November 9th. A day I have been trying to prepare myself for since I found out that I was pregnant for my sweet babies. Today, I am supposed to give birth to Maria Rose and Paxton James. Today, I should be screaming to someone, “My water just broke.” We should be getting a speeding ticket for rushing to the hospital. I’m supposed to be yelling at anyone who tells me “deep breaths.” I should be crying out in pain, screaming too loud for the privacy of the halls. I should be posting a picture of the newest editions to the family. Today is the day I should be holding them. November 9th is the day I was supposed to give birth. But that isn’t their birthday. Their birthday is June 28th, 2021.
My days of labor are different than most.
June 14th, 2021
It started off as a normal day on our beach trip, great. My boyfriend, at the time, and I woke up and put on our matching swimsuits. We were so excited to dress the same and take pictures of my baby bump in the sand. I had finally started showing. People began asking me my due date. I would say, “THEY are coming around November 9th, but I’m sure they will be here sooner than that since they are twins.” I would have never imagined they would come as soon as they did.
Once we got on the beach, my brother snapped some pictures of us. We smiled at the thought that next year we’d have two little ones with us. We’d have another family photo next year. Little did we know our two were coming.
We relaxed in our chairs next to my family with the sun beaming and the salty breeze in our hair. They all drank beers, as I stayed hydrated with water. I began feeling my stomach pains a little after lunch. I thought I was just getting hungry, so I tried eating. It wasn't my hunger. Maybe I was just too hot. I went in the water, but within minutes I felt like I couldn’t stand straight. My stomach suddenly felt tight and heavy.
So, I decided that laying down and reading a book may resolve my issues. After reading only two pages, I felt myself getting weak and my face turning white. I told my boyfriend that we needed to go to the room. I thought surely, I just need the restroom. We told my parents why we were headed to the room and grabbed our belongings and began walking. I left my parents, seeing the concern in my mom’s eyes.
I carried my chair until I got to the end of the boardwalk, but I couldn’t bear any extra weight. I handed everything to my boyfriend. I couldn’t take it any longer. I needed to get to a bed.
I walked the rest of the way up with tears in my eyes and hands over my belly. I couldn’t explain the pain to anyone, not even myself. It was something I had never felt before. Since I was getting bigger, round ligament pain was my first suspicion. So, I Googled all about it, figuring out that hydration and rest were quick home remedies for the pain. I did just that.
I fell into a deep sleep with pillows surrounding me, but it wasn’t long until I awoke to cry in pain.
I called for my mom to come into the room. After explaining all my symptoms, she mentioned Braxton Hicks. I brushed the idea aside, thinking there was no way. It was too early to have that. She contacted my OB, while I ran my bathwater.
I still had that feeling I needed the bathroom. So, I sat down and tried harder. Something felt off. So I touched to check on my lower area. When I touched it, I felt a bulging. My pelvic area hurt and was heavy. I realized that my day of labor was coming early.
I yelled with tears, “Momma come and see. Something is really wrong.” My voice was shaking. We knew the time had come to take me to urgent care. I threw on clothes and mom, my boyfriend, and I rushed out frantically.
We drove to the nearest urgent care, but they sent me to an Emergency Room for pregnant women at a different facility. My pains began to disappear as we sat through traffic for what felt like an hour. I began to deny that anything was actually wrong. Maybe, I was being dramatic.
When we finally got to the right place, we had tons of paperwork to fill out. It took hours to even get my symptoms logged in. I played on my phone and posted the pictures from earlier on my Instagram, captioning it, “First family beach trip.” I didn’t know it would be our last.
After some time passed by, I needed to use the bathroom. Thank God I did. I noticed I had been bleeding during my time of waiting in the ER. Not long after I told them about my newest symptom, I was taken to the back.
The tech didn’t let me watch as she scanned for answers. “Are they okay?” I asked in desperation. My nerves were already shaking, but when she said “I can’t reveal the results until the doctor speaks with you” I knew that the thoughts of preterm labor were becoming a reality. I teared up knowing that the results would be no breath of fresh air.
A kind blonde doctor walks in with compassion and concern in her eyes. She explains that one of the twin’s amniotic sacs is leaking fluid. This can cause me and the twins damage. I should expect to deliver within the next 48 hours.
I went numb. I couldn’t feel anything but pain. The room started to blur and my ears started to ring. I started shaking and crying. I had a gut feeling that Maria, my baby girl, wasn’t okay. All my nightmares were coming to life. That “one” amniotic sac hurt me the most. Since the day I found out about the twins, I had always feared that one wouldn’t be okay. Each appointment I had I was concerned that one wouldn’t be growing as fast or one heart rate was off. Now, one of my babies was coming too soon. Everything was mute. I couldn’t feel anything but pain in my heart. Everything was going too fast for me to keep up with, but slow enough to see it all. I don’t remember much. I remember my tears, shaking, IVs, nurses, doctors, hands being held, elevators, catheters. It all happened within minutes. I was rushed to Labor and Delivery. It was time to deliver my babies, but their birthday wouldn’t be until June 28th, defeating many odds.
There are more stories to come on my weeks in the hospital.
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