inspired adventurer: The Birth Story of Keith & Lauren

August 21st, 2015 - the day you entered this world.

Before you came!

What an amazing new adventure to welcome you guys into the world!

Several weeks before delivery, we discovered I'd developed cholestasis (bile spilling into the bloodstream), which meant we had to have an earlier delivery than initially planned. At the 36 week appointment, Dr. Brass told me that I should schedule a c-section and to pick a date. Keith was breech and had been the whole pregnancy except the month of March. I never wanted to have a planned c-section. I wanted a natural vaginal birth. But it wasn't meant to be. I didn't want to fight the universe and force something to happen.

Not that I didn't try to get you to flip. I did all sorts of things. Inversions. Chiropractor. Acupuncture. Yoga poses. Headstands in the swimming pool. Nothing worked, but the best thing to come of that was that I made a reconnection with the swimming pool, and I can't wait to take you guys there when you're big enough.
We thought about dates and asked for the 18th or 20th (mommy likes even numbers). Both were full. They booked us for the 21st. I decided it was better that way. I didn't choose the date. Someone else did, and I never wanted to pick my baby's birthday anyway. After I thought about it, it seemed like the 21st was the right day. It was 4 months from Grandma Kathy's Birthday (on April 21) and went with mine and daddy's well. We are born on the 7th, the 14th and now you on the 21st. Definitely the right day. And, no one in either of our families shares your birthday. There's a ton of relatives with special days in August, so it was pretty neat you guys got your own day.

They scheduled the c-section and told us to arrive at 8:30AM for prep and likely surgery would be about 10-10:30AM so that was when you'd arrive! I was so excited to meet you guys. But I was also really nervous that we might be taking you too soon. I didn't want anything to happen to you. I also didn't want to wait too long to take you out for the same reason. It was hard for me not to worry too much about you guys. I felt like I wanted to go in every day and make sure you were okay. I was so full up with you guys that I couldn't really sit or breathe or eat or anything. I just had to lay down. It was really hard at the end.

The morning of the big day, I was up early toodling around the house, cleaning up stuff and getting ready. I couldn't eat after midnight, so there was no yummy breakfast to start the day. Just me walking around in expectation. And a little writing in my journal.

At 7:30AM, I called the hospital to check if I was supposed to come in as scheduled. The nurse said there was a delay and she'd call me back at about 9:30-10:00AM after the morning huddle. So many people have babies in August, that it was really busy a lot of times at the hospital. At first I was a little disappointed that we were delayed, but then decided I'd finish a load of laundry, unload the dishwasher and other little things. We called auntie Carrie and grandma Kathy and told them we were on standby. They waited at Carrie's house.

At 10AM, the nurse called and said they were ready for us. I said we would be there in twenty minutes. It was time!

We hopped in the car, and left the carseats at home, thinking daddy would make it back to pick them up while we were in the hospital. Just around the corner, we pulled up at Carrie's house. We hopped out of the car, and decided we should take a few last pictures before the big belly went away. In front of Carrie's house under her big tree.

We arrived at the hospital at 10:45AM and checked in. Our nurse, a nice blonde lady,Tina, from labor and delivery showed up right away to get us down the hall to our room.

It was sunny and pretty outside that day. I didn't know what to feel about having a c-section or meeting you guys. It didn't really seem like it was really happening.

We got to the room and took some more photos. I was told to get into my hospital gown- a green and tan contraption that would've fit three of me. Tina came back and started getting some things ready and asking questions. I asked about delayed cord clamping and if my sister could come in too. (They said yes.) We also did microbiome transfer. The baby nurse said she would do it for me when you were born.

Our RN, Tina, told us Dr. Gutovitz would be doing the surgery. Originally we'd been scheduled with Dr. West. No one had ever heard of Dr. West so I was a little apprehensive about her. It seemed like a good thing that we'd been changed. Everyone said Dr. Gutovitz was awesome.

The anesthesiologist JD came in and went over everything with me. We were doing a spinal. He'd also inject morphine. He had kind eyes and seemed to really care. He went over everything carefully and made me feel taken care of. (Later, a day or so after you were born, he would stop into my room to see how you were doing. A kind man.)

Our doctor, Dr. Gutovitz, came in and met us. She was about my age (later in the OR she would tell us that her birthday was June 18th and one year off from mine.) She said she'd be happy to do delayed cord clamping and skip the erythromycin ointment.

By noon we were ready to go. It seemed like it was so fast. We were about to head to the OR.

Then our nurse Tina looked on the screen and said, "Looks like you might be waiting after all. There's a baby in distress." Another baby's heartbeat had gone from 150 to 40.

The excitement dissipated. We were in a waiting zone.

The four of us tried to console ourselves. I was starving, having fasted for about 14 hours at that point. The clock seemed to be at a standstill. How many more minutes before we could go back? I felt like going home and coming back another day. Dizzy from fasting, I laid in bed while everyone else was eating snacks and drinking. I drifted off for a nap.

The nurse came back and we asked to have my blood sugar checked. It was 65. They started me on a drip with sugar in it. I drifted back to sleep again after she left.

Finally about 1:45, she came back and said, "We're on! Do you want to walk to the OR or take a wheelchair?"

I walked with Carrie and Justin in tow in their scrubs and red hats.

It's hard to say what you feel when you're going for surgery. And you're going to meet your babies.

