The Hoff Twins: Monday, 26/1/2009 The Big Show!

Well what a start to the week! Basically, waters broke around 5am Monday, 26/1/2009. Wasn't like in the movies tho;) was fairly low key and at home. For readers unfamiliar with the whole process, it basically means the train is about to leave the station - or rather MUST leave the station within the next 12 hours.

So, managed to wake hubby Chris and pack a bag for the hospital. The morning did however require some planning as there was:

1. Nikita and Joakim to consider - many MANY! thanks to our neighbours who got them off to school for us!!
2. me to get to hospital
3. my Mum to collect from Brussels airport at 10am who was flying in direct from NZ
4. the question of: what do we do with Nikita and Joakim after school? (big kisses to Uncle Adam, Chris' brother who kindly left work a bit earlier to look after his niece and nephew)

But Chris is the man! And he managed to do all that and be back with me in the delivery suite by 11am. Contractions had started by that stage but all very mild. Monitoring showed the babies were doing great. The only risk in fact was that my doctor was going to miss the birth as he was only scheduled to be back in Brussels much later in the evening! Poor dear had gone off to London for a VERY! well-deserved 2-day break.

So at about 18h45 that evening, it was all systems GO! The twins were arriving 4 weeks premature so the neonatal units were on hand to take the boys directly. I was really surprised by how many people there were with us that night. Excluding me, Chris, Mum, and the twins there must've been at least 12 others: neonatal unit teams x2, paedeatrician x 2, gynae, physio, midwives x 2.

After a couple of heave-ho's, our first yahooing little boy was born (18h53, weighing in at 2,1 kgs). A bit more pushing and shoving and our second screamer entered the world (18h58, weighing in at 2,46kg).

The birth was terrific! I count myself VERY fortunate to have been able to carry these guys this far albeit not quite far enough AND to have been able to deliver them naturally without any complication. It's fair to say that I was feeling quite relaxed, euphoric, and impatient as hell to get up to the neonatal unit to see them for the first time!! (no, I didn't get to see them as they were being born - not usual, but I'd agreed that the neonatal teams do what they needed to ensure the boys' safety. If it meant no skin-to-skin contact before whisking away - then no worries!!)