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Happy arrival

Alpes-Maritimes, 13th of May

Happy arrival!

Edward Daniel (2.180 kg) and Lydia Tallulah-Joy (2.350 kg) arrived on Easter Monday at Clinique Santa Maria in Nice. I was already à l'hôpital, at the hospital, after being taken by ambulance the Wednesday before as my waters broke in the middle of the night. I had been on drips to stop the contractions happening as I was only 34 weeks pregnant and it was a bit early for them to come out. The trip down the valley gorge in the back of the ambulance was hairy, as they like to go as fast as possible!

Easter presents

The babies were ok, but unfortunately on Easter Sunday I developed preeclampsia. First thing Monday morning they decided that it was getting dangerous and did an emergency cesarean. It was so quick that Ashley was still walking the dog in the mountains. We are an hour from the hospital so he arrived to find everything done. Luckily a doctor took photos for him of them being pulled out - nice!The babies were then put en réanimation, into intensive care, and incubators, for a few days, and then into neonatal, where I joined them for the last week. All in all I stayed there a month and the twins three weeks.

French health care

I cannot get over the health care. I had a wonderful private room with a view of the sea. Les infirmières, the nurses, couldn't have been any kinder. They insisted that I should go to the beach to get some air whilst they looked after the babies. I suffered a bit from baby blues as I was worn out. The night before we left, they made Ashley and I go out together while they were babysitting - imagine that in the UK!

French nanny

I have hired une bonne d'enfants, a nursemaid, Marie-Thérèse, who lives in to help me as the babies are still small. I find it difficult to feed. Well, they are slow and fall asleep mid-bottle which makes it hard to feed two babies in a three hour time slot. I also get a chance to sleep a little in the afternoons which is helping me back to full health.Marie-Thérèse is great, and stops people coming to the house and kissing he babies - you know what the French are like! In fact we have stopped most people from visiting as they are still a bit too young and vunerable. They were meant to be born in the next week. Marie-Thérèse will also help me get into a good routine when she leaves.

Selling the house

We are still selling the house and hope to have viewings this month. We are looking to buy a smaller mountain house and a place near or in Antibes. At some point the children will go to the International School so it's best to be living there beforehand. I miss a lot of culture up here, and can't wait to go to the theatre or cinema. Antibes also has a great fish and chip shop!

Thanks for your kind thoughts during my pregnancy. I feel truly blessed with these very much wanted babies.

Sent by: Janie

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