McGowan Musings : Birth Story and a Thanksgiving to remember

The past 2 weeks have been such a whirlwind. I have been writing this post in my foggy sleep deprived head but am finally getting time to actually document it.

Timeline: Monday November 25th- I was up in the middle of the night sick with a stomach bug and having contractions too, so I called the on call doc and headed in to the hospital. After checking me out and giving me IV fluids I was diagnosed with a stomach bug and the dehydration caused the contractions no preeclampsia or pregnancy induced hypertension.

Tuesday November 26th- finally felt a little better but noticed my swelling was much much worse.

Wednesday November 27th- routine doctors appointment at 11am. Matt and I always had a system since my doctor while great at delivering babies being on time is not his strong suit. So I would go at the scheduled appointment time and call Matt to tell him how behind they were. For some reason this day Matt came on time just so he could wait with me....Fate! When he saw my feet and legs he was shocked at how much more swelling I had even more than that morning when he saw me. When we got called back at 11:15 (the shortest wait time ever for us) the nurse took one look at me and said I think those babies need to come out today. Sure enough after my urine tested positive for protein a tell tell sign of PIH (Pregnancy induced hypertension) and my blood pressure kept rising they took it 3 times, she called in the doc and he said "Yep they need to come out today." I was in shock....I was miserable at this point and wanted them out but hearing someone say definitively they were coming out scared me. I couldn't even go home or back to the car.....we were sent straight upstairs. I was in pre-op by Noon and in surgery at 2:35pm. It was nuts.....I was stuck 6 times for an IV and they finally called the PIC team in. (guy who puts in central lines) Then once in the operating room I was stuck 5 times for a spinal only for the CRNA to have to call in the attending doctor who finally got the needle in. It wasn't all that painful I think because I was still in such shock and I was on a lot of magnesium at this point so I felt so strange. Finally after forever it felt like they brought Matt back and at 3:23pm and 3:24pm we met our daughters. Sloan Marion McGowan was born first, she was always baby A and weighed in at 6 pounds 7 ounces 18 inches long. Riley Aileen McGowan was born a minute later weighing in at 5 pounds 7 ounces and 18 inches long as well. It was such a surreal feeling to have these 2 girls who I had talked to for 36 weeks in my belly out in the world where now I can't protect them from everything anymore.

Once I got to see them and they were all cleaned off they quickly headed to the nursery with their dad for baths and some other checks. I was sewn up and headed to post-op where I got to meet them for the first time. I wish I wasn't on so many meds and I could remember this part more clearly. I can only tell you my memory from pictures. That is the one thing I regret is that for the first 24 hours of their life I was so dazed that I can't remember every detail. (Hence this blog....and why I need to document everything else. Since sleep deprivation has already done a number on my brain.)

November 27th, 2013 changed Matt and I forever. We became our own family of four in a matter of minutes and in the flash of a second we went from Matt and Andrea to Dad and Mom.