Twin Birth Story - Part 1

It's been almost a month since Thomas and Liam were born, so I better get started on the story of how they came into this world. As I had mentioned in my blog the weekend before my water broke, the boys definitely dropped and I was feeling better about breathing and eating. I didn't really think this meant they would be coming soon, as I know when you get to that point it can still be several weeks before labor. But it was a sign of things to come....

On Wednesday, May 27, 2009, I was getting out of the shower and Leo and I were getting ready to get Phoebe on the bus. As I was drying off in the bathroom, a trickle when down my leg and onto the floor. I immediately knew what was going on. I didn't want to freak Phoebe out or make her worry all day, so I discreetly called Leo to the bathroom and asked him to get Phoebe on the bus and that my water broke and we needed to go to the hospital. I finished getting dressed and getting my act together, packing a bag and such for the hospital stay. I also called my OB's office and let them know what was going on. When Leo came back in from getting Phoebe off to school, we left for the hospital. Needless to say, I was extremely scared. I knew this was too early and wanted to get steroids into me to help the boys get ready to be born. Before we left for the hospital, I had started feeling contractions. It was just one or two, but it was scary to feel this so early.

I went to Triage at the maternity department of our hospital. The doctor said my cervix was completely closed, but that my water had broken and most likely it was just one of the twins who's membranes had ruptured and not both. They gave me my first steroid shot and confirmed that they would like to keep labor off for a few weeks and I would be admitted to the hospital for the rest of the duration of my pregnancy. I was put on IV fluids, antibiotics to keep away infection since my water broke, and monitors for the baby's heart rates and my contractions, which I was still feeling every now and then. I was also put on strict bed rest and was told to even use a bedpan instead of the bathroom. That didn't go over very well with me. I was also restricted from eating until they could confirm that I was stable. I was given a promise that maybe I could eat dinner that evening.

I was sent upstairs to the high risk area of maternity, monitored some more and then sent to Maternal/Fetal Medicine for an ultrasound. The ultrasound confirmed that the membrane that ruptured was Thomas, Liam's was fine and both boys were doing well. Even though Thomas's membranes had ruptured, there was still plenty of amniotic fluid for him to be fine for the duration. I was told that I would have an ultrasound every other day until delivery.

So for the next two days, we tried to keep things normal at home. My SIL came to stay with us to help with Phoebe. Phoebe came to visit me at the hospital with Leo and we made sure she got her homework done and home to bed at a decent time as she still had a few more weeks of school left.

I'll get to Part II tomorrow, which should be the finale, as I'll cover when we realized that labor could no longer be put off....