My twins are here!

[pookie1121]

Today I was 32+0 and my daughters decided it was time to come out - 8 weeks early.

I had to have c-section because the first was breech AND then stuck his footdown - so one foot was down and then one was up  - then it was just too risky to have normal birth at 8 weeks early.

The first twin was 1910g and the second was 1890g (soboth around 4 lbs)

They are in NICU now but doing well and dont need any help breathing - which is fabulous news!!!!!  The only thing is that  I am in ICU for monitoring and they are upstairs in NICU :(  but tomorrow first thing in the morning i will be moved to be on same floor as them.

[Tima]

congratulations. Hope the babies come home soon. Till then try to get some rest.

[tbeards]

I think it is awesome that they let you nurse right away. I always wondered why they didn't at least let me nurse for a short time. It must either be hospital to hospital or U.S. vs. Germany. At any rate, it is so great they are nursing! The first time I nursed my girls was such a special time since being in the NICU I felt like I was contributing so much more than anyone else could then.

Your pics are so sweet and beautiful!!

~t

[1st]

P.S., I think maybe I did do it at too high an intensity, I'll definitely try your advice this time around. Did you ever turn blue where the suction was taking place?

[1st]

Thanks for the info!  Yeah, the Medela worked, but it would always start to really hurt and my bb's would turn blue!  Is that normal?  I tried different sizes of the attachment parts, but it never seemed to just not hurt.  I also found it almost impossible to use one of those bras that attaches to the pump so you can go hands free.  It never seemed to get the pump parts on securely enough so that I could get milk out!  Well, I'm sure I'll be trying all of this again this time around!  I really want to use my Medela, because I already have one and they're expensive!  Thanks again for all the advice!
-1st

[pookie1121]

I am now pumping almost 600ml (20 oz) per day, which is still ahead of the babies needs.  I just hope I am able to pump as much as they need.  I try to pump frequently to keep the milk supply up and so far so good.

I also have a Medela Pump in Style.  You know, it shouldn't hurt to pump milk.  I think that the tendency is to think it will work better if one does it at a higher intensity with more suction, but for me it actually works much better at a lower intensity, as a premature baby would nurse.  If I turn it on too high, it does hurt and I don't get any additional milk out or finish quicker....

[pookie1121]

Yes the hospital supports us in nursing or feeding pretty well.  Yesterday Vanessa drank 15ml (about 1 oz) when I nursed her in the morning, but today I tried to nurse them both but both were just too tired.  They didn't nurse at all, and so we just cuddled.  Sometimes it works out and they drink and sometimes they really are too tired.  But I am glad that they at least give the girls the CHANCE to try....and if it doesnt work out, then they get fed through the gavage tube.  The nurses just say, dont do it at every meal time (my girls eat every three hours and so I try to nurse at 11am and then again at 5pm, but at 2pm I just let them sleep and they are just feed directly through the gavage tube)

[heatherlynn22]

congratulations!!!! keep us updated on how the angles are doing!

[tbeards]

Strike that! I see the pics on your profile. They are GORGEOUS!!!! It is reminding me of my delivery and I am getting a little misty : )

Now the fun begins!!!

[tbeards]

Interesting that they are nursing already! It wasn't even an option for us until after the second week because the NICU said they expend just as much energy nursing or bottle feeding as they intake so they used the gavage tube for two weeks. It is great to hear they are doing soooo well : )

Please post pictures when you can and I love the names you chose!


~t

[1st]

Wow!  Props on all the work you're doing with the pumping to be able to nurse.  I really hope I am able to nurse two of them, and am inspired to hear that you are not only doing it, but doing with a lot of pumping work!  I had it so easy with my daughter, because I could just nurse on demand.  I didn't do so well pumping.  If you don't mind my asking, what kind of pump are you using?  Since it is working, I was wondering what kind you are using.  I had the Medela pump in style advanced with my daughter.  It worked, but it always hurt!
-1st

[kindergal]

Congrats to you and your babies!!!!!!!  Give them lots of hugs and kisses!!!!!

[pookie1121]

Thanks everyone :)  

Yeah it was a big schock as I went into labor on Tuesday.

Yesterday Isabella and Vanessa got transferred to the Childrens Hospital here.  I also got released from the hospital - because there was NO WAY I could stay in the hospital if my babies were not there!.  It was all a little sooner than originally expected, but we are happy that the girls are so healthy.  It is just hard because I am now home and the girls aren't :( yet.

They will probably have to stay in the hospital for a few more weeks.  There are a few parameters that have to be met before they can go home:

- age: at least as old as 35w+0d.  They were born at 32+0, so that means the absolute earliest they could go would be July 21.

