We are Abbie & Ollie. Abbie works in marketing in a tech company and Ollie works in facilities at a university. We are parents to twin baby girls Lottie and Ella (newborns) and our Dog, a cavachon called Wellington. We took the Happy Parents Happy Baby antenatal classes in Ruislip.
My twin pregnancy was challenging. I particularly struggled with exhaustion, acid reflux and nausea. Especially as I became further along, however Happy Parents Happy Baby really supported me in meeting other mums and Dads and feeling more normal during a time with lots of symptoms and frustration at not being as active as my pre-pregnancy self. Coming to the course was a highlight of our week. The group we met were really lovely and I knew that there were potential friends from the offset. Our midwife Steph at HPHB was a breath of fresh air. She was positive about birth and raising babies, whilst also being realistic, understanding and empathetic about the challenges that parents face.
Queen Charlotte and Chelsea Hospital – the hospital care was incredible. We were really well looked after by the team, they were knowledgeable and caring in every way and I would rush back to have my care there again.
Pregnancy was tough, but I had an incredibly positive birth. Happy Parents Happy Baby really prepared me and empowered me in my decision to have a Caesarean section for our baby girl twins. We had planned for a scheduled C-section at the end of October however our twins came early and I started labour naturally. The course helped me keep incredibly calm and not be phased by the transition to an emergency C-section (along with the Hospital who were incredible). I have nothing but positive things to say about my birth. I would recommend a section to anyone who is considering one. I have really great memories of our girls coming into the world and it was a really nice way to close off a challenging pregnancy. I think I’m recovering really well and now we’re going back to our course materials to help us look after our girls.
I used gas and air, and repeated the manifestation that I can do anything for 60 seconds which was taught to me at the classes. I had been using the confidence from the sessions to visualise a healthy, happy and positive experience in advance which meant I wasn’t scared on the day.
Overwhelming love and shock that they were the babies I had been carrying all this time. It was positively surreal meeting my two girls. I thought they were beautiful and was shocked by their full heads of hair.
I was in hospital for six days and really enjoyed the time getting to know and looking after my babies in a comfortable and supported setting. I could also practice nappy changes and manage the feeding and changing cycle with both girls between my husband and I when we were alone at night.
Bringing my babies home with the belief that we can encounter any challenge that comes our way.
Finding a groove changing and feeding both babies whilst ensuring we are both getting enough sleep and time off. I am also learning how to breastfeed as we did not do much breastfeeding during the time in the premature ward in hospital but I am still keen to be able to offer my girls formula as well as pumping and breastfeeding.
Being discharged from hospital and the really positive feedback from several midwives of how well I am handling being a twin mum.
I wasn’t expecting to feel so hormonal in the initial postpartum phase and I didn’t realise how much breastfeeding meant to me until I thought I may not be able to. I am learning to find the balance between compromise and boundaries of being a twin mum and trying not to feel that the girls have to compromise because they have to share the attention and the love.
I regret filling a calendar immediately with meet ups and events post release from the hospital. My advice to other mums would be to keep the calendar really empty and allow yourself plenty of time to be at home to rest and get to know your babies, make plans on the day rather than in advance and release any pressure to feel you need to let everyone see the babies.
They’re not going anywhere, there will be plenty of opportunities for cuddles and meeting up with the babies but you only have those first few weeks once with your newborns. This is the perfect time to get to know your babies, to learn their routine, to understand what works and what doesn’t, establish breastfeeding with privacy (if that’s something you want) and cuddle them as much as you can without needing to share with anyone but your partner.
They really help reassure me of my concerns. We have a laugh around the challenges of motherhood and feel like we have a sense of village in the utter whirlwind that is new parenthood.
Water bottle with a straw – I endlessly filled it with ice and water. My hospital room was swelteringly hot.
Champagne & charcuterie.
My close friend Lucy made caddies for breastfeeding and one for the babies with everything that we might need in the early days. It was incredibly generous but also so kind and thoughtful in the way that she anticipated all of my needs in the early days. It really made me feel like I had her there during this funny period.
Our Moses baskets from my mum – we move them all over the house. The girls share one to sleep in, across various rooms. They’re easy to move and we are obsessed with them as they are also safe for sleep.
I like to ensure that we’re really looking out for the milestones and celebrating them. I laughed when we had our first Poonami as I felt it was a badge of honour and affirmed that we were really parents.
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