The Birth Story

We got up on Wednesday morning around 5am to get showers and get ready to go to the hospital. My parents were coming to our house around 6 so we could be there by 6:30. I slept ok, probably got around 4 hours of sleep. We both got up and were surprisingly calm. At 6:00 we packed up the car and my parents followed us to the hospital. I thought the car ride would be so stressful but we were both so calm and ready.

We arrived a little late and went right to Labor & Delivery. We were met at the elevator by our nurse who was all ready for us. They brought us in a small triage room and got me in a gown. The night nurse got me started but I was then handed off to the next shift of nurses. One of them went to my high school a year after me. They both looked young, but were so nice and supportive. They really put my mind at ease. They hooked me up to the monitoring machine and surprise, surprise Abby didn’t want to stay on the monitor. They couldn’t believe how good she was at hiding from the monitors. They finally got her on and got my IV started. My Mom was taking pictures and my Dad and Brian were making jokes. I still felt calm but was prepping myself for what was to come. The doc came in and introduced herself (She is a doc in the practice that I have not yet met). They did an ultrasound to check position and Gracie had gone into more of a breech position. Abby was still vertex.

At around 8:15 they had fluids in the IV, I was dressed and they were ready for me. I kissed my nervous parents goodbye (and now that I am a parent I know why they were so nervous). My Mom was teary eyed, but I tried to keep my tears at bay. I knew if I started I would not be able to stop. I walked to the OR and Brian had to wait outside. The took me in, sat me on the table and started prepping. They put bands on my legs and laid me on my back. I watched them count the tools and bandages and everything. I was BLOWN AWAY by how much equipment was in that room. I still didn’t feel terribly nervous but it was so weird knowing I was within minutes of meeting my babies. The anesthesiologist came in and he was super nice. Once the second anesthesiologist came in they got going. One of the nurses stood in front of me so I could lean on her. They prepped my back and then put in the epidural. I was amazed that it barely hurt at all. As soon as it was in I started to feel numb. They helped me lay down since I had NO feeling at all. They put in the catheter, which I did not feel at all. As soon as the epidural started to take effect I started to feel sick and exhausted. My doc called to tell me that she was with me in spirit. I thought that was super nice.

They finally brought in Brian as I was throwing up in a plastic tub off to the side. He sat beside me and held my hand tight. I think I was squeezing the crap out of his hand. He looked a little shell shocked but was very supportive. I had no idea they had even started because they said I would feel tugging and pressure and I felt nothing at all. I threw up a couple more times, but my BP and everything was fine. I also felt like I couldn’t breath or stay awake but I knew the oxygen was working. Before I thought they had made the first cut I heard the words “here comes Baby Abby.” They lifted her up over the curtain, but I could barely see her. I just kept looking at Brian and crying. I could not believe that moment had arrived. Abigail Elizabeth Fescoe was born at 9:31 am at 4lbs 14oz. She didn’t cry at first but eventually let out a little kitten cry. She scared her Daddy pretty good by being blue, but her Apgars were 7 and 9. Her sister was born a minute later screaming and weighing in at 5lbs 14 oz. A complete pound difference. The NICU teams worked on both girls and I could just barely see them working on Gracie. I kept asking Brian if they were ok and he kept telling me yes. He didn’t let on but he was nervous because the docs were all crowded around Abby. She was fine but so little the bigger NICU team tended to her. Once they were out and safe I started to feel super tired and just about fell asleep. I slept through the discovery of some pretty big cysts in my uterus. They had to call my peri and Brian was so scared because all of the docs were rushing into the room. I couldn’t stay awake, even when Dr. Fisher (my peri) tried to explain what was going on. I slept through being stitched up and work up when they moved me to another bed and off we went to recovery. I still felt some nausea and was extremely tired but the girls were born and safe and I was ok.

We stayed in recovery for about an hour and a half and Brian explained what had happened. He looked very upset about seeing all the blood and clots that they found in there. I felt bad that he was so scared and I just dozed through it. The nurse was so nice and kept bringing me ice chips. After I was stable they brought us through the NICU so I could see the babies. I had only seen them for about a second all wrapped up before they wisked them off to the NICU. They had to go to the NICU initially because of my diabetes so they could monitor their blood sugar. They wheeled me in and I got to see each baby for about a minute. I couldn’t sit up or touch them which was rough, but they were so beautiful. I never knew babies could be so small and so perfect as they were. I would have stayed all day but they had to move me to my room.

We got to our room on a different floor than the babies and I was till so out of it. I was numb and tired and wanted to see my girls. I got to see my parents, sister and Genna on the way to the NICU so it was nice to have all their support. They came up to the room and we got to fill them in on everything. They were very scared b/c it took so long, they called in extra docs and even though they saw Gracie get rolled out they didn’t see Abby, so they thought something was wrong. Shortly after getting in the room Brian took the family to go see the girls. I laid in bed and was a little sad I wouldn’t get to see them til Thursday. Everyone came back with pictures and said how little and cute they were. Bry’s parents came and met the girls also. I was a little sad I didn’t get to see everyone meet them.

That first day I felt ok, mostly tired. The nurse gave us lots of info and I had to sign lots of paperwork. I finally was allowed to rest in the late afternoon and both Bry and I slept. Brian went and saw the babies several times on Wednesday so I was happy they had their Daddy there. He went down late to say good nite and the nurse let him feed the babies. He came back glowing!