Before her twins were even born, Annalyse had already stepped inside the new Peninsula University Hospital tower – becoming one of the very first mums to tour the maternity unit ahead of its official opening.
Just two weeks later, that same space would become part of her birth story.
At 33 weeks, Annalyse went into spontaneous labour, waking at 2am to her waters breaking.
After arriving at hospital, labouring with contractions for more than nine hours and receiving an epidural, she delivered her twins, Oliver and Cameron – though not quite in the way she had expected.
“Twin one, Oliver, was born at 1:36pm. I had a brief moment of skin‑to‑skin, and my husband cut the umbilical cord, before he was taken to the Special Care Nursery,” Annalyse explains.
Twin two, Cameron, took a little longer to make his entrance.
“My contractions had stopped, so I was given oxytocin to start them again. It was then my doctor told me that twin two’s waters still hadn’t broken,” Annalyse reflects.
“She tried to break them manually, but the membrane was really tight across the baby and she couldn’t break it. Literally one moment later, my waters broke all over her and the floor with a giant splash.”
It was then discovered that Cameron was in the breech position, with his bottom presenting first. After a few big pushes, he was born at 2:05pm and taken to Special Care to join his brother.
“The care was phenomenal. The doctors and nurses were all very nice and encouraging.”
For the next three weeks, Oliver and Cameron remained in the Special Care Nursery for ongoing monitoring.
“Having your babies be premature and having to go home without them is really hard, but we felt so supported during our time. The nurses were all so helpful and kind – calm and considerate,” says Annalyse.
“The unit was also beautiful. It was nice to have access to a fridge, cold water, and a place to sit and eat. But I especially appreciated the feeding room. I spent between six to ten hours a day there, every day, and having a place to go and pump was really appreciated.”
“I felt very lucky that I got to spend the end of my pregnancy, the birth, and our special care journey within the new hospital.”
Annalyse is now back home with her husband, Alex, and their two boys, who are now two months old, settling into family life and enjoying each other’s company.
“Being a twin mum makes me feel like I’m part of this special little club I didn’t even know existed – the community is incredible,” says Annalyse.
For more information on our Maternity Services, click here.
