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The Twins Birth

Oh where to begin! On July 3, I was 3 days late for my period so I called a friend and asked her to pick up a pregnancy test for me. The directions on the test say that it takes at least 3 minutes for the test to be accurate. Well, after just 30 seconds, the test was telling me it was positive. I started walking back and forth from the bathroom to the kitchen (where my friend was) saying "it's not changing, oh my god! it's not changing." At this point, I started to get a little hysterical...I was not expecting this. I thought I was late because of the stress of a new job I had just started. So, after the full 3 minutes went by and it didn't change, I went back to work to call my hubby. I told him on the phone that I was pregnant and he said "how do you know?" I told him about the pregnancy test and he said, "those things are always wrong." So, I started thinking that he may be right, but made an appointment at a walk in clinic to get another test. The nurse told me it would take 3-5 minutes before the results were back, but after 1 minute she came back to the room and said "I know it hasn't been 3 minutes, but you are definitely pregnant!" OH GOD! I went to hubby's work to show him the piece of paper that read POSITIVE! I wasn't sure what to expect from him, but when he smiled and gave me a huge hug, I knew everything was going to be fine. Three weeks later, I had my first prenatal appointment. I went into the doctors office where he, once again, confirmed my pregnancy. Then he proceeded to do a vaginal ultra sound so we could see the baby. We saw the baby very quickly and it just amazed us! Then, the doctor was looking around with the scope and wouldn't you know, there were TWO! He looked at me and said "oh look, twins!" I said to him "no, there can't be twins, I don't have twins in my family"(I found out later that my great grandmother had 3 sets of twins). He showed me the twins, but I was insistent that there were not twins. I looked at my husband whose smile was sooo big, I thought we'd have to leave the office to make room for it. I said "oh my god, what are we going to do?" Then I cried. He gave me hug and told me to relax (yeah right)! Well, after I got over the fact that I was not only going to be a mother, I was going to be mother to twins, I started to get very excited. I was only 5 weeks pregnant, but I told everyone!! It was wonderful!

At the beginning of 7 months of pregnancy, I had become very uncomfortable. I had gained about 65 lbs. and my back was killing me. The doctor signed me out of work for modified bed rest and said "no sex"! So I lied on my couch for about a month. I was having Non Stress Tests every week at that point and everything was great! During my appointment on January 16, the doctor informed me that I was 1 cm. dilated. How could this happen, I am not due until March 5! He sent me home telling me to come back next week. No problem! By the next week, I was 2 cm. dilated. He told the nurse to set me up for an appointment for next week, but he doubted I would make it that far! He told me I could go into labor that weekend because he was not on duty, but not to go into labor the next Wednesday because he was off. Oh okay, I'll work on that! Wouldn't you know that on Wednesday, January 28, 1998, I went into labor. It actually started on 1-27-98, but I didn't know it. I was very crampy, but thought it was gas. Around 3:00 a.m., I was jolted awake with a huge cramp. This was it! I went to the couch and started timing my contractions. They weren't regular, so I didn't worry. At 5:45 a.m. my hubby, got up to get ready for class (he's a student). I told him, "I think you should take me to the hospital. I don't think I am in labor, but I would feel better if you brought me in to get checked out." So, around 7:00 he went to warm up the car while I sat at the kitchen table timing contractions. All of a sudden, I had the urge to go to the bathroom so I ran to the bathroom and had just sat down and gush...I didn't even feel it come. My husband came back into get me and found me crying on the toilet. I told him "oh god, I can't even control my bladder any more!" I didn't realize my water had broken until it happened again in the wheel chair at the hospital. Then I knew it was real!

Once I got settled in my birthing room at around 9:00, the nurse came in and told me my doctor was going to come in ON HIS DAY OFF!! WOW! That was great. At this point, I was only 4 cm. dilated. It was taking sooo long! I asked for stadol to help me relax! I slept from 4 cm. until I was 10 cm. dilated. I did not expect the amount of pain I had once the stadol wore off! When I woke up around 11:00, the doctor was there telling me it was almost time to push. So I started to push, but I just couldn't do it. The doctor moved me to the operating room (just in case of emergency c-section), where I lost all self control I ever had. My husband was trying to comfort me with a cold compress and ice chips, but to no avail. There were so many people in that room attaching things to me, checking my pulse, drawing blood, and everything else I did not want them to do at that point. I told them to stop touching me and to take this stuff off of me! The doctor was telling me I had to push, but I couldn't. Finally, at around 1:00, I said to the doctor "you have to give me a c-section, I can't take it anymore" He wouldn't do it! So I asked for an epidural!! My request was granted and I went to heaven! After I had gotten the epidural (it was about 1:15), the doctor told me to push again. I could push with ease! As I pushed, my doctor used a vacuum to help the baby along. At 1:29 p.m. Evan Michael was born weighing 6 lbs 11 1/2 oz and 19 inches long. I could hear the pediatrician saying "wow that is a big baby." (don't forget, I was 5 weeks early) Now there was another baby to come out. I looked at hubby, who got to hold the baby and he was just crying huge tears! Baby B was breech and folded in half so he was going to be a challenge. I had my doctor going in and turning him, another doctor was pressing on my belly holding him in place. Thank god I could not feel anything! Once again, with the help of a vacuum, Aodhan James was born weighing 6 lbs 12 1/2 oz and 19 1/2 inches long! When I looked at Aodhan, you could see his legs were flipped up behind his ears. The doctor pushed them down, but they flipped back up! It was quite amusing! After Aodhan came out, I was able to hold Evan, that is when every emotion I ever had came pouring out. I was laughing, crying, scared, and relieved all at once.

They say that after you give birth, you forget the pain. I don't think you forget the pain, you just get blind sided by the sheer joy of bringing another human into this world. I would do this all over again 20 times and find something new and enjoyable each time!

I am breast feeding both boys and they are now 2.5 months old and both weigh 14 lbs.!!