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Day 2

I was shivering uncontrollably in the morning and was told that I had slight fever. I was too weak to spend time with the boys when the nurse brought them to the room. So there goes bonding time. :( On a sidenote, cesarean mummies and I've read online that they were told to start walking on the second day. However, when my doctor came to check on me in the morning, he told the nurses to not remove the catheter so that I don't have to walk to the toilet yet, and told me that the drip can be remove. Mixed feelings about the catheter but yeay to the removal of drip! I hate the restricted movement due to the drip. So when the nurse came in, I eagerly informed her "the doctor said the drip can be removed". She gave me the doubtful look and said, "Oh OK, I'll confirm that and get back to you". GRRR! A moment later, she came back and removed the drip. Hooray! Even though I was becoming very fidgety on the bed, at least I could move my left arm freely now. :) The paediatrician also came by in the morning to update me on the boys. Apparently, they have slight jaundice and I was told that they might not be able to be discharged together with me. :( The fever was gone by noon that day but my back was becoming so sore from more than 24 hours of lying on my back. I felt so uncomfortable by the end of the day as I could not lie on my sides due to the catheter and also because it hurts to move a lot. I had the nurses and the husband to help me move around a bit every now and then. Oh the torture! As families and friends left when the visiting hour ended, I started to feel sad again to be left alone for the night. I tried to make the husband stay as long as I could but he was getting really tired. Before he left, he placed all the controllers (tv, aircon, etc.) on the table beside the bed so it was within my reach. I slept a little better that night.

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Planned C-Sect (Day 1)

I thought I would not be able to sleep the night before THE day, but it was just like any other nights. I managed to sleep around midnight and woke up every other hour due to the heavy tummy. I set my alarm at 6am to have my breakfast as I was not allowed to eat after 8am. I ordered Big Breakfast from McDonald! :D After which, I didn't go back to sleep as the mixed feelings (scared.. excited.. nervous..) started to slowly take over me. I did my last minute packing and got ready to go to the hospital as I need to be there by 11am. After registering, my husband and I were brought to the ward/room that I will be staying for 3 nights. We opted for 2-bedders and were lucky that the whole room was ours throughout my stay! I had to change to the delivery gown and the nurse attended to me for preparation before the surgery at 2pm. The last hour of waiting past quickly as I lay on the bed watching television. I started to fidget quite a bit as the time drew nearer. At 130pm, 2 nurses came with another bed and I had to lie on it before being pushed to the operating theater. At that point of time, I didn't know what to think and feel. I only managed to recite prayers silently. Upon reaching the entrance of the operating theater, the husband was not allowed to enter as he needed to be prepped as well. Fortunately, I read about this online and was ready for it (or else I think I would burst into tears knowing that my husband could not be by my side before the surgery), but I guess he didn't expect that as he looked lost when he was stopped at the door. Hehe. The bed that I was on, was 'parked' at a corner as it was not 2pm yet. The room was cold and the anxiety level was at a maximum. I could not stop reciting prayers silently and felt that the time passed quite slowly as I waited. After I was left alone for quite some time, my doctor, in the surgery gown, came to check on me and explained a few things about the surgery and post-surgery. I remember him telling me that the post-surgery pain will be felt at the sides/corners of the incision, not so much in the middle as the nerves will get cut during the surgery. So the feeling will not be the same after. Great, something for me to think about! *cringe* At 2pm, I was pushed to the operating theater. The room was cold, white and bright. There were so many nurses and doctors. That was all I could observe before I was transferred to the operating table which I was told is narrow so I should not move a lot (didn't have to move much as the nurses did the work for me). Haha. As soon as I lay on the operating table, my doctor introduced me to a paediatrician while the nurses started to surround me with wires and whatnot. AND the most frightening part happened - EPIDURAL! I got to admit that the epidural got me thinking SO MUCH, even months before the surgery. I am more afraid of the needle than the knife. I was told to turn my body to the right (again, the nurses did the work for me) and I felt the needle on my back. It was to numb the area before the real deal. Then, I was told to 'curl'. It took a while for me to get to the correct position (perhaps I didn't want to as I was too scared) before the nurse helped me. I remember holding on to the nurse's arms tightly and closing my eyes tightly. Before I know it, a warm sensation was felt down my legs as the nurses turned me so that I was lying on my back again. Honestly, I didn't feel the epidural at all and it worked so quickly! I was definitely amazed. Hahaha. Soon after, my doctor's head appeared over the cloth (separating the cutting and blood out of my sight) to ask if I could feel this and that. Oh I remember him asking me, "feel anything sharp?" Seriously doc?? I just wanted to get it done and over with, there wasn't a need to remind me. Before the surgery started, the husband came in the room all dressed in surgery gown. During the surgery, I happened to look at the huge bright light above me and I could actually see the reflection of what was happening! So I closed my eyes and then I heard my husband telling me to stay awake. I was too weak to reply him at that point of time, could only afford a nod. I got to admit that it was frustrating to not be able to move the legs. After about 10 minutes, I heard my doctor saying, "ready for the first baby". Then my paediatrician stood near my head to assist by putting pressure on my tummy (which I could not feel) before I heard the first cry. :) Shortly after, another pressure on my tummy before I heard another first cry. :)) Suddenly, the room was filled with loud cries and the boys were brought to me. I was very relieve they were delivered safely. After taking our first family photo (which I was not aware of), the boys were taken away to another room and the husband had to follow. So I was left alone again while I was being stitched up. The whole surgery took about 45 minutes and I was transferred to the bed before being pushed out of the operating room to the recovery corner. I was under observation for 15 minutes - I remember feeling weak, a bit nauseous, and I could slowly feel my legs. After the 15 minutes, I was brought back to the ward to rest and recover. For the next 6 hours, I was intermittently shaking uncontrollably under the blanket as the epidural effect slowly cleared. Families came to visit and I knew I looked horrible but couldn't care less. Haha.. After the visiting hour, my family and husband had to leave. I was sad and scared as it was my first time sleeping in a hospital ward but I guess I was too tired and shook that feeling off easily. I had my husband to leave one of the lights switched on before he left. However, I could not rest well on the first night as I kept waking up every hour. I gave up sleeping after the first nurse came in the room to clean me up (I was on catheter) at around 530am (I think). Wow, what a long entry! The longest so far! Hehe. Recap of Day 2 soon. XOXO

