Introducing Lexie and Josie! Our babies are here! - - LONG birth story post

CaliCarly77 · January 2014

Team green turned into team double pink!

On January 4, 2014, (1/4/14) we welcomed two baby girls at Baby A, Alexandra James Crocket, 9:04 am 4lbs 15 oz and baby B, Josephine Hiver Crocket, 9:05 am 5 lbs 2 oz.

All the details for those who like that sort of thing:

On January 2, I started feeling like my braxton hicks were just a bit different than before, kind of like period cramping going down my legs. I tried to delay labor by taking a hot bath and relaxing. On the 3rd, things were a bit stronger but not consistent and would go away with cold water and walking or a bath. A friend came over and it distracted me from them. That night my husband and I watched a movie and I timed the contractions every 30 - 40 minutes apart. I never lost a mucus plug and my water did not break. We finished packing our hospital bags, just in case, but decided to get some good sleep at home since things were not strong, and the doctor told us to wait until we were having 5 contractions an hour. I woke up Saturday, the 4th, with even stronger (but still weak) contractions. It was 4 a.m. so I took a shower, straightened my hair, put on makeup, and finished packing my bag. I woke up my husband at 5 a.m., and he got ready, between 5 and 6 a.m., the contractions (still just like very light period cramps and pain down my legs) were 7 minutes apart. We waited until 6 a.m. when the hospital would be open and we wouldn't have to go through the Emergency Entrance, then headed over. We got there at 6:15 a.m. and got hooked up to monitors.

The nurse told me I was not in active labor, just pre-laboring. I was still only 1 cm dilated (as I had been two weeks earlier) and my cervix was still high. She said I could go home. We decided we would rather just proceed since going home and coming back the next day or day after seemed like just a pain in the butt when all of our stuff was already ready and even though weak, the contractions were making me nervous and uncomfortable, and frankly I was done carrying babies. Both babies were breech so we knew it would be a c-section anyway, so no need to labor and put anyone in an emergency situation.

The nurse came back 20 minutes later after calling my doctor (who had been antsy to take the babies out a few days earlier!) and said we were staying, and a c-section was scheduled for 8 a.m. The next hour or so was preparation for the c-section, we spoke to the anesthesiologist and the nurses, then got wheeled to the O.R. The spinal took a while to get put in, as the Dr. kept hitting nerves, but it wasn't too painful at all. The I.V. frankly was the worst needle I got. The whole process was scary but not as bad as I had imagined it would be. My legs went numb, I was laid back and the sheet was put up and my husband was called in. It was so good to see him! He looked nervous as the spinal had taken so long.

Surgery began and minutes later baby A was born, and another minute later baby B was born. Their cries were SO CUTE!!! Just little light pitched squeaks that were not offensive at all, ha ha. My husband went over and called out "Baby A is a girl!!" then I thought of course, so baby B is a boy, then he said, "Baby B is another girl!" My husband came over and had a huge grin on his face and I said "I am so sorry" and he just looked teared up and so so so happy and I knew all was good. The babies were totally great and loud and healthy. They brought A over and put her to my chest, but I am far sighted and feeling dizzy so it was actually just making me feel nauseous to have her so close in my field of vision (sorry A!!!) but she was so beautiful!! Like a little doll. Let me say - the MINUTE the girls were born, my whole body felt amazing, like the weight had come off my lungs, spine, hips, everywhere. Such a relief. My doctor showed my husband my guts, uterus and ovaries, it really freaked him out seeing all my guts out while I was smiling on the other side of the curtain. lol lol

The girls and my husband left, all smiles, as I got stitched up. The Anesthesiologist gave me some good stuff for pain, nerves, dizziness and the shakes that started. He was really good and attentive. I was brought to recovery for about an hour, the shakes went away after five minutes, and the dizziness slowly disappeared. Everyone was great and the nurses made me feel ok about being there without the girls, and we laughed about how I had been to Thunder Down Under a few months ago. The WORST PART of the process was during this hour of recovery when the nurses had to push on my belly to get the excess blood out, as I was starting to get my feeling back. That was really really painful and felt wrong. One nurse finally put my hand under hers and that helped.

My husband and the girls came in about an hour after I was brought to recovery and we breast fed and got to meet them. This is when I was told that Baby B has a dimple on her lower spine that worried the doctors and she was taken for ultrasound to check for spinal abnormalities (possibly spina bifida). We got the results on Monday morning and learned she was just fine, which was a relief. We didn't want to share our news until we knew for sure what was going on with her, as we had already received some "congratulations on your healthy babies" and it was just a bit confusing how to respond to that when we didn't know if all was well with B. We stayed in the hospital till Monday(yeah, TWO nights only, seemed a little quick). Other than checking for some low blood sugar and bilirubin, the girls were both great, they passed all of the tests and were fantastic.

We had originally decided that, if we had two girls, Baby A would be Josie and baby B would be Alex but when I met A, she was my Alex. So we did not announce or decide on names until late Sunday, when we finally realized after two days, the baby I had been calling Alex couldn't now be Josephine. I really do believe in getting to know a baby before naming them.

Lexie looks just like daddy, and has daddy's dimpled chin and ears, Josie looks like my side of the family and has the little pucker heart shaped lips and my ears!

My cut was painful and I felt a little dizzy day one, but now, day 5, I am doing ok. I have to say a c-section cut is NOTHING compared to being 37 weeks pregnant. Much easier to bend and walk around. I honestly think I haven't felt this good in about 4+ months, so yeah, nothing to worry about with a section if you've been pregnant with twins.

Alex/Lexie (we've been interchanging) feeds like a champ. Josie and I have had to work on it, now that my milk is in she is doing better. We had to supplement with formula at the hospital because they wouldn't let her leave if she fell below 10% birth weight and she was at 9% loss. We got a ton of free formula from the hospital which was great, don't be a hero and at 4 a.m. if you have two crying babies....a bottle wont kill them. My milk has come in just fine despite a few bottles.

whitehousem · January 2014

How exciting! Love the names. The girls are beautiful! Thanks for sharing your story.

mrs_chewie · January 2014

Congrats!

marcobonny · January 2014

Congrats on your girls!! They are so gorgeous! Thank you for sharing your story!

LegalLadyBug · January 2014

Congrats!

skeppler1 · January 2014

Congrats on you beautiful baby girls!! Good to hear you all are doing great.

xnbride · January 2014

They are beautiful and I LOVE LOVE LOVE their names. Congratulations!!

JessaPrimate · January 2014

So happy to read everything went well! Congrats!

TheDairyQueenx3 · January 2014

Congratulations! I was just thinking about you yesterday and was wondering if the little peanuts made their way out yet or not! They are beautiful congratulations!!! I can't believe they are here already it seems like a month ago you made your intro

enjoy every minute, mama!!