Birthing Story

Let's see...where do I begin?  It all started at our 34 week appointment with Dr. Xmas on Tuesday, June 4th at 1:30 pm.  The past week or so my feet had begun swelling.  By Sunday the 2nd they had gotten REALLY bad, REALLY fast.  Monday evening hubs and I decided to go to dollar burger night at a local burger restaurant.  I joked that this may be our last night out as a family of two because we don't go out to eat very often.  We had a great dinner and some delicious burgers while sitting outside on a beautiful night.  I wasn't feeling 100% but didn't think much of it.  I didn't have a huge appetite so ordered a burger with a side salad instead of fries.  I wore cute sandals to dinner but by the time we were ready to leave my feet were too swollen to fit back inside of my sandals.  It was bad.  I had to walk out of the restaurant barefoot.  When we got home I immediately elevated my feet and hoped this would go away.  The swelling did worry me, yet I had heard swelling was normal especially toward the end of twin pregnancy's so I tried to not think much of it.

One foot, other foot was up...this pic doesn't even do it justice...

Back to our appointment on the afternoon of June 4th.  First we had an ultrasound done and a growth scan for the babies.  We were SHOCKED to see that Baby B (George) had flipped and was now head down!  After all this time we had prepared ourselves for a c-section and now this!  Oh my!  We were excited yet both taken aback. Both babies looked great and according to the measurements both weighed 4 pounds, 13 ounces.  We were happy with their weight...almost 5 pounds per baby.  Then I was hooked up for the stress test and that went well.  Both babies were moving like they should.  The nurse saw my swollen feet and was a little worried.  She took my blood pressure and saw that it was 145/95.  I immediately saw it and started crying...I knew that was not good.  The nurse waited a few minutes told me to relax and tested it again.  This time, 150/100.  Yikes.  Not good, not good at all.  Dr. Xmas walked in and saw my feet and the only words that came out of his mouth were "wow....wow."  He was very concerned about my BP and the endema that was going on in my feet.  He knows I'm a very healthy person, but asked if I had eaten a lot of salt lately.  I said no...in fact I told him how we went to dollar burger night the night before and I got a salad over the fries!  He just shook his head kind of like "you are crazy---get the fries girl" haha.  He told me that a BP this high would cost me a few hours in Labor and Delivery for some testing.    

By now it was about 3:30 pm and we waited in the L&D lobby until a nurse came to get me for testing.  Apparently they admit you even for testing, so into a L&D room we went.  I was hooked up to the stress test (yet again) and had lots of blood drawn for testing.  I was extremely thirsty but the nurse told me to stop drinking just in case I had to have an emergency c-section.  She was kind enough though to let me suck on ice chips.  About an hour into testing just laying their waiting for some answers I started to have contractions every three minutes.  The doctor on call (who happened to be in my OB's practice and whom I've met before and like) came to talk with me.  She told me they were waiting on my blood results and would go from there once they got them back.  She said my signs were leading to preclampsia, but we wouldn't know until results came back.  By then it was about 6:00 pm (or so) and the doctor and Dr. Xmas came back into my room to talk with us.  Dr. Xmas said that if my contractions continued as they were that he wanted my cerclage out that night.  He also said if my BP stayed up he wanted the babies out in the next few days.  I was bummed that my cercalge would have to come out that night without pain meds, but at the same time, if it had to happen it would.  They don't want labor to progress with a cerclage in because it can actually damage your cervix, so that's why the plan was to take it out that evening.

After the talk with the on call OB and Dr. Xmas it sounded to us that in reality it looked like these babies would be making their appearance into this world either the next morning or next couple days.  We called family and told them that we still weren't sure, but sounded as if these babies would be coming soon.  Because of this, the OB asked us if we wanted to talk with a NICU doctor just to get a sense of things on that end in case the babies did come soon.  We agreed that we would like to talk to the NICU doctor.  He came into our room that evening around 8:00 pm.  He was great!  Took lots of time to answer the many questions we had and explained many things in detail.  He told us that 34 weeks was great and that they shouldn't have too many complications, but they would most likely be in the NICU for 2-3 weeks.  The hubs asked him if they were busy that night and he said no, but we were hoping not to jinx him!  Well...I think we did.

