On an autumn morning in 2008, two months before my due date, I was told the twins I was expecting needed to be delivered urgently. I had known for three months that they were going to be born prematurely, as one was growing at an alarmingly slow rate, but the doctors had been trying to buy us as much time as possible to give both children a fighting chance. Now, at 31 weeks and two days, that time was up.
The doctors had discovered a reverse blood flow through the umbilical cord of one of the babies, indicating a serious condition where the placenta was no longer supporting the baby sufficiently and which, left untreated, can lead to foetal death. The twins were coming and I felt terrified - and things were about to get worse. The neonatal intensive care ward at our local hospital, the Queen Elizabeth in Greenwich, south London, was full, which meant we were in a race against time to find another place for us all.
Early days
I was 36 when I conceived and from its very earliest days my pregnancy was difficult. On a work trip in Holland shortly after I found out I was pregnant I began bleeding. At an appointment at the early pregnancy unit at St Thomas' Hospital in central London, my partner Matt and I were relieved to discover I hadn't miscarried and learnt that we were expecting twins. Still, from that moment on I couldn't shake the feeling that something would go wrong.
Bu hikaye WOMAN - UK dergisinin April 01, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye WOMAN - UK dergisinin April 01, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Remembering DAD
Chloe Aldred was losing her father long before he died...
'He wants to COME BACK'
Prince Harry is willing to return to a temporary royal role while the King and Princess of Wales recover from cancer. But could he ever be welcome, asks royal expert Emily Andrews
A younger you in 5 MINUTES
Find inner peace and fight wrinkles with simple mindfulness
THE ROYAL SUMMER SEASON HAS STARTED IN EARNEST
Last month's Buckingham Palace garden parties fired the starting gun on the traditional summer season.
Is your salad MAKING YOU FAT?
Despite your ‘good’ intentions, you might be making the wrong choices
BLACKMAILED over nude photos
With child exploitation cases on the rise, Woman investigates the terrifying phenomenon of sextortion – and the criminals targeting our kids
View from THE BACK
Isabel Webster says what you're thinking
SECRETS and lies
Hilary had fibbed about her real age to a man online -and now he wanted to meet her
PEARL of the Adriatic
Head to Dubrovnik and soak up all the Croatian coastal city has to offer
Why your GP cares so much about cholesterol
Around 40% of Brits have too much of it in their blood, which can have devastating consequences on health if left untreated...