[XpectingTwins222]

I went in for a NST today. Both babies were "nonreactive". So my peri followed up with a BPP which both babies passed. But Baby A is still not growing (stuck at 3 lbs 7 oz) and they did a doppler of her umbilical cord. Doppler of her umbilical cord showed reverse flow and when followed up again later the blood was basically "sloshing around in there" My peri said enough is enough.. Baby A isn't progressing like she should be. She feels that we just need to get her out so we can get her growing that way. So...I'm scheduled for induction at 5:30 AM. God I feel so bad about all the complaining about being pregnant now.. I just wish I didn't have to make them come sooner than they are ready for but my peri thinks the benefits outweigh the risks now. Basically I'm wondering what I can expect? They said I can still try for a vaginal birth but I will need to be in the OR for the pushing also with a epi in place just in case C-section is necessary. They said they'll be taking them to the NICU following delivery. Will I get to hold them before that? What are the chances they'll be able to breathe on their own? Chances are they wont be able to nurse in the NICU? How long will they have to be in the NICU? God I still have so many questions. I can't believe they will be here tomorrow.

[cat mommy]

How very exciting! My son wasn't growing so out they came at 34 weeks, 1 day. And now both are napping happily in their PNPs and the journey to get here hasn't been that hard--and you know what--I wouldn't change a thing. But the NICU is not an easy place to be.

Depending on how they are doing, you might get to hold them. I got to say hi before they went off to the NICU. Two hours later, I was wheeled over.

At 33 weeks, especially if they have had steroid shots, they should be breathing on their own. But it is not out of the realm of possibility that one may need to be intubated for a brief period.

33 weekers cannot nurse. It's too much work for them, they can't latch on right, they probably can't do the two types of sucks, and they may not be able to coordinate sucking, swallowing & breathing. You pump and they get fed through a tube that goes either into their nose or mouth. It sucks for you but they don't mind eating that way. Within a few weeks, bf'ing will be an option. Please work with your NICU's lactation cooddinator for help on how to do this best.

They say that babies stay in until about their due date, but almost everyone I know had their baby come home around 37/38 weeks gestation.

The NICU is a good safe place for them to be for the next few weeks, until they grow up a bit and are ready to come home safely.

[4jsinPA]

Congrats on making it this far!!! Its a challenge and a victory just to make it to 33 weeks!!! Beproud of yourself!
33 weekers should be breathing on their own but obviously there are no guarantees. They may be on CPAP or just a tiny nasal cannula with a little bit of oxygen. Some are briefly intubated. They will have a tube down their nose for feedings most likely at the beginnings. You can see if at around 34 weeks or so they can do some non nutritional sucking (you already pumped and then put them to breast to get them used to sucking and getting just a little bit of milk). Don't be afraid to touch them or ask what you can do for your babies. They should let you take their temps, change diapers or do whatever they might need done. Ask to hold them if they don't offer. Do some skin to skin contact (kangaroo care), it will help with your production of milk and help the babies too!
Congrats and get ready for the ride of your life. Its truly amazing. I hope your nicu stay is short and uneventful!!

[DATJMom]

XpectingTwins222, on 09 March 2010 - 02:47 PM, said:

They said I can still try for a vaginal birth but I will need to be in the OR for the pushing also with a epi in place just in case C-section is necessary. They said they'll be taking them to the NICU following delivery. Will I get to hold them before that? What are the chances they'll be able to breathe on their own? Chances are they wont be able to nurse in the NICU? How long will they have to be in the NICU? God I still have so many questions. I can't believe they will be here tomorrow.

Mine were born at 31 weeks/6 days so my experience may be different.

I had an emergency c-section due to pre-e. I did not get to hold them. They and my DH went right to the NICU. We did get a few pictures with them in the delivery room. They were not intubated and breathing room air just fine. I did get the steroid shots.

At 33 weeks, they might be able to nurse and you can definitely try in the NICU. I did feed them and then pump while I was there. Their length of stay will be determined by a number of issues, so it will be different for every baby and hard to say how long they will be there.

GL and keep us updated when you get a chance.

[juliereynolds42]

My twins were born one day shy of 34 weeks weighing 3 lbs 14.5 oz and 2 lbs 15 oz. Today they are both happy, healthy 4 year olds. The bigger one spent 18 days in the NICU and the smaller one was there for 4 weeks.

If your Baby A isn't growing then your body has done all it can for her and she will be better off in the NICU than in utero.

Hope everything goes well and your NICU experience is an easy one.

[laurenlantz]

My Hannah had the same issues with not growing and blood flow. 33 weeks is a great achievement! Do not feel bad about the complaining and such. My girls were born at 28 weeks and are doing WONDERFUL!!! You'd never know they were preemies. Just plan on them being in there until their due date. Kate came home at 33 weeks gestational age, 5 weeks before she was supposed to be born. Hannah was in until a couple of weeks before her due date. Don't get discouraged if it's later rather than sooner. I knew my babies would come early, but wasn't at all prepared for NICU. Just soak in as much information as possible and don't be afraid to ask questions. Rest as much as you can! Keep us updated!

