How our children came to be

 

     Brandon and I had a wonderful opportunity to help out with a fundraiser for Generations of Hope. We had a crew come in and film our story. We have attached the video for you to see, but thought we should share our story first so you would understand the video. The link to the video is at the bottom of this email so just click on it to watch it. So here goes

Brandon and I always wanted to have a family. It was something we discussed before we were married and once married we immediately started trying to have a baby. Just like most couples you assume when you want to have a baby it just happens. However, we were not having any luck. After almost two years of trying with no luck, we made an appointment to go see the doctor where they suggested we use an ovulation kit. So, we tried that and not only did we not have any luck, but it became a chore. We went back to the doctor after months of trying where they decided to run some tests and blood work on me. All the tests came back normal so the doctor suggested Brandon do a sperm analysis. When we got the results back it became clear why we were not having any luck. As the doctor explained Brandon had odd shaped sperm that swim the wrong way. His exact words were your sperm are drunk. We will never forgot the day as the doctor proceeded to tell us it was impossible for us to have children and there was always fertility treatments but he was very doubtful they would work. We left the office that day in tears. Something we had always wanted seemed impossible. After a few days we decided to not accept the answer and to get a second opinion. This time we went to Seattle and made an appointment. Once again they ran all the same tests and the results came back the same. However, this time the doctor gave us some hope when he told us he believed fertility treatments would work. So we started with IUI’s and did 2 of those before deciding to move on as we were just throwing away money. The doctor agreed and the next option was IVF. As we were looking into dates of when to start Brandon got a new job and we moved to Canada. Our dream of having a baby was put on hold.
Once in Canada we met with the fertility clinic. Our plan was to still do the treatment in Seattle as they offered financing and Canada did not. We went to the clinic in Calgary to meet the doctors and make arrangements to get meds, etc. from them until we flew back to Seattle for the actual treatment. Once at the Calgary clinic we started thinking how expensive flights would be and what if the first treatment did not work. That day a nurse told us about a program called Generations of Hope. Generations of Hope is a non-profit organization devoted to helping couples struggling with infertility issues attain their dream of having a family. The nurse gave us an application and told us to consider it. We decided to fill out the application and mailed it in knowing we would never be given a grant.
Some time went by before I got a phone call stating we did in fact receive a grant and we were being offered treatment. I remember sitting on the phone in tears and being filled with joy. So we started the journey and did IVF.
There is a ton of details about our treatment, but to prevent writing a novel I will sum it up. Once we started the treatment we quickly learned my body was not responding to treatment and not producing the amount of follicles I should. In fact at one point the treatment was almost cancelled because my body was not responding. We barely squeezed by and we got to the egg retrieval. They retrieved 5 eggs which is very low (someone at my age should have a ton of eggs). They called us the next day to let us know that 3 had fertilized and followed up again the following day to let us know 2 had made it. Normally they do a transfer on day 3 or 5, but they said we would do a day 2 transfer as they were not going to get any better. So with only 2 embryos’we decided this was our chance. We put both back hoping one would take and as it turns out both took. We are now the proud parents of Faith and Kaylee.

I know this is coming as a surprise to everyone and you might wonder why we have not told anyone before this. This was an incredibly difficult time for Brandon and I and it was emotional. We did not want sympathy or pity from anyone. Once we got pregnant we were so over joyed with the news we just wanted to celebrate that moment and our bundles of joy. We didn’t want to take away from our joy to explain what we had gone through. Right, wrong, or indifferent we had been through so much and it didn’t matter to us how we got pregnant but rather it worked. Now we have had some time to step back and were given this opportunity. We decided there is nothing to hide and we owe it to give back. We hope you can understand our decision. We are happy to answer any questions about our journey and this process. We hope you enjoy the video. It was a beautiful moment for us to relive our story while looking at our two miracles. I am sure I have left people out of this email so please pass along.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/szunqgv17q6ijdr/R%20and%20B%20FINE.mp4

Hugs
Brandon and Rachel

We Are Back!!

