They're here!

It was a hectic, fast, chaotic and unexpected arrival, but the boys are here!  This is bound to be long, I apologize in advance but there is lots to share as a lot has been going on!

36 weeks!

I'll start by sharing my final belly picture!  The night before their arrival I was taking my 36th week picture (I was 35 weeks 6 days). I'm so glad I did this that night because I may not have gotten final belly pictures if I hadn't (You'll see what I mean later).

 

I look how I feel, like hell. 5 days of prodromal labor along with the other aches and pains, I was feeling sorta miserable but still trying to hang in there.

Birthday! Welcome to the world boys!

Wednesday, January 23th 2013. I woke up at 5:30am and just wasn't feeling well. Sorta nausious and like acid was trying to come out my mouth.  I wondered around the house and got something to eat before crawling back into bed feeling much better.

Fast forward to 10am. Our normal waking time. Derrick was getting ready for work and I was working on getting my very pregnant behind out of bed to take him there.  I stood up and felt a gush. "Did my water break? That was weird." I walk into the bathroom. Blood. Lots of blood dripping down my leg.  Surprisingly, although I felt panicked I remained composed. I called the hospital and doula, Derrick called my mom to come get Evelyn.

When I arrived at the hospital and got a breif on my recent pregnancy history, they hooked me up on the monitors and called my OB. Because of the prodromal labor they did a cervix check. No change. So they determined the blood was not coming from cervix dilation.  After the check there was large amounts of blood again, pooling amounts. I laid there unaware.

At some point, my mom came to get Evelyn. She hung around for a few minutes to see what was going to be happening.

I sent Derrick out to the car to get our things, I knew we wouldn't be leaving. On his way out he called me to tell me they were talking c-section and had told him to hurry.  I was still hanging out on the monitor and nobody has been in to talk to me.

Then chaos happened. An anestesiologist, a surgical tech, a surgical nurse, a NICU nurse all came in and introduced themselves.  I was a little confused and still clinging to hope that we would be able to naturally deliver the twins. They kept saying "Just incase." "I'll be the surgical tech... just incase" and when they put in the IV, it was "Just incase".

Somewhere in there my mom took Evelyn home.  She knew what was happening and knew things were getting  a little to stressful for little E. We gave kisses and parted ways.

All the sudden the realization that they were going to do this c-section whether I liked it or not sunk in.  I snapped on a surgical tech and nurse that were trying to introduce themselves. "You are not doing an effin thing to me until someone tells me what the eff is going on!" And hysterical crying ensued. I was in panic mode. My doula - on her way, hurrying as fast as she safetly could.

I was in full blown panic mode. I couldn't breath,  I was crying. This was not what I wanted, this was not how I wanted this to happen. I feel lost, I don't know whats going on. I'm scared.

Finally my OB arrived. She quickly said the bleeding was coming from high up and she wanted to get the babies out ASAP - and she left.

I was trying to stall them. "Please just wait for my doula to get here" - catheter put in. "Please, she'll be here in 10 minutes." - stomach sanitized. "She's on her way, she said she'd run!" - as they are wheeling me out the door toward the OR.

Derrick had already caught on. There was no waiting. This was now an emergency c-section and it was happening now. He was crying and scared but knew something was not right, more so than even I did. I didn't want to give up on my hope of a natural twin delivery.

After Derrick assured me that this was necessary and it was happening and everything would be ok they wheeled me into the OR. We parted ways. I laid in the OR crying, tears streaming down my face. The anestesiologist was fabulous. He was holding my hand, talking to me the whole time, talking about how he knows Derrick, assuring me that he'd take good care of me and everything would be just fine.

I can feel them prepping me. Then they ask me to slide over to the surgical table. They are giving me oxygen and I continue crying. At this point it had settled in what was happening and that it was necessary, but I couldn't stop crying. The stress, the fear, the unknowing, worrying if the babies were ok... It all was coming out in tears.  I heard them check for heart tones. Two beautiful thumping hearts. A nurse came in and said "Marnie is here, she's with Derrick" and they injected something into my IV and I was out.

While I was out.

I had a birth plan, a plan that I assumed was thrown out the window as soon as the emergency situation arised (this may have been part of my hysterics as well).  Oh how happy I was to hear that was not the case at all and everything I had hoped would happen incase of a c-section did! 

There were 3 main things. A) If the boys were healthy and fine, they were to go to Derrick and Marnie immediately for skin to skin and care until I woke up. B) Nobody was to see the boys until I had woken and met them.  C) If they could, I'd like them place on me and near me, even before I had awoken from anestesia.

I meet the boys for the first time

I remember waking up in recovery. I actually felt really good, like I just had a long nap. There was a nurse around me, fumbling with monitors and screens.  I asked 100 questions: Are my boys ok? Where are they? Where's Derrick?  How did the boys do? Are they ok?

The nurse was quick to catch on:  The boys are totally fine, they came out kicking and screaming, they've been with Derrick since they were done being checked out. They were able to bring them in to you while you were still out so the boys could smell you and cuddle with you.  They are doing great and Derrick is in heaven.

