Zoey & Lyla's birth story (the WHOLE thing!)

Tomorrow will the Zoey and Lyla will be one week old, and what a week it’s been! The days are all starting to blur together in my mind so I wanted to start writing down everything that I can. I want to remember it all: the good and the bad. So I’ll start at the beginning with their birth story… (are you ready for a novel??)

Last week (34 weeks along), I went to my NST and doctors appointment and everything was normal, except for the fact that my blood pressure was a little high. Also, the nurses and doctors confirmed what I already thought: Lyla had turned breech again! So I was once again mentally preparing for the possibility of a c-section. In fact, they went ahead and scheduled me for one: at 38 weeks on April 19th.

On Wednesday, March 23rd, I woke up to a “feeling” that the twins might be making their debut soon. I wasn’t having many contractions though, so I didn’t think much of it and proceeded with my day like normal. It was going to be a big day for Eric at work and I knew he wouldn’t be home until late that night, so I didn’t even mention it to him because I didn’t want him to worry. I took the kids to playgroup at the pool (didn’t have to get in because it was just the beach entry area and they just splashed around with their friends), I packed a hospital bag (just crossing things off my to-do list!), and worked on getting the nursery set up a little more. Of course, I laid on the couch a lot too! I made white chicken enchiladas for dinner, but didn’t get to eat them with Chase because Siena fell out of her booster seat onto the tile floor, hit her head and was crying for about 20 minutes (she’s okay!). At 6:30pm, I drove Chase to Awana, a program at a local church where he goes every Wednesday night, and then Siena and I went back home to eat dinner together. As soon as I sat down at the table at 6:45pm, I started feeling some very strong contractions. So I finished up dinner, left the dishes on the counter, and went to lay down. The contractions continued and I knew right away that I was in labor. There was no doubt about it: I remembered feeling the same type of contractions while in labor with Chase and Siena: there was a tightening in my lower abdomen and pain in my lower back. I watched the clock too: my doctor had told me that if I had more than 5 contractions in an hour, for 2 hours, to go to the hospital. Well, after counting 5 contractions in just 30 minutes, I decided that I needed to start making some phone calls! I called Eric first and told him to come on home. Fortunately his protectee had already left and he was just wrapping things up and was able to leave right away, but he was 45 minutes away. Next I tried calling the doctor but it was after hours and their answering machine said that if you thought you were in labor, just to go straight to the hospital and see the doctor there. And finally I called Andrea, one of my best friends. Well, actually she called me at that exact moment to ask if she could bring by some strawberries that she just picked and I said, “oh I’m so glad you called… can the kids spend the night at your house tonight?!” I got their stuff together and got Siena in the car to go pick up Chase from Awana. I had to wait for a contraction to end before I went into the church, and then explain to Chase on the way out that he was going to spend the night with Mia. He was very excited, but also a little concerned about me, which is so sweet! He wanted to know why I was crying, which wasn’t because I was in pain, but more because I was nervous that the twins were being born too early. I still had hope that maybe the doctors could give me some medication to stop the contractions, but I was worried that it was too late. I called my mom from the car and told her to start getting ready to drive, but not to leave yet. And then I dropped the kids off at Andrea’s and went to meet Eric back at home.

It took us about 20 minutes to get to the hospital and on the way there I started watching the clock to see how far apart the contractions were, because I knew they would ask once they got there. 5 minutes! At that point I really started to worry that they wouldn’t be able to stop them. It was a totally different experience being in labor this time versus with Chase and Siena. With the first two, my water broke first, then the contractions came, so I knew without a doubt that they were going to be born that day. Plus they were both full term, so I wasn’t worried about it. But this time, I was a bit panicked. I didn’t know whether or not to “work with” the contractions, which is what I’m used to doing, or to fight them, which causes them to be painful. So I can honestly say they were a more painful than I was used to, just because I had so much fear, and fear causes pain.

