After almost 3 years of trying to have a baby, and suffering a miscarriage, I finally became pregnant!(See pregnancy photos here) It was after my 5th cycle of fertility drugs, including clomid and Metrodin. Well, the Metrodin worked, and at 5 1/2 weeks, I found I was carrying twins! At 6 weeks, I started bleeding, which made me frantic. (I had already lost a baby, and was afraid it was happening again). I went for a level 2 sonogram and was told it looked as if I was initially carrying triplets, and one had died. The other 2 babies were doing fine. In the beginning of the pregnancy, I was VERY swollen, and was wearing maternity clothes at 2 months. It seems I had Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome, from the fertility drugs. I was put on bed rest at only 6 weeks pregnant! At the end of my 20th week, I started cramping. After yet another visit with my OB/GYN, who I already saw for a sono every 2 weeks, he said I was in pre-term labor. I was put in the hospital overnight and given Brethine to stop the contractions. I was taking Brethine at home every 3-4 hours, but still had to be admitted every few weeks for an IV and injections of the drug to stop my labor. Once again, in my 34th week, I went back to the hospital for labor, and they stopped it and gave me steroids to mature the babies' lungs in case they were born early. During one of the sonos, they found that Baby B had Vesicouretal Reflux, or Bladder Reflux. They said it was normal for males to have that problem in utero and it usually corrected itself after birth. I went home the next morning with a terrible headache. My husband went off to work, and I was home alone (which I had been throughout the pregnancy anyway). I was getting very nauseaus and dizzy and was having terrible stomach pains. I called my OB and he said to lay on my side and see if I felt better. After a few hours, I was back in the hospital. After being hooked up to the usual monitors, I started vomitting black. When my doctor arrived, he said it was too big of a risk not to deliver the babies right away. "What a relief!", I thought. The prepped me, gave me a spinal block and started my C-Section... On March 12th, 1998, at 3:56 am, Jonathan was born, weighing in at 5 pounds, 1/2 an ounce and 17 inches long. One minute later, Jordan was born, weighing 5 pounds, 2 1/2 ounces and 18 inces. We were able to take some photos, but as they started working on the boys, they said Jordan was a little blue. They told us it was normal, since they were 6 weeks early. After a few hours in recovery, I went up to my room. That was the beginning of our nightmare... The doctors came into my room where I was alone, trying to get some sleep. They said Jordan was born with Tricuspid & Pulmonary Atresia, severe congenital heart defects. He needed to be transported to North Shore University Hospital, 2 hours away. Without being able to hold him, they took him away. My husband followed the ambulance and went to be with Jordan. I was able to go see Jonathan in the NICU the next day. He was having a problem with drinking his bottle. Because he was a preemie, he didn't know how to suck and breathe at the same time, as all babies do. He was only allowed 6 sucks of milk, then we had to remove the bottle from his mouth, count to 15, then let him suck again. It was hard for both of us. But I developed a fever and wasn't allowed to go see him for another 24 hours. Again, the doctors came into see me, with more bad news...Jonathan had a hole in HIS heart! They weren't too concerned, but I thought I was going to lose my mind. How can both of my babies have heart problems?! I was allowed to go home with Jonathan after 3 days, but longed to be with Jordan. Jordan's surgery (AB Shunt) was done on March 16th, when he was 4 days old, but I didn't get to see him until his 5th day. He was so small. He had gone down from 5 lbs., 2 1/2 oz. to 4 1/2 pounds. He looked like a baby chick, all wrinkled up. He was able to come home at 12 days. And then the fun really began... The day Jordan came home, he started vomitting. Another problem, GE Reflux. He projectile vommited ALL day long. After a bottle, he couldn't be moved for 30-40 minutes. Slowly but surely, he grew and became stronger. And Jonathan's hole closed all by itself! Jordan had more surgeries to follow, which you can read about on Jordan's Page
