Our Twins...Birth Story

Today, September 6...a month away from our twins' first birthday!

I just want to share with you, as I sit down to reflect on that day in October...with a lump in my throat, tears running down my cheeks and my heart full of a happiness. The emotion I feel today is the same emotion I felt that day they were born. This was such a life changing experience for Matt and I, and will be forever grateful for our twins!

A fall October morning, up early and out the door to the hospital with my wonderful husband and my amazing sister, Shelly! I was so happy that I made it to my planned c-section delivery date, and was able to have everyone there with me as we planned for many months. After arriving to the Labor and Delivery unit, the nursing staff prepped me for my surgery and hooked me up to all the monitors. I have had surgeries before so I was not really fearful of the surgery but I just wanted healthy babies and no complications. My sister was so excited, she sat on the bed with me waiting and watching the monitors. After getting settled in, Matt's parents arrived...then my Aunt Nina and Uncle Stan(my late father's brother), and our pastor came to pray with us before my c-section. My mother and her husband, Stanley awaiting that phone call while still at home in Georgia. I was going to be the first c-section of the morning, but I got pushed back so the anticipation was increasing as we waited. Matt, very nervous of course, dressed in his blue scrubs stood by my side and prayed over me before I went into the OR. The time had come....our doctor and anesthesiologist came into my room and asked me if I had any questions and down the hall we went, through the double doors, knowing our little miracles would arrive into this world soon!!

I got up on the c-section table (now understand I am a tall, big girl anyways then you add a twin belly on me and I am alittle out of portion). They wanted me to lean over and hunch my back like a cat so he could place my spinal tap in my back....needless to say I was too top heavy and was not able to hold myself up. So a nurse (half my size) got up on the table and straddled facing me and I had to rest my head in her chest (alittle too close for comfort). He stuck me several times and he could not get it...and it hurt like you know what every time he stuck me. The nurses decided to put my feet up on two stools and place another nurse on the floor behind the nurse straddling the table to hold her up and he stuck me several more times. On the fifth stick he said if I don't get this one we will have to put you under general anesthetic and that is very dangerous so we have to get it this time. He rolled my shoulders, all nurses still holding me up and with tears running down my face and screaming because of the pain, he FINALLY GOT IT!!!! Quickly legs up on the table and my two doctors started working on me. Matt anxiously waiting in the hallway was escorted in by a nurse, I was so happy to see him!!  Soon after they laid me down my blood pressure sky rocketed to 240/196...so the anesthesiologist gave me a bolus of meds. The doctors were making progress when one of the doctors was up at the crown of my fundus pushing one of the babies down and she slipped and fell off her stool. She was not hurt, she got right back up and kept on pushing(which by the way was very painful). Before they got the babies out my blood pressure was still increasing so he gave me more meds. And then....

On October 6, 2010 at 11:28 am Harrison Parker Hughes was born 6lbs. 15.4 oz and 19 inches long, and at 11:29 am Huntleigh Paige Hughes was born 6lbs. 0.1 oz. and 18.5 inches long!! Our little blessings had arrived, they both came into this world screaming and crying...what a joyful noise for Momma and Daddy!! The hospital played two sweet little lullabies over the intercom so everyone in the hospital knew there were babies born!!

Our family patiently waiting in the waiting room, wanting to know that everyone was healthy and doing fine!! I got to see both of the babies right before they quickly took them to the nursery, they were precious and looked just like us!! I will never forget the feeling of a true miracle from God!! Matt went with the twins to the nursery and stayed by their side the whole time the nurses were taking care of them. He was so proud and very emotional as we all were...it was so unbelievable that finally after all these years we had two babies, the babies we had always dreamed of!!

I was still in the OR, having some difficulty with my blood pressure and also some pain while they closed my incision. I asked if I could have something for pain, and the only thing they could give me was some "laughing gas". After I was back in recovery, the anesthesiologist came to see me and bent down and whispered in my ear so sweetly, " Honey, I love you and please promise me you will not do this again because you will not make it the next time!" I had no idea up until that moment I was in such danger! God was watching over me as He so faithfully did through my whole pregnancy. As I went back to my room, I saw my family looking through the nursery window at the our precious twins!! I was very drowsy once I got back to my room from all the meds I received during surgery...but all I could think about was getting to hold my little babies! The nurse brought in Harrison and Huntleigh, laid them both in my arms...they were so precious, beautiful little angels!

I have to admit, that afternoon and evening are alittle bit of a blur...my sister stayed with me that night and Matt went home to get some much needed rest. Shelly was amazing, tending to the twins' every need and also helping me recover from my c-section. On Thursday morning, Matt came back to the hospital really early....and like Shelly he never left my side! It took both of them to take care of the twins as they never went back to the nursery the whole time we were at the hospital!

My mom and Stanley arrived on Friday, they were in love with the twins at first sight! I was very, very emotional the whole time I was in the hospital...I needed sleep and I just couldn't close my eyes...I was too worried about my sweet babies. It was a long few days and nights while in the hospital. Matt's parents and my sister Shelly left to go back home on Saturday around noon...I had a "fall apart" moment when my sister left! We had shared this special time in our lives together and I just couldn't bare the thought of her leaving us! Matt and I were so hopeful that we would all be discharged that afternoon to go home...we were not expecting any set backs but the twins were jaundice and our doctor wanted them to stay under the billirubin lights for at least 24 hours before going home. I was devastated, when they discharged me but not the twins. Matt and I told our nurse, that we were not leaving the hospital(even though our house was less than 2 minutes away), they were so gracious to allow us to stay in the hospital in my same room with the babies while they were under the lights. Sunday afternoon, we got word that the babies billirubin levels were dropping and we could take them HOME!!! My mom and Stanley were at the hospital to help us get home.

Home....with our precious twins, let another journey begin!

Vintage Momma