Surprise C-section & NICU Update

These two just love taking us on roller-coaster rides!  I'd been checked into Labor & Delivery 3-4 times before it was "real".   We almost had an emergency c-section on May 6th because they had stopped moving, but then the twins changed their mind a few hours later and acted out endlessly until I was discharged.  Everything went smoothly for another week until, during one of our monitoring sessions, we found out that Dean's cord was being pinched during contractions in part due to the fact that Rachel was sitting on top of him.  I went in for an ultrasound and neither of them were doing their practice breathing either.  Since my body wasn't even close to going into labor the doctor decided that a c-section that evening was the best chance of getting 2 healthy babies instead of at least 1 very sick baby if not 2 sick babies. 

I can't remember all the details from that evening, but I do remember I was very nervous for the c-section (Hello...I've never been to the hospital before this pregnancy and certainly never had surgery).  After they got all set up and I was numb I heard my doctor tell the nurse to go get Mark.  Mark said that they had already started the c-section by the time he walked across the hall into the surgical room.  My doctor was good about telling us what he was doing before he did it.  Before too long Mark got to watch and I heard a good loud cry - Welcome Rachel!  She was taken over to a bed for evaluation and clean-up where I could see her through the movements of 2-3 nurses and doctors and her APGAR was called out as a 7. One minute later the doctor told us Dean had been born.  No crying though.  Even more doctors and nurses surrounded his bed.  Mark was called over to Rachel's bed to "trim the cord".  By now I had become very worried about Dean.  I heard the nurses call out an APGAR of 3 and still hadn't heard him cry.  I tried asking Mark if Dean was breathing, but with all the chaos he couldn't tell me.  I could see a nurse pumping air for him through a mask and see lots of commotion, but still no crying.  Finally after what seemed like forever I heard a whimper and finally a soft little cry come from Dean's bed.  The tension in the air lifted.  Mark was then able to bring Rachel over to me for a couple minutes before they had him take her to the nursery.  Someone then brought Dean over and told me that I could have just a minute to look but they needed to take him to the NICU.  I glanced at my son for maybe 30 seconds and then told them to take him where ever he needed to be to get help.  She didn't wait another second before whisking him away.  After the surgery was over my doctor said that he was now sure it had been a good call to take them early and wished me luck.  I was transferred to a bed and taken back to my room. 

Later that night Rachel was brought into my room for a quick 15 minute meet and greet.

It wasn't until the following day that I got to see Dean again, but going to the NICU to see your baby is great motivation to get up and walking ASAP after surgery!  It was a long, slow, and dizzying walk, but I finally stumbled my way to Dean's bedside.  

Now we're on day 13 of NICU life - we get to visit every 3 hours and only hold them when they're awake.  We are blessed that there aren't any major health issues for either of them!  Rachel had low blood sugars for a bit and now has acid reflux, but her sugars evened out and she's on Zantac to help with the heartburn.  Dean started out on a CPAP machine for the first day or so to help him breathe, but when he kept knocking it around they just gave him oxygen with a nose tube.  He knocked that out when the nurse wasn't looking and did fine so he's stayed off of all stuff and moved into a crib with his sister.  

They've spent their days in a covered and heated bassinet until last night when they were moved into a crib.  (Can you see a small pink & white blanket/burp cloth right above the red handle?  Yeah that's Rachel sleeping while her brother took a bottle last night - they're tiny!)

NICU babies have to check off a list before going home.  We've slowly checked off parts of that list, but we're not quite done.

1. Maintain blood sugar levels w/out IV

2. Breathe on their own

3. Bottle/Tube full servings of milk

4. Back up to birth weight within 2 weeks

5. Gaining .5-1 oz. each day consistently

6. Feed with bottles only (no tube feedings)

7. Maintain body temperature in covered bassinet w/out heat

8. Maintain body temperature in normal crib at room temperature

9. Sit in their car seat for 60 minutes without vital sign problems

10. 24 hrs rooming in with mom and dad (no nurses) without problems

Now we're just waiting for them to take all bottles for a few days in a row before they get to finish the list and we get to bring them home.  Unfortunately learning to eat is the longest process, so we have no ETA.  Dean is taking 2 bottles for every 1 tube feed, but Rachel is only taking part of 1 bottle for every 2 tube feedings.  All of the nurses and doctors tell us that preemies go slow until one day it "clicks" and then there's no holding them back and they just all of a sudden seem to "check in" and do what needs to be done.  Hopefully we won't have to wait much longer until Rachel decides to "flip the switch" and do what needs to be done.  Dean is close and this morning the pediatrician said she thinks he's gonna be ready to "turn the corner" any day now and go to full bottle feeds.  I wish Rachel would pick up some of her brother's enthusiasm for feedings, but she just wears out or gives up too quickly. We're working with a speech pathologist for Rachel - trying to teach her how to get that dang tongue down and suck for longer than 15 minutes.  They've seemed to switch  places.  Rachel almost wasn't checked into the NICU at all and now she's struggling more than her brother.  Roller Coaster!

It would seem that these kids aren't done teaching me patience.  It took almost 5 years to get them here and now we're waiting to get them home.  We have been very blessed that they are healthy and well cared for by a great team of nurses and doctors.  We also recognize what a blessing it is to finally be a Mommy and Daddy!  We can't wait to bring them home and show them off to family and friends.  They're beautiful little things and pictures just don't do them justice!