Three into one does go

I thought it was all over
I still had to deliver the placentas (the girls are all identical, but two shared a placenta and one was separate) and be stitched up (I'd had an episiotomy to make sure the girls had as gentle an exit as possible).

I was left to recover and then Ian returned with Polaroid photos of the girls to show me, as it would be a couple of hours before I could visit them in the SCBU. They were perfect, beautiful and each weighed exactly 4.5lbs - good weights for their gestation.

They spent a few days in special care, Alex and Becky initially needing a little extra oxygen, but were essentially healthy (as was I) and we were all home within a fortnight for the most hectic Christmas ever.

Privileged and proud
People who've heard about the girls' delivery assume it was horrendous. But with the epidural to take away most of the pain, it was a fantastic experience, and I felt privileged to have been given the chance to have them in the normal way.

I felt immense pride afterwards and was on a high that helped me cope throughout those intense early weeks. It's a shame that few obstetricians and midwives witness such special deliveries. If they did, they might gain the confidence and experience to handle them vaginally, and the caesarean rate for multiple pregnancies might drop.