Mikey in his scrubs in the OR — getting ready for the big delivery.
September 28, 2009
The alarm began playing music at 4:30 am. I was out of bed and in the shower as quickly as my large belly could get me there. I’d been up every hour to go to the bathroom (it’s been that way for months) but overall, I had slept well – amazingly. Mike showered soon after me and I had breakfast with Mom. Half a bagel and some grapes.
I called the hospital about 5:20 and they said that they did have a bed. Somehow we didn’t make it out the door until 5:45 and by the time we arrived in Champaign and Mike parked the car (brr… it was cold!) we didn’t make it up to labor and delivery until about 7:50.
They had a room ready for us and we were shuttled right in. All of the normal, routine procedures — lots of questions, dressing in the lovely hospital gown, IV insertion, blood draws, etc. Dr. F came in about 8:30 and they started my pitocin soon after. Mikey spent the morning reading and I worked on my classes — I graded papers and worked on weekly feedback. Good times.
Around 11 I was STARVING. Unfortunately, I couldn’t eat and I knew from my labor with Bo that there was a possibility I would throw up before the day was over. I did have a Diet Sprite about 11:30 when Mike went to have lunch (Panera).
At noon they broke my water (pitocin was up to 13 at that point with no pain) and I actually began to feel the contractions. It was just very uncomfortable and difficult to get comfortable. Dr. F had said I could have an epidural whenever I wanted one since I was nearly a 5 coming in. At 1:30, I decided I was ready and that there was no reason to be in pain any longer. The epidural went in just fine and it did its job well. I was completely numb. I took a nap after the epidural was in. Honestly, it felt amazing not be able to feel my body for a little while. I’ve been so uncomfortable for months it was like instant relaxation. I napped on and off throughout the afternoon. Mike managed to read a lot of his book. 
At 4 pm they checked me again and I was dilated to an 8. When they checked me at 5, I was ready to go and we headed back to the OR (a precaution for twin deliveries here) and they set everything up. We had an entire crew there — two doctors, a resident, my two nurses from the day, two nurses from the NICU, an anesthesiologist, and other random people. At around 5:20 I began pushing. Mike said I did 5 sets of pushing with Clara and she was out. Once they had Clara out it wasn’t long before they were ready for me to push with Anna. Five minutes later, they were both here with Clara born at 5:32 and Anna born at 5:37. Clara’s APGAR scores were 7 and 9. Anna’s were 9 and 9. I did tear a little and had to have stitches but it really isn’t bad at all. By 6 pm we were back in our original labor and delivery room and the girls were weighed, measured, and checked. Keeping them in for so long paid off! No NICU time at all!
We made a few phone calls, I attempted my first nursing session, and I ordered food. I was SOOO hungry. The grilled chicken, strawberry, and walnut salad, fruit plate, chocolate ice cream, and decaf iced tea was amazing. I inhaled my food. After I finished eating — around 8 pm, they moved us up to the post-partum floor (the girls were in the nursery having their first baths while I was eating and moving). We quickly settled in up here and Mike left to go to the hotel about 9:20. They brought the girls back to me for the night around 10 and I attempted to nurse again but they were too tired. I ended up getting both of them to nurse about 12:30ish. There were nurses and other random people in and out most of the night — plus listening to and worrying about two little babies just inches from me meant that I didn’t sleep very well at all. I snuck in 20 minute catnaps when I could — but it definitely was not the most restful night I’ve ever had. I guess I should get use to that…
Overall, both girls are doing extremely well and spent the entire first night in my room.
September 29, 2009
The girls left my side about 6:30 to be checked out by the on-call pediatrician. They kept the girls down there for quite awhile. Turns out that Clara didn’t pass her hearing test (or the follow-up in the afternoon) in her right ear so we will have to have her rechecked. 
Around 8:30, Mike arrived and shortly thereafter, Dr. F came in to see me. She said that my blood count was low (7 something…) but that as long as I was feeling okay she wasn’t concerned since my blood count has been so low throughout the pregnancy. I have felt completely fine since the birth. Sure, there is all the normal stuff to deal with — but a weight has been lifted (literally) and I can already move better. No pain meds, very little bleeding, seriously… it’s amazing.
Dr. F said that since we had such a smooth delivery (one of the nurses who was with us said it was the smoothest twin delivery she’s ever seen) we could go home when the girls were 24 hours old as long as they had the go ahead. Champaign does not keep the babies in the nursery. They are a “room-in” hospital so going home actually seemed like a better option as I would have Mike and my mom at home to help instead of being alone with the girls all night. I still can’t believe that going home in 24 hours was even an option….
The rest of our day continued to go well. Tons of nurses, student nurses, residents, axillary, techs, a lactation consultant, phelbotomists, in and out of our room all day. Seriously… Despite all the chaos I did get about a one hour nap in the afternoon.
