Muskegon resident Bessie Davis was hoping that her twins would be born on Mother’s Day (at the earliest), but her babies had other plans — they came twelve weeks early and arrived on Saint Patrick’s Day instead.
Caught off guard at just 28 weeks, there was no time for Bessie to go to Mercy Health Saint Mary’s, so the doctors and nurses from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Grand Rapids drove to Mercy Health Hackley Campus to help with the delivery.
Harper was born first and nurses began to work on the 1.12 ounce baby, who showed no signs of life at first. Willow followed her sister, and she, too, had respiratory distress, although she was 2.2 ounces when born.
I learned that as soon as I gave birth that my babies and I would be transported to Mercy Health Saint Mary’s in Grand Rapids in a specially equipped ambulance, called the NICU Transport. That way they could receive a higher level of care for premature babies.
After they were born was the scariest time in my life because I couldn’t see my daughters until they were stabilized…but I knew that my babies and I were in good hands. I accompanied one of my girls to Grand Rapids in the NICU transport, just after my OBGYN released me to travel.
From the beginning, everyone at Mercy Health was friendly and made me feel like I was at home. With babies born that early, it’s not possible for them to digest anything but breastmilk, so I learned to breastfeed for the first time, even though I had three other children.
The breastfeeding specialists came right to the NICU to teach me what to do. They even gave me a loaner breast pump until I could get one of my own. At first, the girls were fed through a feeding tube, but they were on a bottle before they came home.
I loved Sophia’s House in Grand Rapids, where I stayed off and on while the girls were in the NICU for about six weeks. I traveled a lot between Muskegon and Grand Rapids, and Sophia’s House gave me a home away from home. It is great place for family members to stay when loved ones are in the hospital. It is convenient and the staff are friendly. I pumped all the time and brought the milk to the girls whenever I could.
I couldn’t hold my babies until the end of the first week, so I talked to them, changed their diapers, and reached into the incubator to touch them — so they knew I was there. To help Harper and Willow learn how to suck, the nurses showed me how to put my milk on a Q-tip and place it near their tiny lips.
The NICU is a very secure place, and I was a frequent visitor, so I had a badge to get into the unit. The nurses were amazing. Every time the girls hit a milestone — like another pound in weight or learning to drink from a bottle — the nurses would decorate the walls and celebrate with me. When Harper and Willow were released to go home, the NICU team gave me a scrapbook documenting those first six weeks.
I learned so much from the team that has continued to help me. I watched educational videos and the nurses put the babies on a feeding schedule, which I’ve kept since Harper and Willow came home. Having a schedule for napping and eating really helps, especially with two babies.
When I took my babies home on the day after Mother’s Day, I was so happy, but I actually missed the NICU team. The nurses and doctors are like aunts and uncles to Harper and Willow. For follow-up at home, I’ve had support from a visiting nurse and a developmental specialist, who has kept track of the girls’ progress.
It’s amazing to watch my twins grow. It is so different from having one baby — they learn from me and also from each other. Willow and Harper are awesome. They are walking and starting to talk, and most important, their pediatrician says they are on target.
I want to thank Mercy Health for making the scariest time of my life not so scary.