My name is Julie Reynolds. On March 22, 2006 I gave birth to stillborn fraternal twin boys. I was 34 weeks pregnant. They weighed 5 pounds 4 ounces and 6 pounds 3 ounces. Their names are Lucas and Ryland. I am also the mother of 4 living sons.
On Augest 19, 2005 I had my tubes tied so we would not have anymore children. I started to get sick after the procedure and told the doctor. She said that I might have an infection from the procedure. I also complained of pain, so she sent me for a ultrasound cause she said I most likly had cysts on my ovaries. A week after the ultrasound was done I called to get the results and found out I was pregnant again and this time with twins. My husband and I needless to say were very surprised but extremly happy about the news as we thought we no longer could have children. My first question to the doctor was if they were ok cause I had the surgery around the time I had conceived them. The doctor did not check for a pregnancy for before I had the surgery.
Everything was fine and right up until just before they were born. Two weeks before they passed away I went to the hospital in extreme pain on the left side of my stomach. I was given tylenol, hooked up to a fetal heart monitor then sent home. I was told what ever happened inside my stomach, my babies were tolorating it well and that was it. No other tests were performed. The next day I saw my doctor and told her what happened. She said if it happened again to go back to the hospital and to come back to see her in two weeks. I never got to see her again.
A week and a half later I had a ultrasound which had been booked weeks before I experienced the extreme pain. I was told they were perfectly healthy little boys. I had noticed that the baby on the left’s heartrate was lower than it normally was and I asked why. She said it was cause there was really no more room left to grow and he wasn’t active and probably sleeping at the moment. On the Tuesday after my ultrasound I went for a nap before my husband had to go to work. I woke up and started to get supper ready for my four boys. I cleaned and then recieved a phone call from my sister-in-law that she wanted to take my youngest son for the night. I got him ready. By the time I did have a few moments to sit I noticed that I had not felt any movement since before I went for my nap. I went and got something to eat and drink because usually that would make them move. When that didn’t work I tried to move them myself and nothing happened. I called my husband at work and told him I was going to the hospital. I told him I would call him because he was not allowed to leave (work) unless I was in labor cause I already called him home many times that week.
I went to the hospital and they told me that they had one babies’ heartbeat but the other baby was probably hiding so they were going to give me a ultrasound to see and hear them better. That was the moment my heart truely broke. The doctor on call told me that both boys were dead. They said that they picked up my heartbeat earlier.I got them to call my husband at work. They couldn’t tell him anything on the phone and just told him that he needed to come. He arrived almost a hour later cause he went home first to change cause he thought I was in labor and he gets really dirty at his job. When he arrived I heard the nurse tell him in the hallway just outside my room. I remember feeling so numb, how could this be happening to us? My stay in the hospital was very emotionally straining cause of rude comments I had to endure from medical staff. I did make a formal complaint about these comments. It was hard enough to deal with what I had to go through then I had to deal with what these (so called) medical professionals were telling me.
EXAMPLE; A lab tech said”you had a baby? I said “yes, I had twin boys” she said “Where are your babies? I said “They passed away.” she said “Oh, you are the one they are talking about downstairs. You don’t want any sick or malformed babies away. It’s for the best they died.” My sons were not sick, they were not malformed. They were healthy little boys. There were other comments as well.
I was told is that Lucas died first and he was the baby on the left, the side I first had problems on and he was the baby with the lower than normal heart rate. I have yet to recieve the autopsy results. I was told by the doctor who delievered my sons that the test they did recieve back showed no cause. I can’t deal with the fact they are telling me that we buried two healthy little boys.
I delivered my boys by c-section and discovered later that I had an infection from the surgery. Lucas was born at 2:16pm and weighed 5lbs. 4ozs. Ryland was born at 2:17pm and weighed 6lbs.3ozs. I remember returning to my room it was 4:30pm. The nurse brought in my babies and placed them both in my arms. I remember thinking they just looked like they were sleeping but I knew they would never wake up from this sleep. I kissed each of their little heads and told them I was sorry and that I loved them. The nurse came and took them to another room. I later asked for them again because I wanted to hold them individually.
We had two services for them as we live so far away from home. We had a service here where we live, which was open casket, the choice of my two older children. I glad we did that cause I was feeling a bit better from the surgery and I got the chance to kiss them good-bye without feeling all groggy from pain medications. We had to transfer their bodies ourselves back home which was a hard long drive (7 hours). My aunts put together the service back home which was more than I ever expected.
I hadn’t been home in 2 years and it was really something to see how many people cared. My boys were not planned but I wanted them more than anything in this world and as each day goes by I miss them more then I think my heart can handle at some times.
Julie Reynolds on behalf of Lucas and Ryland born still on March 22, 2006
Jumelle: Prenatal, Postnatal & Beyond 