The twin mother: "And then we were five!"

By Kathrine Kørner, August 2024

The day we found out we were expecting twins started with nausea, as so many mornings in the first trimester did, but as the day went on, I began feeling a sharp pain on the left side of my stomach.

The Google search immediately began, and after a short while, I had “determined” that I was most likely having an ectopic pregnancy and that I had appendicitis. I called the hospital and got an appointment for the same day. I lay down on the examination table, and the scan began. He scanned for what felt like forever! As time passed, we got more and more worried. Suddenly, he said, “You are very pregnant!” I felt relieved but didn’t have time to think about his choice of words, “very”!?! “Congratulations, you’re having twins,” he said!

Jeppe (my boyfriend) and I looked at each other, trying to comprehend what he was saying. What!?! Did we hear him correctly? We had no idea how to react. He turned the screen, and there we saw two tiny heartbeats! We started laughing. It was so overwhelming, and because we had assumed an entirely
different outcome! Twins hadn’t crossed our minds at all! We ended up crying with joy. It was such a huge moment, and what!? Were we really going to have two babies at once! How amazing was that! What a miracle. We felt so blessed and lucky – and more than ready for the challenge.

The beginning of the pregnancy was tough

I had the worst nausea! I felt like I had a hangover EVERY day for the first three months! It was far worse than during my first pregnancy with my son. My organs quickly went into overdrive, and I’ve never been so tired! Fortunately, it passed, and after that, I enjoyed my pregnancy. Of course, I knew my body was taking on a big task and naturally had quite a few worries! “Did I feel movement from both girls daily? Was one twin taking too much of the nutrients?” and so on. Multiple pregnancies are associated with various risks. Especially when the babies share the same placenta, as was the case with mine. There is only one source of nutrients, which is shared between them, and it’s not always evenly distributed. This also meant that I had to be scanned every 14 days. Luckily, everything looked fine.

The birth of the girls was to take place in Slagelse, Denmark (an hour from where we live), and according to my birth plan, I was to be induced March 12th if labour didn’t start on its own. Fortunately, I had a drug-free birth without being induced. My waters broke on March 8th, 2024, four days before the planned induction. I was so nervous, but the birth went beyond all expectations. On Saturday morning, March 9th, 2024, at 09:09 and 09:14 AM, they made their arrival! From the very beginning, I wished for a vaginal delivery, like with my son. It made me feel comfortable since it was the procedure I knew. During birth, I had the best staff! Eight incredible women who made me feel safe and knew exactly what to do! They guided me through the entire process and stood by my side like a loyal cheering squad!

It’s so wonderful to have the girls out! I feel they are safe. Even though they weighed around 2000g at birth and started with feeding tubes, there have been no complications. They are healthy and continue to gain weight.
Establishing breastfeeding took some time, but we got there in the end. I’m still breastfeeding the girls but also supplementing a bit with the bottle. Fortunately, the girls are good sleepers, but it was a bit of a challenge to get them synchronised.

We read that twin parents can’t do without a baby hammock, and we must agree! Twins are often born prematurely, so they tend to be a bit more sensitive. We quickly noticed that they had a great need for movement, and the baby
hammock gave, and still gives, them so much peace and comfort! It’s been a lifesaver, making our daily life with the twins much easier!

Life with twins is a wild journey, but I’d do it all over again! – It’s wonderful having twins! There’s nothing more amazing than when their eyes meet,
and they smile at each other! I’m sure these two girls will develop a close bond with one another!