Kieran and Colin's birth story (long; PIP)

fabulouspinkmady

The boys are one week old today! 

I posted a couple times last week that I was in L&D, so I will try to do a quick recap of what I already posted

On Sunday, 3/24 I went to Labor and Delivery for what I thought were bad gas pains. Turns out I was contracting and was 2 cm dilated! I was admitted and they started me on magnesium, which is pretty awful stuff. I was hot all the time and it wasn?t even doing a great job of stopping the contractions. I still had to ask for pain meds as I was having a good deal of back labor. On Monday the contractions hadn?t completely stopped, but they had slowed down and were less intense. On Tuesday my OB came to see me (she was out of the office on Monday) and when she checked me I was 6 cm dilated and still contracting! (Her words were "I can feel a foot"... yikes!) At first, the plan was to keep me on the mag until the contractions eventually broke though and they would have to deliver me. However, since I was so dilated and the boys were breech, there was concern that if my water broke one of the babies? cords would prolapse and would cause the baby to go into distress, in which case I would be rushed off for an emergency c-section (with someone holding the cord up in me until the babies were born). My OB decided this wasn?t a risk she was willing to take and it would be better to just deliver me that afternoon under a more controlled situation (which I am very thankful for as I had a very smooth delivery!)

At 5:15 pm I was taken back to the OR and prepped for the c-section. Kieran James was born at 5:48pm and Colin Michael was born at 5:50pm. (Kieran was 4lbs, 14 oz and Colin was 4 lbs, 6 oz) The procedure wasn?t too bad. It was a little scary since I didn?t really know what to expect? my childbirth preparedness class was scheduled for 4/6, LOL. However, everything went beautifully and when I heard each of them cry for the first time, I breathed a huge sigh of relief! The recovery has been a little rough, but it is major surgery, and every day I feel a little better and less sore!

The boys are in NICU but are doing great! At first they had to be on CPAP for a few days after birth and they had to be under a phototherapy light for bilirubin. Now the only thing they are attached to is a feeding tube, and that?s because they were born so early and are still learning the suck/swallow reflex that is usually learned in utero; however they are now trying bottle feeding and are doing a great job! They are also now in the same room and are sharing a crib. I?m sure they are happier being together! They are my little rock stars, we hope they will be able to come home in a couple weeks (or sooner!).

DH and I feel so lucky to have been blessed with these two beautiful boys! Best of luck to the ladies of PAIF (and a special shout out to my fellow Beach Bums)! You have been an awesome source of support over the past 8 months. 

And now, some pics We think Kieran looks like DH, and DH thinks Colin looks like me.

Kieran:

Colin: