I got pregnant though IVF in March of 2007. My pregnancy seemed to be going well but by August, I was having frequent Braxton Hicks while at work. Probably enough that I was worried I was in labor, but my doctor assured me they were Braxton Hicks.

I'm a nurse on a very busy bone marrow transplant floor. By August 31, I discussed with my doctor that the weight I was carrying and the Braxton Hicks were getting to be too much for me at work. August 17, I had an ultrasound that said everything was fine, including my cervix. I was very large for only being around 26 weeks. So I was sent home with rest. Not bed rest, but just rest and not being able to work. I didn't do much at that point anyway. Moving to do anything was getting too much for me.

On September 15 I had another doctor's appointment, but nothing much came of it, other than ordering a new ultrasound to be on September 24. At this point I would be 29 weeks and 3 days pregnant. My mom went with me because the hospital I go to is so large that walking through it gave me contractions, so she pushed me in a wheelchair.

While getting my ultrasound, the doctor performing it told me that my cervix had quite shortened since the last one. There was only a width of 23mm left to it before it was opened. He sent me right over to my doctor's office (same floor) and from there I went on to some monitors. We then found out I was in preterm labor.

At this point they sent me upstairs to be hospitalized and to receive magnesium to stop the labor if they could. I have to admit, that magnesium killed me! It was terrible to get! I had terrible hot flashes. I was lethargic, I felt like a bus hit me. But I knew it was helping to slow my contractions.

After 24 hours it started to work. During this time I received two shots of steroids to help develop their lungs in case labor didn't stop. The good news was that the contractions did not change my cervix to open.

I went upstairs once labor was stopped and stayed for another two days to make sure that I didn't go into labor again. After a total of three and half days in the hospital, I went home on strict bed rest. And my family and husband made sure it was strict.

I went home on a Thursday, September 27 and on October 2 I was back in the hospital with labor again. The doctors decided that I was going to receive a pill called Procardia, which is usually used for blood pressure. This also helps relax smooth muscle, so they use it for preterm labor. I received maybe two doses and by 3 a.m. the contractions were a minute apart. I really thought this was it. But again, thankfully, my cervix did not open.

I was sent upstairs almost 24 hours later. My doctor decided since this was my second time for labor, that she would keep me here in the hospital for 32 weeks on bed rest at the hospital. While here, my blood pressure was up to 140s/90s. They also found protein in my urine. So the new plan was to keep me until I delivered or my mild pre-eclampsia became worse. My doctor and I decided that at 36 weeks, if everything was going smoothly, we would deliver the babies.

I made it to 32 weeks and felt so much better that I finally got to 32 weeks. She said once 32 weeks passed if I went into labor, she would let me go. So I made 32 weeks. In fact I made 32 weeks and 6 days in the hospital.

Two weeks to the day I entered the hospital, I went into labor a third time. At first I thought it was a large stitch in my side. It felt like one of the boys was trying to get a foot or fist into my appendix, trying to reach for my kidney. It was a sharp pain. After telling the nurse what was going on, she put me on the monitor and found I was in labor again. This sent me back down to the labor and delivery floor for the third time. (They know me down there!)

I got there and my husband thought nothing was going to come of it, so he slept. My contractions hurt worse and worse and were starting to kill my back. My cervix at this time was now 17mm, according to the ultrasound I had the day before. The two residents on service said that my cervix was still closed. When my attending doctor who I saw in her office checked me, I was having a contraction. She said that I was dilated 4 centimeters with the contraction. So she said it was time because I was at the point of being in active labor. She gave me the choice of going natural if the boys were in the correct position, or having a Cesarean section. I was hoping to go natural if I could because I knew that letting that happen would help their lungs in the long run. Studies done show that squeezing through the birth canal helps squeeze the junk out of their lungs and would help in the long run.

Since they were one day from being 33 weeks I was hoping natural would be the way to go for the boys. But they weren't turned the right way and we went for the C-section.

Once it was decided it happened fast. My husband was still there. He decided to stay to see what my attending would say before going to work. Thank God because it was quick once we decided to do the C-section. In about 15 to 20 minutes, they had me being prepped with a spinal/epidural (which I highly suggest). Within the hour we had two baby boys.

They were taken right to the NICU and have been there for the last two days with respiratory distress issues. They were really good sizes, though, for being 32 weeks and 6 days. First boy was 5 pounds and 18 1/4 inches. The second boy was 4 pounds, 8 ounces and 18 inches. Their only real issues are the lungs at this point. They had to be intubated to get surfactant to help their lungs mature. And tonight they had to have lines places in their umbilical cords to be used to draw blood. They haven't eaten any food yet because of the issues they have. I'm still pumping, though, hoping that once its time, they can have my frozen "milk." And then I hope by the time they are ready to eat, that I'll have some good milk production for both of them. I'm motivated and this helps me feel like I'm doing something.

I haven't even gotten to hold them yet. (They were born on my father's birthday, by the way. They share Grandpa's birthday!) I so much want to hold them. I wasn't able to see them right away. Because of my high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia, I had to stay on the delivery floor and receive more magnesium! Augh! But this time I didn't get hot! I got bad nausea!

After 13 hours of not seeing them, my husband was able to roll me to the NICU to see them. But the bad thing was that I think that I was too upset. While I was there seeing the boys, I threw up. Now it could've been anything, my epidural, not moving out of bed all day, medications, anything! But the next day just thinking about going to see them, I got sick. I'm just worried. I was told by the doctor that preemie white males have a harder time with lung development than any other babies. It looks like Baby B (Caden) may be able to come off the vent soon. Baby A (Cole) maybe a little longer as of tonight. He is having a harder time even though he was bigger.

Once they are stable breathing wise, I just have to prove that they can gain weight and eat on their own (sucking from a bottle or, in my case, they will breast feed). I just want to hold them for starters and then get them home! I love those little guys so much already. And each of them has a personality that holds true with how I perceived them in the womb. The nurses even attest to that in the NICU. They are so adorable! I know they will turn out well. I'll keep you informed!