Twin Birth Story: Jen

If you'd like to contribute your own twin birth story, CLICK HERE to fill out our questionnaire!

Name: Jen

Where do you currently live? Monmouth County, NJ



How far along were you when you found out you were expecting twins?  5 weeks
 
Any issues during your pregnancy? I loved being pregnant and overall I would say that I had a great pregnancy. From the very beginning, I was determined to be as healthy as possible. I think part of me was so fearful of having a miscarriage, I wanted to know that each day I did everything I could to have the healthiest babies possible. I really didn’t have any complications right up until the day my girls were born. I woke up at 6:30, feeling uncomfortable, which at 37 weeks and end of summer, was pretty typical. I started pacing around the house waiting for the cramping to pass and for the babies to adjust to a better position. And it did for a few minutes but then came right back. It was then that I asked my husband to call the doctor and decided to jump in the shower since it was becoming more apparent that the girls would make their arrival that day-and not the following week when I was scheduled for a c-section. What I didn’t realize then was that I was in labor and had preeclampsia, which was helping to move things right along.

Memorable/funny moment when you were pregnant:  The thing that struck me every time about being pregnant was the sheer mass of my body as it housed these little girls! When I laughed I felt like I knew what it was like to be Santa with a belly shaking like a bowl full of jello and there were times that that made me laugh even harder. That along with the gallon of water that was housed in each of my feet made me laugh every day just by looking at them!

Looking back, what is one thing you would tell your pregnant self? Enjoy the last few months of it being just me and my husband. Enjoy quiet, relaxing weekends with complaints of being “bored” because that feeling will be long gone once these girls arrive. Stay in bed an extra hour and stop worrying about being practical and indulge in a few things you want or places to see before the babies come because even if you can do those things once they arrive, you won’t want to because you’ll want to soak in every second with them.

How many weeks/days were you when your twins were born? 37 weeks, 2 days

Baby A's Information:  Rossella Anne
August 17, 2013
9:47 am
5 lbs 7 oz
19 inches

Baby B's Information: Giada Patricia
August 17, 2013
9:48 am
6 lbs 8 oz
19.5 inches

Are your twins identical? No

Did you have a c-section or natural delivery?  All through my pregnancy I dreamed of having a natural delivery but as week after week passed that Rossella didn’t turn, reality set in that this was a process I wasn’t in control of so the doctor scheduled a C-section, and as people that like to plan for everything, this was a relief for us-we were prepared and knew what to expect. Well we all know that babies have their own plan! Once we called the doctor, he told us to get to the hospital ASAP. My husband got to live out his fantasy of rushing me to the hospital, running as many red lights on the way as possible, the only time in his life he had such a good reason to. By the time we arrived at the hospital, I was 8cm dilated. Once we arrived, everything happened really quickly. I was unable to get an epidural by that time so the doctor told me he would put me under and wouldn’t even bother bringing my husband in the room because the babies would be leaving so quickly. By this time, my calm was wearing off as my expectations of seeing my babies arrive in this world were quickly being dashed. Before I could even wrap my head around that, I was falling asleep and would wake up a new mom.

Any NICU time? If yes, for what reason and how long?  Nope!

Did you have any complications after delivery? Recovery was so much better than I expected. I didn’t have any trouble getting around or walking up to the third floor of our apartment and was never in pain. With all that said, the first 24 hours were awful while I waited for the magnesium sulfate used to treat the preeclampsia to get out of my system. I was groggy and couldn’t focus my thoughts. I remember having visitors and I didn’t even have the strength to talk to them. The worst part of all is that my first memories and moments with the girls are all very hazy and clouded. My husband still tells me details that I don’t quite remember.

How long did you (the parents) stay in the hospital?  5 days

Did your twins stay with you or in the hospital nursery at night? Some nights were with us and some were in the nursery.

What are three things you are so glad you had (or wish you would have had) at the hospital?  
1. A fan. The air conditioner broke in the hospital the first day we were there and I am so thankful to the sweet nurse that lent me her personal fan to use!
2. My breast friend nursing pillow. I didn’t use this while I was in the hospital and I wish I had. It really does make feeding the girls so much more manageable.
3. A dvd player. The nights that my husband went home were really lonely in the hospital and I would have loved to watch a good comedy in the middle of the night when I just couldn’t rest.

Describe one of your favorite moments while you were at the hospital: My favorite moment in the hospital was one night when my husband went home and I had the girls with me. I got them both into the bed with me and cuddled them together for the first time. It was the first time that I tried to juggle them both by myself and the first chance that I took the time to sit and stare at just how wonderful they really were as tiny newborns.

If you had one piece of advice you could give an expecting mom of twins, what would it be? Have respect and value that a twin pregnancy (and raising twins for that matter) is completely different than having a singleton. I think the whole time I was pregnant, and if I’m being honest, even now, I didn’t want to admit that this twin upbringing might just be a little harder than if I was having one baby-so be kind to yourself and give credit where it’s due! There might be some additional challenges but that also means additional love!