- weight: at least 2kg.  Right now they are about 1,8kg as they lost a little weight in the past few days.

- temperature: able to regulate their own temperature for at least 5 days.  Right now they are in warmer beds that help keep their temperature up.

- eating: able to eat 6x per day at least 60ml (2 oz) either by nursing or from a bottle.  Right now, they get tired after a few minutes of nursing or bottle feedings.  Therefore they are also fed through a small tube inserted through the nose into the stomach - sometimes their entire meal of 20ml, and sometimes they nurse or try bottle first and what is left over is fed directly into their stomachs.

I am pumping milk for them and that is going well.  I am able to pump about 10oz per day right now, which is enough to satisfy both girls needs.  Everyday I am able to pump more and more so hopefully I will be able to keep up with their needs so that we dont have to supplement with formula.

I am exhausted and sometimes in pain.  I try not to take anything during the day because then I would probably REALLY overdo it.  But by the time the evening rolls around, I am usually in need of an ibuprofin!

[1st]

Wow!  Congrats!  How exciting!  I'm so glad to hear that the twins are doing well!  I can't believe you've had them!  I feel like your posts were some of the first ones I was reading when I found out I was preg. with twins!  I am now 22 weeks, so 32 weeks still seems a long way off, but WOW!  I'm so happy for you!
-1st

[TwinsMamma]

Congratulations! I have been in hospital for the last week on bedrest trying to keep my twins in! At my 32 weeks scan it showed that my cervix was 0cms and was starting to dilate, so they sent me straight to hospital. If I can't keep them in until 34 weeks, they have to fly me to our capital city to a bigger hospital. So Im so excited to hear that your babies are doing so well! I wont be so stressed if they do come early now. In hospital they gave me steroid shots to help develop the babies lungs, so hopefully they wont have breathing problems too. My scan showed twin A is about 1800g and twin B is 2200g. So nearly half a kg difference between them, Im hoping that means one is a boy and the other is a girl!

Keep us posted pookie, hope your recovery goes well. x

[jjsh44]

Congratulations! This is wonderful news-I am glad they are doing so well!  Love and hugs to you and your beautiful baby girls

[tbeards]

Congrats pookie! What did you end up naming them? I had my girls at 33 weeks 6 days and they spent 25 days in the NICU. Kendall was 3 lbs. 15 oz. and Jamie was 4 lbs 11 oz. at birth and they too were breathing on their own from the get go.

When you have time LOL, please give us the details : )

[Kat_624]

Congratulations on the arrival of the little ones!!  Sounds like they are doing better than your average 32 weeker, so that is wonderful!  I hope your recovery will go well, so you get get up there and be closer to them!

My twins were 31.6 weeks when born - also C-section.  They were about the same size as well.  Spent 4 weeks in the hospital (came home at the same time, which is not so common).  

I wish the very best to you and the girls.  The coming days will be long, but you'll be seeing them grow and become stronger each day.  I'm here if you you have any questions.  

~Kat
p.s. how is big sis doing?  I bet she misses you!!

[peekawho]

Why are you in ICU, and how are you using a computer there?  You can't even use a cell phone in ICU--it can cause the machines to malfunction.  

Good luck, and recover quickly!

[momoftwins30807]

The first one was there for 2 weeks and since she had lost weight, she weighed exactly 4 lbs the day I brought her home. My second twins was there for 6 weeks, but had apnea and heart rate problems that prolonged her stay. She was supposed to be discharged at 4 weeks, but the babies have to go for 4 days without an apnea speel after they take them off the medicine for it. She would always make it to that last day, and then have a heart rate drop. She is also the one with CP, so she had more problems that her sister. She was on the ventilator right after birth and stayed on it for 2 days. her sister didn't require oxygen the first day, but ended up needing the cpap for a day or two. They both had feeding tubes down their mouth for a short period of time before they developed their sucking reflex, and both had some jaundice. All in all, they did really well. what was hard was one coming home before the other one. Hard in the sense that you had to leave one at the hospital AND find time to go see her while you had a newborn preemie at home. But it was so much easier to transition two babies into the house one at a time. that was the great part about the whole thing. It made it a lot easier on me. I hope you have alot of preemie clothes on hand, because mine stayed in preemie clothes till about 3 months old. Even the preemie clothes swallowed them whole at first.

[pookie1121]

how longwere your twins in NICU?

[momoftwins30807]

Congratulations. My twins were also born at nearly 32 weeks and weighed nearly 4 lbs apiece. It sounds like they are both doing great. I will be keepin you all in my prayers. All the fun is just beginning.