🧡 This post is part of my Twin Pregnancy at 46 series.
Start from Week 20 →
https://www.freyanaturaltherapy.co.uk/blogs/my-twin-pregnancy-over-40/20-week-twin-scan

Well… I’m writing this four weeks late because our identical twin girls arrived bang on schedule at exactly 37 weeks by C-section! Needless to say, these little bundles of joy take up rather a lot of time, and blog writing has slipped well down the priority list – somewhere behind reheating the same cup of tea several times.

Late Pregnancy Woes

To say I was ready to meet my little girls by the 37-week mark is a complete understatement. I was over being pregnant!

The last couple of weeks were tough. Sleeping was difficult despite my trusty pregnancy “sausage” pillow (or “Berlin Wall” as my husband called it) supporting between my knees, under my bump and my head. Turning over in bed became a full-body operation, and the frequent bathroom trips were exhausting.

My heartburn had reached epic proportions. I survived on Ranitidine and Gaviscon (the liquid worked far better than the tablets – and yes, drinking from the bottle became the norm). Sadly, by this point even aromatherapy couldn’t help much with the heartburn.

What did help me drift off (until the first inevitable bathroom trip) was a lavender pillow spray. It smelt heavenly and felt incredibly relaxing – watch this space, as I may well add something like this to my range if the demand is there!

Swelling (The Worst Symptom for Me)

The worst symptom by far was the swelling. By the end, I was swollen from toes to thighs (thankfully my hands escaped). I put on a total of 20kg during the pregnancy – and reassuringly lost 15kg in the first three weeks after giving birth. A lot of that weight was clearly fluid.

Even four weeks later, my feet and ankles were still swollen by the end of the day. What helped bring some comfort:

• Gentle leg massage with grapefruit and juniper essential oils in a sweet almond oil base (at low dilution) – when I could persuade my husband to help, as I couldn’t reach my toes!

• My Simply Pregnant Body Lotion massaged into my feet at bedtime – cooling and refreshing, even though the massage itself was painful at times

• Drinking lots of water

• Cold compresses using wet flannels (with a couple of drops of grapefruit and juniper essential oils added for aroma)

• A refreshing facial mist made with neroli floral water (and a drop of grapefruit oil added for scent) – surprisingly uplifting when I was feeling very fed up

I would have loved to soak in an Epsom salt bath, but by this point I wasn’t confident I’d be able to get out again – even with my husband’s help (I weighed more than him by the end!).

The Glamour of Late Pregnancy…

Oh – and the snoring! I’ve never been a snorer (is that a word?)… but this wasn’t delicate, lady-like snoring. It was so loud I actually woke myself up with it!

So yes – the last few weeks were… character building. But absolutely worth it. I am completely in love with our girls.

👉 Read my next blog post about the C-section and those first few days with twins.