I tried my best to be patient, those that know me also know that is not my strong suit.  They were waiting on some pain meds and a couple other things but promised they would get me up in 15-20 minutes. I tried to lay quiet and patient, didn't work.  The nurse continued to fill me in as tears flowed down my face... happy and relieved tears this time. Birth weights, personalities, times etc.

2:30pm, finally wheeling me away.  As they roll me into the elevator the tears are flowing and I can't make them stop.  By the time we arrive at the room I'm bawling histerically. Derrick is all smiles. They hand the twins over to me, I couldn't be happier. They appear fine, they look great. They are crying and sleeping.

These pictures are less than flattering, but I think they tell a story (and after the chaos that ensued, I imagine you'd understand!)

Arriving in the room, I see Derrick and the babies, emotions are on high!

First time seeing the boys, I look great being only minutes out of surgery haha! 

Birth Stats

Baby A: 01/23/13    12:42pm  4lbs 6oz  17.5 inches long.

 

Baby B: 01/23/13   12:43pm  5lbs 4oz 18.8 inches long

Evelyn meets the boys!

Shortly after I arrived in the room, my mom brought Evelyn by.

She looks excited and proud, but she is unsure. She seems to understand "2 babies" and tells anyone she can.  She likes to watch the babies, but does tire of them and wants to leave.  She yelled at one of the babies while I was feeding saying "No bite baby!" haha! 

The last 2 days!

Breastfeeding was going ok from the start. I won't say great, we struggled. The very first feeding went really well, the both latched and ate right away.  It took a lot of convincing and many times waking them up to get them to eat and latch again and to stay eatting and latched.  Baby A ended up with low blood sugar, we began supplementing donor milk because I don't have enough for them, my body wasn't prepared for babies arrival yet.

Baby A was poked and stuck throughout the night and by 4am and forced feedings from a "cup" his level was normal and we were set to go on as normal.

That morning Baby A's temperature was low, after some warm snuggles it was normal again and everything went on as normal.

Baby A becomes known as Sawyer Joseph, Baby B becomes known as Logan Martin!

That night we learned that both babies had lost quite a bit of weight.  Sawyer (A) was now 4lbs exactly and Logan (B) was now 4lbs 13oz. They lose a maximum of 10% of their body weight and we were literally an ounce or two away from that mark.  We spent all of our second day together force feeding as much as possible.  They'd eat from me, then get donor milk from a "cup" after that, I'd pump and they'd get that during their next feed.  I had Marnie come and check to make sure everything feeding related was good, and it was. Latches are perfect, suction is good considering their gestational age, the problem being that at 36 weeks the babies don't have the stamina to eat for extended periods of time. So although they would latch for 15-20 minutes, they weren't strong enough to get what they need. After a day of offering milk in a cup after we'd feed, they maintained their weights (Except Sawyer (A) who gained 13grams - this is a lot for a 4 lb baby!)



We had a 4 hour time period of feeding every hour for 10 minutes each and pooping in between, go figure this would happen on the night Derrick goes home to spend time with Evelyn.  Lucky for me, the nurses here are awesome and they spent a lot of time in the room helping me out.

Sawyer (A) had a touch of jaundice, he appeared yellowish. But after testing, his bilirubin levels were only 11.5 which is well below treatment level. 

I sit here awaiting our discharge. They will send out a home check tomorrow to check their weights and Sawyer's biliruben levels and we'll have an appointment with dr. Landers on Monday too.

My Recovery

The first day was rough. I was in bed the whole day with monitors, wires, IVs etc.  I only really sat up for feeding and that was it.   That night I was able to stand for awhile.  The next day the catheder was removed,  I got up, took a shower - which made me feel like a whole new person, got the IV out and was able to move about... slowly. I was still ina bit of pain despite the pain meds.

That night though, I was able to cut down to 1 percoset instead of 2, Evelyn and I were able to go for a walk together during her visit.  I was up and moving around.

On Friday, I felt really good. I was up and moving around, sore only if I moved the wrong way or over did it.  Even today I feel great aside from some incision discomfort.  Otherwise I feel mostly normal again.

The hospital stay has been wonderful. Yesterday I got a foot massage and acupuncture.  I don't do needles, I only did the acupuncture because they said it would help my milk supply come in. And wow did it work! 2 hours later I could feel it comin in, 8 hours later and I was able to pump more than enough.  Definitely worked wonders. I'll remember that if I ever have trouble keeping my supply up! Worked wonders.

Pictures from the last few days

My boys <3 td="">

Our first family photo

Sawyer Feet

Sawyer (left) and Logan (Right)

Sawyer is already a momma's boy.  everytime he gets stressed out or upset he comes to me and falls right asleep. He does not like to be put down.

Evelyn helps with a cup feeding.

Evelyn making sure Logan's heart sounds good

 

The Cause:

Dr Mayhan did follow up with us yesterday and said that she could see where the placenta was beginning to abrupt from the uterine wall, it was starting around the edges.  Placental Abruption is fatal when complete so we were lucky to have caught it in enough time.