We also talked about delivery plans and seeing if I would be able to have them vaginally. I was scheduled for an ultrasound on Nov. 1st to check weights and positions, but obviously didn't make it. The doctor thought I could have them at any time, since I was dilated to about a 3 and 70% or so effaced. I asked him how much I needed to be in labor for them to admit me since I was already to a 3, and he said if I was a 4 and having regular contractions, he would admit me. This gave me hope. I was feeling all sorts of finished. My poor body couldn't handle it much longer, and I had made it to 35 weeks, and that was good for me!
I left the appointment feeling OK but not thinking anything was going to happen any time soon. I had taken myself off of bed rest (I wasn't ever REALLY officially put on it, just told to take it easy, don't do too much, etc. and to be safe was staying down as much as possible) the Friday before, when I was exactly 35 weeks. The next day (Tuesday) I was feeling yucky. I had had bouts of feeling gross, crampy, like labor was coming a million times, so I just figured it was one of those days, and it would stop and I would just go about my normal day: sitting in bed, reading blogs, watching shows, etc. and doing a little bit of this and that throughout the day. Well, nothing happened all day so I figured we were in the clear for missing Halloween as a birthday. At about 11 pm on Tuesday the 30th, I started having contractions that felt like real labor. I was laying in bed and counting them, and just figured they'd stop. After an hour I still didn't believe I was in labor. The contractions were about 5-7 minutes apart, but they didn't hurt like I remember contractions hurting with Ellie. It was strange. I woke David up because they still weren't going away, and I figured we should probably do something about it. Once we got up and got a few things together, it seemed like they were dying down and I was having false labor. After another couple hours of debating whether or not to go in, I finally decided to go in to Franklin Woods and get checked out.
We got to the hospital around 3 ish in the morning, and I was feeling fine. I had a few painful contractions here and there, but they were very easy to deal with and I just breathed through them. Once I got checked in and taken back to a triage room, I found out I was about 4 cm dilated and my contractions were real. Woohoo! I was relieved! The doctor on call was one that I really liked, and since he said I just needed to be a 4 and have contractions, I knew I was having babies that day!
Look! Contractions!
After we were in the room for a while and the nurses talked to the doctor, they decided that I should wait it out for about an hour and see what happens. So we sat there, I continued to have contractions, and when they checked me I hadn't really changed much, but the doctor still hadn't decided what to do with me. Personally I think he was buying himself time, since the shift change happens at 7 a.m. and it was 4:30 at this point. I don't blame him. Tired doctor who had been on call since the day before probably didn't want to deal with another patient, especially a c-section twins patient. ha ha! So he decided that I should have a bolus of IV fluid (an entire 1000mL bag of IV fluid in one hour) and see if my body was just dehydrated and needed fluids. That hour passed, and I was dilated to a 5 when they checked me. I was definitely having the twins on Halloween. Great, I thought. Halloween...the ONE DAY I said I really didn't want to have them. Little stinkers!
So, they changed my IV to a slow drip and I waited longer, and when the shift change happened, the new happy fresh doctor came in and talked to me. He talked to us about the risks/benefits about delivering at Franklin Woods at 35 +5 and told us that one or both babies may or may not have to be transferred to JCMC for the NICU. This was a horrible thought, to be without one or both babies for 2 days while I recovered from a c-section. No way, I thought. I was heartbroken, as I had my mind totally set on the fact that if I made it to 35 weeks, I could have my boys at the lovely hospital I spent 5 days at when I was in pre-term labor just a month before. I knew all the nurses, loved them and wanted to have them be the ones caring for me and my boys! However, I knew that these thoughts were selfish and I needed to put my babies first. So, it was decided that I should be transferred to the medical center just in case one or both babies would need the NICU.
