The Birth Story

THAT DAY.  The day you get to meet each of your babies.

Each story is different and unique.  Being induced is a strange way to give birth.  Labor is so mental anyway, and knowing ahead of time when you don't have contractions to focus on is so, so weird.

I feel like the birth story for Iris and Eloise is about 2 weeks long.  We expected them to arrive at 36 weeks if we were lucky, and then my uterus had to show off and go until 38 weeks.  Haha.  I believe the power of prayer kept those baby girls in there and we are just swimming in the blessings because so many prayed and prayed.  Miracles.  We had many friends touching base and praying and thinking of us.  It heightened all the emotions we were already experiencing.  I loved it though.  I've been saying through this pregnancy that this experience is a privilege.  We are privileged to be parenting these baby girl twins and to be parenting 5 girls.

But the actual day.

I was scheduled to be induced at 5:00 a.m. on December 12.  Labor and Delivery called me the night before and asked me to call at 4:00 in the morning to see if they could get me in.  Apparently they had a busy night!

Of course, I hardly slept.  I was so nervous.  I didn't like knowing what was coming and exactly how long I had until...but I also didn't want to wait another day.

We called at 4:00 and got the green light to go in at 5:00 a.m.  I stumbled through breakfast knowing it would be my last meal for a long time.  No coffee!!  A little blond girl got up crying and needing something (can't remember what).  I do remember thinking that life doesn't stop just because you're trying to get out the door to go give birth to twins!

Pitocin started at 6:30.  I used up all my Candy Crush lives, tried reading, resting, texting...itching.  Those belly bands were soooooooo itchy!!!  And I couldn't get up and walk around because they didn't have a way to monitor two heartbeats with a portable monitor.  Progress was super slow.

11:00...Doctor broke my water, and I will still only at a 3.  I was feeling pretty discouraged at this point.  Dreading the long and itchy day ahead of me.  I had decided to get an epidural this time in case of an emergency.  In my mind, I had wanted to make it to a 6 before getting one.  So, I knew I still had a ways to go!  Well, the contractions really started picking up.  I was having back labor, and Jeremy had to push on my back through contractions.  I was thinking what a wimp I was being...only at a 3 and wanting that epidural... I got the epirdural at about noon, and my doctor came into ask how I was feeling.  I said I was having a lot of pressure, even after the epidural...and what do you know it was time to push!  The staff was not ready for us.  Twins deliver in an operating room in case of an emergency, so there was a lot of hustling to get Jeremy in scrubs, the room set up, and me wheeled down the hall to the room.  It was so crazy!  I remember a nurse asking if she could come in the OR because she had never seen a "Twin Vag."  There's a term I never knew before.  There were about 15 people in the room.  I was pretty out of it at this point, having major labor shakes.  Just still not believing what was apparently happening.  I remember the nurse asking if I remembered how to push, and I said "we'll see!"  My doctor was so excited.  He is typically a very laid back person.  It's what I appreciate most about him.  He was hopping around like a little bunny.  I think because a "Twin Vag" isn't a common event, all was healthy, and he was excited about good news.

12:56  Iris was born first.  She had a head of dark hair (I won the bet with Jeremy!) and was so cute already!  I still didn't believe another baby was going to come out.

1:04  Eloise was born next!  Another cutie.  She had some trouble because her hand was in front of her face.  My doctor did what he needed to do, and she was born.

There was a lot of laughing and I was still holding my breath to hear that both babies checked out ok by NICU staff.  Soon I had TWO healthy baby girls on my belly.

We had several nurses reiterate what we knew to be true.  Our circumstances were not the norm for having twin babies.  What a joyous event to be a part of .  What a privilege.