A Special Memory

I'm not sure I have ever shared this story with many people before. It happened right after the twins were born, there was so much going on, I'm not sure it was a top priority story. I started this blog later, after I had some time to collect my thoughts and emotions about the twins birth and their time in the hospital so I don't think this story has made it's way onto the interworld. But it's a special memory, at least to me.

The twins had to be born because I got an infection which meant Jackson, baby A, baby with the broken water, would also have the infection. I know I mentioned that in their birth story and I mentioned how sick I was after they were born. I fought through the pain and infection to go see them a few hours after they were born because I had only gotten to get a quick glimpse of them so far. I was wheeled down to the NICU and spent a few minutes with each one before I had to go back to my room.

Well the next day was even harder on me. I was recovering well from the c-section, had gotten up and showered, but the infection had me down and out. I was feeling awful. I was on several IV antibiotics, pumping around the clock every 2-3 hours, and had a very high fever. Tom wasn't getting in until that night and hadn't even seen the twins yet. I wanted to badly to go visit them and sit there with them but I just couldn't get down to the NICU. It broke my heart. That was the only day out of their entire hospital stay that I wasn't there with them.

I called the NICU frequently to check on them. Every time I pumped I'd call and make sure they were doing ok. The doctor came down to see me once or twice, mostly to get me to sign forms of consent to do different treatments and things with them (they needed blood transfusions, bili lights, medication, special IVs, etc etc etc). But towards the evening, when it became clear I wasn't going to get to see my babies that day, the nurses brought down pictures that they had taken and printed out for me of my babies.  They said it would help my milk supply to be able to look at them while I pumped, but really, it just made my heart smile to see them. Tom got in late that evening and went to see them so I was so glad that one of us got to spend some time with them that day and they didn't have to feel too alone. I know they were in good hands with the nurses and doctors but they were so tiny, they needed their mommy and daddy too.

My mom actually framed the pictures and I see them as a read my babies their bedtime story and I'll always remember how far they've come.

Amelia on CPAP is on the left and Jack still on the ventilator is on the right.

It may not seem like much to anyone else, but the small gesture of someone taking a picture and bringing me a picture of my babies when I couldn't be with them meant so much to me. The nurses at the hospital took such good care of my babies and I'm so grateful to all of them for everything they did for us.

These pictures are a reminder at why we're doing the March for Babies and will do it every year. Even though the twins look so healthy now, they are truly miracles. They were very very sick and needed a lot of specialized care. The care and treatment they received were made possible by research funded by the March of Dimes. The treatments they received made it possible for them to live. 60 years ago, they might not have survived, just like my mom's twin brother who died the day after they were born prematurely. $.76 of every dollar you donate goes to research for new treatments and prevention, programs to support parents while their little ones are in the NICU, public health campaigns to make sure babies aren't born too soon, and so much more. So please help our team, help babies, and check out our fundraiser that is going on until tonight. You have no idea how much it means to families like ours.