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Friday, August 8, 2008

Twins Pregnancy/Birth Story...

I loved being pregnant with the boys. It was great, I have wonderful memories (no pictures) but wonderful memories of being 6 months pregnant (x's 2) and none of it is documented. So without further adue, here is our story...I found out I was pregnant in early May, 2002, I had just turned 20, and was living in Germany (I was in the Army). The Doctor that broke the news jumped up and down because he was so excited...I cried. Soon after that I was set up with an OB, and went for my first visit. It as supposed to be a heart beat check and a quick questions session/blood draw. So he laid me down, I unbuttoned as little of my pants as possible and he started looking for a heart beat...but said he wanted to do a quick ultra sound to "get a better look" I was excited to get a glimpse, so it never crossed my mind that there would be something behind those loaded words...afterwards he had me get dressed so we could talk about the ultrasound...the Doctor had saved a picture on the screen and I could hear the nurse giggling...he asked "what do you see" I didn't see much except two little dots....he said "exactly, two...two babies...twins" I laughed, thinking he had to be kidding...really...kidding...no. So for a "second opinion" we went to the German doctor on the economy...She also did a vaginal ultrasound but since my German and her English is limited we had a hard time communicating in anything other than sign language. One little dot showed up on the screen, it grew and grew and oh a baby, a second dot showed up on the screen and grew and grew and oh a baby, a third dot showed up on the screen and grew and grew...the doctor said "Ein. Zwei. Drei?" "Nein!! Nein!!! No!" I think I might have been yelling at this point...in the end she agreed that there were two...phew, dodged a bullet there! Throughout my pregnancy, I met a lot of good people, I had a Warrant Officer who couldn't have children and was willing to adopt one...especially if they were mixed...sorry to disappoint. I also had two cousins and two sisters willing to adopt them so that I could continue with my career in the Army...I couldn't. While adoption is always an option, it wasn't for me. As I got further along, they noticed twin B wasn't growing as fast as twin A...a big concern with multiples. Further investigation showed that B was only getting a portion of the nutrients because the umbilical cord was short one vessel....I'm not an OB or a nurse so I won't pretend to know anything about this except that they have to watch to make sure B keeps growing. They checked both babies to make sure they had both kidneys, they looked at everything...seven times over...I got very good at reading ultrasounds...but at five months pregnant, I was still in Germany. Allow me to explain why this is a bad thing. In the Army if you have a family and need to move to housing, they keep you in Germany for three years, my kids would be three before ever seeing the United States. Before really getting to know the family...I wasn't that upset over the idea, except that the Army doctors in Germany didn't have the knowledge or equipment to handle the pregnancy. So in a mad rush to get me out of the country, before I was too far along to travel, the only place they could get me to was Missouri, Texas (best military hospital available) and New York (but New York didn't have an opening for my MOS - the job I'm trained on). So to Texas I went...Upon arrival my doctor put me on profile which means no more running, push ups and situps...in Germany I ran 10 miles two days before leaving, so I wasn't too pleased with no more PT...I did a lot of walking but just weeks later I was put on half work days...at Thanksgiving I was put on a no work status and at Christmas I was put on bed rest...I had pre-eclampsia and the only cure is to give birth...something my babies weren't ready for. I sucked at bed rest...truly was horrible at it. I think the breaking point was when I moved the couch to vaccuum and Todd came home just at that moment...he was pissed! So to bed I went...until my tooth started hurting...then I laid on the floor with my mouth on the bathroom floor...it was freshly mopped...well scrubbed by hand (I was nesting something fierce). Then one day, I was telling Todd that after my appointment, we'd set up the nursery...the day was getting close, my parents decided to leave for Texas a day early so they would be in some time that night...Thank God they did leave early. Before my appointment I started coughing up blood...I wasn't sick but it was clots...big clots. So at the appointment they noticed my blood pressure was higher than usual, and after hearing about the blood, they decided to induce labor that day. I was 7.5 cm before I had my epidural and by that time I was yelling at anyong who came in the door. My parents arrived at about 12:30, my mom stayed with me and Dad went to sleep in a waiting room somewhere. 14 hours after the meds were started I began pushing for Baby A but seemed to be making very little progress, I couldn't feel the contractions...the anestiologist who was standing at my head was joking around and said "we're having an ugly baby contest in 15 minutes and from the looks of the Daddy, you might just win" I laughed so hard that Lane Micheal came flying out, making his debut at 1:34 am January 24, 2003 weighing in at 5 lbs 6 oz. Did I mention that the doctor delivering had never delivered a baby before....ever, so the training doctor was yelling "catch him Dr Rios, CATCH HIM!!!" big sigh of relief when he caught him!!! At that point I was sure that we would naturally keep going and get Baby B out as soon as possible...no. they sewed up my tear, let me close up and sent me back to my room. They then realized that I wasn't going to close up all the way so back to the delivery room I went and after just three VERY PAINFUL pushes, Ethan Michael made his way in the world, blue and not screaming at 3:07 am January 24, 2003 at a whopping 4 lbs 9 oz. Once Ethan was on the warming table a few seconds (felt like eternity) he started screaming and we were able to see him...wait...that can't be a twin to the other baby born just one hour 33 minutes ago. They look nothing alike. Which is my baby. Who's baby is this...they're both mine? really? they look so different...oh they are? Well, I'm in love. The nurses marked their little hats so we could tell a difference between them...no problem, the face shape, the hair, the hair line, the eye color, the...EVERYTHING WAS DIFFERENT!! There was no mixing them up. But with 18 babies (4 sets of twins) born in a 24 hour period, they have a system that they stick to and I can respect that. Our first night was in a private room, our second in a bay with a woman who had just lost her baby and one who's baby was in the nursery very sick...and every time one of the boys would cry, these heart broken girls would too...so we walked a lot that night, the next night we were back in our own room...the boys were under the billi rueben lights for jaundice...those things are scary for a first time mommy, but not as scary as when Ethan's body temp fell to 93 degrees...but the nurse acted very calm, I'll get another thermometer, my Dad stood up and said, you might want to run. NOW...so off she went but when the second thermometer said 92, we all took off running for the nursery to find a warming table...they were all full...DAMNIT!! So back the the room we went, Todd stripping off his shirt, slipped into the bed, laid Ethan tummy to tummy and threw a blanket over top until they could get a warming table in the room where he would stay all night long...every time we took him off his temp would fall but two days later, we were packing up for home...what a wonderful day that was...

Now just a few details that were left out...1. when we left Germany we were expecting a boy and a girl...upon arrival in Texas, we were told both were boys...very exciting and nerve wracking, but glad it turned out that way. 2. I tried very hard to breast feed but my milk never came in, even after many attempts to pump and nurse and around the clock pumping and nursing, and was very disappointed when after two weeks was just dried up. very sad. 3. I wish I had pictures of myself during that pregnancy. 4. Before the boys were 8 months old they had moved 3 times and had gone the distance between Texas and Ohio 5 times. What little travelers I have!

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