Name: Amy Marchant
Where do you currently live? Whitmore Lake, MI
How far along were you when you found out you were expecting twins? We found out we were expecting twins at a 6 week ultrasound.
Any issues during your pregnancy? I had a perfectly healthy twin pregnancy (and even worked as a nanny right up until delivery) but then at 35 weeks I ended getting preeclampsia. They admitted me overnight so that they could watch me more closely and it ended up going from mild to severe in one night. That is when I was told I would have to be induced immediately. The only way to cure preeclampsia is to deliver, so I am very thankful that I was as far along as I was! They put me on magnesium (which is to prevent seizures) so I was not allowed to eat or drink anything for 3 days. Magnesium also knocks you out and makes you feel very tired.
Memorable/funny moment when you were pregnant: I was very nauseous my entire pregnancy (to the point of throwing up multiple times a day and sometimes throwing up blood) and even came down with the stomach flu once on top of that. One day, my husband and I ended up going on a road trip to a conference with another older couple that I did not know very well at the time. We were in the back of their (very nice, clean car), when all of a sudden I started feeling very sick and asked the driver to pull over. Needless to say, I did not make it in time and ended up throwing up ALL OVER the car (as well as my husband)! Thankfully, everyone was very nice about it and even found it funny but it took me a while before I could laugh about it myself!
Looking back, what is one thing you would tell your pregnant self? I would try to encourage myself that no matter how sick or miserable I felt during the pregnancy it would all be completely worth it when I finally got to experience the indescribable joy that goes along with the miracle of the birth of your own child.
How many weeks/days were you when your twins were born? The girls were born at 35 weeks and 1 day.
Baby A's Information: Brielle Honor
April 23, 2014 (Happy Birthday, Brielle!)
12:36 pm
4 lbs 15 oz
19 in
Baby B's Information: Serena Joy
April 23, 2014 (Happy Birthday, Serena!)
12:42 pm
4 lbs 6 oz
18.5 in
Are your twins identical? Yes, the girls are identical. Since twins do not run in our family we were shocked to learn we were pregnant with them. We did not know at that time that identical twins are not genetic but only a matter of chance. About 1 in 1,000 to be exact!
Did you have a c-section or natural delivery? I delivered both girls vaginally. Because of the preeclampsia, it ended up being a race against the clock due to my kidneys beginning to fail. The doctor came into my room to check on how far dilated I was and said that if I wasn't ready to deliver right then that they would probably need to do a C-section. I was 8cm dilated. My doctor knew how much I wanted to deliver naturally and told me that I could go ahead and start pushing without being fully dilated since "the babies were small enough". I was also still very groggy from the magnesium and hadn't eaten or even drunk water for a long time. They make you deliver in a surgery room with twins because of the risk of needing a C-section (they also required me to have an epidural for the same reason, although I was given only a low dose because my doctor knew I wanted to do it as naturally as possible) so I had to be moved to a brightly lit room and placed on a flat table with doctors and anesthesiologists all around me. Not exactly the way most women imagine their delivery going! Let me tell you, it was the worst pain of my life but I am so thankful that I was able to do it that way and did not need to have a C-section! After I delivered Brielle, the doctors had to slide Serena down through my stomach to get her into place for me to start pushing again. That was quite a unique experience to have a baby wiggling down through my belly!
Did you have a c-section or natural delivery? I delivered both girls vaginally. Because of the preeclampsia, it ended up being a race against the clock due to my kidneys beginning to fail. The doctor came into my room to check on how far dilated I was and said that if I wasn't ready to deliver right then that they would probably need to do a C-section. I was 8cm dilated. My doctor knew how much I wanted to deliver naturally and told me that I could go ahead and start pushing without being fully dilated since "the babies were small enough". I was also still very groggy from the magnesium and hadn't eaten or even drunk water for a long time. They make you deliver in a surgery room with twins because of the risk of needing a C-section (they also required me to have an epidural for the same reason, although I was given only a low dose because my doctor knew I wanted to do it as naturally as possible) so I had to be moved to a brightly lit room and placed on a flat table with doctors and anesthesiologists all around me. Not exactly the way most women imagine their delivery going! Let me tell you, it was the worst pain of my life but I am so thankful that I was able to do it that way and did not need to have a C-section! After I delivered Brielle, the doctors had to slide Serena down through my stomach to get her into place for me to start pushing again. That was quite a unique experience to have a baby wiggling down through my belly!
Any NICU time? If yes, for what reason and how long? My husband and I were very blessed and thankful to God that our daughters were perfectly healthy and did not have to spend any extra time in the hospital.
Did you have any complications after delivery? I started bleeding a lot after delivering my second daughter. The doctors who were in the delivery room with me tried to stop the bleeding by putting their hands inside me (which was almost just as painful as the actual delivery) and finally succeeded in getting it under control but I had lost so much blood that I ended up needing a blood transfusion.
How long did you (the parents) stay in the hospital? Including the time I had to stay in the hospital before the delivery, I was there a total of 4 nights and 5 days.
Did your twins stay with you or in the hospital nursery at night? They stayed mainly with us except for when they took them to do their carseat test in the middle of the night.
What are three things you are so glad you had (or wish you would have had) at the hospital?
I'm glad I had my husband with me through the whole process! He was so strong and having him by my side holding onto my hand through the whole thing gave me the strength I needed to get through the 25 hour labor and the painful delivery. I am also so thankful for all the family and friends that stopped in to support and help me.
One thing I wish I had done was to pack my hospital bag sooner! Since the preeclampsia and the induction was so sudden I didn't have a chance to get anything packed ahead of time.
Describe one of your favorite moments while you were at the hospital: Getting to see and hold my babies for the first time! There is nothing that can top the euphoria of that experience!
If you had one piece of advice you could give an expecting mom of twins, what would it be? There is SO much to figure out. Be patient with yourself and your spouse as you try to find a system that works for you. It is a completely different ball game than a singleton birth and you can't treat it the same way. Remember to enjoy your babies and that the other things needing to get done that day can wait!
Did you have any complications after delivery? I started bleeding a lot after delivering my second daughter. The doctors who were in the delivery room with me tried to stop the bleeding by putting their hands inside me (which was almost just as painful as the actual delivery) and finally succeeded in getting it under control but I had lost so much blood that I ended up needing a blood transfusion.
How long did you (the parents) stay in the hospital? Including the time I had to stay in the hospital before the delivery, I was there a total of 4 nights and 5 days.
Did your twins stay with you or in the hospital nursery at night? They stayed mainly with us except for when they took them to do their carseat test in the middle of the night.
What are three things you are so glad you had (or wish you would have had) at the hospital?
I'm glad I had my husband with me through the whole process! He was so strong and having him by my side holding onto my hand through the whole thing gave me the strength I needed to get through the 25 hour labor and the painful delivery. I am also so thankful for all the family and friends that stopped in to support and help me.
One thing I wish I had done was to pack my hospital bag sooner! Since the preeclampsia and the induction was so sudden I didn't have a chance to get anything packed ahead of time.
Describe one of your favorite moments while you were at the hospital: Getting to see and hold my babies for the first time! There is nothing that can top the euphoria of that experience!
If you had one piece of advice you could give an expecting mom of twins, what would it be? There is SO much to figure out. Be patient with yourself and your spouse as you try to find a system that works for you. It is a completely different ball game than a singleton birth and you can't treat it the same way. Remember to enjoy your babies and that the other things needing to get done that day can wait!
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