Twin Birth - NOT as planned!

by LaKeshia Porcincula
(Bellevue,WA,usa)

Selena Marie & Zoe Grace were born on March 11, 2011. I was 37 weeks 4 days. It was one of the most dramatic deliveries of twins the hospital has seen! Quoted a nurse of 20 years.

I went into the doctor on March 10th at 2pm for a normal check. I was 37 weeks, 3 days. I was dialted to 4cm and everything was fine. We scheduled a induction for the following week when I would have been 38 weeks 1 day. But when I went to have my regular NST done they didn' t like the way baby B was reacting to my contractions. So they sent me over to the hospital for longer monitoring.

Everything was checking out fine but my contractions had picked up so they determined I was in early labor. They wanted me to go home get my things and come back to check into my room where I wouldn't be leaving until after he babies were born! They were thinking a day or 2! Well, I cam back at 7pm and checked in. They weren't going to force anything, just monitor me. So, I was basically hanging out with my husband in the room all night!

By 7am I was bored out of my mind and wanted some action. I was still only 5cm and my contractions weren't really bothering me or setting into a pattern. So I begged them to brake my water or give me pitocin or something to get the show on the road! Well, they didn't want to do any of that. But, when they started talking days I was like NO and told the doctor to brake my water! So at 12:10 the dr broke my water!

At 12:15 I had to go number 2 I thought! So they checked me still at 5cm so they said that's fine probably 2 more hours before we would get all ready to go into the operating room were multiple births are required to happen. So I went into the restroom with my mom and I started to have exteme contractions and pressure and asked for the anaestesiologist to give me an epidural. He came and was a complete jerk and wasn't sure he would be able to give me an epidural because of my size! Although I have had 2 previously in my life and am not the biggest person in the world. So he started to give an aggressive attempt as he called it! That was at 12:20.

Well, there I was hanging over the edge of the bed getting poked in the back and I said I think the baby is coming the nurse said no they just checked me and I was at a 5 so just breathe through the pain it would be over soon just let him get the epidural in. But as a woman you KNOW your body and I said NO get away from me the baby is coming right now! I swatted at the anaestesiologist and threw my legs over the table and grunted once and Selena, baby A, landed on the bed no doctor no assistance nothing at 12:41pm!

All of a sudden it went from me, my husband, mom ,nurse, and drug dr (who was running out of the room) to 15 people! I started to scream out of fear because baby B I knew was going to be a breech extraction! She had already presented her arm first she was waiving at everyone from inside my vagina! So the doctor had to grab her little hand and force it back inside of me and she stuck her own dr arms inside and pulled the baby down and I pushed her out! Zoe arrived at 12:54 13 minutes after her sister!

I didn't have any drugs, nothing to help with the pain! It was so scary and I am sure I scared everyone in the hospital because I was screaming at the top of my lungs out of fear and pain! I called the doctors and nurses crazy! I said no one in their right mond does this by choice! No drugs is one thing but having an adult size person stick bth arms bicep deep inside of you and pull a baby down that you still have to push out calmly is CRAZY! I wanted them to knock me out! But they didn't and I did it!

But they were both ok I didn't get to see them right away. Selena was rushed away immediately because of her dramatic entrance so no one held her. But my husband got to hold baby B, Zoe, for a few moments. They were perfect, stayed in the NICU for observation for about 6 hours.

Selena was 5 lbs 4 oz
Zoe was 4 pounds 11 oz
both 18 inches long
But that is not were my journey ended.......

Everything went well for my twin girls after they were born, they were healthy and we were all happy. But 15 minutes after I gave birth my blood pressure went up to 157/108 and it stayed there and climbed for hours!

Now I have never ever in my entire life (2 pregnancies included) have had high blood pressure. The highest my blood pressure ever was ever was 124/74 and that was only while in tears at the hospital when I though I was going to lose my girls at 24 weeks. So for it to have gone that high 15 minutes after birth was super scary! but finally after 4 hours and a medication dose, worry and warnings, it went down to about 147/84.

