Mum ‘so grateful’ for

A DUNDEE couple say they have nothing but praise for staff at Ninewells as they welcome their beautiful twins home after a traumatic first few weeks.

New mum and dad Ashlea Glen and Gary Lochhead are sharing their experience in the hope it may help other families – and also highlight the expertise of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Ninewells.

Little Grace and brother Fionn were delivered seven weeks early, and spent 17 days in special care, after Ashlea developed the potentially life-threatening condition pre-eclampsia.

Gary and Ashlea, who both work for Jaguar Land Rover in Dundee, had just moved house and were “living out of boxes” when Ashlea was admitted to hospital.

“We found out on Gary’s 30th birthday we were pregnant.

“About four weeks in I just had a feeling it was twins – when Gary saw them on the scan he couldn’t believe it!

“I had to be scanned every four weeks after the 20-weeks scan to make sure they were growing the way they should be,” Ashlea explains.

“They told me Grace wasn’t growing as much as they’d like, but it could be because I was on blood pressure tablets.

“On April 7 I went up for my scan and she’d caught up with her growth, which we thought was great news.

“But then suddenly my blood pressure went through the roof, and I developed a migraine and blurred vision.

“I don’t suffer from migraines and didn’t realise it is a sign of pre-eclampsia.

“I was in severe pain and crying and, thankfully, was immediately admitted to hospital.”

It was decided the twins would need to be born early due to the pre-eclampsia.

“They were born on Monday April 11, each exactly 3lbs 12ozs, and three minutes apart by C-section. Grace was first,” says Ashlea, 36.

“Everything was explained to us before we went in, but nothing prepared us for how scary the birth was.

“As soon as they were born, eight paediatric nurses came running out and within minutes the twins were wired up to little breathing face masks and being monitored.

“Lying there paralysed, it was so emotional and traumatic waiting to hear those first cries. It was pure relief to hear them.

“I was able to hold Fionn for a minute before they went to the unit. But because my blood pressure was so high I wasn’t able to go and see them in NICU.

“I was in the post-natal ward, with babies and their mums, so I wasn’t sleeping, was wondering how the babies were, my blood pressure was still high.

“There were two health care assistants who were amazing, so kind to me.

“I cried all night for the babies.

All the staff at Ninewells were so caring and supportive.

“When I got out after five days we were allowed to go into the NICU to, at last, have skin-to-skin contact.

“The staff taught us how to change the nappies and the feeding tubes. The twins were in incubators, had jaundice and on blue-light therapy.

“They were separated for treatment, but then were put in a cot together. They seem to settle better when they are beside each other.”

Before the birth Ashlea had a home blood pressure monitor and had her urine samples checked for pre-eclampsia.

She explains: “I hadn’t realised how serious the condition is.

“It can bring on heart attacks and strokes, and can stop oxygen or blood flow to the babies.

Twins Fionn and Grace were delivered seven weeks early.