On February 26, 2016 I was 34.6 days pregnant. With twins. I was so ready to be done being pregnant (this is what my brain thought), but my heart new I needed to bake them babes for a couple more weeks. I had been having contractions for the last month, but nothing super serious that ever made me think I was in real labor. Well that Friday I woke up and checked my phone. I had a text message from a group of friends who wanted to get together and take the kids to McDonalds for lunch. I remember thinking I really don't want to go. I'll have to get up and get calvy and I both ready, wrestle him in the car, battle him to be nice to his friends, and I simply just couldn't keep up with him anymore unless I had Tyler there to help me. All these thoughts ran through my head before I even responded to the text. My decision was made that I would go and take my almost 3 year old to have a good time with his friends before two babies came and rocked his whole world.
We went. We had a good time and he played nice with his friends (for a while). Then after lunch my friend asked me to come to her house so she could paint my toes before I had the babies, and the kids could play outside. It was a nice day and they had been playing so well together I decided we should go.
We got there and started painting toes and all started well. It was nearing calvins nap time and he started getting frustrated with sharing toys with his friends. Then he started getting really frustrated... Pushing and yelling and throwing fits about EVERYTHING. Another friend who was there was trying to help, but Calvin had had it. I had had it. It was time to go home and take a nap before I really lost my mind. We got home and I put Calvin down for a nap, and I decided I might as well take one, too.
I woke up around 6 PM to the babies kicking and moving around as per usual. Then a few minutes later I noticed I had been having some constant contractions and decided to start counting them. 7:00 roles around and they were getting more uncomfortable. 4-5 minutes apart and lasting 50-60 seconds long. I texted a friend who worked in labor and delivery and asked if it was busy and if I should come up. She said it was pretty slow and that if my contractions were that frequent and weren't stopping after lying down or drinking water that I should go get checked. During the time I had been texting her, the contractions had gotten significantly more painful. I asked her which dr, was on call (because of COURSE it was the weekend and my dr is never in town on the weekend.) her response was not the person I wanted. He was a new Dr. And I began to worry about what was going to happen that night.
Tyler loaded Calvin and I up in the car, we took a bag full of essentials just in case and headed to the hospital. My friend was still working so she got to be my nurse. I was so glad! She hooked me and the two baby heartbeats up to the computer thingy and started watching us closely. A resident came in to check me. I was dilated to a 1 and 75% effaced. I needed to stay another couple hours to make sure I wasn't progressing and then I could go home. At this point my contractions were not as painful as they were before. My mind was made up that this was false labor and we would be going home! I was relieved!
Two hours passed and the Resident came in to check me again. I was dilated to a 3! All the swear words. I told her my mind was made up that these babies were not coming tonight. She wanted to admit me to the hospital but I talked her into giving me another two hours to see if I had progressed at all. She agreed.
At this point I was distraught. My contractions had started up again and were really painful. I started to accept the idea of possibly having the babies that night and I was in tears. This was so not the plan. My dr was out of town. I was barely 35 weeks as of a couple hours prior! Most likely NICU time, a possible c section, all the scary thoughts started running through my mind.
I called a couple of my closest friends and cried to them. They both showed up and hung out for a while. Tyler's parents came and got Calvin. When he left I was crying in pain from a contraction and he started crying and told me not to be sick and that he loved me. I felt so bad that that day had not been ideal for him as a possible last day of being an only child. He was so sweet.
The resident came back in and checked me and I was still at a three. She said I could go home if I wanted, but that since my contractions were painful and still present, she thought I would most likely end up coming back in a couple hours later. She left while Tyler and i talked about what we should do. We both decided to stay until the next morning and if I hadn't progressed I would go home.
My friends stayed a little while longer and then decided to go home, it was about 2 am. They were so sweet to stay with me.
My sweet friends Ashley and Hailey
Tyler and I both fell asleep after they left. My contractions weren't as consistent anymore so I figured it best to try and get some sleep. I woke up to the worst back pain and contraction combined. Back labor I assumed. I gave it a couple more minutes and called my nurse in. She brought the resident in and they checked me and I had progressed to a 5. It hit me, I was really having these babies today. She said I was far enough along to get my epidural which was good news.
