The post where I bore you with a birth story

***I have now added a few more details and corrected most spelling errors in this post***

So the boys are here as I mentioned before.  However, they arrived in a manner that was not as I had hoped. As my body gets over it, I'm moving past it.

Only read this if you want a Loooong drawn out story of the boys birth.

I've had Braxton Hicks since about mid pregnancy.  Probably started getting more and more frequent by around 28 weeks.  They were so frequent that I had a Fetal Fibronectin (ffn) test done at 32 weeks and had the doctor check me.  The ffn test basically tests for some hormone and predicts whether you will deliver in the next 2 weeks.  Its something like 95% accurate.   The test came back negative and the doctor was able to confirm that the braxton hicks were doing nothing. I was very high and not dilated at all (YAY!).

The problem we kept seeing was that Baby A was breech.  All of the ultrasounds except for 1 had baby A being everything but head down.  This worried me, but I hoped and prayed for the best.  As we got closer to my due date I found myself trying all sorts of things. One was to get in the tub where the babies seemed to float into my lungs.  I hoped this would reposition them.  After this didn't end up working I started to try and manipulate them from the outside.  This did nothing. So I tried the warm water where I wanted their head and an ice pack where I wanted their feet. The internet said that this could cause them to swim for the warmth.  Didn't work.  The only thing I didn't end up trying was to lay at an incline on my back, hips up in the air.  I tried bear walking but only got a back ache.  I tried all sorts of things.  I still had a list of things to try when -

Sunday Morning, Sept 9th, the day of the primary program.  I was 36 weeks, 4 days.  The reason this is significant is that I am in the presidency and the other members had expressed that they just wanted me to delivery after the program.  Truthfully though, I wasn't a whole lot of help leading up to it. I did my best, but just kept getting bigger and less mobile.

I woke up with lots of pressure and contractions.  I went to the bathroom and they seemed to calm down.  I was still having contractions every 3-5 min though.  so I woke up hubby and we talked it over.  After a while, he decided to take a shower and get ready.  By the time he was out, I felt like things weren't progressing, and we should just go back to sleep.

I woke up again around 5:30 or 6.  I went to the bathroom again (as usual) but this time the contractions felt a bit different.  I felt like I was splitting open.  It just felt like things were happening.  So I woke up hubby, we discussed it again, and decided to go to the hospital to get checked.

I called a few people in the ward and the second person I called picked up.  She agreed to come over and get the kids ready for church and to the primary program.  I made the mistake of going to tell C what was happening.  Everyone woke up and that was it.  So they started having breakfast, and I had them practice their parts.  We left before the sister from the ward came, knowing that she would be over in the next 10 min or so.

When we got to the hospital hubby dropped me off and parked the car.  Little did I know that this would be my last time outside for several days.  They let us in after I told them I thought I could be in labor.  As I walked in I got a few looks (I was talking and smiling) and so I felt like I had to tell them that the reason I was as big as a house was that it was twins. Hoping they would understand that I wasn't some overreacting pregnant lady who wasn't really in labor.

We were taken to a room, I told them what had been happening, and they hooked me up to all the usual monitors.  Within a short amount of time, the doctor on call from my OBGYN office came in and they checked to see if the twins were still out of position.  They were.  Baby B was head down, but Baby A was breech with his bum down and head over next to Baby B's.

A quick check showed that the 2 cm I had been in the office was now 3 cm and my contractions were regular.  The doc said it was 'early labor'. I wonder how much I would have to dilate to get to regular labor?

Anyway, after an ultrasound and check (still high, but now 3cm) the doctor suggested that we have a c-section and meet the boys today.

I was devastated. 

The doctor on call whom I had never met before explained why this was my only option.  But it didn't make me feel any better.  I mentioned an external version, but I guess that isn't done with twins. Why not?  The nurse who was caring for me shared her story. she had twins around 32 or 34 weeks and had a c-section. I can't remember her story, just that as I expressed my feelings that I was being given no choice but a c-section, she said that she liked her c-section so much that she opted to have a section again for her 2nd child.