Well is has been quite awhile since my last post. So much has happened and I am not sure I will be able to blog about it all, but I will do my best. So please be patient as I update the blog. My goal is to stay more on top of things, but having two babies changes everything :) Let's start from the birth of the girls.

It was Thursday May 17th and I was so uncomfortable at that point. It didn't matter if I laid down, stood up, or took a bath I could not get comfortable. I was ready for the babies to come out. I decided to go for a walk with my mom. She had come up early to keep me company while I was on bed rest. Now I should make it clear when I say go for a walk I mean go down a few driveways. We made it two driveways and came back. I laid in bed as I was very uncomfortable. My mom and Brandon finally decided I should go into the hospital to get checked out. I did not want to go as I thought they would just send me home, but I was outnumbered so we got in the car and away we went.

Upon arrival to the hospital they asked me if I was in labour. I told them I was not sure. They sent me into a room to be checked out by a nurse. The nurse checked to see if my water had broken. She did not even have to examine as she took one look and immediately said your water broke. She took a sample to double check under a microscope. She quickly came back and said I would not be leaving the room as I was in labour. I was shocked as I never felt my water break. I assumed it would be a big gush of water. Instead I had a slow leak and was not aware of what was going on. They had me change into a hospital gown and we were waiting for a room to transfer me to the labour wing. I was admitted about 2am. They started me on Pitocin to jump start my contractions. At first everything was great and I did not feel anything. Things quickly turned as the Pitocin kicked in and I started having pretty intense contractions. Thank goodness Brandon was right by my side and held my hand through it all. He helped me breath and get through each contraction. He was my rock. The contractions started to hurt pretty bad and the nurse asked if I wanted an epidural. I wanted to wait as long as possible as I did not want it to slow down the process. The nurse assured me it would not slow it down so I said ok let's do it. They checked to see how far along I was and I was already 5cm. The epidural was more scary than anything. I did not like the fact I could not see what was going on and was exposing my bare back to a stranger. Once I got the epidural I felt great. The doctor came in to check on me and I was already 8cm. She said I would be delivering the babies in no time. However, I was so tired I ended up falling asleep. The nurses let me sleep as they told Brandon I would need my strength in the delivery room. I woke up and was feeling intense contractions. They gave me a button to push anytime I felt pain. This button would increase the epidural, but only went up every so often. Let me tell you I pushed that button every contraction. In my mind I knew it wasn't doing anything, but it was nice to push a button. The doctor came to check me and I was 10cm and it was time. I asked if I could take my button with me, but they said unfortunately I could not. They wheeled me into the operating room while Brandon went to put on scrubs. I had to deliver in the operating room in case they had to do an emergency c-section. I was so excited and ready to meet our baby girls.

Upon entering the room I got really nervous and was not sure I was ready. My pulse spiked, but Brandon quickly held my hand and got me through it. They strapped my feet into the straps and everything hit me this was really happening. The doctor was in the next room in a c-section so they were talking to me until the doctor came into the room. My contractions got so intense and I felt like I needed to push immediately. The nurse looked down and told the other nurse to get the doctor immediately. Next thing I knew a doctor was in front of me and said your baby has a full head of hair. Then it all begin. I started pushing. I never knew what people meant when they said the ring of fire. However, that quickly changed. I will never forgot that feeling. I remember Brandon looking down and saying she is coming out. You are so close. After a few more pushes Faith Kimberly Newell came into the world at 10:14am weighing in at 5 pounds 2 ounces. The nurse took her to a team to clean her up and check her out. Then it hit me there was still one more baby to deliver. However, Kaylee was content and did not want to come out. So the doctor reached up to try and pull her down from my rib cage. She didn't want to budge. I pushed several times and they had to use a vacuum to get her out. The first few tries the suction slipped off her head. Finally they got it attached and before I knew it Kaylee Walker Newell was born at 10:23am weighing in at 4 pounds 7 ounces. They took Kaylee over to a team of nurses to get cleaned up as well. They took both babies to the NICU as they were born premature. In the meantime they cleaned me up and put in 3 stitches. I had a slight tear. Of course my first question was if I had pooped on the table. haha.

