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Doubly Blessed on Christmas

A Mother's Story of Delivering Twins

By Kendeyl Johansen

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5

The words "most likely" echoed over and over in my head. I forced myself to look out of the window and focus on the snowy pines, glittering in the sunlight as if they were diamond-studded. It was a beautiful day to celebrate two new lives, and a sudden calm replaced my worry.

Lars and I listened to my doctor explain delivery options. He could deliver the first baby normally and hope to turn the breech baby around, but there was some risk in this. In unusual cases, the uterus could spasm during the second delivery and cut off the baby's flow of blood to the brain. The second option was a Cesarean section, which involved slightly more risk to me but less to the babies.

I met Lars' eyes. "I can't chance any risk to the babies," I said. He nodded. "Let's go with the C-section," he agreed. My doctor told us there was no reason to wait; he could deliver the babies soon.

I took a deep breath, not realizing his definition of "soon" meant "immediately." I barely had time to call my mom and tell her the news before I was wheeled into the delivery room. My doctor warned me that I would see the babies only briefly after delivery. Because they were preemies, my boys would be immediately whisked to the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for assessment of their lungs.

Lars pressed my hand. "It'll be OK," he reassured over and over like a comforting mantra. My head was spinning with the quick decision, and I locked my eyes with Lars' compassionate baby blues as the nurse started an IV.

Soon bright lights made me blink, and I could feel slight tugging in the area where surgical drapes hid my abdomen. The anesthetic made me feel nauseous. My thinking felt slow, but I slurred the word, "Sick!" A few seconds later someone stuck a pill under my tongue, and I felt better immediately.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5

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