I was on the verge of tears and the nurse offered to get the doctor to come and talk to me again about my concerns.

The doctor came in again and explained why this was the best option. She had good points and between her and hubby I had to be ok with a c-section.  I wish I had had another option. Maybe refusing and going home? But then I would probably just be back, further along, having had more pain and in the same situation.  I'm sitting here even now wishing I had done even more to get that baby to flip.  I have such easy regular deliveries.  Maybe I needed to find a different doctor. Maybe I needed to go to a chiropractor who does special adjustments to help babies turn. Maybe I should have gone to a pool and tried doing flips in the water (another internet suggestion).

In the end, it was to late at that moment to do anything more.  I wish....

I was prepped for surgery.  I talked to many nurses and anesthesiologists etc etc whom once again I had never met before. Simply taking the hospital's word that these were the best there was.  Isn't it strange the way we entrust these important moments to strangers.  The doc on call asked me if I had met another doc in the practice whom she wanted to assist her.  Strangely enough I thought I had met her a few years back before we chose our midwife.  If memory served we had met and she was on the hospital board or something.  I just checked that and realized that I had never met this lady and she isn't on the board.  Oh well. It helped me feel good in the moment anyway. And the doc on call highly recommended her.

So on with the story.

They wheeled me into the OR. It felt like I was on a big boat being pushed around.  I got a little bit of motion sickness, but luckily the OR was pretty close.  They had me get up on the table. I did and looked around at this cramped crowded room.  I guess it wasn't that crowded though since they were able to get 2 doctors, an intern, 2 NICU nurses with warming tables, and the anesthesiologists plus hubby in there.  But anyway, They got me ready by giving me a spinal (why do they always manage to make me jump as they find the right spot?) and laid me back on the table. I was unable to move from the ribs down pretty much from that time forward (except that I was able to wiggle my right big toe if I really concentrated:) ).  The weirdest part was the weight from the twins that I had been feeling for the past months was just .. gone.

They put up a screen between me and my lower body.  I knew that was coming and imagined it would be more up and down that close to my face.  Well, it was angled at my face.  That was weird.  They began checking for numbness and eventually Hubby arrived.  After checking several times to verify that I was numb, they quickly did the c-section and before I knew what was happening there was a baby out and crying. They got hubby over to the baby to take pictures.  They brought baby A over to me and I started tearing up.  About a minute later, baby B had arrived.  They brought him over, and I teared up.  Everyone told hubby to go over to the babies and he was able to hold them.  Hubby took a pic of them and came back to share it with me.

The babies were checked over and I heard they were great.  At this point the babies were being wheeled out to recovery and hubby with them. 

At this point I felt...I don't know. somewhat abandoned.  I know that this is probably the MO. But I felt like  at this point I still needed my husband's support.  I didn't want the babies to be gone.  I had to lay there with no one to talk to while the doctors stitched me back together for the next 30 or so minutes talking about how they were no longer able to do non stress tests in the office for some insurance reason or something like that and how it didn't make sense and also, it brought in more income.  My personal feeling is that it might be more relaxing as a patient to take a test like that in an environment that you are familiar with.  But no one asked me.

The most interaction I got to distract me from my new gaping hole being stitched up was the occasional comment from the doctors.  They had questions about my oopherectomy (tubal pregnancy removal) which side, 'oh you still have both ovaries! and part of your fallopian tube also' and a particularly nasty moment when they irrigated...something with water and I felt awful.  I kept stating loudly "something is not right" because if I was dying I wanted someone to notice.  Luckly the anesthesiologist was still somewhere near my head where I couldn't see and he assurred me my vitals were normal and asked the doctors what was going on. They said they irrigated with water and that was what had happened.  I told him to just keep assuring me I was ok.

