Birth Story Times Two

Now that the twins are a month old here's the birth story finally!

***If you want the Reader's Digest birth story without any gory details involving words like "pelvis" I suggest you read Matt's version "Twins!" below (probably my small male readership). For the mostly unedited version of events read below...

Everyone is blessed with different talents. Some people can play the piano, some people are athletic... sadly I am not one of those people- but some people are able to birth very small babies very fast and easily. I don't know if I stood in some special line to get this talent, and I won't be winning any awards for doing it anytime soon, but hey, I'll take it.

No in all seriousness, I feel so blessed that everything went so smoothly with the twins' delivery. I know we had so many people praying and thinking about us throughout this pregnancy. Here's my version of events.

Thursday 07.01.10

2:50 I'd been dilated to a 3 and 80% effaced for 2 weeks when I went for my weekly Thursday doctors appointment at 37 weeks 3 days. I hadn't progressed any more- my doctor asked me if I'd be willing to do an induction if I made it to next week (she was nervous about me making it to the hospital after how fast my labor was the first time). I said as long as everything still looked good I'd like to go into labor on my own. It wasn't in the cards this time.

I don't swell up when I'm pregnant but I'd noticed some ankle swelling starting on Monday. The nurse noticed my blood pressure was a little high- which is also unusual for me. They did a urine sample and I had quite a bit of protein which is a sign of preeclampsia. My doctor said I needed to go to the hospital for some blood work but this could be the day. I called my mom who was watching Charlotte and then I called Matt to tell him to pick up our hospital bags on his way to the hospital from work just to be on the safe side. I was a little nervous but I've been preparing for this since week 31 when I got put on bed rest.

3:?After being admitted to triage (much nicer when you're not dilated to a 10 and leaking amniotic fluid by the way) they brought me back. When I first walked back they thought I was in the wrong place. "They told me to go to room 2." "We're waiting for a lady having twins." "That's me." "You're not big enough to have twins." "Well I am."

After blowing 2 veins (lots of fun- I hate I.V.s) they finally had a different nurse get my I.V. put in and took the blood sample. Already I was hooked up to more stuff than I was when I had Charlotte. Matt got there a little while later. My results came back showing that I was having the beginning of preeclampsia. Basically my liver and kidneys were getting tired of doing all the work for 3 people and it was time to deliver- which is the only cure. It is very common with twins- I'm just lucky it took until I was 37 and a half weeks to happen. They called my doctor who said I needed to be induced and wheeled me back to labor and delivery.

Here is where the waterworks start. I knew being induced was always a possibility but I was scared of pitocin (the drug they give you to induce) contractions. I wanted to try it without the epidural and I'd heard pitocin contractions were very hard and it could take longer since your body isn't ready to go into labor on it's own. After a call to my doctor, and Matt talking me down, I agreed to have a very low dose- if my doctor would come and break my water, and if they would stop it if I started having contractions on my own. Too many natural childbirth books I guess- I have a lot of faith my body knows what to do and I didn't like having chemicals pumped into me. My first labor was so great and the recovery was so easy I didn't want to mess with what worked so well for me the first time.

5:30 Pitocin started. At this point I've got two different I.V. bags going, two monitors for each of the babies, and one for my contractions. It was so unbearably uncomfortable. I absolutely hated lying in bed and not being able to even move without the nurse's permission. I definitely prefer the laboring at home as long as possible route. I was such a grump about it- my poor nurse and Matt kept having to tell me I couldn't move. I was pretty rude to my first nurse asking her about everything they were putting on me and generally being very emotional about being induced.

5:30-9:30 For the next four hours we just hung out. In all honestly the "contractions" felt like the Braxton Hicks I'd been having most of the pregnancy. I could feel my uterus tighten and very mild crampy feeling and that was it. No need to breath through it or even think about it. I was more annoyed about all the cords than the "contractions." They only ever put the pitocin up to a 4 though (I guess the max is around 16?).

The anesthesiologist comes in to talk to us in case they have to do c-section. We ask him if I don't get the epidural earlier if I'll have to be put out if there is an emergency c-section. He says that even if they did an epidural they would most likely want to do a spinal anyway. If it was an emergency, and if there isn't time for a spinal, they would have to put me out even if I had the epidural. So basically having the epidural didn't guarantee I wouldn't have to be put under; and they would most likely have time to do a spinal if I needed a c-section. That confirmed that I didn't want the epidural unless these pitocin contractions got a whole lot worse, or it lasted a really long time. The only other part I was nervous about was if they had to reach inside and turn baby girl- that sounded like it could be just a tad bit painful (can you hear the sarcasm?). My first nurse kept saying how she "really liked natural childbirth but, you should really think about having an epidural." My second nurse was great and just left us alone so I could focus and relax.

