Twin Pregnancy. Holy smokes. What a journey. If you’d like to hear this dad’s perspective of witnessing the growing of two new humans then put the kettle on, and grab a seat.
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Right outta the gates we were head set on a home Birth. We found our midwife, things were all lining up, and then we went in for Mieka’s initial routine ultra sound… and I’ll never forget that moment, on that day, when that technician casually said to us: “oh, look, twins” and reality hit me in the chest like a locomotive. This took some serious processing. I remember wobbling back to the car speechless. Grinning. Stunned. All of a sudden everything was up in the air. What we were to expect from this pregnancy, our birth plans, and life as we knew it. Poof.
Let me say I did not have twins anywhere on the radar, it came straight outta left field with neither of us having twins in our families. But there we were, with two boys on the way. A two for one deal at baby mart.
We spoke with a few doctors and they all pretty much said the same thing: high risk, most likely a C section, or a mandatory operating room labor with giant lights beaming and 12+ people in the OR room. Masks, gloves, tools, aprons… the whole rigamarole. This was all too much to take in for us both, So once the dust settled from the shockwave, the research began. Mieka took it upon herself to learn everything she possibly could about birth. Books, articles, peer reviewed papers, YouTube, nightly podcasts, documentaries… We went to school. Twin statistics, outcomes, diet, nutrition, yoga, positions… she was preparing for anything. She was going into battle. She would be ready.
Back in Utah we continued seeing our midwife, hopeful but unsure if a home-birth was still a possibility. See, If the twins were born before 37 weeks our midwife couldn’t legally help. Nor could the local hospital, so we would have to life flight to a NICU in St.George or Provo. Adding a helicopter flight to the labor plan did not sound fun. So it was all about making it past that 37 week mark. Percentage wise the odds weren’t great as almost 60% of twins are born before then. But in hindsight, our high quality, high protein, home cooked meal plan (courtesy of chef daddy P) and our midwifes supplemental regiment really stacked the dice in our favor. Then there was the other factor of breach babies. the boys were both is sort of sideways hammock positions most of the pregnancy. And we only found one doctor willing to deliver breach and he was hours away in St.George. Though we didn’t want to be at a hospital we also wanted what was going to be safe for mom and the boys. So unless everything seemed to align we would forgot our natural birthing hopes for whatever was needed.
We passed 35 weeks with excitement as the boys had both shifted into head down positions and Alkaid had even locked into Miekas pelvis where he would stay for the remainder of pregnancy. But by this time things were getting rough on moms entropic vessel. The longer they cooked the bigger they got and Miekas petite body was collapsing under the weight. Her pelvis felt like it could literally snap at any moment, the swelling feet, rising blood pressure, fatigue… all was inching up day by day. We met some more doctors to gauge our options, and went in for a few prescribed NST’s (non stress tests) but each time we were in that medical setting it was anything but non stressful. Mieka would be strapped in, monitors beeping, not to mention entering the hospital with covid rampant, all of it was unsettling. So once we were past that 37 mark, and our Pisces fishies were headed down stream we cut out the system entirely and trusted in Miekas body and our own judgment from that point on.
By this point It engulfed our existence, days crept by for weeks. Everything was on hold except for the arrival of our little dudes. We had a Doppler to check their heart rates multiple times a day and though Miekas body was at her limit they seemed steadily content which gave us hope and confidence. Thru waves of uncertainty, there were glimmers of knowing that they would be ready when they decided. They just needed more time to prepare for this big world on the other side. After all, they’d be spending the rest of their life’s out here. So why not let them relish in those last days of pure infinite innocence. Connected to source inside a floating bowl of love. And that’s just what they did. We would just have to wait. And to hear what happened next so will you. (-;
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Thanks for taking the time to give this a read. I’ll discuss birth in my next post.
♾