“I was absolutely not prepared”: Jana Pittman shares her incredible labour story after welcoming twins five weeks early
''Most of all I hated that they were separated.''
By Alana Mazzoni
“I was absolutely not prepared”: Jana Pittman shares her incredible labour story after welcoming twins five weeks early
“Most of all I hated that they were separated.”
Jana Pittman has shared the incredible story behind her labour after welcoming twins into the world five weeks early.
The Olympian and former SAS Australia star and her husband Paul Gatward welcomed son Quinlan and daughter Willow on March 22.
Jana and her husband Paul welcome Quinlan and Willow on March 22.
On Wednesday – the premature twins’ due date – Jana revealed she was “almost relieved” to be going into labour early, saying: “I was so huge and uncomfortable, I congratulated myself for making it to 34 weeks with twins.”
“Even being medically trained I still had some fairytale idea of taking my babies home the next day with no issues, especially since they had both been over the 90% size on ultrasound!” the doctor shared on Instagram.
“I was absolutely not prepared for how underdeveloped and vulnerable they still were despite being late preterm.”
Jana revealed she was “almost relieved” to be going into labour early.
The mother-of-six said she “felt lost” while the twins went to into the hospital’s special care two hours after they were born.
“I hated not holding them as they needed blue lights for their jaundice, their feet constantly pricked for blood tests,” she penned.
“Most of all I hated that they were separated in different cribs covered in monitoring leads despite being womb buddies for eight months.”
Although Jana knew it was necessary for the twins to be separated, it didn’t stop her “mother guilt raging”.
“I constantly questioned ‘if I had rested more’ and not fallen down the stairs could I have kept them inside longer,” she said, referencing falling on the stairs of her Sydney home prior to going into labour.
“I share this not for sympathy but for awareness as while the idea of twins is amazing (and it is) [but] there is increased risk for mum and bubs.”
After a week in hospital, Jana and the twins returned home. Since then, she and Paul have immersed themselves in the joy of getting to know their family’s newest additions.
The newborn twins are being doted on their other older brother Charlie, 18 months, and sisters Emily, six, and Jemima, five.
Jana’s eldest child, Cornelis, 15, from her first marriage to former coach Chris Rawlinson, has also been a huge helping hand for his sleep-deprived mum.
“Corr is amazing,” Jana gushed to our sister site New Idea earlier this month.
Jana described her home life as “wonderful mayhem” with six kids now under the one roof.
“It has been the hardest and best time of my life.”
This article appears on Now To Love and is reproduced and edited here with permission.
