Hospital with multiple birth

**SJ1312** · 02-12-2008 07:18

I'm still coming to terms with the idea of twins... its no doubt a handful so I'll be relying onmy DH and mum for the first few weeks no doubt.

Anyway... i have a fear of hospitals and have heard some shocking stories about midwives... whats it like the first day or so in hospital? Obviously your partner cant stay with you, so are the midwives helpful?
After giving birth to 2 babies, i'm picturing myself being exhausted and just wanting some decent rest (although i know a decent night sleep will be out of the question!), but with it being my first pregnancy, twins and a extremely emotional time as well I'm a little worried it will all be too much...

Any reassurances or stories you can give would be handy.

I'm also going to the Royal Hospital for Women at Randwick (NSW) if anyone has been there before!

**La Que Sabe** · 02-12-2008 07:34

if you're worreid about the midives, why not homebirth?

less risk of intervention too!!

is the hospital private?
i see no reason why your partner can't stay with you.
when i transferred to the hospital and after she was born we were told that my DP couldn't stay with us because we were in a shared room, but there was no way he was going to leave me, so he did stay in the room, and stayed there everynight, they cannot make him leave.

**Nomsie** · 02-12-2008 07:50

I had twins first up too.

My midwives were great. They constantly checked on me, and when the boys cried came in and helped me settle them. It got to about 2am in the morning, and I still hadn't slept properly, so they asked if I would like for them to take the boys for a few hours so I could get some sleep. I was very grateful (although was then worried about my boys so didn't sleep that well anyway.)

The next day they were very helpful too, and were great at answering questions. Sure there was one or two who I didn't necessarily like, but there's always going to be those few who you don't agree with in a large number of people.

Honestly, don't spend your time stressing about such a small thing! If I could go back and be pregnant again, I would stress about how I would cope with two newborns once DP goes back to work and I am home alone! I was totally unprepared for that!

**Sheer Bliss** · 02-12-2008 08:34

I am due to have twins in June next year, but they are my 3rd and 4th bubbas, so am happy to be going back to the same hospy where I had my other 2 kids.

With DD, DH stayed with me every night, it was a private hospy, and they had trundle beds to put in the rooms for your partner. With DS it was a bit harder as he had DD to care for, but this time, we will hopefully be sending our other 2 kids to stay with mum and dad for a couple of nights so DH CAN stay with me.

The m/w at the hospy I was in were fantastic. My bubbas were in the special care nursery, so they were used to being hands on I guess.

there was also a mum who had just had her 4th baby and handed bubs ocer to the nirsery staff and asked them to watch him. She just wanted one nights rest before she got stuck into it all, and they were happy to do so.

**SJ1312** · 02-12-2008 09:20

Well there is some reassurance to my first fear... now I've just got to worry about the 20 years following the birth!

**SuperGranny** · 02-12-2008 10:26

hi sj, I had great support from the nursing staff when i had my girls. I let the nurses feed them formula through the night so I could get a rest. They were most helpful to get a workable way to tandem feed them before I left the hospital. I often had one nurse either side of me to help with that. In those days hubby didnt stay with you overnight, unless there was some life or death situation. The Hospital was very busy at that time, but I still had all the help I needed. The fun and games started when we got both babies home. But you will survive. Glad to offer any help I can, Marie.

**twinmummee** · 02-12-2008 15:43

We went Private and our hospital was great, only small but they were very busy the week we were in there but we still had all the help we needed! All of the rooms are private and they have spare beds for your partner. The midwives also took our girls for awhile on the second night between the midnight and 4am feed and again after that feed so i could have some sleep, they also took them for awhile on the Monday which was great timing as my hormones had kicked in and I was a blubbering mess!

As for getting home as everyone says that is when the work begins, remember to accept all offers of help and if you need to sleep the housework can wait!

**Izy** · 02-12-2008 19:55

sadly the only contribution I can make is to let you know that when you have twins your second baby is automatically admitted as an inpatient so you may pay excess twice for private hospital

**twinmummee** · 02-12-2008 21:38

Hi Izy,

I know you work for MBF, but when we had the girls I only paid the one excess and that was for me...Apparently the girls didn't get admitted as patients, just me or something like that.

Might be different elsewhere....

**Izy** · 02-12-2008 21:42

normally the second child is automatically admitted as an inpatient, not as an MBF rule, but a general admission rule. Were neither of the girls admitted or neither charged excess? Cause some covers will not charge excess for kids, but others do.