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I’m a mom!

It has been almost 6 weeks since my last post. Time flies so quickly! Which means that I have not been sleeping (peacefully) for more than a month too. Haha! So far being a mom of twins is chaotic, especially when we are first time parents. It has been a "learning on the job" journey for my husband and me. Along the way, there is no denial that we felt like giving up due to almost sleepless nights (no kidding this part), the boys' constant crying and of course when there are people who think they know-it-all and are not being supportive enough (don't have to be plenty, a couple will do to bring you down during this challenging period). However, at the end of the day, the feeling of satisfaction when the boys are sleeping, knowing they are well fed, and needing us, kept us together and be a lil' stronger each time. So much love for these boys. Perhaps my next few posts, I will recall the planned delivery and being a stay-at-home-mom experiences, for memory sake. That is if I can find the time, hopefully it will not take another 6 weeks. :P

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Morning! Fasting starts at 8am, indulge while I can. #hopethislasts #probablymylastpeacefulmeal #thebigday

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Packing for 4d3n hospital stay is slightly less of a headache than going for a holiday. Slightly. #thebigday #thelistgivenistoosimple #ihavesomanythings

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Christmas Eve babies

So we have decided on their birthdate - 24 December 2015. Hopefully, they like it and will stick to the plan. We didn't know that there will be surcharge for delivering on a holiday and weekends. So, the gyne scheduled the c-sect before the office hour ends to avoid the surcharge. :D My oh my, this is getting so real.. I seriously need to mentally, physically and emotionally prepare myself for THE DAY. Boys, mummy needs time OK, so hang in there. I can't seem to get myself started even with the hospital bag! Anyway, the boys seem to gain weight nicely. Baby 1 is 1.9kg now and Baby 2 is almost 1.8kg. Well done sweethearts! Just a few more grams each so that you can go home with mummy as soon as mummy is well after the delivery. XOXO Babies A. :)

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32 weeks!

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December babies

The last time I sat for exams was last semester when I was in the first trimester. I remember feeling nauseous and was trying my best to stay awake and focus while doing last minute revision. Last week, I sat for my first paper this semester and I am in my third trimester. Still pregnant, different struggle. Haha.

