🧡 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

In the final weeks of pregnancy, I was on a serious countdown to my elective C-section date. It honestly couldn’t come soon enough. Everything was uncomfortable. Twin 1 had dropped very low and was pressing on my bladder, which meant even more frequent bathroom trips.

And because we live on a very bumpy farm track, every car journey felt like torture as we rattled down the lane. I genuinely prayed I wouldn’t have to face going down it while in labour!

The Day of the Planned C-Section

The big day arrived without any drama. Hospital policy required all women having elective C-sections to arrive on the postnatal ward by 7am, having been nil-by-mouth for the previous 12 hours. I’d had my pre-op meeting with the consultant anaesthetist the day before, which helped calm my nerves a lot.

I was third on the list, so I think I walked down to theatre around midday. Walking into an operating theatre is a very surreal experience. Everyone was warm, friendly and introduced themselves, explaining their role — although I was still amazed at how many people were in the room! There was a separate paediatric team for each baby.

I had to sit very still on the edge of the bed while they inserted the IV line, catheter and epidural. I’ll be honest — the epidural needle did hurt, and the anaesthetist had to try a couple of times to find the right spot. After that, it just felt strange: a cold, numb sensation travelling down one leg and then the other.

They laid me down quickly and monitored my blood pressure closely. A large blue screen went up in front of me. Behind it I could see the paediatric teams’ faces, and on my side was my husband and the anaesthetist.

The team at Frimley Park Hospital were brilliant. They talked me through every step (which I’d asked for), and before I knew it, I had my twin girls in my arms.

They weighed 5lb 7oz and 5lb 6oz and were born within about a minute of each other — although in reality it felt more like seconds between them.

Recovery & Becoming a Twin Mum (No Manual Included!)

After recovery, I spent about 30 minutes on the main postnatal ward before being moved into a side room. I think this was partly for everyone else’s peace and quiet (two babies can be noisy!), but also incredibly helpful for me after a C-section.

Having a side room meant space for two cots — one for sleeping beside my bed and one for nappy changes. My husband and I were completely clueless (twins really don’t come with a manual!), so having midwives on hand was invaluable — especially at night when my husband went home to look after the dogs and give insulin injections to Tammy, our diabetic cat.

I breastfed the girls one at a time and then handed them to the midwife for a bottle top-up. Breastfeeding wasn’t easy for me. Both girls favoured one side, and from day one I ended up doing breastfeeding followed by expressing and topping up with a mix of breastmilk and formula.

It was exhausting — but also deeply rewarding knowing they were getting the best start I could give them. I honestly don’t know how common exclusive breastfeeding is with twins, but in my case there simply wasn’t enough milk to do that alone.

The Emotional Side Nobody Warns You About

I stayed in hospital for four nights. Physically, I was encouraged to go home after three — but mentally, I wasn’t ready.

What nobody really prepares you for is day three after birth, when your milk starts coming in and the hormones hit you like a tidal wave. The pregnancy tears pale in comparison — these are full-blown, Oscar-worthy hormonal meltdowns… for absolutely no reason at all! And they lasted around five weeks for me.

Strangely, this didn’t get much of a mention in our NCT classes!