The Babies Are Here!

This blog post written by Tiffany, Surrogate Mother

Sadly, I don't have much energy to write a full blog post today, or even correct the typos, but will give some small updates until we can write out the big day of the birth.

Readers digest version, my water broke about 2:15pm on Friday, November 9th 2012 - the exact day the babies turned 34 weeks gestation.  I was in the middle of doing a 24 hour urinalysis, collecting urine for 24 hours to test to see if I had pre eclampsia (high blood pressure and swelling led my doctor to think I may). We arrived at the hospital around 3:15 and James and Natalie made it around 4:30.  The babies were born shortly after, via vaginal delivery, no epideral (although I did finally call for one and he was about to put it in when Baby A came out, more on that later).   Parker was born at 7:30pm weighing 4lb 14 oz and 18 1/4 in and Levi was born at 7:42 weighing 4lbs 3.9 oz and 17 1/2 inch.

They have been in the NICU fighting strong to eat.  Natalie has been pumping her breast milk and was even able to nurse Levi at one point.  They both needs strong thoughts right now, or if it's prayers you do, you can do that too.  They are sleeping lots but need to be holding down some food soon.   Since they were only 34 weeks, they still a ways to go and are not out of the woods yet.

I lost 1,000 cc's of blood during delivery and tore in some fun places (more on that later), and ended up having severe pre eclampsia. I do feel pretty sick and very weak, but I also feel on the mend.  I am still in the hospital and waiting to see the doctor today if she will let me go home.  I love being taken care of by this amazing staff but I also miss my boys so much and would love to go home soon.

As a result of being so sick, I have not see the babies yet!   I was able to see Parker very briefly during delivery as James was holding him next to me when I delivered Levi, but if was so fast.  I tried Friday and yesterday several times to go to the bathroom and then hope to go to the wheel chair to go see them but have been too sick. We are hoping today my body will let me and I can be wheeled into the nursery to see my nephews, the little men I grew for the past 8 months.

I will write more of the full birth story later and updates on the twins when I am not so weak.  Thank you everyone for all the comments, emails, messages, meal train, love, prayers, thoughts,  We have been joyously overwhelmed by this community that has given us so much strength.   

Also thank you to my amazing husband who has been taking care of the kids alone for so many months, working, taking care of me, and then filmed the whole birth, sound, film etc, handled the updates and phone calls with friends and family AND still stood my side when I was sick and needing him during one of the craziest births ever.   He needs a champagne bubble bath STAT.

In the mean time, I am so happy for James and Natalie to have their two new sons in the world to love and raise.  It's going to be an even more amazing journey than this one.

Some photos taken by my amazing friend Jen Martin Studios  after the birth, more to come later.

James, Natalie, Sean, Hunter and Tiffany all together after the birth of the twins.

8 months Pregnant Already!

This Blog Post written by Tiffany, Surrogate Mother

We are in the home stretch! Although neither me or the babies have much room for stretching! We have made it to 33 weeks and are just thrilled. My biggest goal is to get to 34 weeks so the babies can be born here in town. Otherwise I will have to be transferred to Seattle or the babies will after they're born. I have been contracting (Braxton Hicks) inconsistantly for a few weeks with some increases these past few days. Nothing that feels like labor. A few of the contractions have kept me up at night, but then they drift away. I am still throwing up and still sick, but I get more breaks here and there where some days, although nauseous, I don't throw up at all!  Lucky!  Afternoons are typically easier on me. I am still working (photography) and I have had the most amazing clients willing to work around my morning sickness.  We have found that if I sleep through the sickness in the morning, and work all afternoon and night, it is not that bad and for sure more bearable. 

The babies are growing perfectly. At their 32 week check up, they were measuring about 4 lbs each and around the 50th percentile which is incredible news; not too big, not too small! Baby A (the first baby due to come out) is a little ahead of the curve though: his head is measuring 34 weeks. Ha ha! Great news is that both babies are head down and my doctor is going to allow me to try a vaginal birth. Fingers crossed for that when that time comes!

Here are two updated photos of these beautiful boys! Both babies received 3D ultrasound photos but only Baby B was willing to cooperate, Baby A kept hiding behind the cord or moving too much.

Today I went to see a photographer friend of mine, Brea Bursch who owns CYE Photography. She did an AMAZING photo shoot of my belly. At first I was unsure if I wanted to do "maternity" photos, since these are not my babies. I never did them with my first, and a friend of mine did some in-home ones of our second that we loved. The more I thought about it, the more I thought - why not? I would love to remember my body during this journey as I carried these two little miracles, and I was super excited at the idea of getting my make up done and doing my hair like a fairy queen. Here is the photo from today that I just cannot stop looking at! My friend Brea is so talented, feel free to pin this photo and check out the rest of her work on her page!

In other news, we have something wonderful to share. Natalie has been taking supplements to produce breast milk for the last few months and it worked! She has been pumping and storing and has 40 + frozen bags ready to go. This means she will get to nurse her babies when they get here. How special to be able to have that bond! I will still pump and donate either to Natalie (if they get low) or to a local family up here that needs the milk.

Lastly, people are asking me a lot how I am feeling now that the end is near and if I am ready or sad. It is a little bittersweet for me, as this is my last pregnancy and I have enjoyed being a surrogate.  Since I am still throwing up and still sick, I am getting ready and excited to have my body back. I am mostly just so excited to see James and Natalie's faces when they meet their two babies they have been longing for. I think it will be one of the most incredible moments to witness and I have been really looking forward to it. I am looking forward to healing at home, visiting with friends, re-kindling my love life with my husband and love bombing my two sons to infinity and beyond.

As always, thank you so much for following our story and for all your kind supportive words. We feel so blessed to have such an amazing community of people in our corner during this journey.

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” 
― Ernest Hemingway

Warmly,

Tiffany Burke

Surrogate Mother