Anyway, after what seemed like forever, I was done.  They moved me from the operating table to the bed and I had my first experience of nausea due to the movement.  Yuck. And then the big boat experience being pushed in the bed down the hall again. I feel sick just thinking about it now. 

In recovery I found myself reunited with my babies and hubby.

I would like to state at this time that a c-section is a totally different bonding experience.  Bonding with my babies seemed like it took a few days.  Where bonding immediately with my babies after a vaginal delivery is immediate.  It was a weird experience.

Hubby told me that they had weighed the babies and that baby A was just over 6 lbs.  6 lbs and .0? oz. They ended up just rounding up to 6lbs 1 oz.  Baby B was 6lbs 6 oz. I can't remember how long.  Seemed like it was short. 18 something.

In recovery they basically monitored me for a while to make sure I was ok.  I started having breathing problems a little while into it.  My breathing would slow and my heart rate would decrease and then I would feel light headed and panic and that would send my heart rate back up and by the time the nurse came back I was normal and she would tell me that my vitals were normal and I would feel just a bit stupid about the whole episode.  I tried to sleep, and did get some, but the whole not breathing properly kept occurring.  In fact, for the record, I think its still bothering me every now and then when I sleep.  I don't know if I'm being a bit paranoid or it could be the fact that my milk is in and there is a new weight on my chest.  But according to google, its not a unique thing.

Unexpectedly I started nursing babies in recovery.  Makes sense yes, but for some reason I didn't expect it.

Anyway, after a while they released us back to a regular room and the healing process started.

Thus began a blur of pain medication, and pills pills and more pills.  Prenatal vitamins, stool softeners, ibuprofen,  pills for this and pills for that, etc etc.

My sisters J and L and niece T came and visited the first night. It was nice to see familiar faces.  

While we were waiting for our turn in the OR, hubby called his Mom and she was nice enough to stay with the kids while we were in the hospital.  Hubby went home each night to get a good nights rest and I utilized the nurses.  They watched the babies during the night except when I needed to feed them.

After a couple of days in the room, I begged to be allowed to switch to a room with a regular bed.  The hospital beds for c-section patients weren't nearly as comfy as the bigger beds with normal mattresses that they save for the vaginal birthers.  I was blessed and they allowed me to switch after a few days when I was able to stand up without needing to be able to hold onto the bed. And I was also told they normally didn't allow switching and to keep it on the down low.

Somewhere in there I had a bad experience with Percocet.  See, when they give you a spinal, they give you a 24 hour pain medication. Morphine something or other. It makes you itch. That was pleasant. But I chose to itch rather than take yet another pill.  In retrospect, I probably should have just taken it. but oh well. to late now.  but after the 24 hours, you have many options. I chose to take a pain killer that is given in your IV. Its not a narcotic.  you can have it 4 times.  I chose that.  After that was done, I was told my choice was percocet. I said I wanted to avoid narcotics because in the past they made me a bit loopy and paranoid.  I suggested extra strength Tylenol.  They said, well, we can try it.

Long story short, it didn't cut it.  My incision site was just to painful still.  I gave in to the percocet (hoping for no side effect).  It worked.  It took care of my pain for about the next day or so.

And then.

I took the percocet on an empty stomach.  Can you blame me? It was the middle of the night/early morning. I was nursing babies and they were giving me pills all of the time. I had no clue most of the time. I counted on the nurses to keep me doing the right thing medication-wise.  Anyway, an hour after I took that single pill, I was so nauseous that I didn't want to move.  I hit the nurse call button and a nurse I knew responded.

Side story, the one CNA we know at this hospital has a niece who plays soccer with A.  Hubby coaches the team.  She regularly comes to the games.  She came to say hi as soon as she came on shift and found we were there. She is the nicest lady and had helped me all through that first night.

Anyway, this nurse responded to my call and suggested that the empty stomach was the culprit. I ate some saltines and hoped for the best.

