ALTERNATE ENDING 1, CHAPTER 22
Things progressed rather quickly after the doctor made her announcement. Lena was given an IV and placed on a heart and fetal monitor again. She was taken up to a LDRP suite. Stef used the time Lena was transferred to call Sharon and Lena's families and tell them what was going on. She also called Gretchen who said that she would try and fly out as soon as she could.
A nurse then came in and gave Lena Pitocin administered through her IV drip to induce labor. Lena had opted to giving the inducing meds a try before they moved to more drastic measures of performing a C-section. In the meantime, Lena would continue to be closely monitored.
The medicine shot through her system with a stabbing heat. She shut her eyes tight, winced, and exhaled while it passed through her. Stef rubbed her back until her breathing returned to normal.
"Are you okay babe?" Stef asked her with worry etched all over her face.
"Yeah. I'm good." Lena grabbed her hand and kissed it.
Dr. Hillcroft had ordered a 4D ultrasound and a fetal echocardiograph so Lena was whisked away after they got into the room. Stef paced back and forth. She could attest that it was more stressful to be the one waiting for someone else to have the baby than the one having the baby. She was even more of a wreck than she had been when she was in labor with Brandon. Watching Lena in pain tore her to pieces inside.
Lena was brought back into the room shortly. Stef grabbed her hand and kissed it. She asked her if she needed anything but Lena just shook her head and remained quiet. Stef was afraid she was going into shock.
Lena was silently cursing herself for keeping quiet about her symptoms. She knew that her pregnancy was high risk but she had been too terrified to speak up. What if her silence cost her babies their chance?
Stef sat next to Lena and pulled her into her arms. Lena curled into her body and began crying softly. Stef held her through the sobs stroking her hair and reassuring her that everything was going to be fine. Lena then doubled over from a contraction. She squeezed Stef's arm and breathed hard and rapidly throughout it. Stef continued to hold her and rub her back until Lena could sit up straight once again.
Thankfully, Dr. Hillcroft entered the suite at that moment. When Stef told her that Lena had just had a contraction, the doctor checked the log on the heart and fetal monitors.
"Well, I just came back to let you know what was going on and it seems you beat me to it. Lena, your blood pressure is high, which is actually good news. It means that the babies are still getting enough oxygen. And we have IV's keeping you hydrated. If all goes well, your water should be breaking soon. Now, I need to check the baby's position and then check your cervix again." The doctor began to put the gel onto Lena's belly and watch the sonogram. She then checked her cervix.
"Your cervix is still dilating. The babies are falling into place. Your contractions should be coming closer and harder now." She patted Lena on the leg, smiling. "I think this is going to be a fast one. You're doing great. We'll keep checking." She left the two women after assuring them someone would be back soon to check on them.
"Baby, we're going to have our sons soon," Stef said as she held onto Lena.
Lena smiled and leaned her head back. "Our sons?"
"Yes! Our sons!" Stef rocked Lena back and forth and kissed her.
"I love it when you say ours," Lena said melting into Stef's embrace. She gave her a long and passionate kiss.
"Poor Callie. She's going to be outnumbered now." Lena said.
Stef snorted. "More like poor boys. I think Callie will end up ruling the roost over all of them." This sent the two of them into a laughing fit.
They two stayed in one another's arms until Lena's body was rocked by another contraction. Stef noted the time.
Lena's family had arrived shortly. They hugged and kissed her and sat around chatting while Stef held Lena through another contraction. Lena's water finally broke and Stef helped her in the shower while the nurse cleaned the bed. The doctor came in again to check Lena's progress. They were reassured that all was going well and that the next few hours was nothing more than a waiting game.
Lena kissed Stef. "I'm glad you're here."
Stef kissed her back, "I always will be."
Lena chuckled, "At least I know what's going on this time. With Callie, I was so terrified. I had to take a cab and it took Gretchen 3 hours to get to the hospital. By the time she got there, I was a mess. And Callie still took 8 more hours to come."
Stef wrinkled her forehead, "Brandon was actually pretty quick. I was only in labor for a few hours. He did decide to do a little in and out dance there at the end though. Other than that, my pregnancy and labor was pretty smooth."
Lena made a face at her, "Show-off."
Stef made a face back and they both laughed. Lena then bent over again with another contraction. "They're about 25 minutes apart now."
Stef called Sharon and let her know that things were progressing. Sharon told her that she'd bring the kids over after lunch and naptime along with Lena's hospital bag. She handed the phone to Lena to talk to Callie since she was still a little upset at being left.
It was starting to get into late lunchtime but Stef felt bad about eating when Lena could only have ice chips. Plus, her contractions were starting to speed up and it wasn't going to be too much more waiting. Lena assured her that it was fine but, Stef chose to stay with Lena. She held onto her and rubbed her back as the contractions came.
Lena had been told that because of her placental abruption, she would not be able to have an epidural. It had a risk of lowering her blood pressure and decreasing the babies' heartbeats. She would have to ride out the pain until she got closer. Then, she would be given a pudendal block.
Sharon came with the children around 2. At first they just stared at Lena wide eyed. Stef beckoned them over, and with a little shove from Sharon from behind, they came forward slowly. Lena just smiled at them to let them know that she was okay. They both hugged and kissed Lena and gave her some homemade cards that they had made while they waited to see her. They were helped onto the bed but were warned not to move too much so they didn't hurt Mama.
