The hospital weekend

What started as a routine trip to the hospital Friday afternoon for some monitoring turned into the birth of the twins on Saturday August 10th 2013.  Mom was feeling extra achey the night before and was concerned that Wade wasn't moving.  After some coercing from Dad they decided to make a trip to the hospital Friday afternoon for monitoring.  

In hindsight it felt as though Mom and Dad knew this was coming.  Waking up in the morning Friday Dad took off to work telling Mom to call the doctor about her pain.  In frustration Mom knew that they were going to send her to the hospital for monitoring and Dad explained he would return home if that was the case.  Sure enough thats what they told her and so he returned.  

Upon his return they decided it would be a good time to pack hospital bags in case they were there for the weekend.  After a slow and relaxed packing session they were off to the hospital but decided to catch lunch first.  A trip to Corner Bakery left their bellies nice and full and around 2PM in the afternoon they made their way up Brookhurst to Orange Coast Memorial.  At the last minute Mom said she was feeling better and that perhaps a trip to the hospital wasn't necessary.  She probably knew what was coming and was trying to avoid the inevitable.  Dad insisted since they were literally a left turn away and so they pulled into the lot and checked into Labor and Delivery.

Being the second time they had come to the hospital Mom and Dad knew what to expect.  Since the hospital was full of mothers in labor Mom and Dad were put into a small monitoring room on a hospital gurney and strapped into the monitoring device.  

Things were going normal until about an hour in when Mom had a tetonic contraction.  The nurses rushed in and Mom and Dad were a little nervous when Jennifer our nursed asked for a Christmas Tree.  Mom being deathly afraid of needles associated pine trees with needles and assumed she was in for a treat.  As it turns out a Christmas Tree is just an attachment for the Oxygen valve which they found out when Jennifer had Mom turn on her hands and knees and gave her an oxygen mask.  A little bit nervouse Dad glanced to Jennifer who replied calmly that everything was fine with Mom and babies.  The contraction subsided and Jennifer explained that babies's heart rates had dropped with the contraction which was a concern.

After things calmed down, Dr. Connor came into to speak to Mom and Dad and explained that Mom would need to stay overnight for monitoring.  After a little bit of disappointment from the soon-to-be-parents, Dr. Connor conceded that fours hours of perfect activity would suffice.  The next three hours and fifty five minutes were unventful.  A small contraction here and there but nothing indicating labor until the five minute mark.  With five minutes left and Mom and Dad eager to leave the uncomfortable monitoring room, a nurse rushed into the room.  At first Mom and Dad assumed they were coming into unhook the machine and let them leave.  Unfortunately the news was different.  Mom had another contraction and subsequent drop in babies's heart rate.  This earned them an overnight stay in the hospital and they admitted Mom right away.

Once a labor and delivery room became available, Mom and Dad moved across the hall to a much larger and more comfortable room.  This visit was different in that Mom had no problem getting into the hospital gown.  A garment you think would be easy to get on given its really only half a garment anyway.  Bags were unpacked and Mom and Dad settled into their new home for the night.  Mom was hooked up to the monitor and Dr. Connor came into to notify them that they would be staying in the hospital for monitoring all the way up until babies were delivered.  Given mom was almost 34 weeks into her pregnancy this could be a long, long time.

The overnight stay in the hospital was not one of Mom's favorites.  Instead of being on a hospital bed, mom was stuck in a labor bed which although manueverable is much less comfortable given its not meant for long term patients.  Dad was relegated to a convertible chair bed, which all things considered, was quite comfortable.  The uncomfortable night was pretty much sleepless for Mom who spent most of the night worried that the baby heart rate monitors would slip out of place if she moved to get comfortable.  Even though the nurses explained they would put them back on Mom was worried that even the slightest lapse in monitoring could be dangerous for babies so she painfully remained still throughout the long night.  

With Dad asleep for most of the night, Mom had a couple of contractions with ensuing drops in babies's heart rates that were concerning enough that Dr. Connor ordered an ultrasound first thing in the morning.  That morning Dad awoke to an ultrasound tech wheeling in the machine to cehck out the babies.  Dr. Connor ordered a full comprehensive physical assessment of both twins and so the hour long ultrasound began.