Pregnancy Journey
“This is the story of my surprise twins. By surprise twins I don’t mean, ‘SURPRISE! You’re having twins.’ Instead, I mean, ‘SURPRISE! You just had twins!’
From the start, I knew I wanted to have a home birth and I wasn’t planning on doing ultrasounds. I always measured ‘correctly’ for one baby. They always only found one heartbeat with the Doppler.
I had terrible, terrible morning sickness followed by a month of unbelievable migraines that all the specialists couldn’t even help! I’m actually surprised to find my skin didn’t explode from swelling that last month.
Towards the end of my pregnancy, my midwife thought I might be breech (or that my baby was lying feet first) and recommended an ultrasound. As it turns out, it was a compound presentation instead (Superman position, not nuchal).
So, I went to the chiropractor, then immediately went in to get another ultrasound. My midwife warned me she wouldn’t let my labor happen naturally with a compound presentation, so I was eager for baby to move so I could have a home birth.
The second ultrasound performed by a Sonographer revealed baby had luckily moved, and we were good to go!
I woke up on July 12th with a ruptured water. My midwife originally gave me 16 hours to go into active labor before she would drop my home birth. It got close to 16, and I still didn’t want to go in, so she talked to another midwife (Kate) I had met at the hospital while getting my ultrasound. She agreed to wait for 24 hours.
Since active labor hadn’t come at 24 hours, and she was dropping me anyway, I decided I’d wait a bit longer and went in around 1 p.m. on the 13th. This would be about 30 hours in.
Meanwhile, my sister Lindsay didn’t think she had enough time to drive the 13 hours and make it for the birth. So, the night before her dad offered his miles for her tickets! I really needed her; she felt she needed to be here, and we both cried when we thought she might not make it before the birth.
I got to the hospital, and as I’m opening the car door, she texts me she’s at my house (20 minutes from the hospital)! All at the exact same moment, I had my first contraction!
We go in and check in. The first nurse-midwife I see is this girl Marnie who was at the hospital I went to for stitches after my home birth with my son two years prior! She was AMAZING. It was at a completely different hospital 40 minutes away, and there she was. She was the only thing that made the other hospital bearable!
She takes me up and I find out they have a giant birthing tub! They hook me up to the baby monitor and only one heartbeat is detected. By this time, my sister arrives. My midwife Kate had taken the night before off to get sleep after talking to my midwife and finding out I would be most likely coming in the next morning.
She was also amazing! When I had my ultrasound, she was the one who convinced my midwife to let labor happen with a compound presentation. Kate had her baby born at home with a compound presentation, so I told my midwife I wanted HER if I had a hospital birth.
My AMAZING friend Ashley rushed over to bring me some birthing essentials and affirmation cards, and she saved the day with that clary sage!
Labor & Delivery
My contractions didn’t take long to get strong. By 2:20 p.m., I was having hard contractions. I got in the tub; I wasn’t supposed to birth in the tub, but by the time I felt like I needed to push. Baby number one was already crowning and there was no getting out.
So, I had my first with two pushes. I remember my first words were, ‘IT’S SO TINY!!’ I didn’t know the sex yet!
Then, I had another huge contraction. One nurse said, ‘Oh, it’s probably the placenta already coming.’ Another said, ‘Oh, it’s a water bag! I’ve never seen that before.’ All the while I couldn’t get any words out. In my head, I’m screaming, ‘It’s ANOTHER ring of fire!!!’
My second came less than two minutes after my first with another two pushes and she was born EN CAUL. I was just in shock, the staff was shocked, and I wish I had someone taking pictures of my husband because I’m blind and couldn’t see his expression.
The only thing I could muster out was, ‘Oh, f—!’
Ada Maze and Billie June were born on July 13th at 38 weeks 4 days into my pregnancy. They arrived at 2:47 and 2:49 in the afternoon, both measuring exactly 6 pounds, 11 ounces, and 20 inches long. They restarted the machine three times to weigh them because they couldn’t believe they were exactly the same weight and height!
They had the same blood type and each had exactly three hairs that were about three inches longer than the rest of their hair (they STILL have them too)!
It was beautiful. I’m not even upset about not having a home birth again. Everything couldn’t have been more perfectly serendipitous.
They both passed their APGAR with a 10/10 which they said they hardly ever give any babies, let alone twins! We were free to go after 24 hours, no NICU time. I happily took an extra day because my insurance covered it; I wanted the lactation support and room service.
I think I got a visit from every staff member during my stay. I don’t think people believed it actually happened and had to see for themselves.
I did have a dream while I was pregnant with them that I gave birth to two really tiny baby girls and one extremely big boy. Now, I have two baby girls and a three-year-old son! Too crazy!
It was just beautiful… I will never forget the indescribable feelings behind those pictures. I was beyond happy. We were both so happy, and I think everything happens for a reason. The likelihood of another baby hiding in the womb is extremely minuscule, but it happened.”
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Lyndsey Altice. You can follow their journey on Facebook. Be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories.
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