While I was on the way to school, I told the twins to sleep and not to disturb me when I am sitting for the exam. I had a bad experience during revision lecture as they were super active and my heart started to beat very fast and I was perspiring in the air-conditioned lecture hall! I definitely did not want that to happen during the exam. Although I know they were not sleeping or pretended to sleep cause there were still movements.. I would say they behaved well. :) Thank you babies!

Another round of exam tomorrow and I hope they will continue to behave themselves cause they have been very active for the past few days (even now as I'm typing this, my tummy is doing the Kallang Wave).

On a different note, another glad moment was at our appointment with the gyne on Monday. I put on 2kg within 2 weeks! But that's not the glad moment, I am so happy with the twin 2's achievement! 300g in 2 weeks! Well done, love! You are almost the same weight as your elder brother who is at 1.5kg. Come on sweethearts, just 500g each to reach the 2kg mark. You babies can do it!

Currently, the husband and I are still undecided on the twins' birth date but it's definitely in December and we would like to stretch the number of weeks as far as possible. Before or after Christmas? Hopefully we have a date by our next appointment. :X

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30 weeks

As of 29 weeks during the appointment with gyne, I have gained almost 10kg. Baby A is 1.3kg and Baby B is 1.1kg. Alhamdulillah they have reached that 1kg mark and their weight difference is not far apart. Just that.. Baby A's tummy is rounder than Baby B (wanna challenge with mummy huh?). Haha! I hope they can reach the 2kg mark each before delivery. You guys can do it! Mummy will do my utmost best to make the space comfortable for you both and I don't mind gaining the extra weight and continue waddling for extra weeks. On another note, I have asked for medication for the pins and needles on my hands since I am sitting for 2 papers soon. My gyne recommended a supplement for the nerves called Neurobion. It can be bought from the pharmacy. Our appointment with the gyne is back to every 2 weeks now as I have entered the third trimester. Time flies and I cannot believe I am going to say this, but I am going to miss being pregnant.

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Babymoon

At 27 weeks, my husband and I went to Tokyo for babymoon and also to celebrate my birthday in advance. Initially, dearest wanted the trip to be more of a birthday surprise and will inform me the day before to pack my things but thank goodness he decided to tell me because I had assignment due the day after my birthday! And also, I hate last minute packing, so many things to bring! :P

Well of course we had our gyne to write a letter for us to indicate that it was safe for me to travel during the period during my 6th month appointment. We reached Tokyo on the 15th of October and were there for a week. I didn't know I can walk so much eversince I knew I was pregnant. In Tokyo, it was all about staircase and walking. So I guess that made up for my 9 months of exercise.

As a pregnant lady, naturally your body temperature is higher. So it was heavenly to be in Tokyo during autumn. Temperature was perfect to still have fun without putting layers of clothes.

Oh yes, I chatted with an American guy on the plane while waiting for the aisle to be cleared after going to the toilet. He started the conversation with, "How far along are you?" And I got to know that he has an identical twin brother! I guess it is His way of telling me that everything is going to be OK. :)

Can't believe that we are down to single digit number of weeks before the arrival of the twins. Hopefully in the future, we are able to travel as a family to see the world. We definitely cannot wait to meet the twins this Saturday! XOXO

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The stroller that my mum bought for the twins at the baby Expo fair. Very easy to use.. Although I don't like that it's black, the search for a reasonable weight, size and price stroller has to end. I'm getting tired and huge. Haha.. So thank you grandmummy! ☺

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6.5 months

Eversince I talked about the pins and needles feeling on my hands in one of my recent previous entries, it has worsen! I am having it almost the whole day. I will get it when I am eating using the utensils, using my mobile phone, etc. It is so annoying. Anyway, we went to another baby fair, at Expo this time last Friday. Managed to get the car seats and carrier, both from Britax. The horror of having to purchase 2 car seats - total damage $666! Then yesterday, I went back with my mum to the fair to get the stroller that we saw as it was the last day of the fair and we got $30 off. Cheap thrill. Haha! (Will take photo of it once it is delivered to us tomorrow afternoon). On top of that, I also managed to get maternity/nursing bras (buy 1 get 1 free) and a dress at almost 50% off. All of which my mum paid for me! Ahhh the joy of shopping. Hehe.. The only thing that I had to brave through was the crowd. Madness!