Because I was in "active labor" I had to be transferred by ambulance to the med center. Most exciting thing of my life, really...jk. One of the nurses who was on shift that morning was one that had stayed in my room for almost 3 straight hours when I was having pre-term labor, and we got to know each other super well. I was so bummed I wouldn't have her for delivery/recovery/friendship! However she got to come with me for the transfer, so that was lots of fun! The EMT team came, and apparently they were told they were going to transfer a woman in "active birth". So, when they got there and I was all calm, cool and collected, they didn't know what to think. They thought they'd be dealing with someone ready to push, and it was me...someone who barely felt the contractions. I was laughing, talking and joking the entire time. It was crazy that I was in labor, and having contractions every 2-4 minutes and feeling just dandy! They put all the monitors on me, got me on their little bed thing and strapped me in, and off we went to the ambulance. The EMT who was riding in the back with me and the nurse kept asking me my pain, and honestly it wasn't ever above a 2. It was nothing. Kind of makes me feel gypped that I didn't get to deliver them vaginally and without an epidural. I was past a 5 and feeling great! Totally opposite than my labor experience with Ellie!
Look, here's a picture :)
So, once we got to the hospital, they got me into a room and everyone was waiting for me. The doctor was ready for the c-section, and I was feeling somewhat antsy about what doctor it was, since I didn't know her well. However those feelings went away when a member of our Bishopric came and helped David give me a blessing. He talked about how this particular Dr. delivered one of their children, and I felt much better. The blessing helped me feel more at ease, too even though I was still so nervous for the anesthesia, surgery and recovery and all else that comes with having twins!
After waiting what seemed like an eternity for them to do my blood work, get all my paperwork transferred and get me prepped for the surgery, it was time to go back! It was 10 something, so I had been in labor for about 10-11 hours!! Crazy! I wonder what I had dilated to by that point!?
I was so nervous and excited! David was ready and walked by my side until he had to go to the waiting area. I got to the OR and I was SO NERVOUS! It was silly. I was basically crying because I was nervous about everything. Once David came in everything started going so quickly and before I knew it, I heard a tiny loud cry, and Cameron Alan Grigsby was born, at 11:08 a.m. I immediately started crying tears of joy because he was crying, and that meant he was alive and healthy and here!! I was feeling so overwhelmed and David was just as overwhelmed and excited as I was and minutes later, I felt a big tug and out came Kyle David Grigsby into the world! He wasn't much of a crier at first, but decided to give his lungs a try. More tears flowed and I was so excited they were here!!! Things were busy and everyone was doing their jobs to get the babies checked out! Cameron's apgars were 9 and 9 and Kyle's were 7 and 9. They were doing GREAT!
The nurses were done with Kyle first, and when I saw his tiny perfect face I was in love! He was so tiny and so much fun!! He was awake and aware and I couldn't believe he was all ours! They later brought Cameron over and we took a picture with both our boys and we were so excited!! Not much time had passed, and I was ready to go to recovery. This is where things are a bit blurry. I don't remember if David went with me, or the babies. I think he went with the babies...
Kyle left, Cameron right
Cameron Alan Grigsby
Kyle David Grigsby
Not a lot of time passed, and they brought my two beautiful babies to me. A lactation consultant came in and helped me get both of them nursing. Cameron knew what to do right off the bat, but Kyle was lazy and wanted to sleep.
The rest of the day is sort of a blur, as I was given benadryl for the itching caused by the pain medication given with my spinal. I was so excited, so exhausted and so glad I was finally done being pregnant.
Cameron left, Kyle right
Cameron left, Kyle right
Kyle
Cameron
Cameron left, Kyle right
Mommy & Kyle
While their arrival wasn't exactly how I wanted it to be, all that matters is that my boys got here safely! We love them so much and while we're having a lot of long late nights and frustrations with colic (Cameron's super colicky) we are so grateful to be blessed with our two perfect boys! Things are going well at home, and I will update about the first few weeks soon-ish (if I magically find the time, and if I'm not too sleepy!).
1 comment:
Yahoo!! Sooo exciting!!!! We were with Kyle and Shannon last night and Cam and Kyle were boasting about how you named your boys after them :) Even though they know it's a coincidence, they were bashing on Harrison and Norris :) So happy everything is going well, I can't wait to meet the two little stinkers and get them together with my little stinker! So fun! :) Love ya Shari! Good work!
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