My cousin Kelly and her girlfriend, Becky, came to visit in the afternoon and Mandy also made a mad dash to Champaign when I told her that we were going to go home so soon. Poor girl had taken off Wednesday to come see me and then we weren’t even going to be down there!! I was pleased as punch to see all of them and they made the time pass quickly until we were finally released.
We were released around 7 pm and arrived home about 9 pm. I rode in the very back so that I could keep my eye on both girls during the drive and they did very well. We settled the girls, had a bite to eat, and tried to sleep. Anna sleeps just like Bo and has not had any trouble sleeping or eating thus far. Clara is a lot more fussy and cries in her sleep a lot. Needless to say, Mike and I were both up a lot during our first night home. Mike did give me 2 – 2 hour stretches to sleep and that was wonderful. I don’t think I’d be functioning without them. However, we are both feeling the impact of having newborn twins.
Amazingly, after all of the drama — IVF, twins, pre-term labor, bedrest — we ended up with two seemingly healthy little girls, a very easy and smooth labor and delivery, a 24 hour hospital stay, and we are all home and adjusting.
Now I just have to wait for it to actually feel real…
This is us, approximately 24 hours after the birth. Mandy took this of us as we were preparing to head home. I stole this picture off her Facebook page as I still haven’t processed my photos. Hopefully soon!
*****
Congrats to Tonya @ A Family Completed and Rena (Aunt Manny’s Mom) for winning the Expectnet.com online baby pool for the girls! You’ve both won $25 giftcards to Target. Please email me with your mailing address and I’ll send the giftcards to you ASAP!
Wow, what an unbelievably smooth birth experience. It's about time that something was easy for you in all of this.
Leaving 24 hours after the birth just boggles the mind.
Hooray!
WOW! That is just amazing. Congratulations on a smooth delivery of two healthy girls. You guys look great!
(My son didn't pass the hearing test either, and he had to have it repeated… but he was just fine.)
This is awesome! What a smooth delivery. So glad the girls are doing well. Hope Clara passes her next hearing test with flying colors.
Glad everyone is home, safe and sound.
Enjoy and post lots of pictures
Wow. That is wonderful. I am so happy for all of you. I wanted to shoot everyone who says it gets easier to me during the early weeks, but it does, even by two months. Owen failed his first hearing test too, but passed the second one after the cleaned all the vernix out of his ear.
Congratulations on the birth of your twins! You must be so in love… and what a nice addition to your family. Your son must be happy and excited to take on the role of big brother!
congratulations! what a great birth story
I admit that I wondered why you would go home so early, but now that I know your hospital was a rooming-in one, I better understand your reasons! After getting out of the special care nursery, I & N spent the third and fourth nights in the regular nursery, and I still found the hospital stay to be very intrusive and exhausting. If my hospital had insisted on rooming in, I would have been a mess, esp. post emergency C-section.
Ivy failed her newborn panel and also referred in her right ear. We had to repeat both tests — the panel at 1 month and the auditory brainstem test at 2.5 months — and all results were fine. I'll post a link to my write-up about the ABR. It seems almost standard for one twin to get "the brunt" in utero. The staff at Children's Hospital here told me that prematurity also skews results – even if twins are considered term for twins, before 40 weeks, babies are more likely to fail a screening.
I do not remember a damn thing about the first week, other than that I couldn't eat or sleep or nurse and I cried endlessly. It passes, thank God!
http://southcitysadie.typepad.com/miss_e_musings/2009/01/the-abr.html
Congratulations! And well done–such a great birth story.
Charlie also failed his hearing test initially and was fine at the re-check a few months later.
I look forward to hearing more about your beauties.
Wow, what an ideal birth. Amazingly smooth with twins.
Congratulations on the great birth experience! You are a brave woman, letting your hubby head off to a hotel on your first night with newborn twins. I wouldn't let my husband leave the room for the first 24 hours, and I only had one that time around.
Wow its so awesome that everything went so well and the babies are so big! Congratulations to you and your family.
Go you!! Sounds like a wonderful birth.
awesome and wonderful, glad that everyone is home, happy and healthy, glad your labor/delivery went without problems. that's great! so happy for you.
Wow! You make it all sound so easy. You're so good at all this stuff.
Best of luck in the next few weeks. After that I'm sure it'll get easier and easier for you.
No NICU time!!!!!!!!! That alone deserves a zillion congratulations.
Your babies are beautiful. May you get some sleep!
Great story and I am so impressed by you! Two newborns and a toddler is quite a workload, it sounds like you are doing an awesome job:)
I told you, you could go home earlier than the "normal." I opted to go home early, as well. I missed A so much and had not been away from her over night except for those two nights I had to stay.
After the doctor took both babies out, he said, "Carrie, you can breathe again. I'm sure you feel better already." He was right.