Every thing was looking up. I felt great, was up moving around, showered, makeup, and laughing about the birth with family 9 hours after giving birth. 48 hours later we are home introducing the girls to our 19 month old son and loving life!

The, the early morning of day 6 happened! On day 5 I had been fine, just a little tired. I hadn't been sleeping because I wanted to do everything myself. I wasn't letting people help. I was basically acting as if I had not given birth to TWINS 5 days earlier. So when I suddenly woke up at 6am on day 6 feeling as if ice was being pushed thru my vains and shivering I didn't think much of it just pulled the covers closer. Well the thing was that it was 75 degrees in our house for the girls not to get cold at all and I was actually dripping with sweat. My husband woke up because my "shivers" were actually a series of small seizures! I didn't realize what was happening until my husband started freaking out and I went to move and my entire right side was numb and seized. I couldnt move a muscle in it. Knowing what was going on because of my job trainings, I knew I needed to stay awake and try to calm my breathing. I told myself all of this in my head as my body was completely out of my control. We aren't sure about how much time went by but suddenly it stopped I forced myself to try and move my husband was terrified and wanted to call 911 but the entire time I was screaming at him to NOT do that. I have a huge fear of ambulances and we didn't have anyone to come take care of our 3 babies immediately. So instead we called the nurse consulting line and they said to go in to urgent care right away. Well instead we waited for my mom and dad to get there to take care of the kids and then we went.

When we got there I told the nurse what happened and she basically said she just thought I was tired and stressed because a lot had happened in my life. But she took my blood pressure and I remember her doing it 3 times because it read 174/103 but no big deal right?! well she made me feel so crazy that I wanted to leave I wanted to just go back home and take care of my babies she was right. So I told them I was leaving and went upstairs to say hello to my ob and nurses and show off pictures of the babies.

My doctor took one look at me and cleared time in her schedule because she saw I was not right! They took my blood pressure again 3 time and it was 188/101. From there they had me admitted to the hospital. I was so upset, I couldn't calm down. I couldn't believe I was going to have to be away from my newborn babies and my son again!

At one point during a blood pressure check it was 208/127, yes that's right! And I again seized. From there I don't remember a lot but I know that I had to have magnesium pumped into my body for 36 hours along with 2 other blood pressure medications. I had a cat scan and MRI's and the doctors and test confirmed that I had a very acute stroke. They aren't sure when, but at some point it happened. They think my uterus was just expanded beyond its personal limit and it all of a sudden started to get full of blood and extend instead of go down and then it switched and rapidly started to shed blood and try to go down (I bleed a lot that day but hadn't even had a drop of blood after birth). I had a hard time moving my right arm and leg and I have lost peripheral vision in my right eye.

Now I am on 2 kinds of blood pressure medications, still having numbness on my right side and vision is messed up. And I have this worry of 'will it happen again?' hanging over my head. I am 28 years old and had a stroke after giving birth to my twin girls who I had fought so hard to keep safe and healthy in my body. I completely forgot to take care of myself once they were out of me because I was still giving them my all. I will now forever have to check that box and explain on forms. I have to have MRI's all the time to make sure I don't develop a brain clot and I will always have high blood pressure that could excelerate so high that I could black out...and the list goes on.

I was told a couple weeks ago that if I were to get pregnant again I could die. And even with monitoring it would not end well for me or baby. My body can just not go through that again. So again my mind says you are 28 you had a stroke you have high blood pressure you have horrible vision and weak muscle tone and you can die if you have any more kids anytime soon or ever. But I HAVE to count my blessings, and trust me I do every single day, with every breath I take I know I am BLESSED to be alive and have my children! But boy I wish someone had told me that this could happen after giving birth! Short name for what I had was after birth preeclampsia. I don't mean to scare anyone, but please dont be like me and say well I've never had this or that I don't need to read that chapter or look this up! Do It! Inform yourself on EVERYTHING because you never know and every pregnancy every birth, every baby and every body is different! And most of all SLOW down after you have your babies!