I was induced at 37+2 weeks with non identical twins following a string of complications – high blood pressure and IGUR (Intrauterine growth restriction) with twin 1. This was during a global pandemic and our hospital was Covid positive with strict visiting guidelines.
My induction was brought forward after another hospital admission with high blood pressure that they could not bring down and keep under control with medical intervention.
I was induced using the gel at 11am on a Sunday morning and was informed not to be hopeful this would work as a first time mum, they could insert the gel 3 times after a 6 hour period each time then we would re visit a different method if needed. I was informed my cervix was not only closed but ‘towards the back’ meaning it not only had to dilate but soften and come forwards as well.
Within 1 hour of my first gel I began with period type cramping pains, I rang my husband to drive to the hospital so I could walk around the grounds with him as I didn’t want to waste our visiting hour. Although the pain began to slowly get worse it was bearable, however at this stage I did think nothing was happening as I was a first time mum and not expected anything to work so I was getting anxious that I wasn’t going to be able to cope with contractions when they started.
I eventually went back to the ward and asked for 2 paracetamol which took some relief off and I was able to relax on the bed, my blood pressure was stable at this point after another stat dose of labetalol and I was back on the monitor which showed both babies was stable. The midwife came to examine me again after the first 6 hours and I expressed I was in quite a bit of pain now. Upon examination she told me I had progressed to 3cm and my cervix had come forward – enough to break my waters.
Whilst waiting for a bed on delivery suite to be moved across they rang my husband and ran me a bath. The bath took the weight of my bump and the pain away, I was truly relaxed and calm and in this space I realised I could do this, I had dilated and cervix had moved on 2 paracetamol so I was finally in a good frame of mind mentally knowing my body was doing what it was meant to do and I was coping better than I first initially thought. I was keen to deliver my twins vaginally but I had not done a birth plan because I understood I was a high risk pregnancy and things could change and quickly. It was also advised to have an epidural so they can spin twin 2 from the outside to stop him becoming breached once twin 1 had been delivered.
At 5cm I accepted the epidural which was a quick painless procedure, I had practiced breathing techniques which I used through my contractions whilst the epidural was being administered. Following this my waters for twin 1 was broken by the midwife and I was commenced on the drip to speed up my contractions. We had a time frame of around 12 hours to safely deliver both babies as I was needing a consultant present for me and both babies with separate neonatal team and fetal medicine in the room with us.
The epidural I was apprehensive about as I wanted to be able to feel what my body needed to do and was scared about feeling numb, the epidural however allowed me to feel contractions but it was painless, it felt like pressure. I was able to relax a little bit and get a little bit of rest before they increased the drip rate.
2 hours after they broke my first waters I felt intense pressure below and the urge to push and knew the baby was ready to come and at this stage I lost all sense of calm and relax state I had built. My labour had been going on 20 hours at this point and I was struggling to push resulting in twin 1 and twin 2 both to become distressed.
The longer twin 1 was stuck the more people were entering the room, we had near 20 people a mix of midwives, students, doctors, neonatal, consultant, anaesthetists and I began to panic knowing this was not a good sign.
My husband asked for a screen to go up to block us out from everyone else so we could have little privacy and focus on what we had learned, breathing and control. A lovely student midwife held a sheet up so I couldn’t see the emergency that was unfolding. Twin 1 was delivered safely via forceps delivery I saw her for a brief minute before she was taken as I started to bleed out at this point and was losing a fast amount of blood, the anaesthetist was quickly shouted over to sign a consent form and we was on our way to theatre to get twin 2 out when my husband became my voice and said If this baby could come here he wanted to avoid surgery.
A consultant stepped forward and was confident she could deliver twin 2 quickly with suction and within minutes they had broke his waters and he was out. I was only semi conscious after a lot of blood loss but I was aware twin 2 wasn’t crying and he was taken straight to neonatal care where he was administered on CPAP high flow oxygen and treated for sepsis (I was rejoined with him 48 hours later after a brilliant recovery).
Following twin 2s delivery I was unable to deliver my placentas and again we was looking at surgery but my husband and team of midwives was arguing this didn’t need surgical intervention and they was able to deliver them eventually in the room.
Although my birth didn’t go as I expected with complications, my team responded to our wishes as best they could and we was able to avoid two different types of deliveries (vagina and section).
My pain relief was excellent and kept well in control by the midwives and even when I was unwell I was kept informed and up to date at all times and my twins are both two beautiful healthy happy 12 week old babies now.
Thank you so much to Holly for sharing her beautiful story with us at Positive Induction, it’s wonderful to read positive stories especially during a global pandemic.