Team Babies - Jamie's Side of the Birth Story

Jamie's Perspective:

I am not a wuss I promise.

The Triplets Birthday started at about 4:45 AM on Tuesday, April 9th. I got up to pee..... again and I remember thinking to myself I swear I just did this two minutes ago. Which wouldn't be uncommon at that point. I was getting up probably every hour every night. 

I went into the kid's bathroom this time because I remembered there was no toilet paper in ours. Leaving out all the unnecessary details I knew my water had broken. Remember I just went through this not even two years earlier. I woke up Tyler and told him the news. I think he said "yay, that's great!"

You see the few days and nights prior to this were rough. It was actually getting HARD to carry triplets and Tyler I know could sense this or maybe he was just listening when I would tell him this. Not being on any bed rest and my Dr. throwing out words like 35 weeks was getting scary. My whole goal in this process was to carry and deliver 3 healthy babies for Kim and Curtis but I wanted my body to make the decision when enough was enough. And that's exactly what it did. I was 32 weeks 5 days.

I went downstairs to call Kim. I don't call Kim very often. We text. So she knew something was happening. Call us both naive or whatever but in our heads we thought okay my water has broken but that's okay they will stop my labor and they will give me the steroid shot to help the babies lungs develop and then they will deliver in a couple days..... And going off when Esther's bag broke I have plenty of time to get to the hospital. I'm not going to rush it. Kim called Curtis in California and told him. He left immediately for the 12 hour drive.

I started doing my makeup, by this time I am soaking towels, put my hair up in a bun, had some painful contractions, packed my bag, Tyler got in the shower. We did this in about a half an hour. K I was in pain now. We go downstairs to leave and it hurts. Tyler tells his Mom what happened and that we are leaving, towel in crotch and all. We are kind of rushing now because of the pain.

The ride was HORRIBLE. Like in the movies. Every divot and bump in the road HURTS. I don't want to be talked to. I'm holding on for dear life to the hand thing above me. The contractions were right on top of each other. We finally arrive at the hospital and it's desolate because of how early in the morning it was, like no valet guy or anything to help us. Tyler has to run in and grab a wheelchair and then wheel me in. They immediately put me in a room and dress me into my pretty blue hospital dress. 

I can't even function or think anymore. Poor ladies needed to just get me admitted and do their jobs and I was no help to them. There were no breaks. I would contract and I swear two seconds later another would come. I just kept thinking how am I going to do this. And I kept telling the staff I have to go, let's go, I need to go, we need to go. 

They knew how active my labor was and how serious it was considering there were three babies and they were not supposed to come out vaginally. There were probably 10 people rushing around in there. They did manage to get an IV in and that's when Kim got there. I'm sure she felt terrible. I was shaking to death from pure pain. They had Kim and Tyler gown up (remember Curtis is in California) and then the nurse comes in in tears to tell Tyler he could not come in the room with us. The Anesthesiologist would only allow one person. Tyler was of course crushed. Not that he couldn't see the babies born but more because of if something did go horribly wrong he wouldn't be there with me.  I couldn't care less because all I wanted were the babies out. I didn't care if they had to take them out of my ear. I needed the pain to stop. 

They wheeled my bed into the operating room, I don't remember that ride at all. I'm entering la la land at this point. The Anesthesiologist is there to give me my spinal. He asks me to get into the fetal position and to NOT move. So dumb. I can't stop shaking and have you seen my belly? There will be no fetal positions going on. He continued and I squeezed that nurses hand until it was blue. 

But let me tell you. Those spinals...... yum. They work immediately. Starting with toes on up. It was the best. They started prepping for surgery. Mind you my Dr. has not arrived yet. So two girl Dr.'s were doing the surgery and when I say girls I mean girls. Anyone younger than me is a girl still. They did that little poke test. Can you feel this? Um... yah? I think? Can I? I knew they were poking me but it didn't hurt super bad... So they gave me another dose of the good stuff. So as you can imagine I was numb for, actually some parts are still numb. 

They do not allow anyone to watch you be cut open or sewn up. So Kim could only peek over the curtain when the babies were being pulled out. And don't worry, amongst the chaos I did remember to ask for a mirror so I could watch. I'm so glad I did. Baby A was born at 6:57 AM head first. Baby B was born at 6:58 AM feet first. And Baby C was born at 6:59 AM bum first.

They passed the babies through a window to the NICU. Kim followed and then Tyler was allowed in for the repair. Although he couldn't watch he could see the reflection in a light above. Uterus just on my belly while they sew it up and stuff in back in..... 7 births later and I think he's seen it all. I was still shaking but now just from adrenaline I'm sure. I just couldn't wait for them to be done. My Dr. finally made it and came to give me an update on the babies. He's so awesome. He told me what the babies weighed. A- 4lbs 9oz B- 4lbs 5.5oz and C- 4lbs 15oz. Yes people, add it up. 13lbs 13.5oz of baby in this belly. Tyler, the Dr. and I could not believe how big they were. It was such a blessing.

They wheeled me into the recovery room where Kim came to give updates too like their lengths. A- 17.5 inches B-18inches and C- 17.5 inches. I'm not sure where I was storing these kids but it all worked out.

What a day! And it was only 7 AM.....