On Monday, the 4th, I dropped off my 24 hour urine and had labs drawn. I then had to wait until 3pm to see my OB. At the appointment my bp wasn't too high and my protein and labs had gotten worse, but not awful, but since I was having blurred vision, headaches, and was seeing spots my OB sent me back to the hospital. I had more labs drawn, they did a BPP on the babies, which was good, then they did a NST, which was fine as well. They talked about delivery, but decided to keep me over night to moniter instead. Monday night was awful and I got no sleep. They couldn't keep the babies on the moniter so the nurses were in all night trying to find the babies.
On Tuesday, the 5th, my 26th birthday, they released me from the hospital, but I was to be on strict bedrest. Well, I spent the day/night crying on the couch because I felt to awful. After not sleeping well because of the headaches and blurred vision, I woke Cole up at 7am, sobbing because I felt so awful.
Cole called the hospital and they told him I needed to get there ASAP. We packed as quick as we could and threw Grace in the car in her p.j.'s and Cole's Mom agreed to meet us at the hospital to get Grace. We got to the hospital before 8 am. They got me in bed and the babies on the moniter, they drew more blood. While they were waiting for the results of the pre-eclampsia labs I started having contractions. Well after an hour of contractions I was dilated to 3 cm, so they decided today was the day. They prepped me for surgery. I was only 35 weeks 5 days along and was so scared of the unknown.
At 11am, they wheeled me into the OR, it took a while to place the spinal, but once they did everything moved very quickly. The nurse brought Cole back and at 11:45am Emily Katherine was born screaming, weighing 5lbs 11oz, 18.5 in, with apgars of 6 and 9. Coleman Carter was born at 11:46 weighing 6lbs 2 oz, 18 in, with apgars of 8 and 9. Hearing both babies crying was amazing. They brought each baby over so I could kiss them, then they were taken to the Special Care Nursery. Cole was able to go see them and update me.
Originally Carter needed some oxygen and they both needed some fluids. I wasn't able to see them until 9pm that night. They started me on mag sulfate after delivery. At 9pm I was able to hold Emma, but not Carter. At 4am I got out of bed and walked to the nursery dragging my iv's with me. I was determined to see my babies. I was finally able to hold Carter.
The next few days all blend together..Emma ended up needing to go into an incubator because of her temp. instability, they both needed fluids, and they both ended up with feeding tubes. We tried breastfeeding, but neither baby could really figure it out, so I ended up pumping and they got the breast milk through the feeding tubes. Emma had a few spells were she forgot to breathe while she had a binkie in her mouth.
On my last day there my incision started to look like it was getting infected it, so they started me on antibiotics. I was released from the hospital on Sunday, the 10th, but since the babies were still in the Special Care Nursery they let me stay in my room until the babies were released.
The babies remained in the nursery for 9 days. Every 3 hours I would go to the nursery, try to breastfeed Carter, then try to breastfeed Emma, then if they didn't feed well I'd give them each a bottle of breast milk, and then I'd go back to my room and pump for 20 minutes. This whole process would take 2 hours or more, then I'd get up for the next feed 40 minutes later to do it all again.
On their last night I was finally able to have the babies room in with me. After 8 days I was finally able to be alone with my babies, what an amazing, emotional experience. We took the babies home on Friday, the 15th, when they were 9 days old. So far they are doing well, they are now nursing well and we aren't having to supplement them. I also have finally figured out how to tantum nurse, which saves a lot of time.
Grace is adjusting. This whole thing has been very hard on her. She wasn't able to see the babies until they were 8 days old, which made everything very difficult to understand. I also was at the hospital for 10 days and wasn't with her at all, which she took pretty hard. Everyone has been so helpful and have been watching Grace for us, but her nap schedule is all over the place, which is making things more difficult for her.
On Wednesday when I had my staples out, while removing them, my incision opened up and started dumping fluids out, so much that it soaked my pants and table. My OB has been packing it daily. I went today and unfortunately my incision is now open 8cm and is 3 cm deep, and is still draining a lot. My OB is hoping to be able to close it on Friday, but can't if it's infected or still draining, so only time will tell. I'm trying to take it easy so that I stop opening it more, but with 2 babies and a toddler it is difficult.
Overall I'm so thankfully that both babies are here and health, but the last few weeks have been an emotional rollercoaster. Having the experince of having premie babies in the Special Care Nursery has forever changed me, it's something I wouldn't wish on any parent. I can't even begin to express the amount of emotions I experienced.
It took a year of trying, 2 months on Clomid, the scare of a vanishing twin, then 9 days in the Special Care Nursery...they truely are miracle babies!
Carter getting some oxygen
Emma
Holding Emma for the first time.
Holding Carter for the first time
Carter's feeding tube.
Emma's feeding tube.
Getting to take our babies home!
Our 3 babies!