[XpectingTwins222]

The girls were born on March 10th. Alyssa Hope Martin was delivered vaginally in the OR at 7:09 PM. She weighed 3 lbs 2 oz and was breathing all by herself!! She got a 7 on her first Apgar but they took her directly to the NICU anyways. She is still breathing all by herself-doing a great job and having minimal apnea spells. Allison Faith Martin was born at 7:17 PM (also vaginally however breech!!) Ouch! Talk about unexpected- for some reason my epidural only numbed my left leg. She weighed 4 lbs 6 oz. She only got a 3 on her first Apgar and they took her to the NICU right away.. all I got to see was the back of her shoulder on her way out the door.. She is now doing alright on the C-Pap now. She is having lots of apnea spells but they have started to decrease today. Both of them started getting tiny bits of milk through NG tubes today. Alyssa is tolerating feedings well and Allison hasn't quite started digesting any of her milk yet. (They keep sucking the old milk out and replacing it with new but she just hasn't started digesting it yet.) They are both pretty jaundice and are under lights for that. They are going to be taking their IV's out of their bellybuttons tonight and putting in more permanent picc lines instead. Since they wont have to umbilical IV's tomorrow this means we will finally get to hold them!!! I'm SO excited. I am doing pretty good physically but I am still pretty upset that I had to be discharged today. I thought this pregnancy was hard but it was waaay harder leaving them there by themselves. We live a long way from the hospital so we just checked into the Ronald McDonald house so we can be closer. I hope the boys behave here so we can both stay close for a while.

[DATJMom]

Thanks for the update. I hope their NICU stay is short and uneventful. Keep us updated when you can. And we LOVE pictures!! :wub:

[XpectingTwins222]

The girls are a week old today. They took Allison off her oxygen completely at 2:30 this morning and she is doing great breathing all by herself! She's still having some apnea here and there but its only when she cries that she forgets to breathe. Allison was 4 lbs 1 oz today (5 oz less than her birth weight-but I expect she'll be catching up pretty soon as she wasn't tolerating her feedings very well until today) Alyssa is still my fiesty little girl, never needing any oxygen and doing good with her feedings. She was 3 lbs 3 oz today (1 more than her birth weight!) They are both still pretty jaundice so I have only been able to hold them once a day for a half hour because they need to be under their lights.. thats kind-of starting to get to me. I really hope their bilirubin levels start to drop I can't stand not being able to hold them. Other than that they have yet to start trying to feed them other than through their feeding tubes so I expect we will be stuck in the NICU quite a while longer. They also have to be 7 days free of having any apnea episodes so that means if a miracle happens right now and Allison stops having her little tissy fits then we would still have at the very least a week left. I'm starting to feel so crappy that they have been here a week and I have hardley got to do anything for them.

[mom2sadie&elena]

XpectingTwins222, on 18 March 2010 - 01:55 AM, said:

The girls are a week old today. They took Allison off her oxygen completely at 2:30 this morning and she is doing great breathing all by herself! She's still having some apnea here and there but its only when she cries that she forgets to breathe. Allison was 4 lbs 1 oz today (5 oz less than her birth weight-but I expect she'll be catching up pretty soon as she wasn't tolerating her feedings very well until today) Alyssa is still my fiesty little girl, never needing any oxygen and doing good with her feedings. She was 3 lbs 3 oz today (1 more than her birth weight!) They are both still pretty jaundice so I have only been able to hold them once a day for a half hour because they need to be under their lights.. thats kind-of starting to get to me. I really hope their bilirubin levels start to drop I can't stand not being able to hold them. Other than that they have yet to start trying to feed them other than through their feeding tubes so I expect we will be stuck in the NICU quite a while longer. They also have to be 7 days free of having any apnea episodes so that means if a miracle happens right now and Allison stops having her little tissy fits then we would still have at the very least a week left. I'm starting to feel so crappy that they have been here a week and I have hardley got to do anything for them.

awwww, i'm so sorry you're feeling like this. it's definitely a helpless feeling, and i can't imagine only being able to hold them 30 min a day. my girls were only in the nicu for 14 and 16 days, and i started to feel like they were going to be in there forever when they were in there about 8-9 days. the nurses kept telling me that one day, everything would just click and they would quit having apnea episodes, then they could focus on learning to eat. they had to be apnea free for 5 days prior to discharge, and i kept getting so frustrated and sad everytime i'd call up there or come in and learn that one of them had another episode. but finally, everything clicked and they had no more apnea and got moved to the step-down nicu to learn to eat. one of them took right to it, and the other was a horrible eater. we had to get a speech pathologist to come see her and work with different positions and ways to get her to drink. but i swear, they learned so much and progressed so far in a 24 hour period. i was absolutely shocked both times when the nurses told me they'd get to go home the following day. i thought it was going to be sooooo much longer. my smaller one was fiesty too and was my good eater. little did we know that her fiestiness would be a long term trait... lol. sorry to ramble. i just meant to offer you a huggggg, and to tell you to hang in there, that they're in the best place for them right now. you know that. =) soon you will have them home and the nicu will be a distant memory!!

[summerfun]

:Clap: Congrats on your girls. It sounds like they are doing very well. Keep us updated.

[mcmnyc]

Sounds like your girls are doing great! It's really hard not being able to fully care for your babies...and that your early bonding is in the NICU with all the monitors and people. Hang in there...it gets better and better as you get to do more and more and then before you know it you get to take them home! Our boys have been home about 5 weeks and its amazing how quickly the NICU memories fade. Keep up the great work!!

[nursejackson]

It sounds like we are experiencing some of the same right now. I've posted about me in another post but my twins came at 34 weeks and one day. Both were intubated, my boy is the one having the problems and going much slower than the girl. They have officially been in the NICU for 19 days. I'm so ready for them to be home but understand this is what I have to go through because they came early. Just want you to know I'm here with you, maybe we can support each other as we go through this together.

[Leighann]

Your girls share a birthday with mine (but three years apart!). Sounds like they are doing great. :hug: the NICU is such a roller coaster.