The nausea didn't stop.  My nurse (RN assigned to me) was finally able to get an order for anti nausea medicine and put it directly into my vein. I didn't have an IV anymore, but she did her best.  I immediately got swollen where she put it in which was wierd but she assured me that that happened and i would probably have a bruise there.

At this point I didn't care anymore because I was feeling human again!

I just want to point out that nausea like this is different than your normal sick nausea.  When you're sick the nausea comes in waves. You usually have moments you feel relief or you throw up and then feel better.  This nasea was constant and horrible. I literally sat on the side of my bed, fanning myself with a magazine wiping the sweat off of my face.  Eventually a wet washcloth was given to me and that helped.    But after that medicine I felt so much better.  And just in time for another feeding of the babies.

A little after the feeding I ordered breakfast and then it was time for more percocet.  Well I knew what I was doing now, right?  I ate a bunch of saltines and took the medicine.  And about an hour later it hit me again.  Nausea.  I was going down for the count. Again.  This time, the anti nausea medication wasn't going to work because it was too soon after the other dose.  They had to go to a different medication.  It had to be taken by mouth and again the nurse had to wait for the order.  After what seemed like an eternity (and poor hubby had to watch me go through it without being able to do anything)  it kicked in and I felt better.  About an hour after taking the anti nausea pill.  So around this time we threw out my ordered breakfast which was cold and yucky at this point.  I tried some chicken broth and saltines and was happy to discover I had an appetite.  I ordered lunch and was able to eat it.

So this was my day. From about 5am to 2pm I felt like crap. cold sweats, basically not moving.  Dealing with the parade of everyday visitors like the pediatrician, my doctor, lactation, NICU who did the car seat evals, etc etc.

It really took it out of me.  I had been able to walk down the hallway for a juice the night before.  I tried to do the same this evening and found that after getting the juice my knees were weak and a helpful nurse helped me find a seat for a minute and then escorted me to my room to ensure I didn't faint on the way.

It set me way back.

The moral of the story?  I don't know. But I will never take percocet again.

Another hospital story.  When your baby is under 37 weeks, they do a car seat study where they put your baby in the car seat and make sure they are getting enough oxygen.  If they are not they issue you a car seat mattress.  It has to do with the incline the car seat has. Anyway they hook the babies up to all sorts of monitors for a few hours and they both came back with tape residue on their cheeks. but they passed!  And we were told that until they are past 40 weeks they were only to be in their car seats when absolutely necessary.


The babies both lost weight while in the hospital. but acceptable amounts. If they had lost 10% or more they would have to go to NICU, and might not be able to come home with us.  Baby B, lost 6%. Baby A, less.   As a result, we chose not to circumcise in the hospital (Baby E didn't eat for a whole day after that) and we chose to supplement with a little formula.  Not a whole lot.  Just 5 cc here and there.  And we used a nifty little tube hooked to a syringe.  We would insert the thin tube and a finger and stimulate the roof of their mouth causing them to suck. I felt ok with that since it wouldn't cause nipple confusion.

And when we went to the pediatrician the next day, they had gained 1 oz and 2 oz and my milk was in. So they are doing well!

Anyway, I was in the hospital from Sunday morning to Wednesday around 3pm.  We had wonderful nurses. All were caring and responsive.  The pediatrician on call was really nice and caring.  I was impressed by all of the staff I encountered.

Observations - After we got home my feet and ankles have proceeded to swell to sizes I have never before experienced.  Then I weighed myself.  After having over 10 lbs of baby and placentas and fluid, I had lost a grand total of 8 lbs.  I blame all of the water weight in my ankles.  Here's hoping that the internet is right and it goes down in the next week. 

 Sleep is hard when you have a new baby. Its even harder when there are 2 of them.

I'm sure there will be more on this subject, but my ankles are getting bigger every moment I spend typing and its about time to feed the babies for the night.