So once I got settled into the room, they did the glucose tests. The nurses had me a bit worried. Not that they wouldn't pass, but that it was important that they did pass or else I would have to supplement them. I know that's not a big deal, but I REALLY hate it when someone (especially medical professionals) tell me I have to do something I don't want to. I know most of them are just doing their job and I am extremely grateful for hopsitals and medicine, but I have had experiences where the staff and medicine made it worse and if they would have just let things be, everything would be fine. The experience I think most about is when Mackie was born. I went in because my water broke, but it was late at night. They gave me drugs to help me sleep so I could rest up to have energy. The drugs stopped my labor. They tried to induce me, but I had a reaction to the Pitocin and had a contraction that wouldn't stop for 45 minutes. I was in distress, the baby was in distress, so I had to have an emergency C-section and I had to be put out. I missed her birth and didn't get to see her for over an hour after she was born. All because of medicine and interfering. So, that is why I'd rather not have too many people try to tell me what I need to do. I do understand that sometimes it is absolutely necessary, but sometimes their protocol is just stupid.
Anyways, I really didn't want to have to supplement as soon as they were born if I didn't have to. Luckily I didn't. They passed both tests and were free and clear for awhile. For the whole day it seemed, we were constantly being checked up on. It was hourly for the first while and then it decreased to 4, but it still seemed like it was quicker than that. We were so lucky to have such great nurses though. They were very friendly and very helpful. We had a few visitors that day. I know I slept through some of them. I was soooo tired! Between the drugs and lack of sleep, I kept going in and out of sleep the whole afternoon. The first night was decent. The nurse asked why I slept with my babies and if I did that all the time. I was going to be mad if they weren't going to let me keep them in bed with me. I told her I always slept with my babies and I really didn't feel like getting out of bed to get them when they needed to eat or be changed. She was okay with that answer and nothing else came of it.
The next day was slower in the morning. It was nice to just enjoy them. Then around 2 the visitors started coming. They didn't stop until 8 that night. It was great to see everyone and it was nice to have everyone leave too. By the end I just wanted some peace and quiet and some alone time. And sleep! That night I had a nurse that I strongly disliked. She was young and looked like she would be fine. At first I didn't mind her, but then she started talking to the boys and was telling them to stop crying while she was checking their temps and whatever else they do when they check them. She used a tone of voice that you would use on an adult. She was very cold. I tried to overlook it, but she made it really hard. The boys had to have their car seat tests done that night. She took Cooper first. They have to sit in their car seats for an hour without their heartbeats and oxygen levels dropping too low. Cooper passed his and Walker failed. What she didn't tell us was that he failed because he had a lot of phlegm the first couple of days and had one of his episodes trying to get some out while he was in his chair. It would have been nice to know. Oh well, he passed with flying colors the next night with a much nicer nurse.
The thing that really ticked me off though was they came to me and told me they were close to getting to the point of losing 10% of their weight. They said I needed to supplement so they wouldn't get down to that because then they would have to go to NICU and have IV's. So I said that I would do supplements, but I wouldn't do bottle. She said that was fine, she would go and get a nurse to help her do it. I said that I could do it. I had already fed them by cup the day before and it went just fine. Then she told me she didn't think it was protocol and she would have to check. Pretty sure she didn't even check with someone. In came her and another nurse and they started to feed them. I was not impressed. I didn't say anything, but looking back, I really wish I would have. After she had left, they still needed some more supplements, and what do you know? I cup fed them both myself in less time it took for the two of them to do it at the same time. And none of the nurses said anything whatsoever to me that I was not allowed to feed my own babies. Imagine that!
Pretty sure that was the only nurse that I really did not like. Everyone else was fabulous and left me alone to do things myself for the most part. The last night we were there I did have to feed them by bottle for 3 or 4 feeds. Cooper had dropped below the 10% weight loss and Walker was at the 10%. If they weren't up by the time they got weighed in the morning, they wouldn't be allowed to go home. I figured giving them a bottle a couple of times is way better than staying in the hospital, so that's what we did. First I would nurse for 10 minutes. I didn't go any longer because they didn't want them to get tired too fast. Then I bottle fed them 30 cc of formula. I pumped whatever was left over and fed it to them the next time they ate. I would nurse, bottle feed the pumped milk and then the formula. By the morning they had gained enough to go home. I did let one of the nurses help me feed the babies though. She was one of my first nurses and she was super sweet. She was asking me questions and it came up that the twins were due to fertility. She seemed a little relieved and said "So, it actually does work for people."
I thought that was a weird response. We kept talking and she told me that she had been trying for a long time to get pregnant and they were thinking about going on fertility drugs. I told her I could never have worked in the maternity wing when I was at that point. I asked her how she could not hate all the woman that she was taking care of, because I know I would have. She told me that she actually really enjoyed it. I suppose it was because she got to hold babies all the time when she was there, so kinda like a baby fill. That wouldn't work for me, but I'm glad it does for her. So, I did let her help bottle feed one of the boys when it was time to eat.
The next nurse I asked if I was going to have the same night nurse and I told her a bit what had happened and she told me not to worry, if she was going to be there, she wouldn't be my nurse for the night. I was happy about that. I don't know if that got around, but that night I was awake and needed to walk around. I took the boys for a walk to get some ice water and the other nurse that fed one of the boys looked at me and quickly looked away. I found the kitchen and noticed a room with some rocking chairs, so we went and sat in there for around an hour and just cuddled. It was so nice!
Later that morning, the big weigh in was happening. I was nervous. I really didn't want to stay anymore. They both had gone up though, so we were allowed to hit the road! It was awesome! Jar came and picked us up and we stopped and grabbed some Subway in Fort Macleod. Then we hit Walmart to pick up my prescriptions and then we went home to pick up Mackie from school. It was a long day, but it was great to be home so fast with my boys!
We were pretty lucky in everything. Jar was home and was able to stay at the hospital with me. He didn't stay the last night because it was Sunday and Mackie wanted to go to school and my mom had to be back at work the next day. So he took them home for the night and drove back in. We had lots of support and help. I still can't believe how perfectly everything went. I am truly grateful for that.
Of course, it couldn't be all perfect......I ended up having a lot of pain a few days ago, but thought nothing of it because I had just had a C-section. I started to feel ill and get a fever, so we went in to the hospital and the started to treat me for a uterus infection. That was Sunday night. I have been to the hospital every 8 hrs since. The first night we were there for about 3 hrs. Yesterday morning it was about 3.5 hrs. I had to have blood work done and couldn't leave until they got the results back. This morning I had to get some x-rays. Everything seems fine though and the antibiotics seem to be working. I don't feel as bad anymore, just some pain. Hopefully though tomorrow morning will be my last time and then I can continue on with pills. At least it's nothing major. It's more of an inconvenience than anything. I'd rather it be me than the boys, so I'll take it. I'm just glad it happened when it did, while Jar is home. He's home for another week, so I hope everything gets sorted out by then!
I did say I would try and have pictures. I still don't have them off my phone, but I have some from my sister-in-law from when they visited.
This one is from my phone. I have 4 kids!
No comments:
Post a Comment