Main Page
Site Index
Getting Pregnant
Pregnancy
Parenting
Pregnancy and Parenting Journals
Fertility
Nutrition
Pregnant Moms
Morning Sickness
Women's Health
Child Health
|
Bailey and Bradley's Birth Story
By Mindy
My husband and I hadn't actually been trying to conceive, but we hadn't
been very careful either. My son was only two. My first pregnancy my
breasts were so sore at the beginning. That is what led me to buy a
pregnancy test.
On July 9, 2000
My husband and I went to buy a pregnancy test. The cashier told me that
the test would be positive, and that I would be having twins. I laughed at
her. As I later found out, the laugh was on me. The test came back
positive. My husband and I were both happy and couldn't wait to spread the
news. We were hoping for a little girl. After my first son was born, my
grandpa (a preacher) had told me that the Lord had showed him that I would
have twins. I just blew it off, I figured that he was just joking around.
By the end of my second month, none of my clothes would fit me. I just
chalked it off to being because this was my second pregnancy. My first
prenatal visit was when I was 13 weeks along. I asked the Doctor then if
it was possible that I could be carrying twins. He told me no, that I was
measuring as a single pregnancy should. That was on Sept. 6. My first
ultra sound was scheduled for Nov. 16.
November 16
My husband (Shawn), son (Shawn Michael), my mother (Cindy), and my sister
(Rushelle) went with me. My sister had picked on me all this time about
twins. Here I am sitting on the exam table and the technician is
performing the ultra sound, I said, "See, Rushelle, there is only one baby
in there." The technician didn't say a word. A few minutes later she
says, "Moving on to baby B." I said, "Your just saying that because of
what I said earlier." She didn't crack a smile, and proceeded to show me
each baby. I just about fell off of the examining table. We were all
shocked, but overjoyed. TWINS, I just couldn't believe it. She said she
could only tell the sex of one baby, and it is a boy. That was fine with
me, after all I am going to have two babies. I had to see the doctor after
the ultra sound, and he proceeded to tell me that I would have to start
coming in every two weeks, and pretty soon every week. This was, of
course, the beginning of a battery of tests. My Grandma was so happy when
she found out, she threw her hands in the air and shouted "Praise the
Lord!" Everything went fine until Dec. 9, 2000. I had worked that day and
my grandma was in the hospital. That evening when I got home, I decided to
wrap some presents before I got too big to bend over to do it. I started
having these pains like I was ovulating or trying to start my period. They
gradually got worse, so we called the doctor. He wanted me to meet him at
the hospital right away. My Mom met us there, and took Shawn Michael with
her. When I got in there they hooked me up to a fetal monitor, and took a
urine sample. The fetal monitor was picking up some contractions. The
nurse came in, after quite a while, and informed my husband and I that I
had a severe urinary tract infection, and that was what causing the
contraction. She said both heart beats sounded really good. The doctor
sent me home on Macrobid for the infection. Before we got half way home I
started having really bad pains under my breasts. I could hardly walk. The
babies were kicking and tossing about, it felt like they were playing kick
ball in my stomach. My husband called the doctor, and he said I was having
a reaction, and if I didn't get better in an hour to come in. I started
vomiting, and I guess that got it out of my system, because I fell asleep.
My second ultra sound was scheduled for Jan. 4, 2001. This time Shawn,
Shawn Michael, my mother, and grandma went with me. They said that both
babies weigh about 3 1/2 lbs. Baby A is the farthest down, and both babies
were head first. The technician was pretty sure that both babies are boys.
I am measured at 40 this week, the same as a woman with a single baby at
full term. No wonder I couldn't move. The doctors said they wanted me to
go to at least 34 weeks. She said today she didn't think I would have a
problem going 34 weeks because my cervix was really long.
January 16, 2001.
