I was sorely disappointed.
Friday went by without any real changes. I was a teensy bit crampy and had some contractions but they fizzled out rather quickly. I tried to seduce The Monkey (who was totally on board) but my body just wasn't having it. And my brain really wasn't in the mood, either. It takes brain power to get turned on and all I could think was whether or not the sex would help get things moving. Meh.
Saturday came and again, a whole lotta nuttin'. I got on the elliptical. I cleaned. I did laundry. Not so much as a strong Braxton Hicks. It was like my body was mocking me. Every time I went to the bathroom (which at 38 weeks with twins is a LOT) I would wipe and pray for bloody show. I find this incredibly ironic. My OB told me very pointedly after the membrane sweep that I "would have some spotting" especially since my normal cervix checks had caused spotting for about a day each time. But every bathroom trip proved fruitless. Not so much as a tan tint to my TP.
By Saturday night I knew that my "window of opportunity" was closing. (Most labors begin within 48 hours of a sweep if they're going to begin.) By 8:00 PM I was sulking around thinking how I might actually make it to my OB appointment on Tuesday. I was beginning to feel like my body was mocking me relentlessly. First I couldn't get pregnant. Now, even measuring almost 52 weeks, my body didn't want to get a move on to get unpregnant. Around 11:00 The Monkey and I went to bed. I asked him for sex as badly as I did not really care to try but wound up falling asleep before either of us could initiate things. I think The Monkey was probably very relieved. (First all the pressure to "get the job done" to get pregnant... now I was asking him to "get the job done" to put me into labor. Hah!)
At 1:00 AM on Sunday July 3rd I jolted awake to a distinct pain in my abdomen. It definitely wasn't a Braxton. Or it didn't feel like a Braxton. But one tummy twinge doesn't mean jack in the world of labor and deliver so I rolled over and went back to sleep. An undetermined amount of time later and another one of those pains woke me up. Hmm... I grabbed my Droid off the headboard and opened my contraction timer app (there's an app for everything) and pushed start. About a minute later I pushed 'stop' and then dozed back off. Eleven minutes and 24 seconds later, another pain. One minute and twelve seconds and it subsided. This went on for about an hour. I decided to get out of bed and walk around. If I was in early labor I certainly didn't want to discourage things!
I hopped on the elliptical for a few minutes. I couldn't manage much, though. In between the pains I had a heavy feeling in my bladder that made it impossible to NOT try to pee every few minutes.
After about a half hour of roaming around the house I felt nothing had changed. Disappointed, I crawled back into the bed with The Monkey and tried to go back to sleep. As if in response my body started sending the pains a bit quicker and a bit stronger. Hmm..... I poked The Monkey and told him I was contracting. Mmm hmm... was all he managed through his CPAP. Obviously we've been there done that and The Monkey wasn't convinced. (Then again, neither was I.) I took my Droid into the bathroom and got into a hot shower. Not only did the contractions not subside, they got more intense and closer together. At 3:00 AM they were 5 - 6 minutes apart, better than a minute long, and it was clearly time to head to the hospital (especially since it's an hour away).
The drive was uneventful. I had fairly steady contractions -- some a lot more painful than others. I kept worrying that by the time we arrived at the emergency room things would have fizzled and I would wind up looking like a complete fool. (My hope was that even if things did fizzle, they would check my cervix and that would hopefully kick start things into gear again.)
The ER was fairly dead. I sat down and began paperwork. They called L&D to come down and get me. Once upstairs the nurse began the tedious task of trying to hunt down and keep both babies on the monitor. I kept remember thinking "Please put the toco monitor on FIRST!" so I could see the contractions on the monitor. Sort of as a way to prove to myself that I wasn't crazy.
The babies were surprisingly cooperative and the nurse left for a few minutes after hooking everything up. Being strapped to those monitors is extremely uncomfortable. The belts were tight and itchy. (The edema in my lower tummy protested vehemently.) Thankfully I was, indeed, having contractions and they were, indeed, about five minutes apart. The nurse proceeded to check my cervix. It was the do or die moment. No progress would mean that I would be getting a very disappointing NST at 4:00 AM. So when the nurse said "5 - 6 cm, 80% effaced, and a bulging bag" my heart skipped a beat. She left to get paperwork started to have us admitted. She called the doc on call (not my OB but from my OB's practice and a very awesome doc) to come give his analysis. I was asked if I wanted an epidural (HELL YES, thanks!) and they played a short informational video while we waited.
Filling out paperwork during labor is fun stuff. They could've been asking me to sign away my first born and I wouldn't have known. (Thankfully spouses have to sign too. And no worries, both babies are ours to keep!) After signing a dozen things (had to sign things in pairs, y'know) they got my fingerprint and whisked us away to a L&D birthing suite. Shortly thereafter my sister and mom showed up. By then it was just after 5:00 AM. Little did I know I had a long, long road ahead of me. A long, long HUNGRY road!
