Wow. Ok here we go...
Jen got the call from her doctor that her high blood pressure and elevated proteins in her urine from an earlier test had reached levels that quantified a trip to the Miami Valley Triage just to make sure things were ok.
I got the call from Jen on Friday that she was heading to the hospital but felt fine and did no...t think anything would come out of the visit other than some more tests and a pat on the butt to go home and chill on the couch until the babies were coming. She said she would head home, have her mom pick her up, and drive her to the hospital so when we left, we would not have two cars to drive.
I said fine and jumped in the car to head home and switch cars so I could get our stuff, just in case.
I got home, grabbed all of our stuff and headed to the hospital.
I got to Jens bed in triage and as I walked through the curtain I looked at her and saw her face and knew…this was it. Two seconds and two steps later, “They’re inducing me.”
Boy, am I glad I followed my instincts!
Triage decided that the babies were far enough along to come on out to avoid any future problems that could occur from further issues around Preeclampsia symptoms that were beginning to show and getting worse.
So, that was that. We were admitted to the hospital and Jen began an IV med called Pitocin to get the inducement started. 2 mill units per hour and we were off knowing that the babies would more than likely be born sometime Saturday afternoon. With all plans made before, we were hoping for the birth to be vaginally and non-eventful.
Hah!
Jen started her contractions early Saturday and they progressed as expected and even a little quicker than we thought might occur. The water was broke for the baby boy and the race was on. We kept the affair private between the two of us, just as planned, and bore through the labor as a team until we reached 7 cm dilation at which point Jen had reached her max and we had the Epidural procedure done. The epidural was probably about an hour later than we should have gone but now Jen has a memory of labor pain to file back in her mental cabinet, excruciating I’m sure, but a priceless memory none the less!
With the Epidural in place we asked our parents to come and be with us before we went into the OR for delivery. Having twins dictated an OR delivery to be on the safe side, just in case something goes wrong. They also have two NICU nurses onsite for the delivery to make sure that they get seen immediately if needed.
We all spent some time talking and having a great time waiting for the babies to come and when we got to 9-10 cm we asked our parents to leave and Jen and I began the push to happiness…literally!
The labor went well for a while and the Epidural levels worked ok. We needed to have some sensation down low for Jen to have the ability to push with her muscles and with this there is a fine line between pain and pressure. This went on for about one hour of pushing until we hit a need for a break.
Jen and I just lay in bed getting her energy back for another round. The uterus was doing what it needed, the babies were doing what they needed down to one tiny little super important item that had to happen before they could come out. The boy had to twist just a bit and slide out under the pelvic bone which we just could not get to happen.
We got into round two determined to push through the pain, and get him to fit with a little coaxing for his head to fit just enough…the second round was not pleasant and the efficiency of the Epidural was beginning to wane, the pain increasing with the intensity of the contractions. We spoke with the doctor and decided that it was just going to be near impossible to walk him out…we went the road of the C-section after two very rough hours of pushing and breathing and hoping for the plan to play out the way we wanted. As usually is the case, the plans did not follow the way we intended, but the outlook was good.
We went to the OR, Jen finally with the epidural surging with surgery level medication…zero pain!
I got into the OR just after the incision and just enough time to sit and console Jen, get my camera up and on to take the pictures that are now the pinnacle of my existence and the reason to live. Passage of my two children and their souls into this world.
There was first, Gabriel Alexander Head, 6lbs. 13oz and 19.25 inches…crying, flailing, and ready to run…taken to the warmer and doing fine, next came Lucy Sierra Head, 5lbs. 12oz and 19.5 inches; a little taller to make up for her brother stealing the food! She is a little smaller, but just as loud if not louder and has a fiery intensity that lights up the room. I was granted a gift to catch her emerging the womb, just her head entering the world guided by the hand of a gifted doctor.
With her size, she was taken to the warmer and left to catch up to her brother in temp as I walked Gabriel over to Jen to get her first glance at her new boy.
The time since has been a whirlwind of emotion, massive exhaustion; Jen began her Friday at work, finishing her shift at 3:30 after a long day, to the hospital, to her room to begin inducement.
Again, picture this truly:
Work all day, eat lunch, then…hospital, no food, no “real” sleep, a birth at 6:30pm the next day after pushing fruitlessly for two hours into a C-section, then awake all night to feed every two hours. Sunday seems a dream of immense happiness and exhaustion to rival no other time in our lives.
So, with this written I introduce to you our still unfolding short story of the creation of life and the introduction of two new perfect souls to this world we call Earth. Welcome them and love them as they will love you the same.
Gabriel and Lucy Head June 25th 2011 - 6:30 pm and 6:31 pm, the little sister will I am sure be running the roost!