I didn't get up until 2:00 p.m. today. I felt awful. I started vomiting
not long after I got up. I spent my time either at the toilet or on the
couch. My husband had to leave for work at 8:30. My sister was with me
though. At about 9:00 I felt this wet stuff come out of me. At first I
wasn't sure what it was, then it dawned on me. My water had just broken. I
yelled for my sister, and she came running. After she called the doctor,
my husband, got my son dressed, and helped me change we were on our way. I
had rolled a towel up to put under me to protect my sisters seat, when we
got to the hospital it was soaked. The first thing they did was hook me up
to a fetal monitor. Then, they came in and used this swab on me to check
to see if it was my water. Sure enough, Baby A's water had broken. They
said I was only 32 weeks, I wasn't due until March 8. The doctor decided
to try and stop my labor long enough to give me two steroid injections to
help strengthen the babies' lungs. I could get it twice, and it had to be
twelve hours apart. I hadn't felt any contractions, but they said I was
having some. I was dilated at 1 and effaced at 75%. They took me to my
room, and started IV fluids immediately. I was dehydrated. They then gave
me the steroid, and a shot to stop my labor. The nurse came in and
explained everything to me. She said I would have to deliver in the
surgery room in case of an emergency. She also said that I would not be
allowed to hold either baby, and would barely get a glimpse. By this time
I was so scared for my babies health that I didn't know how to act or what
to think.
January 17.
They checked me again at 8:00 this morning and I was still at 1, and
effaced at 75%. So they decided not to give me the magnesium sulfate. They
gave me the second steroid shot at 10:00. They said that either the
convulsions of my stomach when I was vomiting or dehydration caused my
water to break. By 2:00 I was feeling the contractions. They came in and
done an ultra sound to find out the babies' positions, both are still head
down. At 5:00, I was only dilated at 2. My grandparents arrived around
this time. At 7:00, they came in and gave me an epidural. At 8:00, I had
finally reached 5 centimeters. The epidural was only taking the edge off
of the contractions. At 8:25, I told my mother that I was bleeding and
that she had better go get the doctor. The nurse and doctor beat her back
to my room. The doctor checked me, and I was fully dilated. They rushed me
down to the surgery room. I started crying. This was so different than my
first birth. I was so scared. My husband and Mom had to scrub up, and put
scrubs on. At 8:41 p.m., Bailey Joseph was born with both of us screaming.
They held him up for a second, and then off they took him. He weighed in
at 3 lbs. 15 oz., and was 16 in. long. His apgar score was 8 then 9. Now
it was Baby B's turn. The doctor broke my water, and had to push a few
times. Then she told me to stop. She called for an ultra sound, and
discovered that Baby B had turned side ways. She tried to turn him around,
but his heart rate started dropping. She immediately told everybody to get
everything ready to do an emergency C- Section. I was really scared then.
At 9:15, Bradley Dakota was born weighing in at 3 lbs. 13 oz. and 16 in.
long. Bradley's apgar score was 7 and then 8. He didn't immediately cry,
which really scared me. It wasn't long before he was crying too, though.
It wasn't as strong of a cry as Bailey, but it was a cry. I only got a
glimpse of him, and then he was rushed off. I was taken to recovery. I
remember my body felt like it was burning. They finally took me back to my
room, and brought me a picture of the boys. I just wanted to cry. That
night I slept, but not good. The neonatologist told us that as long as
neither baby needed a ventilator or nutrients from IV's that they would
not have to be transferred.
Jan. 19
The neonatologist came in and told us that Bradley would need to be
ventilated (he was only on the vent that one night). I was devastated.
They did, however, decide to transfer both boys so that they would be
together. I didn't get to hold either baby until they were three days old.
They both had mild cases of jaundice. Bailey experience four episodes of
Brady's. They were fed via a feeding tube the first week. We found out at
this time that our boys were identical twins. They spent a total of two
and a half weeks in Children's Hospital, and was released.
My incision became infected, it felt like I had just had the C- Section
all over again. It took close to two weeks to heal back up.
They were readmitted a month later for RSV and stayed a total of nine
days. Then, again in March for Bronchlioitus and stayed a total of 6 days.
The staff was excellent, and very good care of my boys all three times
that they were in Children's Hospital. They are both doing great now, and
neither one of them has had any set backs. They are developing at a normal
rate, and we haven't had to go by there due date to estimate when they
should be doing things. Thank you for listening to my story.
Return to Section 74 Birth Stories
|
|
if you have any questions or comments!