Around 7:00 AM I was done with the two bags of fluids required for an epidural and the anathesiologist came in and got me set up with my epidural. It took all of five minutes (felt longer) and in no time I was feeling NO pain. Bliss. The nurse checked me again. I was at 6 cm, 80% effaced and Baby A was at -2 station. I had a nurse by my side pretty much non-stop because Baby A refused to stay on the monitor for more than a few seconds at a time. Finally the nurse got fed up and brought the doctor in to break my water so they could monitor her interally. Around 10:00 AM he came in and introduced himself. He wasn't my usual OB (from the same practice, though) but I was very comfortable with him. (I later found out that he and his wife went through several years of infertility and conceived their son through IUI as well.) I was 7 cm when they broke my water and we all expected things to progress rather quickly. The epidural made me start to itch a bit so the nurse gave me a shot of Benadryl. I dozed on and off until around noon when the nurse came back in to check me. I was a little disheartened to learn I was STILL at 7 cm. The nurse suggested a slow pitocin drip.
2:00 PM they started the pitocin. My contractions were regular but not peaking/strong enough. With only 2 cm left to go, I was totally on board with the pit. A couple hours later my contractions had only picked up slightly so they increased the dose. Another hour went by and the nurse came back for another check. I was 9 1/2 cm and fully effaced! Baby A was now at +2 station (which didn't surprise me seeing as how it felt like her head was between my thighs). They waited another half hour. I knew it would be baby time very soon and yet things still felt completely surreal. The contractions really started to pick up. Anyone who tells you an epidural makes all the pain go away is lying. I felt those later contractions (and even some of the earlier ones). I know they weren't as painful as they would have been without an epidural but I still felt them. The ones close to and during delivery hurt plenty.
At quarter til 7:00 PM the nurse came back in for my final check. Fully dilated, fully effaced -- ready for birth. Everything moved very quickly yet in slow motion. A nurse came in and prepped the warmer. Several other nurses started buzzing around me unhooking my bed and getting things ready to head to the OR. As a precaution, most twins are delivered in the OR. One of the reasons I chose an epidural was so IF I had to have an emergency section they wouldn't have to put me under general anethesia. I wanted my babies here safe and sound and I wanted to be fully alert for their arrival! A little after 7:00 off to the OR we went.
The OR was bright and a little intimidating. There were two nurses for each baby, a nurse for me, two anethesiologists, nurses to assist the doctor, the doctor himself (of course), and an intern that was kind enough to take pictures for us. The Monkey sad dutifully by my side and held my hand. After being all set up the doc said rather matter-of-factly -- let's have some babies!
I waited for the next contraction and everyone told me to push. And so I did as hard as I possibly could. But apparently I was doing something wrong. The doc looked up and said "Push like you're going to the bathroom." Oh, duh. I seem to remember my very experienced sister telling me the same thing. The next contraction came and I pushed the right way. My anesthesiologist began coaching me through pushing. The minutes felt like hours. Several pushes later I began crying and (very cliché, I know) began complaining about how I couldn't do it! The contractions hurt (the epi had been turned off). The pressure was unbearable. Another contraction came and I pushed with all my might. I felt the "ring of fire" I'd read about and the doctor and nurses said "Here she comes!" At 7:38 PM my daughter was born. It was the biggest feeling of relief when Baby A was finally out. I couldn't believe the relief! She cried immediately and I started bawling right along with her. I looked at The Monkey and he had tears streaming down his cheeks as well. I did it. WE did it. But I still had one more baby to go!
The doctor acted quickly. He (and I!) wanted to avoid a section so he grabbed a suction cup thing and grabbed Baby B before she had a chance to "swim away" so to speak. Three pushes and Baby B was out. A mere three minutes after her sister. While the girls got cleaned up and checked The Monkey and I looked at each other and smiled. We have babies! is what our eyes said. Then for the important part... names. It didn't take us long to decide on Abigail Hope and Hannah Faith.
Abigail Hope (Baby A) was born at 7:38 PM. She was 6 lbs 13 oz and 19 1/2" long. Her sister, Hannah Faith, was born at 7:41 PM. She weighed 6 lbs 14 oz and was 20" long. I was carrying around nearly 14 lbs of baby!! They were the most beautiful things I'd ever seen in my life.
The Monkey went with the girls to have all their 'newborn stuff' taken care of while I stayed in the OR to get stitched up. I wound up with a level II episiotomy.
And now for some pictures.
Waiting waiting waiting...
Proud daddy-to-be!
So happy to be in labor!!
Final belly shot. You know, I didn't realize it was quite that big!
The Monkey (right) and his brother (left).
Me with my mom and sister.
Getting ready to head to the OR. Yes I was a little frightened.
Tears of utter joy! My Baby A! My Abigail.
More happy tears! My Baby B! My Hannah.
She was very vocal. :)
Happy little family!
I hadn't eaten ALL DAY. I was starving!!
My girls. ♥
Oma and her girl. I honestly can't remember for sure but I think she has Abigail. *blush*
Aunt Mimi and Hannah
Mommy admiring beautiful Hannah.
Daddy holding Abigail.
