Twin Birth Story: Hillary

Name: Hillary

Where do you currently live?  Athens, AL

How far along were you when you found out you were expecting twins? 7 wks

Any issues during your pregnancy? Early in the pregnancy I had woke up to spotting and immediately went to the hospital and it was determined that I had a hematoma between the babies sac's. I was also admitted to the hospital at 31wks for being a good 1-2 cm dilated and 50% thinned. I had to stay in the hospital for four days and after that I was prescribed Procardia (to stop contractions) and bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy.

Memorable/funny moment when you were pregnant: Our daughter (Piper), who was 3 at the time we found we were expecting had said from the beginning she wanted TWO babies (I kid you not)!!! She even told her pediatrician the day before my appointment that she was getting TWO babies to which I adamantly said "NO"! My husband also found out the day before our first appointment that he had to leave on a business trip and wouldn't make the appointment. I was very upset but had changed my tune the next day and decided this was my second pregnancy and I was a big girl so I could handle going by myself. I had explained to my ultrasound tech why my husband wasn't there and once she got started with the ultrasound she asked me in a non worrisome way if I could somehow reach my husband to which I told her "no, I believe he is still on the plane" and then I looked at her dead in the eyes and said, " are there two babies in there" and she said, "YES"! Tears immediately started and the first thing I could thing of is my little clairvoyant 3 year old who had been right all along and also how in the world was my husband going to believe me from thousands of miles away! He for sure was going to think this was a joke, but oh no...I had a picture to prove it!

Looking back, what is one thing you would tell your pregnant self? To enjoy the pregnancy as much as possible. For me, I had extreme nausea for the first 17-18 wks and I remember telling my family during that time that I would never do this again, because I felt miserable. I did the same thing with my first pregnancy, but once I got past those 18 miserable weeks, I felt great pregnant. I also knew this was probably going to be my last pregnancy so I needed to enjoy it as much as possible.

How many weeks/days were you when your twins were born? 36 wks

Baby A's Information:  Sadie Ryann
5/20/14
6:06 pm
4lbs 4oz.
17inches

Baby B's Information: Mackenzie Raye
5/20/14
6:06 pm
4lbs 6oz.
18 inches

Are your twins identical? No

Did you have a c-section or natural delivery? C-Section. I was extremely uncomfortable the day before my scheduled 36 wk appointment so I called my doctors office and asked if I could come in a day early. They had an afternoon appointment so I took it. Good thing too because when my doctor checked me I was 5 cm dilated and completely thinned (I was so surprised my water never broke)! I was immediately sent over to the hospital (the doctors office is attached to the hospital) and was told I'd be having babies today! I was prepped within an hour and wheeled to the OR for my C-section. After my spinal the babies were delivered very quickly, in fact they share the same time of birth! I had a vaginal delivery with my first pregnancy and the C-section thing was all new territory for me, but my doctor has a high volume of multiple pregnancy patients/deliveries and he was adamant about me delivering via C-section so I trusted that he knew best.

Any NICU time?  If yes, for what reason and how long? Yes, a 9 day stay for my little ones. Right after my girls were born they were swept off to the NICU and put on CPAP machines due to labored breathing. They were on CPAP machines for less than 24 hours. After that it was all about getting their body temps regulated and gaining weight. One thing that was stressed to us was how lucky we were that both babies went home from the NICU on the same day. Apparently most twins go home at separate times.
  

Did you have any complications after delivery? Not immediately after. I had my tubes tied right after my twins were born and I basically kept a period for 15 wks after their birth. I figured it was due to my tubes being tied and my body recovering from carrying two babies instead of one! I maybe had a total of a week without bleeding during that time. I consulted my doctor about the constant bleeding and with a ultrasound my doctor had determined there was a white dot right smack dab in the middle of my uterus and this must be the reason for all my problems. I had a DNC the next week and it stopped the bleeding (hallelujah)! The spot was determined to be a polyp and it was not cancerous, thank goodness!

How long did you stay in the hospital? 3 days

Did your twins stay with you or the hospital nursery at night? NICU

What are three things you are so glad you had (or wish you would have had) at the hospital? Glad I had:
~Robe (this helped me hide my PJ's as I went back and forth to the NICU)
~Slippers (nobody wants to walk barefooted on hospital floors)
~Phone (I used it for pictures in the NICU instead of taking my big ole camera)

Describe one of your favorite moments while you were at the hospital: My favorite moment was the first time I got to hold my babies, in the NICU, on my birthday! My twins were born the day before my birthday and I am quiet certain had I not had them the day before, we would have definitely ended up sharing the same birthday! They were so tiny and precious and it was the best birthday present I could have asked for!

If you had one piece of advice you could give an expecting mom of twins, what would it be? I would say figure out a schedule and stick to it (obviously it may vary some) but its what saved my husband and I when we brought our babies home.