Take responsibility for it, invest in good education and enjoy it! It should be the best day of your life.