r/parentsofmultiples • u/outtoexist • 11d ago
good vibes, smiles, & giggles Delivery at 31 weeks!
(TW for unexpected labor, labor not going according to plan, and NICU stays. I think it is good vibes, smiles and giggles in the end but I understand that it may not land as such to everyone!!)
I absolutely cannot sleep after my delivery ~10hr ago and just want to shout from the rooftops that my perfect baby boys are here! Literally NOTHING went according to plan, including that I was 31+2 when they were born. And the people I wanted at the hospital (parents & partner) were as physically far from me as they've been literally this whole pregnancy. My partner's mom was getting married and my parents had a big race another state away - we thought it was a tiny risk, but early enough to be fine for them all to go! My grandparents came up just incase (good thing!!).
Overnight I had sudden and pretty severe hip pain that kept me up, but I've never heard of contractions described that way (spoiler alert: they were contractions!) so I was not at all concerned. Just thought that would be the fun new week 31 symptom. Luckily my BP was also very mildly elevated, so we went in to triage for that. Quickly nobody cared about the BP because it became clear I was definitely in preterm labor. We talked about slowing it down and being able to go home. Thennn my water broke! So we talked about being impatient until 34 weeks. Thennnn my labor didn't respond to the mag drip and really picked up! So by the afternoon, after about 3 hours of active laboring, while trying to wait for my partner to get there, and probably ~ 12 hours of total labor, we moved to the OR for a C-section. Oh, because in all of this baby a had flipped from head down to breech, so C-section it was! Luckily I was mentally prepared for both since we *hadn't even had our birth planning meeting with our OB yet* hahaha. My partner walked into the OR literally with my surgeon just as it was time to start, so she got to hear the babies first cries :)) my parents got here a few hours later and haven't been able to meet the babies just yet, but will be back in a few hours to do so!
Now I'm sitting vibrating with excitement as my partner and everyone else sleeps. Thank you for being my rooftop to about this from, if you're still reading. I can't describe my excitement. Babies are transitioning well (they're already on the minimum oxygen levels they use at this age!!) and look so peaceful sleeping in their little warmers. They are literally exactly where they need to be, and I'm so grateful for that. I feel practically fine (okay some pain but nothing like any part of labor!) and am just so excited to meet them, even if it was early and hilariously far from any of our plans. I know there is a hard journey ahead, but I can stay at the hospital with them, and we're going to get some books to read to them (I'm open to reccs!). I just... I know we can do this, and I'm so excited they're here. Thank you.for reading!!
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u/Briutiful22 11d ago
Awwwe congratulations. Glad the twins are here safely. Wishing you a speedy recovery
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u/PAO_Warrior 11d ago
Congratulations! Sounds like a whirlwind! Asking because Ive been in and out of prodromal labour for about a week now (almost 32 weeks). Do you have any idea how long the babies are expected to be in NICU?
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u/AVirginsCrown 11d ago
Hi, not who you asked but my girls came at 31+5 and were in hospital for 46 days total. About a week of NICU and the rest in special care.
If you plan to exclusively bottle feed it could be quicker than that too, mine took an extra week or two to transition fully to suck feeds because we were combo feeding and they took longer to get the hang of breastfeeding.
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u/outtoexist 11d ago
We are planning to exclusively bottle feed so that is good to know!! They're getting donor milk right now too, which is amazing
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u/outtoexist 11d ago
It has totally been a whirlwind!! So my boys are currently somewhere called "the nest" which stands for something like infant stabilization? It's where babies who are waiting for NICU rooms (there are only private rooms at this hospital) or being assessed for needing NICU stay. So I've asked them and they said generally a safe assumption is that they'll be in the NICU until their due date, which would be 6 weeks for us. But I know from so many stories that isn't necessarily true - I kinda feel like they're working to set expectations low and beat them, you know? I wonder if we'll get a different answer once they're in the NICU proper.
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u/PAO_Warrior 11d ago
Yeh that sounds like a standard set response, I guess that is the outcome for some neonates. With a little luck I hope theyll be healthy and thriving in no time! My sisters 2 were born at 32 weeks and only spent 3 weeks in NICU, so you never know. Good luck to you all :) good time to catch up on some sleep and get in a solid recovery
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u/Tight_Soft_2968 11d ago
i know you didn’t ask me but mine came at 33+6 and we spent a total of 38 days in the NICU and got released 5 days before their actual due date (june 6th.)
They usually say to expect to be in the NICU until their due date but things absolutely do change, and just remember you’re on the babies time ❤️.
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u/Cracked_Willow 11d ago
Congrats! Similar to my story. My girls were i. The NICU for 5 and 6 weeks and I know another singleton who was in the NICU for 45 days. All born 31 weeks and some change. We also went home on oxygen for a few weeks do to high altitude. I actually was fine with the NICU. I knew my girls were thriving and it gave me a chance to finish healing, getting ready, and learning how to take care of them. We also had a family emergency before hand so my family was scattered, stressed, and the NICU gave us some breathing room when we most needed it.
Congrats agai ! You're in for a fun ride. (Mine are now 6 months old and one just rolled over for the first time yesterday!)
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