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I woke up on Friday morning (January 12) shortly after 4AM, convinced that today was the day. Between then and 5 I noticed about 4-5 contractions but they were really weak. Then the contractions seemed to have stopped. I was exactly 34 weeks pregnant that day.
By the time my husband was getting ready for work (around 6:30), I was 100% convinced that, even if today wasn’t the day, my OB was going to send me to the hospital. I was checking to see if he had to go to the office – did he have any meetings? Was there anything that REQUIRED him to be there? Those kind of questions for him. He seemed to blow me off, but I later realized that he was just doing things in the office that was quick until I told him he needed to leave. He was actually telling his co-workers that he left the “crazy pregnant woman” behind. He later ate his words…..
Well, I was right – the OB sent me to the hospital after the prenatal visit for monitoring. She did mention that she didn’t think that it was going to lead to anything, but they just wanted to be sure. I told Kevin not to come to the hospital yet – I would call him as we learned things throughout the day. Well, my contractions at this point were 2-3 minutes apart, and I was hooked up to the monitors in the hospital. An hour later, they give me fluids to slow things down. An hour after that, they start giving me shots of tributiline (sp?). Contractions are still coming. Because all u/s results have been good and the likelihood of stopping labor was becoming increasingly lower we decided (as a team – my OB, perinatologist and myself) that we should do the section that day. So, I called Kevin to inform him he needed to come to the hospital.
5 hours later they finally bring me into surgery. Because I wasn’t an emergency I was bumped 3 times and then there was an administrative issue that led to further delays. But, I finally walked into the OR preparing myself that I was going to have 2 more babies that were going to be living in the NICU for at least 7 days (hospital policy is no baby born before 35 weeks is to leave the NICU).
The surgery went well. The OB asked me which of the two I wanted to be born first since their positions allowed them to make the choice. Since the girl was always thought of as Baby A, I asked them to deliver her first. At 8:26pm, I hear my Ballerina give a scream indicating she was out. She didn’t stop crying until the section was complete. At 8:27pm, the OB tells me I’ll feel pressure and then immediately I was being told that Music Man had arrived. She was 5lb 2oz and he was 5lb 9oz. Both seemed to be doing really well based on the sounds of their cries. The delivery nurse kept complaining because Music Man peed on her – THREE TIMES!!!!!!! When they brought the babies over for me to see, therefore, I was surprised to see oxygen masks on both of them. I got to see them, but I didn’t get to touch them.
While in recovery, one of the nurses came by to fill me in on their condition. Overall, they were doing well, but they were in respiratory distress. They were checking them for pneumonia, but it was most likely due to prematurity. Either way, they were both doing all right considering. A little while later, Kevin went to see the babies in the NICU and gave me a full report – they were on the CPAP to help them breathe, but they didn’t need to be intubated. She was actually doing better – 30% O2 was all she needed – For him they weren’t as convinced about at that point, but he was fine with 35%. (which we learned soon after Kevin returned from the NICU).
By Thursday, both of them were off of Oxygen (CPAP and nasal canula) and they have discontinued the IV and removed the feeding tube. They were both out of their isolettes and were bedding together. He was removed from his isolette at 8am and she was taken out around 3pm, just before we left for the day. Seeing them in the same crib together was the most beautiful thing I ever saw – this was the picture I had been waiting for since July 6, when we first learned that I was expecting twins.. On Friday, the both passed their car seat test, with flying colors. After a mild setback over the weekend, they were both released from the hospital on Tuesday afternoon.
Here are some pics.
Ballerina being evaluated (just go away – I don’t want my picture taken just now):
Music Man being weighed:
The first time Mommy sees them (Ballerina is the closer one):
Mommy and Ballerina share a moment together:
Daddy's Little Girl:
They’re finally together!!!!!!!! (Music Man is on the left and looks just like Big Brother!)
Heading home:
Big Brother Moment (his reaction to the twins was “BABIES!!!!!!!!!!!”):
And here they are today......
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