Jen got the call from her doctor that her high blood pressure and elevated proteins in her urine from an earlier test had reached levels that quantified a trip to the Miami Valley Triage just to make sure things were ok.
I got the call from Jen on Friday that she was heading to the hospital but felt fine and did no...t think anything would come out of the visit other than some more tests and a pat on the butt to go home and chill on the couch until the babies were coming. She said she would head home, have her mom pick her up, and drive her to the hospital so when we left, we would not have two cars to drive.
I said fine and jumped in the car to head home and switch cars so I could get our stuff, just in case.
I got home, grabbed all of our stuff and headed to the hospital.
I got to Jens bed in triage and as I walked through the curtain I looked at her and saw her face and knew…this was it. Two seconds and two steps later, “They’re inducing me.”
Boy, am I glad I followed my instincts!
Triage decided that the babies were far enough along to come on out to avoid any future problems that could occur from further issues around Preeclampsia symptoms that were beginning to show and getting worse.
So, that was that. We were admitted to the hospital and Jen began an IV med called Pitocin to get the inducement started. 2 mill units per hour and we were off knowing that the babies would more than likely be born sometime Saturday afternoon. With all plans made before, we were hoping for the birth to be vaginally and non-eventful.
Hah!
Jen started her contractions early Saturday and they progressed as expected and even a little quicker than we thought might occur. The water was broke for the baby boy and the race was on. We kept the affair private between the two of us, just as planned, and bore through the labor as a team until we reached 7 cm dilation at which point Jen had reached her max and we had the Epidural procedure done. The epidural was probably about an hour later than we should have gone but now Jen has a memory of labor pain to file back in her mental cabinet, excruciating I’m sure, but a priceless memory none the less!
With the Epidural in place we asked our parents to come and be with us before we went into the OR for delivery. Having twins dictated an OR delivery to be on the safe side, just in case something goes wrong. They also have two NICU nurses onsite for the delivery to make sure that they get seen immediately if needed.
We all spent some time talking and having a great time waiting for the babies to come and when we got to 9-10 cm we asked our parents to leave and Jen and I began the push to happiness…literally!
The labor went well for a while and the Epidural levels worked ok. We needed to have some sensation down low for Jen to have the ability to push with her muscles and with this there is a fine line between pain and pressure. This went on for about one hour of pushing until we hit a need for a break.
Jen and I just lay in bed getting her energy back for another round. The uterus was doing what it needed, the babies were doing what they needed down to one tiny little super important item that had to happen before they could come out. The boy had to twist just a bit and slide out under the pelvic bone which we just could not get to happen.
We got into round two determined to push through the pain, and get him to fit with a little coaxing for his head to fit just enough…the second round was not pleasant and the efficiency of the Epidural was beginning to wane, the pain increasing with the intensity of the contractions. We spoke with the doctor and decided that it was just going to be near impossible to walk him out…we went the road of the C-section after two very rough hours of pushing and breathing and hoping for the plan to play out the way we wanted. As usually is the case, the plans did not follow the way we intended, but the outlook was good.
We went to the OR, Jen finally with the epidural surging with surgery level medication…zero pain!
I got into the OR just after the incision and just enough time to sit and console Jen, get my camera up and on to take the pictures that are now the pinnacle of my existence and the reason to live. Passage of my two children and their souls into this world.
There was first, Gabriel Alexander Head, 6lbs. 13oz and 19.25 inches…crying, flailing, and ready to run…taken to the warmer and doing fine, next came Lucy Sierra Head, 5lbs. 12oz and 19.5 inches; a little taller to make up for her brother stealing the food! She is a little smaller, but just as loud if not louder and has a fiery intensity that lights up the room. I was granted a gift to catch her emerging the womb, just her head entering the world guided by the hand of a gifted doctor.
With her size, she was taken to the warmer and left to catch up to her brother in temp as I walked Gabriel over to Jen to get her first glance at her new boy.
The time since has been a whirlwind of emotion, massive exhaustion; Jen began her Friday at work, finishing her shift at 3:30 after a long day, to the hospital, to her room to begin inducement.
Again, picture this truly:
Work all day, eat lunch, then…hospital, no food, no “real” sleep, a birth at 6:30pm the next day after pushing fruitlessly for two hours into a C-section, then awake all night to feed every two hours. Sunday seems a dream of immense happiness and exhaustion to rival no other time in our lives.
So, with this written I introduce to you our still unfolding short story of the creation of life and the introduction of two new perfect souls to this world we call Earth. Welcome them and love them as they will love you the same.
Gabriel and Lucy Head June 25th 2011 - 6:30 pm and 6:31 pm, the little sister will I am sure be running the roost!
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