After they put the stitches in they transferred me to the recovery room and got me all settled. Once in the room the nurses came in checked on me and prepared to move me to the overnight room. They put me in a wheel chair and first took me to the NICU to see our babies. It was the greatest day of my life and one I will never forgot. I have never loved two people more in my life (except of course for my husband). And so our journey started into the world of parenthood.

Kaylee Walker Newell

Faith Kimberly Newell

    

Belly Cast

A few weeks ago we decided to do a belly cast to capture the memories of being pregnant. It was such a fun experience and we had some good laughs. After it was all said it done Brandon thought it would be funny to pretend to wear the cast so of course I had to take some pictures. We are going to have Brandon's brother do some artwork on the cast so we can hang it as artwork in the house. We thought it would be way prettier than just a plain white belly cast. We also had our maternity shoot and should get the photos in a few weeks. I will make sure to post those!!

Update on Babies

Well I am officially 33 weeks and 3 days today!! I was put on bed rest 26 days ago and was not sure if I would make it to this day with the babies still cooking. I am happy to report that the babies are still cooking away!! We had an ultrasound this morning and I am happy to report both babies are very healthy. Baby A stands in at 4 pounds 15 ounces and Baby B stands in at 4 pounds 14 ounces. The doctor said if I were carrying a singleton baby they would be in the 60th percentile and large. His words exactly were " for twins they are very large. You two don't make small babies". The doctor said it is a waiting game at this point and I could make it to 37 or 38 weeks or I could go into labor in the next few days. I see my actual Doctor this Friday to see if he will take me off bed rest. He told me last visit he would take me off between 34-35 weeks. I will be 34 weeks on Saturday. I am keeping my fingers crossed to get off bed rest and get out of the house. The doctor said as soon as they take me off bed rest they encouraging labor and will do nothing to stop it. Both babies are still head down so I will get the chance to push!! Not sure if I am ready to push out two babies, but I know with Brandon by my side I can do it.
    Since my last update a few things have changed. I am now having more intense contractions. Boy oh boy do they hurt!! Unfortunately my body likes to tease me. I will have 3 contractions 10 minutes apart and think the day has arrived only for everything to stop and go back to status quo. I have a contraction every time I sit up and get up to walk around. The only times I do not have them are when I take a bath or am laying on my right side. The other day I thought we were for sure headed to the hospital as I had a contraction with a shooting pain that I have never felt before. Brandon and my mom said the look on my face was priceless. Brandon said he has never seen me in such pain. I can only imagine what my face will look like during labor. I told them if labor was going to be worse than that pain I quit. I do know one thing for sure is I will probably have a few choice words to say while in delivery. So we are now in a holding pattern. The hospital bags are packed and each night we are prepared if we need to go. It would be nice if someone could give us an exact day the babies would make an appearance, but no one can seem to answer that. The Doctor said my body is definitely preparing for labor with the contractions, but the babies are still content to bake inside at this point. I am torn between wanting them out because I am so uncomfortable at this point, but also want them to be as healthy as possible. And did I mention I am not the most patient person. Below are a few pictures taken recently. Please disregard the stretch marks. I am growing so quick that my stomach is stretched to the max. I will continue to post updates as we get them so keep checking back.

