It gives me great pleasure to introduce Gretel (Mommy) & her beautiful baby girls, Kailah & Aliyah.
Gretel is a reader of This Blessed Nest. We have shared emails back & forth before her girls were born. Talking about all sorts of things from breastfeeding twins, supplies, products to get, what it would be like etc. Little did I know, that she was going to give me the honor of sharing parts of their incredible birth story along with amazing photos of the actual birth day.
So…my lovely readers, I am thrilled to share with you, in Gretel’s words from her email ~ parts of an amazing double birth story.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010, I went in for my routine, 36 week prenatal exam. I wasn’t aware of any contractions. I felt faint the night before, so I had my husband drive the 61 mile road to get me to the birth center. I was seriously thinking about postponing the appointment until May 3rd, so he wouldn’t have to miss anymore work.
I wasn’t going to have the midwife check to see if I was dilated, but I had her go ahead, so I could tell my mom how progressed I was, so she could buy a plane ticket. I was 8 centimeters! 8!
I wasn’t going to have the midwife check to see if I was dilated, but I had her go ahead, so I could tell my mom how progressed I was, so she could buy a plane ticket. I was 8 centimeters! 8!
Over the next 12 hours I went from 8-9.5, but still my water had not broken. I walked, I took “labor aid”, I even took 2 doses of castor oil (that’s 1 tablespoon one hour, 1 tablespoon the next–not the whole bottle like I was going to do to kick myself into labor with David). The contractions were regular, barely felt them, but certainly not strong.
At 11:15 p.m. I gave the go ahead for the midwife to break my water. I had a whole team of midwives and students, and more midwives they brought in with twin experience, a photographer, a videographer, the owner of the birth center…Never have I seen a bathroom so packed! Yet, as modest as I am, it didn’t bother me, and I am so thankful for each and every one of them that witnessed their birth, and welcomed them into the world, and for the role that they all played from getting the girls clothes and diapers to go home in, to the lady who showed up for a chiropractor adjustment and ended up videoing and seeing her first birth, to the professional photographer who volunteered, to the chiropractor who adjusted me throughout the day to make me comfortable and to try and kick start labor, to Rosemary who truly has a servant’s heart, to Joni, my main midwife, who explained things to me, and who spoke sense into me, to sister of the midwife who watched David all day at her nearby home, to everyone!
Thank God for you!
Kailah was born in water around 11:57 p.m. on April 28, 2010, weighing 5 pounds 10 ounces, at 19 inches–no problems at all.
Aliyah’s (the next baby, yet to be born) placenta (her oxygen supply) tore off, and she came out in her bag with the placenta. She was blue, her heart was beating very slowly, but she wasn’t breathing.
She was given 6 breaths by the midwives and that brought her heart rate up, and she was taking few, few breaths. I was rubbing her, and talking to her, trusting that everything was going to be okay. Then, the chiropractor adjusted her vertebrae (C1 I believe), and SHE LET OUT A CRY and turned pink!!! Praise the Lord Jesus!!!
Aliyah was born in the room at around 12:07 a.m. on April 29, 2010, weighing 5 pounds 8 ounces, at 19 inches in length
The girls were born less than an hour after the midwife broke my water. If I had been home, if my husband had been at work, we would not have had time to go anywhere! God orchestrated everything perfectly. Praise Him!
I personally want to wish Gretel, her Hubby, David (their 1 year old son!!!) Kailah & Aliyah all the best.
Gretel, I think YOU are one amazing Momma! I know that you wished & prayed over the girls’ birth. They are so strong & healthy, such an answer to many prayers. You have every reason to be proud of what you accomplished. I know what you are experiencing right now & your commitment to breastfeed all 3 babies is a rare, beautiful, selfless act. That I am truly amazed by your example.
Thank you for giving me the privilege to share your story.
btw, I think that last picture is priceless! Sleeping Daddy & all…..
**to those curious, at the time of this post, she has not started double breastfeeding the twins. she is nursing them one at a time. her goal is to make sure that they are taking in as much as possible during the early weeks & to concentrate on each one of them separately. there is no doubt in my mind, that she will master the art of dual & triple breastfeeding very quickly. she again, is one amazing Momma!**
Hello! I’m so glad you’re here & reading my posts! I’ve started truncating my posts, so please click over to read the rest of the story!
THANK YOU!
THANK YOU!