We were so excited when we found out we were pregnant again as we already had a 4 year old girl. I remember my partner really wanting a boy and I kind of did to, but in the long run it didn’t matter as long as it was a healthy baby.
The week before we were going to find out how far along we were my friends and family kept saying for some reason I feel like you are having twins, but this never crossed my mind as both my partner and I had no history of twins in the family. It was the day we were heading for our ultrasound everything was looking great, whilst we were in there I heard the lady make a funny noise “there are two heart beats” she said. My partner looked at me stunned, I looked at our daughter stunned and then started crying, and not because I was upset just because I thought how the hell does anybody do twins ha-ha. Mathew continued to say “oh well at least we are not having triplets” which kind of put me at ease for some reason.
We were very excited and called all our family and friends who were in a bit of disbelief. Our next scan was our 18 week tertiary scan to make sure everything was going smoothly, this is the day that changed everything. Our hospital scanner was very confused about what she saw and couldn’t really answer any of our questions, next thing I knew they were phoning Brisbane and scheduling an emergency appointment which we had to be there first thing the following morning. I don’t think I slept at all that night! The next morning we arrived at Brisbane Hospital to be told we had a rare condition called Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome, what was this? We had never heard anything about it ever before. I was only 19 weeks and they were talking about having to have the babies very early which scared the hell out of me. For the next two weeks we had about 6 visits to Brisbane Hospital to monitor what was happening, and then it happened we were in desperate need of laser surgery to burn vessels of the placenta to try and even things out.
The morning of the laser, I remember being so scared because we had been told that it is likely one or both babies could die which broke my heart. Going into the surgery I had my partner right by my side, he made me feel very safe. I had the epidural and as I was laying there I could hear the laser it was extremely loud which was scary and then I heard Matt say “oh my god there’s a foot” which then made it all real. “Please come out of this ok” is what I kept saying in my head to my 2 beautiful babies.
When it was done I got told by the doctors that the 24 hours in hospital were critical and that if one was going to pass it would be in that time frame. I don’t think I slept at all that night either, I remember ringing my mum and grandma crying and they assured me that everyone was praying for these miracle babies, which made me feel at ease knowing so many people cared about our babies as much as we did. I got discharged the next day and told I will need a follow up appointment every week, but in my head I was thinking “you little troopers, you did it”. I was 22 weeks then.
From then on, every week we travelled to Brisbane to have check up appointments and everything seemed to be going ok, until at about 29 weeks when the fluid was disappearing again and it turned out I had a hole in my amniotic sac which was causing my waters to leak slowly. So at 32 weeks it was decided that I would have an elective C-section, which I was very scared of as my first child was natural and 41 weeks. Mathew and I travelled to the Ronald McDonald house to set up camp knowing our babies were going to be here first thing in the morning, it was very exciting but stressful as well. I remember getting prepped with the gown, the drip, the epidural and then there I was lying on the table reading for my cesarean, I kept saying to Matt just talk to me so I am not thinking about what’s happening behind the sheet, so he did we were chatting and before we knew there was this tiny little baby getting pulled from my stomach, I don’t think I have ever seen such small fingers and toes. I got to have a little kiss before she was whisked off for some oxygen, and then number 2 and she was even smaller, oh my I was in love all over again with these perfect babies, number 2 also got a little kiss and then was whisked off for some oxygen. I wasn’t able to meet my 2 beautiful girls properly until the next day when my beautiful partner took me up in a wheelchair. I don’t know what I was expecting but what I saw was very confronting. These two tiny babies 1400grams and 1600grams in boxes with oxygen masks on drips In their tiny little hands and tubes down their throats. I wasn’t aloud to hold them but I could put my hands through the holes and touch them, I was very overwhelmed by it all and spent that night crying to myself. They were so strong that the next day they were taken off oxygen and moved to special care instead of intensive care which was kind of a breath of fresh air, because this meant me and Mathew got to hold them and kiss them for the first time which was so surreal.
My girls spent two weeks in Brisbane hospital and two weeks in Nambour Hospital and finally were big and strong enough to come home which was one of the happiest times of our lives.
This is my story with twin to twin transfusion syndrome which fortunately ended very positive for us. But unfortunately that’s not always the case for families. My heart goes out to every single one of you that have been through this situation and just know you are not alone, they are all miracles of life that are trying to survive in the womb, and we have provided the best space for them to try and do that.
Our girls our now 2 years old and healthy.
Written by Mum, Alexandra Schulte