After the talk with the NICU doctor, the OB rushed in.  I thought she was coming in to get ready for taking out the cerclage.  She immediately told us that they got back my blood work results and my platelet count was very low.  They needed to get these babies out right away.  She said, are you ready to have some babies tonight??!  I started crying, but happy tears.  Holy crap, we were going to have our babies we have dreamed about for so long and been through so much with them TONIGHT.  The OB went on to explain that my platelet count was 98 and that anything below 95 they would have to put me asleep for the c-section and no one wants that.  She also said that with my BP so high, feet so swollen and regular contractions, this was all signs that my body wanted these babies out.  She said I was on the verge of getting very sick so these babies were coming out that night. 

look how swollen I look!  yikes!

Immediately, things got crazy.  The hubs quickly called his parents and my parents and told them the news.  My parents rushed over to the hospital (they are local).  The hubs was given his scrubs to wear, I was prepped for surgery and there were tons of nurses and doctors running around us.  

Now, it was go time.  We were going to have two babies so very soon.  I could not believe it.  I was happy, excited, nervous and scared.  My OB was called and she came to the hospital to deliver the babies and to take the cerclage out.  Around 9:45 pm I was taken into the OR.  Hubs was not allowed to come into the OR until the c-section was to start.  I was prepped some more and then was given a spinal.  I had a great anesthesiologist and didn't have much pain for the spinal.  I mean, it wasn't fun by any name of the game, but I'd had one before for my cerclage and that one was MUCH more painful.  I think I just knew what to expect this time so that helped.  My OB came when I was given the spinal and talked me through it.  She is so sweet and kept saying "you're gonna have your babies tonight!!!"  She was excited!  The spinal was in and I was loosing feeling below my chest.  Once I couldn't feel anything, my OB took out the cerclage.  I didn't feel that one bit.  

Door to OR...hubs patiently waiting to come in

Once the cerclage was out, the hubs was allowed into the OR.  And...the c-section began.  I won't go into too many details here, but the beginning wasn't bad.  I held the hubs hand and squeezed it tight. 

My OB and the on call OB were both doing the c-section.  They were small talking about their children's dance recitals and things their children were involved in the whole time.  In my mind I was saying "they are preforming serious surgery and just chit-chatting throughout it!  Craziness!"  (after all this we learned that's a good sign that things are just going smoothly)  Now the exciting part.  The dr. saw Abigail's head and said, "this one has a big head!" They pulled her out at 10:44 pm and she immediately started crying.  It was by far the most beautiful sound we had ever heard.  I started crying...how amazing.  I was SO happy that Abigail was out and that as far as I knew she seemed to be doing well.  The hubs went over and got a few quick pictures of her and then came back to my side as I squeezed his hand more waiting for baby #2.

  

At 10:46 pm (the longest two minutes of our LIFE) out came George.  The only time the doctor's were quiet is the two minutes in between Abby and George.  This made the hubs and I both worried and felt like an eternity.  George had to have a little help with some suction, but once he got that he let out a big scream.  Again, music to our ears.  More tears came streaming down my face.  I thought, phew, it's over with!!!!  Both our babies are out and seem to be doing well.  Hubs went over to see George and took more pics of him.  

I was so eager to see them.  I just wanted to hold them and kiss them.  It was hard not being able to do this right away, but I knew they were getting the care they needed.  Now honestly, the worst part of the c-section was putting everything back.  Ouch.  That was not fun.  But again, I won't go into details.  That seemed to take forever.  Once that was done and before I was wheeled back into my room, they brought Abigail and George by my head all wrapped up.  They were so beautiful.  I kissed their sweet heads.  Our perfect creation.  The babies we had been trying for for almost two years.  The babies that landed their Momma in the hospital at an early 5 weeks pregnant.  The babies that stole their parents heart from the first time we saw them on the u/s screen at 6 weeks pregnant.  The babies that put their Momma on bed rest at 20 weeks.  The babies we had been praying about for so long.  The babies that have taught us more about life than we ever imagined.  

Abigail Elizabeth

George James

 

 First family pictures

They are here.  Healthy, happy, thriving, sweet little babies.  Welcome to our big, giant world.  We can't wait to make memories with you.  We love you more than you'll ever know...