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WOMAN TO WOMAN
A Publication of Family Nurse Midwife Associates
520 Jefferson Avenue, Suite 520
Jeannette, Pennsylvania 15644
724-527-9159
www.JDMH-midwives.com
Fall 2002 Edition
Can we have
your e-mail address
If you would like to have office correspondence sent to you via
the internet, please e mail Sue at either susanklosky@hotmail
or susanklosky@yahoo and provide her with your address.
The Twins
I had delivered my first two babies with the midwives. I had
very set ideas on babies, pregnancy, delivery and so forth. So,
of course with my 3rd pregnancy I planned to follow those same
ideas. Even before I confirmed pregnancy I kept telling my husband
that we were having twins. I started my regular prenatal visits
and the pregnancy was progressing normally. I started pushing
back the voice telling me it was twins thinking I couldn't really
know that and decided I'd just take things as they came. I knew
this felt different. My belly felt heavy and low early on. I
was more tired than my other pregnancies. I continued to exercise
and eat really well but I was gaining a large amount of weight
at every visit. I started measuring a little big for gestation.
I was fairly sure in my mind that I was carrying twins so I started
eating a high protein diet and just getting in the mindset for
that. Finally, at 22 weeks I went in for an ultra sound. The
minute that the an image appeared on the screen I saw two babies!
My husband and I immediately said, "There are two!"
I laughed, cried, got hot... We went through the rest of the
u/s then had my mother come in with our two other children (4
and 3). I asked the tech not to tell them until they saw. When
the came in my mother looked for a minute and said, "It's
two, isn't it!" The next 8 weeks I read up on twins, continued
my normal life and everything was going just perfectly. I felt
great.
At 30 weeks I had another ultra sound. One baby was considerably
smaller than the other. I was sent to Dr. Thomas, a perinatologist
at AGH, for a level 2. While there,I found that my babies had
twin to twin transfusion syndrome. TTTS is a condition when both
babies share one placenta (this only happens among monozygotic
twins) and one baby is getting more of a share of the placenta
and/or veins are crossing and one baby is getting the other babies
nutrition that way. Dr. Thomas explained that I would now be
seeing him 2 times per week and would deliver these babies hopefully
at 33-34 weeks. I would be going in every Tuesday and Friday
for a non stress test, biophysical profile, and normal prenatal
visit. We then discussed in depth what I should expect. My babies
could possibly need help breathing, they would be fed by gavage
until they developed their suck,swallow, breath reflex at around
34 weeks. They would probably need to stay in the ICN until around
their due date. And, as if this wasn't enough to turn my world
upside down, I was warned that I could lose baby B(the smaller
baby) in between these 3-4 day visits. He would just have to
use his judgment to decide when my babies would be safer outside
than inside. I was told to bring my bag to each appt and one
day they'd tell me it was time. Each day I talked to my babies,
played calming music at times, upbeat at another. I asked them
to just hang on and be strong. At one visit Dr. Thomas told me
we were going to go ahead and do steroid shots. I had a feeling
things were getting close. Then, they scheduled me for a Monday
visit the next week rather than Tuesday. Dr. Thomas and Dr. Duhl
were both going to a conference but Dr. Duhl could see me Monday
AM. That Monday morning, I just had a feeling, so I had my husband
(who had been going to all the appts with me) and my mother and
2 children came with me. The NST looked good. The nurse told
me I'd be going home once again. However, on the U/S, baby Bs
diastolic flow was a little high (his heart was working a little
too hard). Dr. Duhl came in and told me that it looked like today
would be the day. I was 32 weeks and 5 days. He said we could
do it in one hour (that would be about 12:30) or at 5:30 PM.
I decided on the one hour. He felt that a c section would be
safer for the smaller baby and I agreed. I wanted them to come
out less stressed and strong. I was sent upstairs and prepped.
Once in the OR the room filled up. People just started streaming
in. Each baby had a NICU team of 4 people plus there was one
neonatologist. I felt baby A being pulled out. There was a big
shift. Then, baby B Baby a turned out to be Colby at 5 pounds
4 ounces. Baby B was Riley at 3 pounds 1 ounce. They stabilized
them, wrapped them up and let me kiss each of them before wheeling
them off to the ICN. I couldn't get to the ICN until the spinal
wore off. I can tell you that sheer will power does not work
in this situation. I tried to wiggle my toes, list my legs. Anything
to prove I could somehow get in my wheelchair. It just wouldn't
happen. A few hours later I got enough feeling in my legs to
think I could balance for a second and fall into the wheelchair.
I lied to the nurse and said I felt everything again. I looked
at my husband and whispered, "Please catch me if I fall
the wrong way!". He wheeled me to the babies. This was all
so hard. I went back to my room after spending time with them
and started to pump. I pumped every 2 hours around the clock
except for one time each night, I went 4 hours. Hunched over
I carried my drops of colostrum to the NICU. Friday I was discharged.
I've never been in so much pain in my life. Not physical pain.
I was just distraught. I kept telling myself that this would
be ok because I would be able to one day walk out with my babies.
I came home that night, walked through the door and burst into
tears. The whole thing was so awful. I'd walked in Monday pregnant
and walked out Friday without my babies. This just seemed so
wrong. I called the NICU and checked on them right then, pumped,
slept and called each time I woke up that night to pump. That
Saturday I was allowed to nurse each baby one time. The next
15 days both babies were in the hosp. The days went on just like
that. I spent days in the hosp and nights at home. Colby was
released after 15 days. That was another hard day. At least before
that they'd had each other in the hospital. That night I felt
like I was abandoning Riley. He was there so alone. He'd also
been NPO (not allowed to eat) for a week due to a bloody diaper.
