Luckily my mom was visiting for the weekend from Boston when my water broke on April 25th. I was 31 weeks and 2 days. Nothing was easy about this, but it would have been a lot more difficult if not for her being there at that critical point. Thanks mom!! So, we all went in to the hospital for the last time, got hooked up, and by hooked up, I really mean hooked up: I had an IV, an O2 sat monitor, a permanent blood pressure cuff, a contraction monitor, 2 fetal heart monitors and the 2 DVT preventions cuffs on my legs!!! Now you try going to the bathroom every hour or so with all that on without your mother there to help you - - - Impossible!!
Things were going ok until late on the 26th (31 weeks, 4 days) when the babies started dropping their heart rates in a very consistent fashion. The Doctor on call, Dr. Miller, came into my room with his team early in the morning and said he had been watching them drop all night on the monitor and if they were to do it one more time, we would be going to the OR for the c-section!! I was not ready for that, he said this would be to avoid an emergency situation where one or both of the babies heart rates dropped and would not come back up. Which, about 4 hours later, is exactly what happened. The next time I saw Dr. Miller, he swooped into my room with his team of eight, unhooking all my wires from the wall and scooping up the bed to go..."go where?" I asked..."to the OR."
Apparently, Nate's heart rate was down to 60 (from 150) and had been there for 6 minutes before he could get his team mobilized and he was afraid it wasn't coming back up. Well, Brian had just stepped out to get lunch, it was 12:06. I dialed his number and had a split second to hand the phone off to my mom as we were whizzed out the door, crashing all the way down the hall to the OR (doctors are not good bed drivers notoriously and then add all that adrenaline), it was like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride!!
The doors to the OR slammed open as the bed rolled into them (just like in the movies) and there were about 25 more people frantically setting up the OR, rushing around, opening instrument packages, throwing linens and drapes around. Surgical nurses, techs, the anesthesia team, more OB's and perinatologists and all the residents and fellows that go along with both teams. It was a beautifully choreographed dance that I imagine they do a lot in that hospital. This was not a drill to them and Dr. Miller was not his calm, cool, collected self. All he kept saying was "we are going to try to get you 2 healthy babies." Brian was quickly gowned and took his seat behind the drape 20 seconds before Chloe was born. It was 9 minutes from the time I left my room sans spinal, consents signed, prepped and draped... that he pulled Chloe out all blue and fiercely crying and flailing her little limbs around, so perfect. Chloe was born at 12:16p. Nate was born about 1 minute later (12:17p) in distress and he had to be whisked off immediately to the resuscitation room, where he was reported to be hitting and kicking the NICU docs, crying and breathing on his own. Soon after, he became distressed presumably due to the magnesium sulfate I was given prior to delivery, so when he started grunting, he was put on room air CPAP and quickly stabilized with minimal intervention.
Here's a snippet of the birth announcement email I sent out on April 29th:
They are adorable, strong, precious fighters. Yesterday I fed Chloe some colostrum from the bottle, which at 31 weeks they usually haven't developed the skill to suckle, well no one told Chloe that. She is suckling like a champ, breathing on her own, perfect labs and just so beautiful. She was 3 lbs 4 ounces, 15 inches, just a petite flower. She has Brian's nose and mouth and chin dimple so far!
Nate is also a fighter. Yesterday, he decided he would rally and get that mag sulfate out of his system. He is more alert and has been trialed several times on room air. I was allowed to hold him without his CPAP in his nostrils during one of those times. He is sooo cute, my nose, I think, and still Brian's big full lips, and big chubby cheeks. He weighed 3 lbs 9.8 ounces, 16 1/2 inches. And looks so different from Chloe. Hopefully he will be off the CPAP today or tomorrow. He HATES the nasal prongs!
They both seemed to recognize and be calmed by my and Brian's voices. When I was able to hold them with all their lines and wires, they just snuggled right in, staring into my eyes. It is the best thing in the world. I have been so worried about them for so long, this is better than I had thought they would be at this gestational age.
Love to you all,
Leslie
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