You Wanna Do It When?!!!!!

I knew I was going to have a C-section. At my regular ultrasounds, it was determined that "Baby A" (aka Heather) was facing head up and was lower in the womb; the baby was breach. "Baby B" (aka Michael) was facing head down and higher in the womb. In other words, I had Yin and Yang. We tried everything to turn "A" around. There had been some fairly recent research on using music to turn a baby in utero to avoid a breach. We used a set of headphones and played some soothing music (maybe that's why she wanted to do ballet!) and slowly moved the headphones up my tummy. This was supposed to make the baby want to stay close to the music and follow the sound. It didn't work. I think there was just not enough room in there to do any kind of moving!

At my last ultrasound, the technician needed to get resting and active heartrates for the tic-tacs.... er...kiddos (actually,at this point, they felt like baby elephants!). She was able to get an active heartrate on "A" but not a resting one. "B" was just the opposite; a resting heartrate, but not an active one. Again, yin and yang. "B" almost ended up getting the cattle prod. In the end, all worked out and everyone was happy. However, it was still noted that "A" was breach, therefore requiring the C-section.

My actual due date was October 5, 1999, but given the history of twins, I knew that I would go early. Thank God. It was the hottest summer on record. I was teaching summer school as I needed the extra money. I was given permission to work by my doctor only if I was able to stay off my feet. I sat in the front of the classroom with my feet on another chair. Story hour was conducted on the floor and I would lay down and read to the kids. I pretty much froze the poor assistants out of the classroom as I kept the air conditioner set on Arctic (it didn't have an Antarctic setting so I was still a bit warm). I would show up to work in shorts and a top, while my assistants wore jeans and sweatshirts. I worked almost the entire six weeks this way.

The last week of summer school, for those of you who don't know, is crazy. Packing boxes, writing final reports, dealing with crazy kids who can't wait to get home and into the pool. That Monday (August 23), I woke up and hopped in the shower. While shampooing, I had the strangest feeling....down there. It felt like a foot was making its way out of....well, you know. I went to work and called the doctor. She made me go home and get to bed.

Now the fun begins, but I have to backtrack and share a funny story. Since we knew that twins arrive early, there was a running joke in our family. My parents' birthdays are August 29th (Mom's) and 30th (Dad's) What if I went into labor on the 29th before midnight and had one on Mom's birthday and one on Dad's birthday? Ha ha, wouldn't that be cool? Fast forward to August 29th. Scott had just arrived home from work at 11pm and I was in bed, but not asleep. I had that funny feeling, that tightness in my belly....my first contraction! I timed it and told Scott, promising to let him know if it happened again. It didn't. The next day was my regular doctor's appointment. As I said before, I told Scott that he didn't have to come to this one as it was a routine measurement and heartrate session. He decided to go to Builder's Square to get the last few items to finish the kids' room. After she performed her exam, she stated that we would have to schedule the C-section. While I had not dilated at all, I was completely effaced (meaning, the wall of the uterus was completely thinned out). We headed out to the receptionist's desk to schedule the operation....sometime that week. EEEK! Not that soon! I didn't think I had had enough time to prepare! OK, take a deep breath, let it out....hoooooo. OK, ready. THIS WEEK!!!! AAAAAH! As we were waiting for the receptionist to get off the phone, I happened to mention the funny family joke and that today was my father's birthday. She responds, "When's the last time you had something to eat? We can do this tonight!" OK, now it's time to panic!