Name: Emily Burton
Where do you currently live? Battle Creek, MI
How far along were you when you found out you were expecting twins? 12 weeks
Any issues during your pregnancy? Overall, it was a very smooth pregnancy. I had some trouble with food disagreeing with me a week before my induction date that made me really sick and left me severely dehydrated. A few quick trips to triage to get fluids and rehydrate fixed everything.
Memorable/funny moment when you were pregnant: As soon as we found out it was twins, we knew immediately we would need to replace my husbands car and get something that would accommodate all that baby gear. Three days later, my husbands car caught fire in the parking lot at work in a freak grass fire. I guess the universe was telling us to get right on that!
Looking back, what is one thing you would tell your pregnant self? Connect with your husband AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. Feeling like you are taking everything on together makes any unexpected situation easier to handle. Let him help or make decisions, even if you are usually the decision maker. It will make you feel closer and more connected to all the changes that are about to happen. There's nothing you can't handle together!
How many weeks/days were you when your twins were born? 38 weeks, 2 days
Baby A's Information: Montgomery Charles
01.16.14 5:02 pm 5lbs 6oz 18.75"
Baby A's Information: Montgomery Charles
01.16.14 5:02 pm 5lbs 6oz 18.75"
Baby B's Information: Violet Elizabeth Burton
01.16.14 5:02 pm 5lbs 7oz 19"
Did you have a c-section or natural delivery? After being induced and making slow progress, it took around 30 hours to dilate to completion. Finally I began to push! I pushed for an hour at a time with an hour of "laboring down" in between (which is to endure the contractions and ignore the urge to push for an hour or so in hopes that my contractions would help me bring the baby down). After three hours of pushing and a total of 36 hours of labor, my doctor decided that despite my best efforts, Baby A was stuck and not able to progress. At that point we elected for a C-section. I was elated, disappointed, scared, excited and relieved. Luckily at that point it all happened super fast so there wasn't time to get caught up in all of that.
Any NICU time? If yes, for what reason and how long? Yes, unfortunately, while both babies were healthy, we discovered they have their father's blood type. Because of the incompatibility of our blood types, they were at an increased risk of having a severe case of jaundice. After spending their first night with us in our room, it was confirmed that they had jaundice and were swept away to the NICU. They were treated with lights and blankets and recovered nicely in a few days. It took a few additional days to wean them off of IV fluids. Monty was released after 7 days and Violet was released after 6 days.
Did you have any complications after delivery? No, I feel lucky to have had an easy and speedy recovery.
How long did you stay in the hospital? I was relased after 4, but we stayed an additional 3 in special rooms just for NICU parents.
Did your twins stay with you or the hospital nursery at night? With us the first night, then in the NICU up until the last night of our stay. Since one baby was released and one baby was almost ready to be released, they put us in a "family" room. So both of us slept on cots with both babies, even though only one of the babies was still considered a patient.
What are three things you are so glad you had (or wish you would have had) at the hospital?
1. My own favorite soaps and shampoos. The first shower after delivery made me feel like a new person. It felt so good to pamper myself for a few minutes.
2. Lots of different clothes. I went from their NICU rooms to my room and was really on the move during my stay and I swear they were all different temperatures. Having a range of clothes from nursing tanks to t-shirts and sweaters was really helpful. I also loved having a light robe to cover up with and help keep me cozy. Neither my shoes or slippers fit with all of the swelling post C-section, so having alternative foot wear in winter would have been handy. 3. My own pillow. Nothing is that comfortable in the hospital, so the better I felt, the easier it made handling all of the foreign things going on.
Describe one of your favorite moments while you were at the hospital: Getting to introduce our babies to our closest friends and family. The NICU seemed to scare most people away from visiting, so those that did visit made our stressful stay that much more "normal." Some even stopped by with food from our favorite restaurants and after an entire week of hospital food, it was like heaven on earth!
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