When we got to the hospital, about 8:45pm, we went up to triage, which I’m very familiar with since that’s where I was going for my NST’s. Only thing is: we couldn’t get in! We rang the bell about 20 times and no one opened the door for us! I think we stood there for about 10 minutes, although it felt like an eternity. Finally we went over to some other doors that were “restricted access” and got in there (not sure how!) and ran into a friend of mine who is a lactation consultant at the hospital. She helped us finally get into triage (the nurses had all been in a room with another patient, also pregnant with twins!). I got set up in a bed and hooked up to monitors. The nurse checked me for dilation and found that I was 4-5 cm dilated and 100% effaced. “Looks like these girls will be born tonight!,” she said and ran off to call the doctor! They brought in an ultrasound machine to check the position of the twins. The doctor on call was Dr. Fernandez, who I had never met before (had an appointment with her this week actually!), and she looked at the ultrasound. Turns out that Zoey was vertex and Lyla was transverse!! Her back was up along my ribs and her head on my right side. So Dr. Fernandez said it would have to be a c-section, and probably within the next 2 hours . My feelings at this point? I always knew it was a strong possibility I would have a c-section so I was alright with it, but a little disappointed. Mostly I was worried about Zoey and Lyla, and already wondering how much time they would have to spend in the NICU. I called my mom and told her to start driving, and called some friends to let them know the babies would be born tonight!

In triage:


They wheeled me over to Labor and Delivery to be prepped for the c-section. I was SO nervous at this point. They gave me an IV and started talking about the spinal, which probably scared me most. I had never had an epidural or spinal before and the thought of a needle in my back and not being able to feel my legs really terrified me. I was shaking like crazy, and I’m not sure if it was from the contractions or the fear. Everyone kept asking if I had eaten anything recently and when I told them I had a large dinner of enchiladas at 6:45pm, they all said, “OH NO!” And when I asked why, they said, “Oh, you’ll probably just throw up on the operating table, that’s all!” Oh my gosh, well that terrified me even more! I hate throwing up, and to throw up on other people and at the birth of my children, that’s just awful! They gave me something sour to drink to try to keep the food down, and made me feel out about 100 forms. Thankfully Eric took them from me to fill out and let me relax a little. It seemed like there were 50 people in and out of the room, buzzing around and I really don’t know what they were all doing. I had wanted to call my mom again but never got the chance. Finally they said it was time to go to the operating room and that Eric had to stay there and wait for a while.

Why did they make Eric wait in that room while I was in the operating room getting a spinal? That still bothers me! It would’ve been so nice to have him there to hold my hand. Instead I had to lean over a pillow and put my arms around some strange guy who was covered in tattoos! I definitely used my old hypnobirthing techniques to get through my fear of the spinal. I was able to relax all over and breathe through it. The anesthesiologist said, “this girl’s in the zone!” and that’s how I felt. Once that was done, my feet got tingly and I no longer felt my contractions. They laid me down on the cold operating table and did a whole bunch of stuff, who even knows what. All I could think about was, “where’s Eric???” and “They better not forgot to go back to get him before they start cutting!” Those few minutes felt like an eternity, as I waited for Eric, couldn’t feel my legs, worried about the twins, and tried not to throw up! But then Eric finally got to come in, they put up the curtain in front of my face, and starting the surgery…

To be continued (I’ll try to write as I can!)…

The actual c-section was no big deal, just the feeling of some tugging, pushing, and pulling on my belly. I never threw up or fainted, even though I think I got close. Thankfully the nurse put an alcohol swab under my nose and that helped. I just remember thinking that the oxygen tube under my nose was really annoying! Eric was sitting next to my head and we kept looking at each other, but not saying much. He says now that I “looked awful” (thanks handsome!)… but what he means is that I was really pale! Soon enough none of that mattered because they announced that the first baby was being pulled out and we heard her sweet little cry! Eric got to stand up and take a picture of her. It was 11:25pm and that first cry was from Zoey, although we didn’t know that at the time. A minute later, at 11:26pm, they pulled Lyla out and we heard her cry as well. Here’s where it gets crazy though: they had no idea which baby was which! For I don’t know how many minutes we were trying to sort it all out and figure out who was who. Throughout my pregnancy, we have called the baby on my right side Lyla and we knew she was the one with the single artery umbilical cord. Zoey was always on the left, always a little bit bigger, and always vertex every time they checked. So when they said, “the first baby is the transverse baby on your right side and she’s the bigger one,” we were so confused!! It just didn’t make sense! We kept trying to explain to them that that wasn’t possible. Finally we decided to just ignore what they were saying about the positioning and stick with what we’ve always known: Zoey is bigger, Lyla is smaller. And days later, when we read through Zoey’s discharge report, our suspicions were confirmed: it said Zoey was vertex and born first! So I’m not sure why they kept saying that the transverse twin was born first… especially because she was way up near my ribs and it seems impossible that they could pull her out before the twin who was vertex and had her head way down low.

