My twins Amaya and Aryan were born at St George’s Hospital on 23rd April 2024 at 23 weeks & 3 days. After a routine scan my world was thrown into chaos when I was told I had an open cervix and bulging membranes and was being transferred to St George’s immediately for a cerclage. On arrival I was told I most likely had an infection and a cerclage was not possible and we would just have to wait for the babies to make their entrance – the longer they stayed in the better! Nothing made any sense. My brain was bulging with all the information I was being given.
My waters broke the day I arrived at St George’s for Amaya and I spent the next 4 days with many teams talking to me about viability and the likelihood of there being many complications with children born at this gestation. I was in disbelief and total fear of what was to come.
Both twins were born weighing less than 500g, Amaya was born with the same infection as me and was very fragile she needed a chest drain and was immediately intubated as was Aryan who arrived nearly 2 hours after his sister. My warriors however showed their strength from day 1.
Going into NICU those first few days especially was a blur, I felt like I had been hit by a truck – nothing made sense my children were in a critical condition in an incubator hooked up to wires and machines and I was told to take each hour and day at a time during what would be a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs..
During this time there were babies who sadly couldn’t fight any longer and I was the only mum at that time in the unit where both of my twins had survived. This was heartbreaking and made each second with Amaya & Aryan even more precious.
The support from the nurses and Dr’s on the unit was something I still am so appreciative of even today. I don’t have the words to describe the work that they do. They are such amazing souls and I saw first hand how much they love, care for and are rooting for every baby that comes through their doors.
First Touch’s presence made such a difference. From the organising of toys and blankets, memory boxes, a wardrobe of donated clothes, cards on special occasions, monthly books: in those days where I couldn’t do much for the babies reading to them gave me a way to bond with them and encouraging the skin to skin that allowed me to hold my babies together for the first time. To the seamless support of providing snacks and drinks and a Parent room to sit and have a break from the beeping of the machines, all of this is what you don’t know you need as a parent of a child in NICU. The work they do to support parents going through what is the hardest time is invaluable. I am so grateful!
The dedicated expressing room was my lifesaver and where I met the most amazing mums also on similar journeys who are now my NICU family : my rocks! We have our own little Rugrats crew who I’m sure we will relay these stories to in the future.
Throughout this journey we spent 89 days in St George’s Hospital, 3 days at Addenbrooke’s the Rosie Hospital and 45 days in Peterborough Hospital.
After nearly 50 days being intubated, then moving through the different types of ventilators, brain scans, heart scans, blood gases, blood transfusions, eye injections and laser eye surgery to name a few milestones the twins overcame: we finally came home on 2nd September 2024 – 12 days after my due date!
I still can’t believe we are home and this wasn’t something I even let myself consider during the times above. The twins are still on a small amount of oxygen which, knowing their fighting spirit, I am sure we will be weaned off soon!
The journey isn’t over yet but the darkest hours are gone. I want to say a huge Thankyou to St George’s Hospital and First Touch for all of the support, we couldn’t have made it here without you!
Yogita, Amaya and Aryan x
