post-birth update!

We made it to the planned c-section date of 9/22, which was 38 weeks and a day!!!

Here is a picture of me as we were checking into the hospital.

We had a lot of problems during the prep., including them scaring me by saying they couldn’t find baby B’s heartrate!  As if my nerves weren’t rattling enough, as they led me down a hall to into the operating room (they have you walk in, and I walked from one side of a huge operating theater to the other) images of Sean Penn walking down the corridor in Dead Man Walking and of lambs being led to the slaughter filled my head.  I really half expected to not wake up from the surgery.

In reality, fortunately, my Doctor said it went very smoothly… and quickly!!! I didn’t even know they had started when I caught a glimpse of my innards reflected in the lamp above me.  I think the actual surgery was under 15 minutes. Having given birth this way,  it is very clear to me why the hospital and doctor’s prefer it.  It isn’t liability or even convenience, it is that they can do lots more births, and thus bring in lots more money, by having these time efficient procedures rather than vaginal childbirth.

Sophia Ella and Jonah Eli came out healthy and screaming (and to think we were worried about their lung development) and each weighed close to 6-1/2 pounds!  Here are our little sweeties:

Sophia Ella

Jonah Eli

(More pics to come.)

………..Recovery from the surgery was a bit rough, although in some ways better than expected.  On day 1 you are not allowed to get up at all, not even to use the bathroom.  They give you a handy catheter for that.  I felt like I’d been  hit by a truck on day 2, but by the end of that day was already doing so much more.  John couldn’t get over the progress in hours much less days. Everything they did though hurt a bit. From putting in that handy catheter and the IV line to pulling off tape, and lying you down and sitting you up, etc. It seemed like everyone in the parade of medical staff that entered my room, would start with something like,” this may hurt a little.” Oh, and if the poking and prodding you get from the staff isn’t bad enough, there is the sore nipples from trying to nurse twins. (and my little girl bites!)  Also, I got a painful infection.

All in all we were really impressed by the hospital staff at GBMC, my doctors and the pediatrician on call were great, as were the nursing staff.  Their famed lactation consultants were very inconsistent though.  We didn’t even see one of them until the 2nd night! In the meantime I’d been taking advice from everyone who walked in the room, and some of it frankly was  bad.   Consequently, I started off especially sleep deprived and sore from nursing 2 babies which took up to an hour each, every  2 hours, plus pumping- so that I’d get adequate “stimulation”; it was crazy!!  (and yes, those hour long ones literally when we ended it was time to start over.)  This set us up for a downward spiral on breastfeeding, fatigue, and PPD. (PPD worsens with lack of sleep)

Lots of help is needed for twins, especially if you are also recovering from a c-section, and also especially if you plan to try breastfeeding!   We are very lucky to have help, but I think we could easily have kept/keep an army busy.