Baby update!

So, my plan of writing my blog from the hospital failed miserably. And I’ll tell you why.

We got to the hospital at 9am as instructed.  I was nervous about knowing where to go but it was easy enough to find and figure out. By 11am, I was hooked up to monitors and the magnesium drip (along with fluids and antibiotics) was started. I was warned that the first small bag of mag isn’t much fun but it should only take about an hour to complete. Then the next 23 hours it will be a constant flow. Y’all. The first hour was totally fine...as were the next 7. It was after that that I felt as though I wasn’t going to make it. I started contracting every 15-30 mins ALL night long and the headache that accompanied the mag was absolutely brutal. I don’t know if it was the mag itself or the preeclampsia but I had to cry uncle and get pain meds. (Which made me instantly vomit and pee myself all at the same time...which happened over and over the next 12ish hours) At the 8 hour mark, I also became overwhelmingly fatigued. My doctor had mercy on me and didn’t require me to have a Foley catheter, but that meant getting to my bedside commode every 2ish hours. I should have just gotten the dang cath. I was so weak I could barely lift my head, bend my fingers or eat, let alone get myself to the toilet.  My husband is a saint...he never left my side during all of this and helped me every step of the way. I don’t think I could have done it without him.

At 7am the next morning (I still had 4 more hours of mag) my doc checked in on me and saw that I could barely open my eyes. He allowed the mag to be turned down thank goodness. Finally, by 11am, I could move again and was taken off the mag.  I remember feeling very cold all over my body but yet my face felt as though it was on fire. It was a very strange sensation and one I hope to never repeat. I also got two steroid injections, which hurt like no other injection I’ve ever gotten. 

The next 24 hours, I was told to rest and regain my strength. I was even allowed solid food again. I thought for sure I’d be able to at least watch TV or read or write my blog. Nope. I spent my time sleeping and pee’ing away all the fluid and antibiotics they were pumping into me. I was also told that if my contractions didn’t calm down, I’d have a c section that day. It was funny that the mag made me contract since that’s the medication they use to STOP contractions. 

Thursday July 16:

Baby day!! I was nervous yet calm about the c section. I do believe that everyone praying for us gave me a greater peace about it. It’s still a major surgery, even if it’s a pretty common one. I met with the anesthesiologist and she seemed confident with my spinal block (I’ve had one before and didn’t have any issues then so I wasn’t anticipating any now) and then, it was time. Here she is about to wheel me back.

I numbed up easily and it was go time.

Anders (baby A) came out first and didn’t have a full cry. We got to see him briefly over the curtain and then he was taken immediately to the side with the nicu team. (There were easily 15 people in the OR with me!) Gideon (baby B) was born 2 minutes later crying his head off. We saw him briefly too and then he was taken to the side. Both were breathing on their own! I got to snuggle them for several minutes as I was being stitched up. They were even doing so well, they got to be carried out of the OR to the nicu and didn’t have to go in the isolettes! 

Anders was 3lbs 4 oz and 15 inches and Gideon was 4 lbs even and 17 inches! 

Both only needed oxygen with a cannula and no ventilators or CPAP. 

They will be in the nicu for several weeks if not a month. At this point, they both have IV’s for electrolyte balancing and feeding. They have tubes down their throats for when they can tube feed. And of course, heart and BP monitors. It’s a lot on my little babies! 

July 17:

Gideon 

Anders

July 18: First time trying to bottle feed. 

Both are needing some donor milk as my milk took 5 days to come in. 

July 19/20: Anders got off the oxygen cannula before Gideon.

We are starting to see their little personalities! Anders loves to hold on to something to soothe himself and Gideon loves his binky! Both like to be swaddled and snuggled. Every day they get a little stronger. Feeding tubes were changed to their noses and iv’s were removed. Both had some jaundice so they were under the lights for about 48 hours. 

In order to come home, they have to take all 8 bottles without needing their tubes to finish their milk. They both get tired very easily so getting them to take the full bottle has been a challenge.

July 24

July 25: Eyes! 

July 26: They get to wear clothes! They are trying to regulate their own temperatures now

July 27: More bottle feeding. They are doing about 2 bottles per day.  I’ve also been able to pump enough so that they are only getting my milk. I’m very proud of that! They are super close to their birth weights now too. Now they just need to learn to eat without tube feeding every 3 hours before we can take them home. 

Sorry for the picture overload! We’re just a little excited! 

Thanks once again for all the prayers and support you all have shown us. We love you!