Till next time.. :)

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Maternity Tour

Choosing the right hospital to deliver is not an easy task for some. Especially so when you are delivering twins. Initially, the husband and I had decided on Mount Elizabeth Novena as it is new and close proximity to our house. However, when we found out that we are having twins and that Mount E. Novena only has single bedder, we had to look elsewhere due to the cost. We were told by our gyne that our bill could be up to $10k! So, our second option is Mount Alvernia. I had no idea where the hospital was and how it looks like while the husband had a rough image of the hospital since his aunt had delivered there about a year or so ago. So I went to the hospital's website to book a slot for the maternity tour in mid September and was shocked to see that the whole month was fully booked! The earliest was 1 Oct which was on a weekday.. thank goodness the husband could make it. By the way, Mount Alvernia Maternity Tour is on Monday to Friday at 2.30 pm and Saturdays at 10 am & 12 pm. We were expected to report 5 minutes before the tour starts at the Patient Liaison Centre which is beside the pharmacy. Upon arrival, we were given a goody bag plus a file that contains the the details such as the package price. After a short presentation, we were brought to the different wards to view all the rooms that were available, including the delivery room. However, on that day, all the delivery rooms were occupied! So we were brought back to the Patient Liaison Centre so that they could show us picture of the delivery room and fill us in with more details. Q&A session could be done as a group during the tour or individually after the tour. After the tour, we were each given a coupon to redeem a drink at their cafe. The husband and I were famished by the time the tour ended at around 3.30 pm but the cafe is not halal. So we only redeemed our drinks and had butter toasts. The hospital does have other food places like sushi, Subway, etc. In a nutshell, we are satisfied with Mount Alvernia. According to the husband, the parking is so much better as the hospital now has a multi-storey carpark. It also has new wards and the ICU for newborn is proper. Daddies who drive can purchase $8 parking coupon for the day. However, daddies are only allow to overnight in single-bedder rooms with a daily charge. After the tour, the husband and I enquired about the extra charges for delivering twins and were told that for the second baby, there is an additional of about $2k on top of the package that we choose. Now that the numbers are known, a decision still has to be made. Single or two bedder room? Should the husband overnight with me?

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6 months

We went for our gyne appointment yesterday. Told him about the pins and needles that I've been having for the past 2 to 3 weeks. As usual, it is normal to have it and worse if there are twins. It usually happens when I'm lying down in the day, at night, when I'm sleeping and wake up in the morning. My gyne explained it is likely due to swelling that compresses nerves in the wrists. It tends to get worse as the pregnancy progresses. Pfft! So it's probably nothing to be worried about but in some cases, it could be a symptom of anemia, carpal tunnel syndrome or sciatica. It's worth mentioning to the gyne I'll say. On a different note, the gyne could not get a clear scanned pictures of them as they were active as always. In fact, they have been super active the past few days! Every now and then, my tummy will look like it's doing the Kallang Wave. But it's always a joy to see that and getting their dad to witness them. Be good to one another boys. Mummy loves you both.

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Their aunty did it again. Haha.. Thank you Aunty! :)

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For the past few days, the twins have been active around the clock. I think they took turns. It is always a joy and a sense of assurance whenever I feel them move but around the clock? Give mummy a break babies! :D On a different note, I have an assignment due technically before Tuesday noon. Please be good as mummy burns the midnight oil tonight lovelies! Till then, know that mummy loves you both. :)

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5th month

At week 20 to 21, I experienced the worse constipation ever (in my 27 years of living)! It lasted for 5 days. My goodness, I swear I’m going to try eating more healthy food from now on. I know it’s bad that I’m rejecting many types of vege since pregnancy but there is so much I can do to balance my diet.

Anyway, I googled and learned that constipation is a common problem during pregnancy. Half of pregnant women get constipated at some point. One culprit is the increase in the hormone progesterone which relaxes smooth muscles throughout the body, including the digestive tract.

So.. try to take in fruits like watermelon and orange (which have plenty of juice) or banana, vegetable (if you have no problem with that), drink lots of water (prune juice if you like) and exercise (if possible). These may keep constipation at bay.

Much love! :)