Stef had been reading a book to them about pregnancy and having a baby. They hoped the kids were prepared for what was to come. They had watched some birthing videos with the two kids. Stef had even used a chicken and an egg to demonstrate the process to them. The kids had watched the videos with awe and it had brought them a new closeness with Lena's pregnancy. Afterward, they hugged and kissed her belly even more than before.
"Mama, does it hurt?" Callie asked quietly.
Lena smoothed Callie's hair back. She had a headful of Lena's unruly curls. She smiled over at her baby. "Yes it does hurt. But, it's not a bad hurt. Because I know that it'll be over soon and then we'll have our new babies to take home with us."
"Are you going to cry? It's okay if you want to. I cry sometimes and Mommy says that crying makes the pain go farther away." Brandon said.
Both parents looked over at one another and chuckled. "I probably will cry but again it will be a happy cry. Afterward we're going to have your baby brothers to take home with us."
Lena convulsed with another contraction and they stared at her in horror. When she could breathe again, she smiled at them again to let them know that everything was okay. "See? That's a contraction. That's what helps Mama know that the babies are getting closer."
Brandon and Callie looked at one another in trepidation. But, since the adults seemed okay with the situation, they were too.
An hour later, Lena was fully dilated and the babies were coming!
A nurse came in to check over Lena while the doctor's were assembled. Lisa got the camera ready. She had become the de facto videographer. Dr. Hillcroft was joined by a team from NICU since this was considered a high risk birth.
Everyone had to scrub up and were given surgery suits, gloves, and hair nets. Stef and Lena had agreed that they would allow the kids to be there for the delivery. Sharon though, made sure they stayed near Lena's top portion of her body. Callie, of course, tried to sneak as many peeks around the raised bed sheets as she could. The entire process fascinated her.
Lisa had the camera set on a little tripod. Everyone cried as the babies were delivered 6 minutes apart. As soon as they heard the first baby cry though, everyone gathered around Lena's lower section. Callie continued to look on in awe but Brandon seemed a little scared. Sharon took him back over closer to Lena's head again. They allowed Stef to clamp and cut the cords. The NICU staff had given them a few minutes with the babies before whisking them away to the other side of the suite to be cleaned up.
They were so tiny. They could fit in the palm of their hands. Stef was kissing Lena and telling her she had done great while Lena delivered the last of the placenta. She was then stitched up and her placenta placed in a container for later use. Lena had elected to have it encapsulated and some made into a salve. She'd also set up to have the cord blood banked. The hospital put it into a bowl until the professionals could arrive and collect it.
Stef and Lena were both crying so hard they barely heard the birth weights. Baby A had come in at 3 pounds 7 oz. and Baby B weighed in at 2 pounds 8 oz. Stef had been a little taken back by this. Brandon had come in at 9 pounds 5 oz. The boys were fitted with bracelets and so were Lena and Stef. This was a security measure to ensure the babies only came into contact with people they were cleared for.
Suddenly, commotion on the other side of the suite caught their attention. Stef was ordered to stay back so she and Lena clung to one another helplessly while they watched the NICU staff run into quick action. Sharon took the kids out of the suite.
One of the babies wasn't breathing properly. He was given meds to help with his breathing, tubed and ventilated. Dr. Hillcroft explained they were doing all that they could do.
Lena was shivering really hard so she was given extra warmed blankets. They brought Baby A over to the bed and Lena held onto him for dear life. The nurse gave Lena her first of many uterus massages to help bring it down. Since she hadn't had an epidural, the pain for her was excruciating.
Lena was given mesh underwear, pads, and an ice pack. She then showered but had to be put on a catheter. They took Baby A, as they were called temporarily, for tests. From there, Stef and Lena would be informed of the condition of their babies.
As they had feared, Baby B's lungs had not developed properly. Because of this, he would be staying in the NICU nursery. He had to be kept in an isolate. He was the smaller of the twins. He had been given meds to help with his breathing and to make sure that his lungs didn't shut down. He was put on a ventilator and was being closely monitored. They asked when they could see him and were told that as soon as the tests with him were over. They would be able to go and see him.
"Mama where's our babies?" Callie asked as soon as she and Brandon came back into the suite.
"They have to clean them up first pumpkin. Then, they will bring them back in here so you and Brandon can spend some time with your new brothers," Lena answered groggily. She spent the next few minutes trying to fight sleep. The family continued chatting and Lena let Stef take over with answering questions while she rested her eyes for a few minutes.
The NICU doctor came and gave them an update as the nurse brought Baby A back into the suite. Baby A was at least breathing on his own. He wasn't able to eat on his own yet but they would feed him through a tube in the meantime. He also wasn't regulating his temperature too well yet so he still needed to be under heat lamps while in his bed. Kangaroo care was highly encouraged. Lena was given a breast pump so that she could express some milk for them.
They were also given a course in kangaroo care. The suite was equipped with a rocking chair and there was no shortage of parents and grandparents to volunteer. Dana of course, insisted on being first to carry her newest Grandson. She got comfortable in the rocking chair and the baby was lifted onto her chest. Lisa snapped photos and changed the card in the video camera.
Baby B wasn't doing so well. He had had to be placed on a machine to do his breathing for him. He would stay in the NICU nursery until he was stabilized. Lena and Stef were told that it would be a long road to recovery for him but not to lose faith. He was being cared for by the best.
Lena was so worn out she could barely keep her eyes open. Stef told her she would go and be with Baby B until she had had a chance to nap. Even still, Lena fought off sleep. The entire family was crowded around Baby A and she knew that he was in good hands. But, that didn't stop her from worrying about his brother. Stef understood. She stroked her head and back until she finally fell asleep and then went to check on their son.