Twin Birth Story: Christie Uvodich

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Name: Christie Uvodich

Where do you currently live?  West Chicago, IL




How far along were you when you found out you were expecting twins? 6 weeks.

Any issues during your pregnancy?  I had a relatively "easy" pregnancy. I was visiting the doctor once a week because they wanted to keep a close eye on them. They already knew from the beginning they were identical, which carries higher risks. Around 28 weeks I started getting dizzy spells where I thought I may pass out but the doctor just told me it was a "pregnancy symptom."

Everything was smooth sailing until I went to visit my primary doctor at around 33 weeks on a Friday. She recommended I get a steroid shot to develop the girls lungs faster in case of an early delivery. Looking back she might not have told me the full truth but I went and got the shot on Saturday and the second one on Sunday. Monday I went to the MFN for my routine appointment except my Dad offered to go with me. He said he had a weird feeling about it. The doctor told me I should probably go home and grab my hospital bag and head to the hospital to deliver the following day as Baby B was approaching a 20% size difference which was a cause for concern.

I called the girls' Daddy and told him his girls would be arriving the next day. He was shocked but said he would meet me at the hospital after work. Two hours of monitoring at the hospital and the doctor came in and told me I had a contraction and Baby B's heart rate dipped. Everything was so smooth my whole pregnancy up until this point and I knew they were coming faster than I thought but was still shocked yet again.

Memorable/funny moment when you were pregnant: My very first doctors appointment. We were completely shocked when we found out we were pregnant as we were not trying. It took about two weeks before I was able to get into the doctors office. We were both sitting there when the doctor was doing the ultrasound. She asked if I saw what she saw (which I obviously didn't as I didn't know what I was looking for) and then she asked if there were any twins in the family. I happen to have a fraternal twin brother and she said well that might explain why there is TWO! I was completely shocked once again! It really didn't even cross my mind that there could even be the possibility of two. The only thing I could do was stare and say "Oh my God" over and over and over again.... and all the way home. We only told our parents right away but waited until after 12 weeks in case one twin disappeared. My mother-in-law saw it right away when I showed her the ultrasound and I told my Mom over the phone who was in complete disbelief. My Mom could definitely relate because she found out 6 weeks before delivering that there would be two of us! She couldn't believe I was a twin having twins!

Looking back, what is one thing you would tell your pregnant self?  Indulge a little on the cravings. I craved frozen yogurt but never really ate it. I only really craved water and roasted sweet potatoes with a Siracha aoli and I had a lot of both!

Try to sleep too. If only you could bank that extra sleep and save it. My girls are almost 13 months and I'm still tired.

How many weeks/days were you when your twins were born? 33 weeks, 6 days

Baby A's Information:  Hailey Mae
June 24, 2013
7:37 pm
3 lbs 14 oz
42 cm

Baby B's Information:  Addelyn Rose
June 24, 2013
7:38 pm
2 lbs 15.9 oz
40 cm

Are your twins identical? Yes

Did you have a c-section or natural delivery?  C-section. Because Baby B's heart rate dipped while I was in the hospital for monitoring they advised the best course of action would be to have a c-section that night (it was 5pm when I found out.) They wanted to make sure they had 2 full NICU teams ready to go when the babies were born and they didn't think she would survive a natural birth. They were afraid I may go into labor over night and didn't want to call in emergency 2 teams overnight. They scheduled my c-section for 7pm. Daddy still hadn't show up at the hospital from work so I called him immediately and told him he had to come up now as the babies would be here in 2 hours! We thought we had at least 2-4 weeks.

My parents and in-laws showed up to see my before I was wheeled off to the operating room. It was the final game of the Stanley Cup for the Blackhawks so everyone else was busy watching the game! I got an epidural and then they started the procedure. I could feel everything.... it was awful. They pumped me full of so many drugs. I do remember when they pulled out Hailey and she cried. I cried. They flashed her around the curtain and then literally ran her to the NICU. I remember them grabbing Addie next but don't remember her crying. I think they had to resuscitate her but no one ever told me (I found out on my bill). I saw her for about 2 seconds before she was gone. The rest of the operation was horribly painful until I couldn't remember anything.

Any NICU time?  If yes, for what reason and how long?  Yes, both babies were in the NICU. Hailey was in for 3 weeks and Addelyn for 3 1/2 weeks due to their small size and the fact that they needed to learn how to eat. Other than that, they were completely healthy. They received pumped milk from their very first feeding and are still getting it to this day, which the nurses say helped speed up their time getting out of the NICU.

Did you have any complications after delivery? After the babies were born I had fluid on my lungs from all the medication during the surgery. I was so out of it from that I didn't get to see the girls until 3 hours after they were born. It took about 4 days for the fluid to go away.

How long did you (the parents) stay in the hospital? 5 days, 4 nights

What are three things you are so glad you had (or wish you would have had) at the hospital? 
1. All my shower stuff and make up.
2. Phone charger and an extension cord for it
3. Comfy outfit to wear instead of the horrible hospital gowns

Describe one of your favorite moments while you were at the hospital:  My favorite moment didn't really happen until a week after delivery in the NICU when I got to hold both my babies together at the same time. It was just me and the girls reunited after a week apart. My NICU nurse and I may have taken 1000 pictures of this moment. They were so tiny, it was so surreal.

If you had one piece of advice you could give an expecting mom of twins, what would it be?  Try not to stress too much. Easier said than done for some people but I have always been a laid back person. I believe what ever is going to happen is going to happen. Twins are the best (I know that from being one and having them :-) so don't let anyone freak you about having two babies. You will adapt as necessary.

Also, get a nice swing. I don't know what I would do without one. It was nice to have when you had two screaming babies, it always took care of one of them by putting them to sleep within a minute or two.
Christie's Blog: The Identical Duo