Tyler and my friend (who was still my nurse for the next hour until her shift ended) were there helping me when I got my epidural. I'm a baby and hate needles and my back is all screwed up from scoliosis. I remember almost passing out after getting the epidural... But I didn't completely! And that was good for me! Haha. It seemed like the epidural worked after a few minutes and I decided to go to sleep again. I woke up a couple hours later for the hears shift change and was so happy because my new nurse was the same one I had with Calvin. She was a family friend and was so good at her job. I was so glad she would be there again. She started me on the pit because I was only at a 6. The contractions started again! I could feel them! All of them. My legs were numb but my whole abdomen could feel every contraction. My epidural was not working well.
I don't remember every detail at this point. The Dr. On call came in and talked to us about what was going to happen. I would have to deliver in the OR for the possibility of having a c section. The OR had a window that connected directly into the nicu so they could pass the babies in immediately after they were born. I would also have to deliver on an OR table. Which is not ideal... It's very small. At about 9 am they said I was at a 9 and it was time to go. My mom and Tyler were both suited up in their blue scrubs and were able to be in the OR with me. My good friend was also there taking pictures for me! She is a NICU nurse so they let her in, too. It was a party! Haha. (The pics turned out amazing by the way. I'll share a few... Sorry if some are too showy. You've been warned)
Waiting patiently
My mom ❤️
Finally the anesthesiologist came in a tuned up my epidural! For the last hour the nurses were all standing by my Or bed rolling me this way and that trying to get me comfortable enough to endure those awful contractions. So I was glad to see him! Or hear his voice rather... I don't think I saw him haha. A couple minutes later Dr. Stinger told me to start pushing. The nurse counted to ten and said push again. After only 4 pushes, my 2nd born baby boy arrived at 10:08 am.
Time stood still 💙
We saw him for a couple seconds and then they passed him through the nicu window.
I remember the Dr saying the second baby was still pretty high. We needed to wait for him to drop in order to deliver him. He also mentioned that Riggen's placenta was in the way and couldn't be delivered until after both babies were out or it would cause complications.
I kept watching his face. Dr. Stingers. I remember the nurse giving me oxygen, telling me to keep breathing to keep the babies heart rate up. I could hear his heart rate go down. And then come back up. And then back down. And it wasn't coming back up.
I looked at his face again. He was going to do an emergency c section. I could tell without him even saying it. The very thing I had been fearing the last few weeks. A double whammy. Vaginal and cesarean deliveries.
At this point I didn't care. Get this baby out! Make sure he's safe. And then he said it. "We need to do a c section."
Tyler kissed me and said he loved me and that everything would be ok. Then he left. My mom left. Everyone I knew left. And I felt alone!
The nurses and doctors started setting up for surgery. It didn't take long. They gave me more numbing medicine and I felt calm. Then a nurse came by my side and grabbed my hand and told me she wasn't going to leave me. I was grateful for that ❤️.
She started to give me a play by play. They're making the incision. Youre going to feel pressure. Lots of pressure! Lots of movement! And he was out. At 10:39 am. My 3rd born baby boy. Dawson Van. He had the sweetest little cry in the world. The tears appeared without warning. He's here and crying and that has to mean he's ok.
It took forever it seems for them to stitch me up. I kept sending the nurse to check on the baby. "He was a little purple but they say he's doing good!"
They took me into recovery. As soon as you can feel your feet you can go see your babies the nurses told me. In the meantime, my family got to come in a couple at a time to see me. The medicine they had me on caused a never ending cycle of tears and emotions. I was so happy to see everyone.
Finally I could feel my feet! I was going to see my babies. I remember not knowing who to name what... We had their names picked out I just didn't know who was who. Luckily Tyler named them for me, and he did a perfect job.
We are so glad they are here with us. Even though the delivery and all else after that was not ideal for us. Dr. Stinger did such an amazing job. All the nicu nurses and doctors. They were all amazing. We are so grateful for them all!
Here are a few more pictures of the boys in the nicu. And thanks again Molly for taking these pics!
I'm quite fond of these two nurses!
(And the nurse taking the pictures! She ended up staying and working because things got so crazy!)
Dawson had to intubated. Apparently that doesn't happen too often. So grateful for modern medicine.
We love them both so much! And they are doing so well now! A little update: they are both over 7 lbs and eating and growing so good!
