Chapter 23: The Miracle of Life

*Julia, you are 5 months pregnant now, we need to think about the room for the twins*

*2 rooms David, I want each of them to have their own identity and their own room"

"I understand Love, but all the books I have read on twins mention that until they grow up and want their own room, they want to sleep together in one bed and play together all the time and that there is no point to prepare 2 rooms".

"I don't care David, I want to prepare one pink room for our daughter and one blue room for our son"

"What about we have one light pink room and one neutral room with white & beige, so if we realise that actually all the specialists are right, they can both fit in the "neutral" room?"

"mmm that's actually a good idea David, let's do that"

"and for the decoration, do you know already what you would like, Love?"

"I really like the brand "Noukie's" and I have 2 collections in mind which could fit for a more girlie room and a more neutral one"

"Oh great, show me on their website then"

Julia shows him and it's so cute, David and Julia end up buying their entire line for these 2 collections.

What Julia doesn't know is that David has also bought a big white bassinet and a big white modular bed able to fit both babies until they are at least 3 years old…

Julia doesn't want to breast-feed the babies and David totally respects that and is actually happy about it because he will be able to help her more and he also will be able to feed the twins.

Julia is not a big fan of pregnancy clothes but she asked her favorite tailor to have 3 "classical" outfits with expandable waists and which will be able to last her whole pregnancy.. when she stays at home, she is simply wearing loose fitting dresses.

She doesn't have any pregnancy cravings at 3 o'clock in the morning but she is eating a lot of pickles (at lunch AND at dinner).. David jokes a lot about that saying that the babies are going to come out as green as frogs.

The only « side effect » of the pregnancy that she got is insomnia… So she buys a lot of things on Amazon during the night and she is even more ahead of her work than usual. She really feels « on top of the world ».

She is amazed when she feels the babies moving and she even films the "waves" they are making on her belly.

Julia reaches the 35 weeks threshold and she's getting more and more impatient every day. She knows that average pregnancies last between 37 and 41 weeks and that for twins, it's more around 36 weeks.

"Come on Babies, hurry up! Mummy wants to meet you"

"Julia, the longer the babies grow inside you, the better" scolds David

"I know David, I know.. but I just want to meet them now.. "

"Patience, Love. Patience"

The next day, Julia starts to feel a bit nauseous after lunch. She manages to waddle to the couch and she is watching some random TV, like "Hart to Hart" and she starts to experience mild contractions. Then it stops and she manages to sleep through the night without interruption.

Around lunch time, it starts again and Julia is lying full length on the couch.

She watches other episodes of "Hart to Hart" and she feels it's going to happen tonight, so she eats a lot of spaghettis bolognaise with a massive amount of grated cheese on top.

Around 10 p.m. she is lying in bed with David who snoozes and her water breaks.

"David, wake up! David, we need to go to the hospital now! My water just broke"

"Are you sure, Love?"

"Positive David. Let's move! Now!"

"Calm down, Love. Breathe. We are going to be there in no time"

Julia waddled to the car and they reach the hospital in 10 minutes. She is adamant to go through the check-in process herself even if she struggles a bit to walk.

They put her in a private part of the maternity ward where security guards were already in position, thanks to David's planning.

The midwife is putting the baby monitoring in place and after checking Julia, announces that she is 3cm dilated.

"OK, only 7 cm to go then" jokes Julia..

"Do you want the peridural Prime Minister?"

"You have seen my private parts and are about to see worst, so I think you can call me Julia"

"OK, so what do you want to do then Julia?"

"I want to avoid the peridural, please. I will take it only if it lasts very long and I can't bear the pain anymore"

"As you wish, Pr.. Julia. But please, let me know if you want it as the anesthetist needs to come and he might not be there straight away as he has other patients to tend to"

"I will if I need it, thank you"

After 24 hours at the hospital, no sleep, no food and strong contractions for only 2 cm of dilatation in 12 hours, Julia had enough of it and decides to take the peridural.

She's crying during the whole procedure as it was a goal she wouldn't reach: to give birth naturally without any painkillers.

And it was about to get worse…

After 37 hours of labor (the dilatation accelerated strongly after the peridural was performed), Julia starts to push to deliver baby #1 with David holding her hand and coaching her to breath properly and to support her pushing efforts. After 45 minutes of strong pushing efforts, the baby seems stuck so they used the suction cup. After a last strong push, baby #1 is born and screams loudly.

"Congratulations Julia & David, you have a strong and healthy baby girl"

"How do you want to name her?"

"Dahlia – a combination of David & Julia" they both answer at the same time.

"Dahlia Francesca (combination of Frances –Julia's mother & Caroll – David's mother) Montague-Budd.

"Do you want to cut the ombilical cord?"

"Yes" says Julia, whilst murmuring to the baby "welcome in this world my love. I am your mother and I love you more than anybody in this world". Julia instantly understands what people meant when talking about "unconditional love" for their children..

They are on cloud nine but then it all goes to South at lightspeed!

