My husband and I were already blessed with a 4-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old son. We had always known we wanted one more child to complete our family. After settling on a name for either a boy or a girl, we decided to try for our third. To our surprise, we got pregnant in the very first month! I took a test four days before my period was due, and there it was: a positive result.

I had a feeling something was different. I was bloated, dizzy, and just felt “off.” The doctor confirmed the pregnancy when I was just four weeks along and gave me a referral for a dating scan at six weeks. Those two weeks of waiting felt endless. I was nauseous—something I hadn’t experienced with my other two pregnancies—and incredibly fatigued. Oh, and I was always hungry!

The morning of my dating scan, I joked to my husband, "I bet it’s twins..." Little did I know, I was right! When the ultrasound tech showed me the screen, I was in shock. "There’s two!" she exclaimed. I was trembling with disbelief. I had only planned for one more baby, but now we were having two. I wasn’t sure how to feel—overwhelmed, scared, and unsure—but then I saw my husband’s reaction. I drove straight to his work, tears streaming down my face. I could barely say, “There’s two,” before he burst into joyful laughter. His happiness was contagious.

Finding Out the Gender of Our Twins

At 16 weeks, we found out that Twin A was a girl and Twin B was a boy! We decided to name them Clara and Clyde—the names we’d already chosen. They were both measuring perfectly, strong and healthy. The pregnancy was progressing smoothly with no complications.

Our older two kids couldn’t wait to meet their new sister and brother, and they loved rubbing and lying on my growing belly. My stomach grew rapidly and stretched beyond what I thought was possible, but I loved being pregnant. The only real discomfort was struggling to turn over in bed. My growing belly made it hard to even move without lifting it!

The Induction Journey

As a public patient, I saw a different doctor every month. Each doctor said I’d need to be induced at 37 weeks. I wasn’t thrilled about this—I had been induced with my first child, and it was a long, hard labor, while my second was born spontaneously and much quicker. But with Christmas around the corner, and not wanting to have twins on Christmas Day, I reluctantly agreed to be induced on December 19th.

However, when I arrived at the hospital, they told me my cervix was high, closed, and posterior. The midwife questioned why I was being induced so early. This left me feeling unsure. The pain from the cook's catheter during the induction attempt made me feel like something wasn’t right. After hours of discomfort, I decided to leave. The next few days, my body didn’t change, and I canceled the second induction.

On December 28th, I saw another doctor who gave me the option to wait another week as long as I came in for regular monitoring. I agreed. Christmas came and went, and still no twins. Finally, on December 29th, when I was 38+4, I was induced using gel.

The Big Day: December 29th

The process was long, and by the time I was admitted to the hospital, there were delays. My husband had forgotten my hospital bag and had to return home to get it, and I was left alone in the cafeteria, mentally preparing myself for the big day.

By 5:00 pm, I was ready to go, and they started monitoring the babies. Twin A had a high heart rate, so we had to wait until she settled. Around 8:00 pm, they administered the first dose of gel. My husband went home to rest, and I stayed awake, trying to manage the pain as contractions started. By 9:00 am the next morning, I was fully dilated and ready to push.

The Birth of Clara and Clyde

At 10:10 pm, I began to push. To my surprise, Twin A was already crowning! The doctor asked if I wanted to feel her head, and I said, "Yes!" It was an unforgettable moment. Clara was born at 10:16 pm, crying loudly. They placed her on my chest, and she stopped crying as she stared at me. It was a moment of pure love and connection.

They quickly moved Clara to clean her up while I began pushing again. Twin B was a little more stubborn. Clyde had to be manually turned into the correct position, but with continued pushing, he finally came out at 10:56 pm, exactly 40 minutes after Clara. He, too, calmed instantly when he heard my voice.

Recovery and New Beginnings

The following days were filled with joy as we settled into our "new normal." Clara and Clyde were healthy, feeding well, and easily adjusting to life outside the womb. My older two kids were in love with their new siblings and couldn’t get enough of cuddling them.

However, my body wasn’t recovering as expected. I felt a chill that wouldn’t go away, and I was exhausted. At first, I thought it was just due to having twins. But on day 6 postpartum, I experienced a large, concerning bleed. I rushed to the hospital, and after an ultrasound, the doctors discovered retained placenta. I had to undergo a D&C procedure to remove the remaining tissue, followed by a blood transfusion to help with my recovery.

Though the recovery was tough, life as a mother of four is something I wouldn’t change for the world. Being a "twin mom" is a special kind of joy. Despite the challenges, I feel incredibly blessed and thankful to have Clara and Clyde as part of our family.