Ultrasound that led to Bed Rest

We had our latest ultrasound appointment on April 10th ( I was 29 weeks 3 days). The ultrasound started great. The tech was super nice and helped accommodate me so I did not have to lay on my back. Both babies looked absolutely amazing!! Both babies are head down which is great. Both have developed hair and are both practicing their breathing. During the ultrasound we got to see Baby A knee her sister in the face and Baby B had the yawns! They are both so adorable!! Both babies are measuring ahead of schedule. Baby A was 3 pounds 6 ounces and Baby B was 3 pounds 10 ounces. They are both in the 90th percentile for growth. No complaints during that part of the ultrasound other than we were not able to get any pictures as the babies have decided they do not want their picture taken.
   Next we moved on to the internal exam that measures my cervix. I knew almost immediately something was not right based on the techs face. She tried to be discreet, but I could read the expression. She said well I need you to get dressed and we will talk to the doctor about where we go from here. We had no idea what was going on. They brought us into the room to talk with the doctor and as we were walking down the hall I heard the nurse on the phone saying they were having me head to the hospital. I was so confused. I felt fine so what could possibly be going on. Brandon said lets just wait and see what the doctor says. The doctor came in the room and delivered the news. The Doctor said last appointment my cervix was at 29mm. This time it was at 10mm and was funnelling (fancy way of saying dilating).  He said I needed to go the hospital right away as I was showing signs of preterm labour. So we got in the car and drove to the hospital. The Doctor decided the next step was to give me a steroid shot in the butt. The steroid shots are to help the babies lungs develop faster. At this point they described their lungs are sticky wet balloons so it does not allow them to inflate easy. These steroid shots help them to develop more rapidly. It is a series of two shots. I got the first one on Tuesday and followed up with the second one on Wednesday.  In the meantime I have been put on bed rest.
       I was admitted to the Antenatal Community Care Program. My doctor decided to admit me to this program where nurses come into our home. He thought this was a better alternative then being admitted to the hospital on bed rest. They find women do better in the comfort of their own home rather than a hospital bed.  I couldn't agree more.  Although if things change then I will be admitted to the hospital so hopefully these babies will be content to be at home.  The nurse came on Friday April13th and went over the program and filled out all the paperwork. I will have a nurse calling me everyday to check up on me and they will come by the house 1-2 times a week. When they are here they check my blood pressure, temperature, listen to the babies heart beats and do non stress tests. The non stress tests is where you are hooked up to monitors. They monitor both babies movements, heart beats, and trace a scan of them. The pattern on the scan shows if the babies are in distress at all. They also hook me up to another monitor to test for contractions. All the nurses in the program are required to have a minimum of 5 years labor and delivery experience which is reassuring. Our nurse today has been a nurse for almost 40 years so I was very comfortable with her. I have to monitor the babies movements multiple times throughout the day as well as contractions, etc. They have given me a chart that tracks morning, afternoon and evening. In terms of babies movements I am to time how long it takes to get 6 movements from each baby. I need to fill at least 6 from both babies within two hours. They also have me monitor contractions, and other symptoms such as back pain, abdominal pressure, etc. I also have to record how much rest I am getting. The nurses teach you signs of preterm labor and what to look for. For example what I thought was Braxton Hicks Contractions has actually been contractions so I have to pay attention to those. If I experience any preterm labor symptoms I am to empty my bladder, drink some water and lay down on my side. If symptoms do not change after an hour I have to go to the hospital.  The positive was the nurse told me she had a twin mom on this program who started at 17 weeks and made it to 34 weeks so that was great to hear.
labor of twins. They have a ton of them from breastfeeding, preterm labor, etc.

We have our next ultrasound on Tuesday April 24th. Best case scenario I will have a dynamic cervix which means it will not be funnelling anymore. If this is the case it usually means the babies were pushing on it and have moved. This would be ideal, but we wont know until the ultrasound. I also have a doctors appointment on Thursday April 26th. So that will be a big week for me as I will also be 32 weeks that Saturday. In the meantime I am following doctors orders and will keep our blog posted as we get updates!!

  

28 Week Baby Bump

Here is a photo of my baby bump at 28 weeks!! Currently I am 30 weeks and 2 days. Not sure I can get much bigger. Here are some of my thoughts thus far

Weight Gained: 52 pounds
Cravings: Mexican
Baby A: She is a very active little girl and kicks all the time
Baby B: She changes positions about every two seconds and takes up all the room
Aches and Pains: Backache

Bellingham Baby Shower

On March 31, 2012 my family and friends had a baby shower for me in Bellingham, WA. I was so excited to go home and see everyone as I had not seen most people since Christmas. The shower was absolutely perfect. All the details were beautiful and well thought out. I was truly touched and it meant the world to me. The best part was being able to see family and friends. I received so many wonderful gifts at the shower and wish I could have stayed longer, but it was nice to get to see everyone. It was also fun getting baby advice as this is a new process to me. I cannot thank everyone enough for such a joyous day.