Dec. 4, 2007 at 7:24 PM

I ended up having an emergency c-section at exactly 28 weeks (12 weeks early) on November 11th. The girls (we named them Hadley Sue and Harper Kate) are doing well for their age, and they are both in NICU for at least another 8-10 weeks. The pictures are from about 11 or 12 days after they were born.

I am home from the hospital, and we now have two daughters. Hadley Sue was 2 lbs. 1 ounce, and Harper Kate was 2 lbs. 3 ounces. They were born by emergency c-section on November 11th. Too tiny, but they are fighters according to the nurses and doctors in NICU at OU Medical Center Children's Hospital.

I was set to have my fourth amnioreduction procedure on the day I delivered. I was dilated to 4 cm, and they said it couldn't be halted. I had about five minutes to prepare mentally for the delivery (and Phil was almost five hours away!). My mom went into the delivery room with me, and my teeny, tiny girls were born to the music of Cindi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" on Mom's cell phone (it was ringing because Daddy was calling to see why Mom had called and left him a "CALL ME!" message). There was almost two gallons of excess fluid when they were delivered. Whew, I feel like I lost a baby elephant! My back was in constant pain (I had gained around 60 pounds and I usually weigh around 105).

Harper had to be on the ventilator for a day, and then she was put on the C-Pap machine. Hadley started out on the C-Pap. Now they are on nasal cannulas (the little tubes that stick in the nostrils) with oxygen. That's a huge improvement!

We will be going back each weekend on Friday night and staying until Sunday afternoon to visit them (and hold them when they get a little bigger). It doesn't feel real since they're not home with us.

Oct. 17, 2007 at 6:02 PM

Well, I found out why I was feeling so very crummy! I went to the dr. on Monday (Oct. 8) and the dr. wouldn't see me (saw the midwife). She thought I was exaggerating my symptoms, and she advised Tylenol PM and a visit or two to the chiropractor.

I went back to the dr. on Tues (10/9) because my husband called them and said they WOULD be seeing me that day. After some more talk of hot packs and ice packs for my ever-aching back, I asked the dr. to feel my stomach where it was tightening up painfully again at that moment. By the way, it had been doing that for days! He felt my tummy and sent me directly to the hospital. That was the first time I had ever seen the real dr. (not the midwife) at 23 weeks into a high-risk twin pregnancy!

At the hospital, it was confirmed I was in full-blown labor (at 23 weeks!). After spending an entire night in the hospital with NO dr. checking on me (and the midwife was next door delivering a baby that night!), my husband finally managed to get the dr. to "peek in." They had words (in MY ROOM in front of me and my dad) because the dr. had not been in (he was "busy"). I was given Magnesium Sulfate and a shot of something else (Terbutaline?) to stop or ease the contractions. I was then sent on a 5 hour ambulance drive without lights or excess speed--per my doctor (I live in the middle of nowhere) to OKC to OU Medical Center. I was there for a week.

I was diagnosed with Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS) and an insufficient cervix. I was given more Magnesium Sulfate and LOTS of fluids. The babies had an amnioreduction (about 2 1/2 liters of amniotic fluid were drained), and they are looking much better now. The dr. said he hopes they will both make a full recovery to appropriate size (one was too small and one too large). I had a cerclage put in on Friday (10/12). I am now on modified bed rest, stuck in OKC away from all of my family, and living with a generous friend and her family. I have been instructed to not leave the metro OKC area until after delivery. I have been put on full disability, so no more work for me. My new dr. is hoping I can reach 34 weeks (9 1/2 weeks from now) until I deliver.

If you ever feel like something isn't "right" with your body--demand to be seen and checked out. If my husband hadn't forced the dr. to see me, we would not have twins anymore (possibly not even one baby).  I may have a laser procedure at a later date in Houston to divide the placenta--not sure though.