*If you missed the post on my labor and delivery of the twins, you can find it here.*
Our hospital has a new policy they call the "Golden Hour". Basically, for the hour after your baby is born, they have the Mom and baby do skin-to-skin time to help with the baby's vitals and to help with bonding. Because of the way our girls were born, we couldn't have the "Golden Hour" immediately after birth, but the nurses had me do it as soon as we returned to L&D. It was during this time that I nursed Brooke for the first time, as well. She latched on perfectly right from the start and nursed for 40 minutes.
During this time, I was still feeling incredibly unstable. I was shaky and faint and weak. I drank two small containers of orange juice, and my Mom fixed me up some crackers with peanut butter on them (supplies brought to me by my nurse). I did feel a bit better after that, but it was well into the night before I felt good again.
As Chris was returning to me from the NICU, he stopped by the waiting room and got Brianna (who was there with Chris's parents and my Dad). Brianna was THRILLED to meet Brooke!
I love these photos of Brianna meeting her sister for the first time, but they are terrible of me! I can really tell that I was still not feeling well. I look very tired and a bit traumatized (both of which were true!)
Brianna wanted to hold her so badly, but I wasn't feeling stable enough to help her.
My sweet, sweet girls! I was really missing Brecklyn at this point!
Chris stayed with me for just a bit, then we decided he should go back to the NICU to be with Brecklyn. I can't express enough how much I hated that we had one baby in the room with us while the other was away on her own. And, as much as I wanted Chris to stay with me, Brianna, and Brooke, I also hated the thought of no one being with Brecklyn. Chris was permitted to take one other person in the NICU with him, so he took his Mom (who was still in the waiting room at this point) and they went to be with Brecklyn together.
Our little doll being observed in the NICU:
I barely got to see Brecklyn before she was taken off, so I looked at these photos four or five times when Chris came back to me. I was shocked at how little she and Brooke looked alike!
Love her.
Meme was the only one besides Chris who had really seen or touched Brecklyn at this point. It hurt my heart so badly to be away from my baby during those first few hours :-(.
Brianna was spending her time soaking up sweet Brooke. She did keep asking about going to see Brecklyn, but Chris wasn't able to take her into the NICU.
I love this smile on Brianna! It's so sweet and genuine!
After a while, Chris came back to our L&D room with both of his parents. They hadn't met Brooke yet. My Dad stayed in the waiting room to give Chris's parents a chance to meet and hold Brooke.
Pround Meme and Papa:
We were surprised at how much Papa held Brooke. He's not usually one to do a lot of baby holding :-).
Meme, Daddy, and Big Sister Brianna all getting to know Brooke:
Brianna truly could not get enough of the baby holding!
She just kept staring and staring at her.
And, she had to check out every little part of her! It was adorable!
So in love with her baby sister!
Unfortunately for my Dad, he no sooner stepped in the L&D room to meet the babies and the nurses kicked everyone out (except for Mom, who had been in there the whole time taking care of me, and Chris). They wanted me to have the "Golden Hour" with Brecklyn right that minute! She also latched on to nurse very well from the beginning. As she was nursing, the nurses decided I needed to be moved to a postpartum room, so they just covered me up and wheeled me down to my new room. I was a little irritated at this point. I mean, they had been so pushy for me to nurse her and have this "Golden Hour", but then we had to do it while being moved from one room to another? Kind of ridiculous if you ask me . . . especially when they hit my bed into the wall not once, but twice.
After Brecklyn finished nursing, Dad, Brianna, Meme, and Papa all came to see the babies in my postpartum room.
Grampy finally got to meet the girls! He was the first one to hold them both at the same time (even before Chris or me!)
Love this photo of Grampy and G-Jo with Brooke and Brecklyn :-):
Chris took this photo on my phone, and I later used it to announce the girls' arrival on social media.
Brooke and Brecklyn
My Dad had to get back home, so he wasn't able to stay hardly any time at all. I hated this, but was so glad he at least got to meet and hold both babies. About an hour after Dad left (at around 3:00pm), Mom headed back to my house with Brianna.
Meme and Papa stayed for a bit. Papa was enjoying holding the babies :-).
Brecklyn, Papa, and Brooke:
Brecklyn, Papa, Brooke, and Daddy:
During this time - while others were enjoying the babies - I was being constantly approached by nurses and hospital staff. It was kind of unbelievable how many people were in and out of our room. With both Brianna and Brenson, by the time we were moved to a postpartum room, it was evening time. I think this cut down on the number of staff we had coming in and out of our room. I had nurses taking my vitals, checking my uterus, giving me shots, taking blood, etc. A lactation consultant came by and spent 20 minutes chatting with me about breastfeeding even though I told her I didn't have any questions AND I had nursed my two older children. The nursery staff were in and out to check on the babies. A lady who deals with birth certificates came by to talk for a minute. At one point, I was trying to nurse and a tech came in to take blood from me. She just went ahead a took it while I was nursing! Also, while the lactation consultant was in my room talking with me, a nursery staff member came in and started talking to me at the same time. It was chaotic and ridiculous! Of course, I just wanted to enjoy my babies and my company. No such luck!
I'll leave off here for now. My next post will be all about the remainder of our hospital stay and bringing the babies home.
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