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Name: Lauren Hoffman
Where do you currently live? Centerville, UT
How far along were you when you found out you were expecting twins? 7 weeks
Any issues during your pregnancy? The first half of my pregnancy was really uneventful, for which I'm
grateful! I felt amazing, with only some fatigue and heartburn to
complain about.
That all changed when I went in for my routine 24
week appointment and found that I was in active labor and already
dilated 3 cm. My doctor could even feel baby boy's toes kicking through
my cervix! It was a terrifying whirlwind as I was admitted to labor and
delivery right away, given medications to try and stop my labor and
develop the babies' lungs, and visited by many different doctors,
including a neonatologist from the NICU that told my husband and me the
statistics of 24 weekers. I was overwhelmed and filled with worry, to
say the least! All the high-risk OBs expected me to deliver the twins
that first day, and we were trying to prepare ourselves for what the
journey with our little ones might be.
By some miracle, however, I
lasted 10 days in L&D on total bedrest and constant monitoring,
with no further progression past 4 cm dilated. At that point, they
finally allowed me to be moved to the antepartum unit. There, I was able
to only get out of bed to go to the bathroom and shower. To me, though,
that was the best thing ever after being on my back non-stop for 10
days! Each day from then on was nerve wracking, as we were constantly
trying to keep contractions at bay and hoping my water wouldn't break.
But we tried to stay optimistic and hope for the best. Amazingly, 24
weeks turned into 28... and then 32! And finally, my sweet babies were
born at 33.5 weeks- tiny, but healthy!
Memorable/funny moment when you were pregnant: This might be gross, and I'm sorry... But in the beginning, starting
even before I knew I was pregnant, I burped a lot. Like, really, a lot! I
always remember my dad saying that's how he knew my mom was pregnant,
because she had the same symptom. But I thought it was ridiculous. When
it was my turn, I didn't put the two and two together until after
getting a positive pregnancy test. It was a gross and annoying symptom
to have, but it was also pretty funny, especially when I grew numb to
how often it was happening and I'd get comments from people. I couldn't
help it!
Looking back, what is one thing you would tell your pregnant self? I would tell myself to trust that everything will work out the way it
should. In the beginning, I was terrified when we found out I was
carrying twins! It took little while for that news to settle in before I
felt reassured about the curve ball, but then I was so excited! And
then while on bedrest, I could've used an extra dose of encouragement
that we could make it through that challenge.
How many weeks/days were you when your twins were born? 33.5
Baby A's Information: Charlotte Rose
November 20, 2012
5:14 pm
3 lb 3 oz
15.5 in
Baby B's Information: Grady Aaron
November 20, 2012
5:15 pm
3 lb 3 oz
16.5 in
Did you have a c-section or natural delivery? C-section. Luckily, I had prepared myself for this possibility from the
beginning, so I felt okay when it came down to that. Grady was baby A up
until delivery, and was breech. He was also measuring too small to be
born vaginally, so under the knife it was!
After a string of
strong and painful contractions that weren't going away with my usual
medication, they scheduled the OR. I told my husband to wait in our
room, because like most grown men, he's a total baby when it comes to
needles. I didn't want to have to worry about him passing out on the
ground next to me during the process! My nurse was a little distracted
and rushing all over the operating room, so I was completely on my own
while the anesthesiologist did his thing. Luckily, the spinal block went
in perfectly, they put the drape up, and my husband was sitting by my
side in no time... after he quietly informed me that I was out in all my
glory down there. Ha! Isn't childbirth crazy how you lose all sense of
modesty? (Especially after being on hospital bedrest for 9 weeks!)
It
seemed as though we had just gotten situated when my doctor announced
that baby A was on its way! After a few seconds of strong pressure, I
heard my baby girl cry for the first time and I was overwhelmed with
emotion! The tears instantly started flowing as I realized that I had
never been so grateful than to hear her healthy squeaks after those 2
months of worry. One minute later, baby boy's little cry filled the room
and I felt my heart grow double in size.
As my doctor pulled
them out one by one, he held them over the drape for me to see for only a
split second before rushing them off to the NICU. After the team
finished up with me, they had me go back to my recovery room, while my
husband was allowed to see Charlotte and Grady in the NICU.
Any NICU time? If yes, for what reason and how long? Charlotte spent 24 days in the NICU, and Grady was there just two more
for a total of 26. Those few short weeks felt really long to us, but we
counted our blessings every day that they cooked inside as long as they
did and didn't have to spend more time there. Both babies were very
small for their gestational age, but remarkably healthy. They were both
put on oxygen, which they were sent home with for a couple more weeks.
Otherwise, they were considered "feeders and growers" and although they
didn't put on a lot of weight (4 lb each at discharge!), they did great
advancing through the necessary steps in order to graduate from the
NICU.
Did you have any complications after delivery? With the help of my pain meds, I recovered well from my c-section
overall. However, the day after being released from the hospital, I came
down with bell's palsy, where the entire right side of my face was
paralyzed. It was quite painful, and I could hardly smile, eat, talk...
it was really bad! The doctors think that it was caused by a combination
of all the physical and emotional stress I had been under for the
previous couple of months. Luckily, I was holed up in the NICU for a lot
of that time. I finally started getting a twitch of movement back after
about 3 weeks, and almost all movement and feeling was back after 3
months. Now there's just the tiniest bit of droop that, really, only I
can notice.
How long did you (the parents) stay in the hospital? 4 days after the twins were born. 65 days total.
What are three things you are so glad you had (or wish you would have had) at the hospital?
-My laptop and iPod. I lived on those things, trying to keep myself entertained throughout the days.
-Comfy, loose-waisted sweatpants ... I didn't even want to think about putting on jeans following my c-section!
-A
journal to record all the experiences I had during that time. It helped
get through some tough patches by jotting down my thoughts and also
gave me a place to write down funny or memorable moments. Now, I love
going back to read through those pages.
Describe one of your favorite moments while you were at the hospital: At 1:30 am, 8 hours after my c-section, I insisted that I finally be
allowed to make the trip down to the NICU. I was still a little groggy
from the medications and anesthesia, but I will never forget first
laying eyes on my precious babies. They were perfect. I was only allowed
a half an hour and I couldn't hold them yet, but it was the best
moment. It felt so surreal knowing they were mine. Made all the long
days during my pregnancy worth it, 100%.
If you had one piece of advice you could give an expecting mom of twins, what would it be? Try not to pay attention to what everyone else says to you, unless
they've gone through it with multiples themselves. I was told some
pretty ridiculous, and sometimes hurtful, things. People don't always
understand what they're saying and how it can be interpreted. Be proud
to be expecting twins! It's such a blessing that few moms get to
experience.
What cute kiddos, and how amazing that you kept them in there that long on bedrest! Praise God and props to you, mama :)
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