I just hoped you guys would be okay and we weren't bringing you into the world too early. Part of me wanted it over and part of me didn't want it to begin.

I hopped up on the OR table. A flurry of activity surrounded us. Nurses and doctors and assistants. Calling out orders and verifying that we were the right people and ready to welcome you to the world.

The anesthesiologist came in with his kind eyes and told me to sit up on the table. He felt my back to figure out where to insert the needle. Fear shot through me but I stared straight down. Not looking at anyone. Holding it in. First he numbed the area, then started the spinal. "You're deeper than I expected, being so slender." I was slender? At 37 weeks pregnant?

The spinal was over and not that bad. Tingling entered my legs. The anesthesiologist started checking me for sensation with a little piece of wood. The goal was to be numb to the breast or so. It was working.

They pulled up the blue drape in front of me. "Catheter's inserted." Someone said.

"Really? I didn't feel anything" I replied.

"That's the correct answer." A voice replied.

I laid there on the table. I was crying at that point, scared and wondering how it would go. Looking at Justin, he was crying too. We held hands and held it together. I squeezed him.

The OR staff was talking normally. Like they were having coffee or something. Asking us questions, chattering. It was a mini party.

I was listening carefully, waiting to hear you come into the world.

Then there was a scream. "Your little boy is here." Less than 30 seconds later, "And here's your little girl." The OR was filled with your screams, each of you trying to out do the other. No one could hear anyone else talking the OR. Relief flooded my body. Screaming was good I knew.

They held up Keith first. You were so big and dark hair! I couldn't believe it. You were my baby? The little one who sat so low like a buddha the whole pregnancy? "Seven pounds, twelve ounces!" I couldn't believe it.

Next was Lauren. Blonde hair, and so tiny. "Six pounds, two ounces!" No wonder you could still flip back and forth at the end of the pregnancy! I'd thought you would be six and seven pounds. I was about right on one at least.

Both of you all red. Still screaming and covered in vernix.

"I really made those two? I can't believe they're real." I thought. They had you under the baby warmers checking you out for healthiness. "Both got an APGAR of 9." I knew that was perfect.

A nurse came over and set little Lauren on my chest. You were crying and crying, all red and upset. The second you were on my chest, you were quiet. And then you crawled up my chest and put your little head under my chin. My sweet little Lauren.

Daddy stood next to me with little Keith in a swaddle. Carrie took pictures.

Such a surreal experience having two babies at once.

We sat around and chatted while they stitched me up. Taking pictures and sending out texts to family.

I saw my leg go out to the side. I couldn't feel anything, so I didn't know how it got there.

Finally finished, I was rolled the recovery room, which was much quieter and darker. No people. No chatter. The nurses there blanketed me and took my temp which was about 97. You guys were both low as well. They took Keith first to do some tests while Lauren was still on my chest. You crawled up and latched on for breastfeeding right away. Little tiny Lauren nursed for 35 minutes right after she entered the world. They switched babies, and Keith came over to me, and nursed just as well as his sister for maybe a little longer. Lauren went away and was tested while he was nursing.

For two hours we hung out in the recovery room while they fingerprinted your birth certificates and baby books and we all got ourselves back to normal temperatures. I could start to feel my legs again. What relief.

Then it was time to go to our room. We transferred beds and and both of you were placed with me as we rolled out of the recovery room to head up to the fourth floor.

On the way out we met an Asian family who'd just had twin girls. They were tiny dolls compared to my big babies. I felt proud of you guys. The other family looked bewildered. The mom was in a wheelchair, so she'd had a vaginal birth.

Once in our room, Grandma Kathy arrived, and met the two of you. She brought beautiful roses and a special carrot birthday cake for your big day. She also got me mango juice and lemonade.

We all loved you from the start. Both of you perfect and sweet.

The days that followed were a bit harrowing. The first morning after surgery, two nurses came in and checked my blood pressure while laying, sitting and standing. When I stood it was 65/23. I was blacking out, about to pass out. I could only lay in bed the first two days. By the second evening, I made myself sit up to pump for you guys. I was borderline for needing a blood transfusion and the midwife said it might impact my ability to nurse you guys, so I tried the pumping. To our surprise and delight, my milk had come in the second day, even though I could not stand. My body was on the mend.

The third morning I still could not get out of bed, and had decided I would get the transfusion at noon if I couldn't get up then. I needed to be able to take care of you. Somehow when noon came, I walked to the bathroom, and the nurses cleaned me up and gave me a sponge bath. They were so kind to me.

I'd averted the transfusion. I was able to get up a little bit and do things. I took a shower the next day. It was delightfully freeing.

My c-section was pretty painful at first and I had to keep up on the medications so I could move around. But it got better pretty fast.

During our five day stay in the hospital, we learned how to take care of you guys. We learned breastfeeding, swaddling, comforting. I felt that I was ready to go home when the last day finally arrived.

We packed our bags and loaded everything in the car. Auntie Carrie brought the car seats in and helped Justin pick up my pain meds from the pharmacy. We carried you down with two nurses who took our pictures as we were about to drive away.

We pulled out of the hospital and neither of you made a peep on the way home. I guess you knew you were going to the right place with the right people.

You both are the best thing I've ever done. I'm so happy you chose me to be your mom. I can't wait to see what wonderful people you develop into.

The morning we headed to the hospital.