The baby bump is growing like crazy, checkups are going well, every 2 weeks now until due date. Then came week 29. For a long time now I've been sleeping on the couch for comfort. I woke up at 1 a.m. because I thought I peed my pants while sleeping. I kept wondering why I couldn't tell that I was peeing my pants. I changed underwear about 5 or 6 times. Three a.m. I am searching frantically online to see what is going on with my body. Five a.m. my husband is up getting ready for work and I mentioned I might want to see Dr Lacey today. Tom took it upon himself to call the hospital while he was outside smoking. Well, here we go again, back to the hospital to be checked for ruptured membrane.
Dr. Lacey was not happy to see me! Test strip reveals ruptured membrane, my water broke at 29 weeks and 5 days. My body was ready for the girls to leave the womb, I had no clue what premature birth meant and I was going to find out real soon. Monitors strapped around my belly, one for each baby, was very uncomfortable after 2 days. I.V. fluids, antibiotics, and steroid injections began immediately after admission to the birthing center. Worst of all, no food for 48 hours! As Dr. Lacey didnt know if the girls would be born 24 hours after admission, taking precautionary procedures was necessary but then led to more vomiting from being so hungry.
Day 5, after membrane ruptured, contractions were being controlled with medication. As the evening shift change was upon us I was feeling the contractions becoming stronger and more frequent. Whereas, during the week I only knew I was having a contraction if I looked at the monitors. I was slightly frantic when Dr. Lacey said it was time. All I could think about was the spinal block and how big that needle would be.
The operating room wasn't what I expected. Well, I dont know what I expected it to be, but I immediately was being prepped for the spinal block. I held onto nurse Karria like she was all I had. She could feel my fear. After two injections of local anesthesia, the spinal block was performed, painlessly. I was relieved. It brings back all the feelings of anxiety just typing this.
Emergency cesarean section went well. We got to see the girls for a brief second and kiss them as they were taken to the Neonatal Intensive Care unit. No word on Mary or Maggie's status. While I was in recovery, my mom sat with me, I have no idea where my husband was. After an hour and a half in recovery, I was wheeled to the NICU to finally see my babies. I could not believe my eyes, I was in love with them and couldn't even see their faces. They had wires, tubes, nasal masks on, but stable. You don't get to hold your babies when they are born prematurely, as these are our first children we didn't know any different.
Mary Lou, born at 3 lbs and 3 oz and twin sister, Maggie Sue just under 3 lbs, we begin our NICU journey.
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