Very belated birth story

I started writing this in August, but am just getting a chance to finally post it. Insane!! So busy, but will try to update more often. Thank you all so much for all of your sweet comments and well wishes! So lucky to be Luke & Harry's Mom. :-)

I was admitted to hospital for the 5th time on July 11th. I thought I'd felt a trickle of fluid escape in the middle of the night while getting up for a routine bathroom visit. It just didn't feel normal. After posting about it on the Bump, I decided that I'd better call in the latest issue. Oh, and my OB had left that morning for vacation for a week, so that's a good sign that something was about to happen (lol). Anyway, I was admitted and they checked to see if I was leaking amniotic fluid. Turns out, I was not, so I assumed it was another admission with no babies being born.

But, after running some labwork, they discovered my platelets had fallen again from just the previous day in the office. Also, my blood pressure was continuing to rise. So, I stayed overnight in hospital. On Sunday, July 12 (the day I turned 35 weeks), my platelets had fallen to 102,000, BP had remained elevated at greater than 140/90, and swelling persisted. So, I was finally given the clinical diagnosis of pre-eclampsia. My favorite memory-the OB on-call (Dr. O) came in to tell me of my recent labwork values and my Dad and I were just hanging out in the room watching Law & Order re-runs and reading magazines. Dr. O discussed his fear of my platelets falling anymore and heading into major abdominal surgery with potential clotting difficulties. He said: "We're going to take the babies." I said: "That sounds good. What day will that be? (thinking sometime the next week)" He said: "Tonight at 7pm." I said: "Oh my!"

And the flurry of phone calls began. Steve and Mom were notified first and both were astonished! We were having babies! Everyone else was soon notified. I spent the next couple of hours anticipating the big event! Below is a picture of us right before I was wheeled back into the OR.



I went down to the OR around 7:30pm for prepping. Steve waited in the hallway, putting on his Dad garb: hat, gown, shoe covers. Meanwhile in the OR, I was busy getting my epidural. It was pretty easy and didn't hurt at all-so glad for that. I spent the next half hour or so being my usual self and talking to everyone in the room. From the techs to the anesthesiologist to the neonatologists to the nurses to Dr. O, I talked non-stop to all of them! I think it was a nervous side effect of the epidural as Steve said I was REALLY talkative. I was definitely numb though and ready to start the surgery.

Anyway, I was able to see the entire surgery on the table mirror overhead, despite the big drape covering our immediate view. It was great. I was able to see my boys being pulled out! First was my full dark-haired little Luke (Lucas Edgar). He was born at 8:30pm weighing 5lbs 9 oz and was 18 inches. Below is the first pic of Luke and me. :-)



Then after what seemed like 10 minutes, but was only 2 minutes, baby Harry (Harrison Paul) arrived at 8:32pm from his frank breech position weighing 6 lbs 4 oz and was also 18 inches. Funniest OR moment: Steve's initial thought when he saw Harry was that he was the "baldest Harry" he'd ever seen (lol). Turns out Steve was not aware he was looking at his butt and thought it was the back of his head. Ha. Anyway, Harry does indeed have hair and isn't bald at all. Steve was able to walk Luke into the nursery, but Harry stayed behind for some very brief breathing issues. He recovered quickly was able to join Luke soon thereafter in the nursery. I will never forget hearing their first cries. What emotional moments they were for me-I cried both times!! I didn't get an OR pic of Harry and me due to the early breathing issues and Steve leaving the room with Luke. So, my first Harry pic was in the middle of the hallway heading back to my room. It also happened to be the first time I held both babies and their first picture together. Again, I was very emotional. What a night!



Following the surgery, I went to the Recovery Room until I was stable. I was then sent back to my room about an hour later. I had to be put on a Magnesium Sulfate drip however since I'd had blood pressure and other issues prior to the delivery due to the pre-eclampsia. I remained on it until about 4pm the next day. I felt awful. What a nasty drug. It truly felt like I had the flu. Anyway, I was able to be moved to the Mother/Baby unit after getting off the drug. It felt like I was finally a new Mother after the move occurred!

I was able to have the boys move in with me very soon though-about 2 hours after delivery! They looked so cute all bundled up sleeping together in their little hospital bed. I kept them sleeping together up until just recently. It just killed me to separate them, but they were waking each other up and we are desperate for sleep around this house!



The rest is kinda routine-lots of visitors in and out for the next few days, slowly regaining strength and beginning to walk a little, learning how to breastfeed and pump, incision soreness, etc. I was discharged with both boys on July 16th. I can't believe I was so lucky to go home with both of them! I felt anxious to know that we were being sent home to be parents without the hospital nurses around to ask all kinds of questions to at all hours of the night. But we survived. :) Here's the lovely "hospital issue" photo of the boys...no sarcasm here (lol)...



And that's the condensed, all I can remember, 11 weeks later, birth story. At least I captured a few details I really wanted to remember before pregnancy brain erases forever my dear memories.