Thank you for your constant thoughts, prayers, and energy during this exciting, challenging, healing, and joyful time! Chris and I, and the girls, have been overwhelmed with the love and support from near and far. We put together an email list so that we can send you updates on how the girls are doing, plus pictures and other info! If you know of anyone else who would want to be on our Team Sage & Gemma list, let me know!
: : Delivery Story : :
The girls were born via emergency C-section on Sunday, September 6 at 7:29 in the morning.
I had been in the hospital for nearly two weeks already. My water broke mid-August so I was at Legacy Hospital in Salmon Creek being closely and constantly monitored. The doctors were trying to keep me pregnant until the babies were 34 weeks, but the babies have a mind of their own! In the middle of the night on Sunday (29 weeks, 4 days), I started losing a lot of blood and it wasn't stopping. Around 7:15 am, the doctor announced the need for the babies to be delivered and less than 14 minutes later, they joined our world! It all happened incredibly fast, and was very emotional - almost no time to process what was about to, and what had just happened. My sister, Annie (who is a nurse) just happened to be visiting me at the hospital overnight and was there in the morning when I started showing symptoms of labor/distress. She called Chris around 6:45 am and told him he "better get here quick." Chris made it a few minutes before they wheeled me to the OR and was able to scrub in for the delivery.
Sage was delivered first (at 7:29 am), head first, and by the time she was in the doctors hands, Gemma already had her feet sticking out of my belly. Gemma was delivered also at 7:29 am. It was amazing hearing both of them let out a little cry right away, and I caught a quick glimpse of them before they were whisked away to the NICU. Most beautiful moment ever!
: : 4 Days Old : :
The girls are both in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) at Legacy Hospital - Salmon Creek. They are able to share a room, but both are in their own isolette (incubator.) Although Chris and I live less than 5 minutes from the hospital, we are able to stay in the girls' room on the bench-bed. Or there are little personal rooms (with a double bed and bathroom) in the NICU wing that we can reserve and sleep in. We are also able and encouraged to visit, hang out, eat, and interact with the babies as much as possible in their room.
Gemma and Sage, being premature, have a lot of growing and developing to do that a baby in the womb would be doing before they are born. Because their lungs are still a little underdeveloped, they are on CPAP machines 24/7. The CPAP helps the air in and out, but unlike a respirator, they're lungs aren't dependent on the machine; its just a helpful support. At this point, both girls are not on any additional oxygen anymore (yay!) - Gemma has been breathing room air the whole time, while Sage graduated off oxygen support today!They should be off CPAP within the week if all continues as it has. In addition to that, the girls both have feeding tubes - they are getting nutrients through IV but are getting mama's milk :-) through the feeding tubes. They are tolerating the milk and digesting great! The girls are hooked up to heart rate monitors, oxygen monitors, and breathing rate monitors. All of these stats are continually monitored by the NICU nursing team and if any of the rates drop or trigger the signal, the nurses know immediately and can intervene if necessary. There is always one nurse assigned to the girls each day and night; all NICU patients have 1:1 support which is great. They have been so helpful, supportive; the girls are in VERY capable hands.
The girls have both lost a little weight, which is normal for newborns, and are looking a lot less puffy than a few days ago. We are finally starting to see what their facial features look like. They have a lot blonde hair on their heads and white-blonde eyebrows; they have the longest arms and legs! They are absolutely perfect! At the their weighing last night, they both weighed 2 lbs. 10 oz. At the last meeting with the neonatologist, he said that both girls have "turned the corner" and "are doing as good as we would hope!" For now, whenever the girls are in the isolettes, they are underneath "Bili-lights" which help stabilize the bilirubin levels which cause Jaundice. They are bright blue lights; the girls have to wear little velcro-sunglasses to protect their eyes. They look like they are laying in tanning beds! Hopefully they'll only need a few more days of the lights. They both have also started sucking on pacifiers to help self-soothe. (Yes! They make pacifiers small enough! I was surprised too!)
We have been IN LOVE WITH our skin-to-skin time with the girls. We are able to sit for hours each day with they girls laying on our bare chests. Even though we are all covered in wires and tubes, the bonding time is special and so important for the girls' development.Today was the first day that I was able to hold both girls at the same time. At one point, Gemma stretched out her hand it laid it across Sage's back and left if there for several minutes. *Melting heart* It's really hard to put the girls back in their isolettes after our skin-to-skin time.
I hope that helps give some more info on what's been going on in our lives the past 4 days! Not every email will be this long (don't worry!) I'll send updates when I can. If you have questions make sure to just reply to me; not "reply all" just to save everyone's inbox :-) Can't wait to share more along the way! And thank you again, for all the support and love <3
Megan, Chris, Sage & Gemma
Skin to Skin with <Sage and Gemma>
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