Matt read to me from our friend Aprilynne's new book Spells (it's great so far- just my plug for a really great book by a really great author). My nurse kept coming in to let me roll over because she knew I hated lying still. They told me my doctor would probably come around 6:30 to break my water but she didn't show up until 9:30. She probably wanted to give me some time to calm down- she knew I didn't want to be induced! :-) Smart woman. By the time she did come I was over the initial upset.

9:30 My nurse checks me and I'm at a 5 and have a bulging bag of waters. Not too bad considering I really wasn't in pain yet. My doctor comes in and breaks my water which doesn't hurt even though I've heard it can. It was weird to have this big gush of fluid. She puts a monitor on baby boy's head- this takes 2 tries. Matt didn't like them putting a little screw in the baby's head- it's funny how different things bother us. The nurse assured him it hurt less than a pinprick and was completely safe. This means I get to lose one of the monitors on my stomach but now I have something new taped to a my leg. At least they stopped confusing the babies' heartbeats. My doctor says she's going to eat dinner and she'll see me in a little while. She tells my nurse I'm super speedy and to keep an eye on me.

9:55 Dr. Matt- I insisted we get a picture of his surgery garb to go into the O.R. Don't be surprised if it shows up as a Halloween costume in the future- they let us keep it!

9:30-about 10 I have about 4 or 5 contractions and they hurt a lot worse- just like they said they would once my water broke. Matt is helping me relax- rubbing my back, helping me breath and focus. He is the BEST labor coach. He is so good at helping me not tense up and really focus on how every contractions gets us closer to having our babies. I couldn't do it without him. The nurse checks me again and says I'm dilated to between a 7-8 and to let her know if I felt the need to push soon. I was glad I'd dilated so quickly but I thought she was being a bit optimistic about the pushing thing. I thought I'd have July 2nd babies for sure. It would have been cool to have one baby June 30th and one July 1st but I missed it by a day.

10:00-10:30 A few more very painful contractions. I tell Matt I just want to keep breathing through them- I don't want to count them yet because I'll get tired of it before the end. Around 10:30 I have a hard contraction and feel like I need to push. I tell Matt I probably still have awhile but, "I guess we can tell my nurse." She checks me and tells me baby boy is crowning! Wowie did that go fast! Matt teases me for always being in denial.

10:30-10:45 They wheel me down to the operating room where twins are usually delivered just in case they have to do a c-section. I remember thinking how cold it was in there. There are about 10 people in the room. Right when I get the next super hard contraction they want me to switch beds. They have the worst timing. I can't believe how overwhelming the need to push is and they are telling me to pant until my doctor gets there. I'm arching my back in pain and don't want to sit on the new bed.

10:46-10:47 My nurse finally gets me to lie down and they tell me my doctor is there and I can push this next time. I push with all I've got and Oliver just slides right out. Yep- one push, even easier than Charlotte. The doctor did do a very small episiotomy. I couldn't believe how quickly he was out. I think they held him up for me to see but it was kind of a blur. I'm sad I've never been able to hold my babies right away. They always want to check them first because they're small.

Oliver getting his first bath.

10:47-10:51 They're trying to get the ultrasound machine turned on to see what position baby girl was in. She hadn't turned apparently because my doctor tells me to push really hard and the next thing I know they are pulling Abigail out by her feet. Abigail gets the notariaty of being born breech- a very rare thing in our current medical climate. Most doctors won't even attempt a breech delivery unless it's the second and smaller twin and even then it's hard to find a doctor who will do it.

Matt was able to cut both of their umbilical cords and watch them get cleaned up then they put both of them on top of me. I thought nothing could be more wonderful and overwhelming than having a baby but having two was doubly wonderful and overwhelming. I just burst out crying and said "I love them SO much."

11:18 Meeting the twins. I look terrible. I debated putting this picture in- but this is the first one of me with the twins. I know I look sad but I'm so happy I'm crying tears of joy- trust me.

Sunbathing under the warmer a few hours after birth.

We were surprised how big Oliver was and how small Abigail was, the last estimate 2 weeks before were 4lbs 10 oz for him and 4lbs 1oz for her. We thought she would have gone up and he wouldn't have gained quite that much. I couldn't tell which baby was which at first because they were all bundled up by the time they gave them to me. Once I looked at them I couldn't believe how different they looked. Different facial features (except similar lips), different ears, different skin tone. Abigail is so pink and has tiny petite features, hands, and feet and a round little face like Charlotte. Oliver had more of his dad's facial features and shape with my chin and "weird" ears.

I could hardly have asked for a better delivery. Most people assume you will have a c-section with twins. When I tell them I didn't and Abigail was breech they are amazed. Then Matt tells them I did it without the epidural and they look at me like I'm crazy. Which maybe I am, but it really worked for me. I'd do it that way again if I had it to do over.

Congratulations if you made it to the end of this post- it's about 3.5 pages of text, I checked!