23-01-19 Hartley Twins Birthday

How what should have been a very busy day renovating and painting the house became the Wednesday our twins decided to be born…

“Hi luv it is 2am in Sydney. Today I’m 36 weeks along…AND I THINK MY WATERS JUST RUPTURED – a gush of water!! I’m now madly planning my hospital bag and sitting on the loo. Aliki [2.25am written to a number of friends]

I wonder whether yesterday evening’s walk home from Clovelly to Coogee carrying a can of Dulux low sheen weathershield caused my waters to break.

Something did: two siblings who for the past month have made sleep impossible wanted OUT from the tight drum of my belly. Waters continued to sometimes gush out sometimes slow drip. And once in the delivery suite a most unpleasant internal examinations by Dr Neil showed Electra head far too close to make things comfortable ever again. These kids want OUT.

So I hobble in to theatre wincing every step of the way contractions really horrible causing me to seize up and double over. Dr. Gregory my saviour arrives to give me salvation: an epidural with plenny morphine topped up, fentanyl, the works. But swift and regular contractions mean the epidural takes so long to insert. Arghhh contractions!!!

Soon my contractions albeit still nasty become less horrifying and at once cease. The surgeons can now proceed to chop me up.

At 5:44am Twin A the darling Miss Elektra all black hair and fine features is pulled from me. A minute later Twin B the burky blonde Keanu is out. Erroll and I weep. Our babies are born!

With newborn Elektra
Keanu Hartley
Freshly born Elektra & Keanu Hartley