Zoey, 11:25pm:

Lyla, 11:26pm:
Anyways! We took some pictures with the girls before they were whisked away by the NICU staff. I didn’t get to touch them or hold them (and definitely not nurse them!), so it was a very different experience than what I have been used to. I was prepared for that though. The first time I got to touch them was sometime the next day through the door of their incubators… very tough!


After the c-section they took us to a recovery room and they let Eric go to the NICU after a short while to see the girls. I can’t really remember why I couldn’t go right away, but I joined him about an hour later. It was all such blur at 1am in the morning! But I do remember them saying that Zoey and Lyla were doing well and that their apgar scores were high.

Lyla, that first night:

Zoey on the first night. I love how you can see Eric's tie in this picture... he was so dressed up since he came straight from work! Everyone commented on how nice he looked for his daughters' birth!
Touching Zoey and Lyla for the first time:



The next 3 days in the hospital were crazy and this is what comes to mind:
All of the little milestones with Zoey and Lyla: getting to touch them for the first time, getting to hold them for the first time, having their feeding tubes, IV’s, and then the oxygen monitors removed. And then nursing each of them for the first time.

Fighting with the doctor and nurses for the twins to receive only breast milk instead of formula. I really don’t know why this was an issue. You’d think with all of the research out there about the benefits of breast milk, they would have a different attitude. One nurse told me that the formula had 24 calories and breast milk had 20 calories, so I think that was the main issue… but still, what about all of the other benefits: immunity, digestibility, etc?? It just killed us to feed them bottles of formula, and then watch them throw it all up afterwards. At least 2 nurses told me to the side: “they just don’t like the formula, they like your milk!” Finally, they agreed to letting me nurse them every other feeding, and for the other feedings they received bottles of breast milk with a fortifier added.

Waiting anxiously for the feeling to return to my legs!

Feeling like the c-section was no big deal but then suddenly being hit by the pain of my incision. Unbelievable! All of you moms out there who have been through a c-section, and even 2 or 3 of them: I’m in awe of you! Many people are amazed by the feat of a natural vaginal delivery: but I have to tell you, after having been through both types of births, natural delivery is nothing!! C-section pain: wow. It’s a week later and I’m still feeling it.

The inability to stand up straight and needing help for EVERYTHING!

Drugs, drugs, and more drugs… I’ve never taken so many pain pills in my life! Seems like I was always calling the nurse for more!

Pumping, pumping, and more pumping! Round the clock pumping and taking milk down to the NICU!

Lots and lots of trips to the NICU in my wheel chair.

Spending time with my parents and being so thankful that they were there.

Visits from my sweet friends Andrea, Jackie, Laci and Danielle… those really cheered me up!

The night we got to “room in” at the NICU: they were ready to discharge me from the hospital, but let me stay one extra night in a room that was close to the NICU. I was officially not a patient anymore… so no one to bring me medication (and no one to tell me how long it had been since I had some, I was so confused), and no little luxuries like a cup of ice water or private bathroom. There were no windows, so we felt very closed off from the world, but thankful we got to stay close by.

Eric stayed with me every night I was at the hospital… 4 of them! This is a huge deal because have you seen how tall he is?! Those little couch sleepers in the room are so uncomfortable for him and I told him often that he could just go home and I’d see him in the morning. But he stayed, and that meant a lot to me.

We were so happy to see these two!


Zoey:
Lyla:
Papa and Lyla:
Mimi and Zoey:
Together for the first time since delivery, and the last time until Lyla gets to come home! :(

Eric and Zoey:
Lyla in her incubator... I love her little sign that the nurses made!



Zoey ready to go home!Chase and Siena's first look at Zoey:


This picture makes me kinda sad... we are missing one very important little girl! :(


I’m sure I could go on and on about every little detail about our time in the hospital, but it’s already starting to fade from my mind and maybe that’s a good thing! My most important memory is just seeing Lyla and Zoey’s sweet little faces for the first time and knowing that they were going to be alright. It was definitely love at first sight for me and I continue to overwhelmed with how much I love them. And I’m already amazed at how I love them so differently, and how they are so separate in my mind: not a set of twins, but two individual babies with distinct looks and personalities. I can’t wait to get to know them better and hold them both at the same time again!