They hear the midwife shouting to get the doctor NOW and to prepare an operation table. Baby #2 still has to go out but the cervix closes itself. Julia has to undergo an emergency C-section to get him out quickly and avoid any lack of oxygenation.

"David, I want David with me in there. David"

"I am here Love, Dahlia is perfectly fine, I will be right beside you, like always. I need to go through the disinfection procedure and to wear a chirurgical mask, hat and the operating room gown and I will be right back"

Julia calms down instantly when she hears that. This is David's super power: to be able to calm her down and to ground her with one sentence.

The C-section was quickly performed and baby #2 was delivered without further issue and soon a piercing scream fills the room, much to everyone's relief.

"Congratulations Julia & David, you have a strong and healthy baby boy"

"How do you want to name him?"

"Justin – a combination of Julia & Stinnys (David's middle name)" they both answer at the same time.

"Justin Richard Montague-Budd" clarifies Julia.

2 hours later, they are in a hospital room, David is doing "skin on skin" with Dahlia and Julia is doing it with Justin.

"David, it really was the most beautiful day of my life, above our wedding day and far above my nomination as Prime Minister. I simply can describe the emotions & the feelings I am experiencing right now. I know it must be different for you, because you have been through that twice already."

"Well, yes, I have been through this twice, but I wasn't in a right place in my head at that time. For Ella's birth, I wasn't even there as I was in Afghanistan at the time. And for Charlie's birth, I was drunk and not able to fully enjoy it. It was really the first time I was feeling well physically & emotionally, and it makes it special and having 2 children with you is even more special. I love you Julia"

"I love you David"

1 hour after, visits are finally allowed and the first person to enter in the room is Julia's mum. She couldn't have wait one minute more and her eyes are very glassy. She even starts crying when she sees Julia with both babies in her arms.

"Oh my god Julia, they are so perfect. Congratulations! I am so happy for you"

"Thank you mum, you are the first one to see them"

"I was here one hour ago. I had to go to the M&S down the street to stay busy as they forbid me to enter sooner"

Julia laughs softly and hug her gently.

"Let me introduce you to Dahlia & Justin mum. Both a combination of our names"

"Hello little ones. I am you granny and I am going to spoil you rotten"

" Mum! "

"What ? Like you are not going to spoil them?"

"Well yes.. but I will try to be reasonable"

"Let me laugh darling, you reasonable?" she scoffed

David laughs at that and Julia joins him.

David's parents are on their way from Scotland and they will be there the next day to meet their grandbabies as well as Ella & Charlie.

They are getting ready for their first night at the hospital. David is staying with her on a foldable camping bed.

The night is not easy and they take turn to hold both babies in their arms, to allow the other to sleep a little bit as they cry a lot. Julia is getting anxious and her insecurities are coming back full force, even if David does his best to reassure her. Don't worry Julia, it's just their first night out of your womb, they need to adjust to this new world..

Julia ends up calling the midwife who reassures her and explains her indeed that it's their first night out of their "cocoon" in her womb, that their arrival in this world was not smooth (suction cup & C-section) and that they just need to be secured and close to their mum & dad.

Julia woke up in the morning with David singing softly a Scottish Lullaby called "Dream Angus" to the twins who are nestled on his naked chest.

"Hello David. I would love to wake up to this view every morning but I know I need to memorize it in my brain as they will grow up too quickly and it will not be the case"

"Hello Julia… mmmm you could still wake-up with my naked chest though" says David playfully.

"mmm inuendo.. it's maybe a bit early for that Mr Budd"..

"never too early for that my love"

"mmmm" says Julia before kissing him softly..

After a frugal breakfast (biscot, jam & coffee) the midwife comes and check Julia's C-section scar and help her to get up for the first time. That goes well and then they bath both babies with the help of a childcare worker. Julia feeds them and got a shower herself whilst David is looking after the twins.

It's finally time for David's parents and Ella & Charlie to meet the twins.

Julia is excited and scared at the same time..

"David, what if they don't like the twins?"

"Stop worrying Julia, I am sure Ella will be smitten with both and Charlie will be so happy to finally have a buddy to play football with!"

They enter the room all together and indeed Ella is gushing about how cute they are and offers them a cuddly toy she had made herself (with some help from Vicky) and Charlie offers them a small baby ball (a pink one for Dahlia & a blue one for Justin).

David's parents are literally smitten with both and they reluctantly leave but promise to come back the next day.

They have more visitors the next following days but not much as the aisle of the hospital is very securised and a very limited number of visitors are allowed.

Julia's mum and David's parents are coming every day.

Julia spends one week at the hospital as the twins are doing great and they could have gone home earlier, but because of the C-section, they preferred to keep her a little bit longer.

Julia didn't cry just after the birth because all the medical procedures and attention were a bit overwhelming, she doesn't cry when she presents the babies to the swarm of journalists outside the hospital but as soon as they arrive in the safety of their home; she sits down in the couch and she starts crying as all the underlying emotions and years of having put that dream in a box are coming back at the surface at the same time.

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