February 6th, 2012 (Monday)
-We met with Dr. Teverbaugh at the Washington office for a check-up. Everything went well and she talked to us about what would happen at the scheduled c-section on the 16th. We scheduled an ultrasound for Thursday the 9th and another check-up on the 10th.
February 7th, 2012 (Tuesday)
-The BIG day!!! Monday night was like any other; Little did we know what we were in store for. A little before 3am, I got up to go to the bathroom. After getting back in bed, I felt really crampy and had some dull abdominal pains, and then it happened...my water broke! I yelled at Chris, "My water just broke" and he jumped out of bed in a flash and started grabbing all of our things. After I calmed him down, I called the OB's answering service and informed them what was going on and that we were headed to the hospital.
We got to the OSF emergency room a little before 4am. They put me in a wheelchair to go up to labor/delivery. Once there, they put us in a room and put fetal monitors on the babies. Their heartrates were fine, but my blood pressure was on the high side. After awhile, I started shaking uncontrollably; They said it was from the rush of hormones and adrenaline. Around 5:00, the anesthesiologist showed up to put in my epidural. They had Chris leave the room while they put it in, but it only took a few minutes (easier and less painful than the IV). Dr. Stallings, the doctor on call from Teverbaugh's office showed up around 5:30 and came in and talked to us. A little after that, they wheeled me out of the room and into the operating room. They let Chris into the OR around 6:15. At that point, the shakes had gotten really bad. The anesthesiologist said they are perfectly normal and that he could give me something for them after the babies were born. The OR was filled with people! A NICU team for each baby, two anesthesiologists, Dr. Stallings, Dr. Frye (the labor/delivery resident), several nurses; About 14 people in all! Once Chris arrived, things went pretty quick and at 6:27, we heard the cries of our first baby girl...Whitney! The NICU team grabbed her up and started their assessment. Only a minute later at 6:28, baby girl Terren's cries could be heard throughout the room. Chris left my side to go check on the girls as they started sewing me up. He was able to cut both girls’ cords. At that point, I got sick and the anesthesiologist gave me several medications- one for the nausea and demerol for the shaking. I was pretty out of it and things started to get fuzzy, and I don't remember when Chris held the babies up for me to see. The NICU team's assessments of the girls was great and they were cleared to head off to the nursery. Chris went with the girls to watch them get their bath, footprints, and exam in the nursery. After being in recovery for about 2 hours, they moved me to my room and my mom, dad, and Chris were all there to greet me. Not too long after, the girls were cleared to leave the nursery and come in to be with us. It was a great moment!
At the hospital; last belly pic!
Getting cleaned up in the OR
In the nursery getting our temps up
February 10th, 2012 (Thursday)
-To this point, everything had been going great. Breastfeeding was going really well and I was even able to feed both girls at the same time! My recovery was going wonderfully and I was up and moving around by myself on Wednesday. The girls were doing well however Whitney's bilirubin was a little on the high side and both girls had lost about 10% of their weight since birth, also on the high side. Due to that, they put Whitney under the bilirubin lights overnight for about 12 hours, and we started supplementing feedings with formula to produce more poops to help clear the bilirubin. We are started supplementing Terren too for weight gain.
February 11th, 2012 (Friday)
-We get to go home! The lights really helped lower Whitney's bilirubin and the doctors say we can go home! Both girls’ also passed their carseat apnea tests. We got all our discharge paperwork done, moved everything but the essentials out to the car, and took advantage of room service one last time before heading for home around 4pm.
We have been at home for almost 2 weeks now! Tandem breastfeeding is going well (with a lot of assistance from Chris- He has been wonderful and I am nervous about him going back to work tomorrow :-(). But my Mom will be here this week! We are out of the woods with the bilirubin levels. Both girls had bilirubin labs drawn the Saturday after we went home, and Terren’s level had increased. So it was back to the hospital on Sunday with Terren for another bili check. Both girls hit their bilirubin peaks without going into dangerous numbers. Now we are focused on gaining weight! Both girls have gained back a few ounces and we would like them to be at their birth weights at tomorrow’s pediatrician appointment. We are feeding every 2.5 hours during the day and every 3 hours at night, and supplementing formula and pumped breastmilk (alternatively) every feeding. We usually have to wake them for feedings. Chris and I don’t feel overly exhausted (yet :-)!). Thank you to everyone who has brought us meals- Not having to make food helps a lot! We will still post updates about our girls on this blog as often as we can!
