Levi and Caleb’s Birth Story. Part 1.

    The story of Levi and Caleb’s birth starts long before they actually arrived, on April 20, 2022. It starts with years of hoping and praying for a baby, only to see negative after negative pregnancy test. Month after month of nothing despite almost 5 years of research, testing, diet changes, supplements, and doctors suggesting everything from iui to bariatric surgery. All of the testing James and I had came back normal. I tried every “natural” thing I could, some of which were great, like exercising and eating healthier. Still nothing. James and I considered our options and in the summer of 2021 I made an appointment with a fertility specialist to start medicated cycles. That appointment was scheduled for December 2021. I gave up and decided to stop tracking, stop “trying” and just wait for this appointment. I gave everything to the Lord and chose to trust him (again) with James and my desire to be parents. 

In September 2021, my period was a little late. Not by much, and not really shocking considering I have PCOS and have had irregular periods for years. After so many negative pregnancy tests I had stopped testing altogether but on this day I took one. Just in case. I’m still not 100% sure what prompted me to take a test on September 11th, 2021, but I did. I saw the faintest of lines and convinced myself it was negative. I told James and he believed me. I tested first thing in the morning the next day, because “I just wanted to be sure.” That’s when 2 pink lines changed our lives forever. We were in such denial after so many years of disappointment. Several pregnancy tests later it started to sink in. We were pregnant! 

Then came the weeks of waiting for my first OB appointment/ultrasound. James came with me to my appointment. As soon as the picture came up on the screen I saw it. “Is that two?” I asked. The ultrasound tech checked a few other things, then, showing us on the screen said, “here’s baby a, and here’s baby b.” We were both in shock. After my ultrasound, I met with the midwife and cried in her office. I went home and cried some more. I wanted a baby, but two at once? And even more so, mo/di (identical) twins who automatically made me a high risk pregnancy? I knew of someone who’d just walked through a mo/di pregnancy and her twins were born very premature and spent over 2 months in the nicu. I knew just enough about mo/di pregnancy to be terrified. I was so overwhelmed and scared. On top of that, I was still in disbelief that I was pregnant at all and spent the first few months struggling to be excited for fear I’d miscarry. God had other plans, for which I am so glad! As scary and stressful as pregnancy was, I see so many opportunities to praise God for his faithfulness and protection over me and my babies. 

My cervix started shortening around 23 weeks and shortened further each appointment until around 29 weeks when I started dilating. I was put on full bedrest (which meant I had to stop working) and progesterone. I spent one night in the hospital for monitoring and received a round of steroid shots to strengthen the babies’ lungs in case they came early. My first ever hospitalization. From then on I was monitored even more frequently. Each time we made it to a milestone I celebrated. At 34 weeks, I was having contractions and spent another night in the hospital. I got a second round of steroid shots in case I gave birth soon. I went home the next day and had a few days reprieve but it didn’t last long. Contractions started up again. At the time I thought they were just Braxton Hicks, but I wasn’t sleeping well and could no longer get comfortable. This went on for 2 more days. On April 18th I started tracking the contractions because they seemed to be getting more frequent. They were 8 minutes, 10 minutes, sometimes longer apart for awhile then they'd slow. The next day was more of the same but in the evening they got closer together. My mom and sister in law finally convinced me it was time to go to the hospital late on April 19th.