First Blog

Well, im starting my first blog. Thinking about it, I should have started this a long time ago!

6 months ago, I gave birth to triplets (2 girls, 1 boy).

The Wednesday before they were born, I was actually admitted to the hospital for a steroid shot. The steroid shot was because they knew the babies would have a chance of being delivered early. The shot was to help their lungs develop a little faster. While I was admitted, I was not allowed to get up and walk around. By Friday, I was so ready to leave! I was suppose to be discharged Friday. I figured I would be discharged early in the day, but that was not the case. I finally was able to at least take a ride in the wheelchair, so Kevin took me around the Maternity floor. We stopped by the nursery and looked at all the babies and then around the corner was the special care nursery. We talked to one of the nurses in the regular nursery and when we told her that we were having triplets, she mentioned that they would most likely be in Special Care Nursery. We knew going into the hospital that there would be a chance that they might have to go to CHKD, so the Special Care Nursery didn't sound so bad. We actually got to tour the Special Care Nursery that afternoon... and let me tell you... I was a little scared. Seeing all of these little babies in incubators and all these tubes and wires were a little scary for a new mom to be. Around 6pm, I was finally released from the hospital, but I was then put on moderate bed rest. I could still get up and do things, but I couldn't drive and I couldn't walk around for a long period of time.

I had a NST Monday and a doctors appointment on Wednesday and everything was looking good. Kevin could not go with me on Thursday to my NST so his mom took me. He told her that nothing exciting will happen, there will just be some machines on my tummy and you will hear the heartbeats. Little did we know! Well after 30 minutes (which was not normal for me) the girls still haven't passed their test. So the nurse called my doctor and asked what we should do. She told her to do a full BPP on me (which is and ultrasound to check the fluids around the babies). When she did the BPP, there was hardly any fluid around Caitlyn, but she was still breathing. My doctor (who was working in the hospital that day) told the nurse to send me to Labor and Delivery to be admitted. My heart was POUNDING now. My husband who was in Williamsburg at the time had to rush back to Norfolk before I was going to have these babies. I think he made record time! My doctor decided that she didn't want to risk anything and was going to take the babies out that day. I called all my family and friends and even my boss to let them know that today was the big day!

Me before going back to the O.R.

July 29, 2010 about 4:00pm, they took me back to the O.R. They got me on the table and started to give me the good stuff! My leg jolted out because they hit a nerve and then the weirdest feeling of numbness took over my lower half of my body. Felt so weird that I couldn't lift my legs up or move them. I see Kevin come in and sit next to me. I ask Kevin if they have even started doing anything yet and he tells me that they are about to pull a baby out! Well, I guess that medicine worked! I didn't feel anything at all!! Caitlyn Marie was born at 4:42pm weighing 2lbs 7.5 oz. Ashton Thomas was born at 4:43pm weighing 3lbs 7oz and Brittany Lynn was born at 4:44pm weighing 3lbs 12oz. They were all taken to the Special Care Nursery and did not have to go to the NICU at CHKD or need any help breathing!

 Caitlyn Marie

 Ashton Thomas

Brittany Lynn

The nurses that worked in the Special Care Nursery were great! They taught us so many things and took excellent care of our babies. Ashton and Brittany were released 3 weeks later on August 24th. Taking 2 babies home was so hard because we had to take care of them and also make sure we spend time with Caitlyn in the hospital. On August 29th, Caitlyn was released! I finally had all of our babies home!

Our first family picture

The first month

The first month was spent at the hospital. Kevin and I were there everyday and night. I would usually wake up about 9am and head over to the hospital while Kevin was at work. Once he'd get off work, he would come straight to the hospital. There were days that we didn't leave till 10:00pm. We wanted to spend every chance we could with the babies, even if it was just to sit next to them while they were in the incubators.

As much as we wanted to spend all the time holding our babies, we knew the best thing for them was to spend as much time in the incubators so they could grow. Once they were in the open cribs, we could hold them as often as we would like since they were already in the open air. We would hold them during their feedings (when we they were feeding through the tube) but when they were finished, we had to hold them still for 15 minutes so they wouldn't spit up.

When the nurse asked if we wanted to hold all 3 of them at the same time... I was thinking.... how am I going to do that. This is how we did it. Talk about a arm full of babies!

Here are a few pictures of how they spent their first month.
 

Ashton Thomas

Brittany Lynn

Ashton and Caitlyn in Daddy's arms

Ashton doing his leg lifts

The Burkett Suite!

Caitlyn

Brittany

Caitlyn Marie

We learned so much from the nurses that took care of them. Since they were born so early, they did not know how to drink out of a bottle yet. They had to be taught how to suck, swallow and breathe by the Occupational Therapist at the hospital. While they were learning to drink from a bottle, we were also being taught how to feed and burp them. I was very nervous at the beginning. It was a tough process because it took them a while to finally catch on.

To be released from the hospital, they had to be able to take all feedings through bottle (which was a total of 8), be able to maintain their temperature in an open crib, not having a lot of Brady's through the day, pass the car seat test and be at 1800grams in weight. When they did the car seat test, they looked so tiny in those big things!

Finally on August 24th, Ashton and Brittany were released from the hospital. Caitlyn was still in her incubator, but on room temperature. She was also not taking all her feedings through bottles. We thought it was going to be another few weeks before Caitlyn would be able to come home. I guess Caitlyn didn't like to be alone because she started taking all bottles and moved into an open crib within 2 days. On August 29th, Caitlyn finally came home! We were complete!!