So, I was nursing Colby, pumping for Riley. Each day I'd pack
up Colby and take him with me to sit with Riley. The nurses would
tell me to just stay at home with Colby, they would take care
of Riley. I wouldn't and couldn't do that. Both of my babies
needed me and they needed each other. The following Monday I
had Riley transferred to Forbes where I could be closer to him.
It cut my drive time down a lot. Riley was still just over 3
pounds. One Dr there told me if I could get him to all oral feeds
by the end of the week he could go home. I stayed at the hosp
nursing him from 6 am every day until 9 pm every night. My goal
of having my babies home by Easter I had begun to seem like it
couldn't happen, but this Dr. gave me hope. Riley was still so
tiny and had trouble nursing. When he pooped out, I often squirted
breastmilk in his mouth just to get it in him. At night, they
cup fed him or Finger fed him. I refused to allow him to have
bottles. I knew once I got him home and he got stronger, we could
get better at nursing. On Thursday I took my things with me to
nest. It just so happened the Dr. who'd told me he could go home
Friday wasn't there. The other Dr. looked at me like I was an
alien when I told her Riley was going home the next day. She
didn't feel he'd gained enough to go home and also didn't feel
sure about sending home a 3 pound 2 ounce baby. I pleaded with
her that he'd gain faster at home, I'd weigh him daily, I'd bring
him back for visits, anything. She agreed that if he gained anything
that night, he could go home. If he stayed the same or lost,
he had to stay. That night when the nurse weighed him, he gained
a small amount. I jumped up and down, cried, and hugged the nurse.
The next day I finally got to bring both of my babies home. We'd
been in the hospital for 25 days. Since then, every day has gotten
easier. Things are starting to feel normal. Colby was a good
nurser almost immediately. Riley took a lot of work. There were
nights that I didn't know how we'd make it through. He kept sucking
his tongue instead of keeping it down. I was determined to make
it through though. A few times I topped him off by cup feeding
him to be sure he got enough. My boys are now a little over 3
months old. Colby is over 13 pounds. Riley is 7 1/2. He's starting
to gain quickly and loves to nurse! Both boys are amazing. They
smile, laugh, coo. At a recent follow up visit with a neonatolgist
she just ogled over the boys. She told us she was going to have
us come back once a month just so she could see them. Anyway,
the point of this long drawn out story? Things didn't go as planned
or as I would have hoped. BUT, I managed to stick with what was
important to me. I'm breastfeeding twins exclusively. I managed
to get through the NICU with no bottles. I've got two healthy
babies. This experience has changed me in so many ways. I take
nothing for granted anymore. I look at my guys and know what
miracles they are. Breastfeeding is even more special because
we worked so hard at it. It didn't come easily like it did with
my other babies. It's the same with the babies. I look at them
and though the pain of everything we have gone through is fading,
the work it took to get us here stays in the back of my head
at all times. Written By Teresa Vinsky, Jeannette
LaLeche League
La Leche League of Western Pa. would like to announce the upcoming
Breastfeeding and Parenting Conference to be held at Four Points
Sheraton Hotel in Greensburg on Saturday, March 22, 2003. A variety
of topics will be discussed and Marian Thosson, LLL co-founder
will be guest speaker. You can call Amy at 724-532-3347 for more
information or for registation booklet.
Communicate
Love Through Touch with Infant Massage
The International Association of Infant Massage was founded by
Vimala McClure in 1986. McClure first witnessed Infant Massage
in India in the 1970'2 and watched how poor mothers would place
their infants on their skirts to massage them. McClure would
watch the love exchanged between mother and child and think to
herself, "There is so much more to life than material things"
McClure returned
to the states and began massaging her own children, observing
and documenting their effects. McClure trained others to become
Certified Infant Massage Instructors. The organization now has
Chapters in 27 countries across the world.
McClure has recieved
many letters from parents, who after massaging their babies,
claim their children turned out to be lively, creative, inquisitive,
secure, intelligent, social , loving and humane human beings.
That is exactly
how Connie Capar, Certified Infant Massage Instructor, would
describe her two children. Capar learned first hand how Infant
Massage worked for her own infants years ago. Paul, 5, and Rachel,3,
were "Angel Babies". There were always happy, never
fussed, slept well and did not have painful bouts of gas that
so many babies experience. There was also an incredible attachment
between Capar and her infants and they never experienced Stranger
Anxiety. In fact, Connie now refers to her children as the "Walmart
Greeters"
Connie currently
offers infant massage classes quarterly, hosted by the midwives.
The next class is scheduled, Friday, October 04, 2002 from 9:30-11:30.
For more information or to register, call Connie at 724-838-8111
or Sue at 724-527-9159. Pregnant women are also welcome, but
will need to bring a doll.
More than Crumbs
Local author, LInda Mastromonoaco, presents her autobiography-Rising
from the Ruins, from her personal experience with the crushing
realities of dysfunction and as life crumbled around here. Linda
will share with you her insights on how to get "more than
crumbs" out of life. Through her insightful and warm sharing
she will encourage and propel you to act and reach for your dreams.
Learn to apply the four major ingredients she talks about to
succeed and enjoy life. Part of her memorable presentation will
be her unique "Tool Chest of Life" for healthy living.
Linda's presentation is a positive experience that embrances
the trials of living and explores ways to enjoy the here and
now. Linda will also be signing her new book and "Tool Chest
Guides." This will be held on November 06, 2002. RSVP no
later than November 01
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