Our girls have progressed so much in the last month, for a start they have doubled their weight, little Maggie is now 1720g and Miss Elisabeth 2010g. Their nurses have enjoyed cakes at each 500g milestone (Chocolate Guinness cupcakes, brownies, carrot cake, Guinness gingerbread). They are filling out, and instead of looking like little wrinkled old men, they look like chubby, albeit mini, babies.
Both are now in the Special Care Nursery rather than the intensive care unit. They have graduated to open cots, at first with water beds, but now they can both control their own temperature they are just on a mattress. This meant they actually need clothes! I let myself buy some onesies, which was a big step, as I'd not bought anything even while I was still pregnant, for fear of jinxing us.
The open cots are lovely as we can touch them so easily, listen to their cute lamby noises, watch their face expressions. They are really starting to look around at us now.
Elisabeth is free of breathing assistance, she just has a nasal gastric tube and a sensor on her foot. Maggie is on hiflow with a bit of oxygen, and is fully monitored.
I had my first twin cuddle on my birthday, the best birthday present I've ever had or probably ever will have. The sweetest thing was Elisabeth wrapping her arm around Maggie's shoulder and leaving it there the whole time.
We are starting to practise feeding more and more, they are both so keen and determined, desperately seeking out the breast, such a strong instinct even in babies so small.
We are starting to get the hut ready for their arrival, buying a cot and change table. After 63 days in hospital their homecoming is getting closer with every gram gained and successful feed. When I was still pregnant I used to be frightened about coping with twins at home. But after watching our girls fight to survive these last months, I feel like we'll cope just fine. Sure it will be tough and I won't get much sleep, and there will be so many feeds and dirty nappies to change, but it will be nothing compared to what we've been through already.
In the last week the nurses have been popping Elisabeth into Maggie's cot for them to have cuddles, it's so lovely to see them reunited and they seem to like it. So I'll leave you with a photo of their cute feet intertwined.
