Finn and Breana's Birth Story.

On the 5th of December, 2000, at 6am my waters broke very unexpectedly. The first of our unexpected things to happen!

Myself and Dean flew into a  panic, the twins were coming and I was only 31 weeks 4 days along in my pregnancy. Dean phoned my specialist and he said to get to our maternity hospital, National Woman's in Auckland New Zealand, as soon as we could.

Well Dean drove so fast we got there before my specialist. They decided to see if they could stop my contractions, which had begun in the car, so that they could get the two steroid shots that were necessary to mature the twins lungs for an early arrival.

Thankfully this was achieved. And 2 days later I was transferred to a proper ward to await the twins arrival. The plan at this stage was to take me off the medicine which was stopping my contractions to see what would happen. If labour hadn't started by 34 weeks then they would start up the labour again as at this point infection, due to my waters breaking early, becomes a very real risk to the twins.

Well we didn't have long to wait..... Saturday morning at 7am a "come quick" call was placed to my husband.

After the help of a wonderful epidural, Finn arrived at 1.17pm. He weighed 3lb6 (1630 grams) and scored APGARS of 9 and then 3 mins later a perfect 10. He came out screaming which was music to mine and Deans ears.

My specialist then kindly said I would probably have a break of around 30 mins before I needed to start pushing again, but Breana had other ideas. 6 minutes later Breana was born, also screaming, she weighed  3lb3 (1505 grams) and scored APGARS of 8 and then also a perfect 10.

I actually got to hold Finn for about 5 mins before he and Breana were whisked to NICU in an incubator. Dean was also dispatched with the twins to keep an eye on how everything progressed.

Down in NICU the twins were started on IV antibiotics, to stave off any infection they may have got from my waters breaking (later blood tests showed up as negative.) and also they were started on their sugar water.

I finally got down to see them a couple of hours later. And they were the most beautiful babies that I and my husband have ever seen, we were in love with Finn and Bree from the start.

The next few days were relatively uneventful, apart from Finn having a couple of bradycardias (he forgot to breathe) For this he was placed on caffeine much to mine and Deans amusement as neither of us drink coffee.

Still feeding and growing and the twins are doing fabulously. Dean and I are so proud of them!! It's getting close to Christmas and we are secretly hoping that maybe we will have the twins home.

    Alas our world was turned upside down.       

           
A week after Breana is born a heart murmur is detected.  Every day on from this day the news gets worse and worse in regards to Bree's heart. It turns out to be much worse than first, second and even the third prognosis!

Three days later Breana went into Congestive Heart Failure. Top pediatric cardiologists come fast to investigate her. We then had a full prognosis.... Bree has Congenital Heart Defects

She has multiple holes in her heart (4), VSD's, and a Coarctation of the Aorta, a narrowing of her aorta.

After discussions with the cardiologists it is decided to try and stabilise Breana's condition and then try to put some weight on her so that she can be operated on. The cardiologists don't want to operate till she is at least 2 kgs (4lb4.) At this stage Bree is 1515 grams. (3lb4)

During the next few days Dean and I watch with horror as our beautiful little daughter finds it harder and harder to breathe. Breaking the news to our families is so horrible, they all want to know how Bree will be..... and we don't really know what to say, none of the docs have been too optimistic and nobody will give us that guarantee that Bree will live. They are all just hoping she can put on some weight.

Christmas day arrives, the twins have now been in NICU for  2 weeks 2 days. Finn is now in a cot and having half oral feeds and half NG (naso gastric) feeds. He is now weighing a huge 1905 grams (4lb2.) Finn has had no more problems forgetting to breathe and has been shifted to level 1 of Nicu. Breana is in level 3 (very preem and sick babies are placed here.)
We wheel Finn down in his cot to be with Bree and we have a family day all together. Bree really perks up for Christmas and we all have a lovely time. The nurses have taken ink footprints of both the twins feet and have presented them to us in a beautiful Christmas card.

Boxing day, today is the 4th wedding anniversary of mine and Dean's wedding. Unfortunately Bree is doing worse. She has started to have some quite bad de-saturations (where not enough oxygen is flowing around her body.) It is decided that regardless of how much Breana weighs they will perform her operation on the 29th of December. Bree will be transfered to Greenlane Hospital via ambulance on the 28th of December. (Luckily for us this hospital is 100 yards from where NICU is.)

This will become a very well troden 100 meters in the next few weeks....