1. What should I take to the hospital? 

                -a Polaroid camera. If you're not able to see your babies at 
                birth, get your husband to take lots of pictures of them in the 
                NICU that night so that you can see what they look like. 

                - if your babies are going to be in the NICU for a while, tape 
                recorders for their isolettes are a good idea. Tape yourself or 
                other family members reading, or play music. One mother says 
                "my daughter's SAT (oxygen saturation level) improved 
                noticeably when the music was playing. She also loved to hear 
                stories with a heavy rhyme or pattern, mostly Shel Silverstein. 
                I taped my voice reading those books and let the nurses play 
                them when we weren't there. You have to have one for each 
                isolette because there would be a risk of shared germs if they 
                shared tape recorders." 

                - If you are planning on pumping or nursing, take something to 
                tie your hair back.  

                - If the kids stay in the hospital, buy three disposable cameras, 
                write their names on them, and leave them by their isolettes- 
                that way anyone can take a picture and you always know which 
                baby it is. Take lots of pictures and try to put the babies 
                beside something to show their size (hands work well). You will 
                not remember this time in a little while!  

                - Bring your phone list (you'll be surprised at which numbers 
                you'll forget), and your calling card (it's cheaper than charging 
                it to your room). 

                - a calendar so that if any visitors offer to help, you can put 
                them on the schedule right away. 

                - Makeup, curling iron, other toiletries. You may not want them, 
                but they're nice to have there if you do. 

                - Ear plugs or a walkman to drown out hospital sounds. (If you 
                are wearing ear plugs make sure to let the nurse know or write 
                a note on the table in case they try to wake you up and panic 
                because you don't hear them!) 

                - Lipstick or moisturizer as well as some type of throat drops- 
                hospitals are dry! 

                - Your own robe and slippers- they will be more comfortable 
                than anything the hospital has for you.  

                - high cut underwear that will fit over your incision with room 
                to spare.  

                - you may want to bring your own sanitary pads. The hospital 
                will provide you with some, but if you're more comfortable with 
                your own brand, take them. 

                - nursing bra and pads 

                - pillows, an egg crate mattress, or a big duvet that you can 
                throw over the hospital bed. They can all help you to become 
                more comfortable.  

                - video camera to tape the birth if possible. You don't have to 
                tape all of the gory bits, but it will be nice for you to be able 
                to see what was happening later on. 

                - one couple (with their doctor's okay), brought an audio tape 
                of music that they had recorded with songs special to them and 
                played it during the delivery. Now they have a tape with 
                extra-special memories for them. 

                2. What will my c-section be like? 

                - "my c-section was the best part of my pregnancy".  

                - one mother's story "I didn't do much to prepare for the 
                surgery (other than not eating and drinking when the doc tells 
                you to). I went in at 1 pm for a scheduled c-section at 3 pm. 
                The hospital was very crowded that day, so they didn't really 
                rush me as I wasn't huffing and puffing in labour. So we sat 
                around until about 3:30 and then the nurses started prepping 
                me (and my husband). We went in a little before 4. There were 
                tons of people. I don't remember everyone, but 2 OB's and an 
                assistant, anesthesiologist and nurse, and a team for each baby 
                with a neonatologist and a couple of nurses. Those are the 
                people I remember. It was very laid back (or they made it seem 
                so for me). The nurse for the anesthesiologist is the one I 
                talked to most, who looked over the curtain in front of my face 
                and answered questions about what was going on, and my OB 
                talked to me a lot too. At 4:01, 4:02, and 4:03 the babies all 
                came out. They all cried which made me feel great! Each one was 
                taken by a team and cleaned up. My husband was with them and 
                they came by to visit before they whisked them up to the NICU 
                (no big problems luckily- they needed a little oxygen and 
                observation) while they sewed me up. I stayed in the recovery 
                room for about an hour after that. Then they took me to my 
                room to sleep."  

                - If you have any fears or concerns, tell your anesthesiologist 
                or your nurse so that they will know what to expect, and 
                possibly how to help you. Nothing that you say is going to sound 
                stupid- they've been through it many times before. 

                - see if you can get a relaxant shot before receiving the 
                catheter and the epidural.  

                - Depending on whether you get a spinal or an epidural, you may 
                have to be held immobile to prevent involuntary jerking. 
                Prepare for this so that it doesn't frighten you if it happens. 

                - Getting the epidural may be uncomfortable or painful but it is 
                the only way that they are going to be able to do the section 
                without putting you under. Sensations ranged from pain when 
                the needle was inserted to electric shocks running up and down 
                your spinal cord, to no discomfort at all. Again, express your 
                concerns to your nurse so that she can answer questions or 
                reassure you.  

                - you may shake or get cold after the epidural- they will have 
                warm blankets to cover you up :) 

                - Let the anesthesiologist and nurse know if you are 
                claustrophobic- they may be able to move the curtain down a 
                little to leave your face a bit more free.  

                - You will have an anesthesiologist at your head as well as your 
                support person and possibly a delivery nurse. You will never be 
                alone, and all of those people can answer questions for you.  

                - You will have a choice as to whether or not you watch the 
                surgery. They can arrange mirrors so that you can watch if you 
                wish. 

                - The tugging and pulling during the section can feel rather odd, 
                but you will not feel pain. You will be completely numb from 
                your your breasts to your knees- if you are not tell your 
                anesthesiologist.  

                - The actual birth will only take a short time (usually no more 
                than five minutes). The sewing up and repair work will take 
                about 45 minutes. If you can arrange it, have a support person 
                there to talk to you while they are doing it. Also, ask for any 
                drugs that they did not want to give you while you were still 
                carrying the babies.  

                - You may be extremely emotional, or you may fall asleep. Both 
                reactions are completely normal. 

                3. What will happen in the recovery room? 

                - shaking in the recovery room is quite common- most of the 
                women on this list had it to some degree. Don't be alarmed, 
                although it is frightening not to have any control over your 
                body. It will go away fairly quickly. 

                - you will probably be wrapped in warm blankets to help with 
                the shock from the surgery. 

                - You will be given a sponge bath to wash off the mess from the 
                surgery- tell the nurse if you are hot or cold so that she can 
                treat you accordingly. 

                - Don't be afraid to ask for crackers or water- some women 
                are incredibly hungry afterwards while others are nauseous.  

                - You will probably spend at least an hour in recovery before 
                being taken to your room. You may be able to go and see your 
                babies on the way to your room, but most doctors won't let you 
                go until the next day. Don't worry about it- if there is an 
                emergency they will let you know, and otherwise you need to 
                sleep. 

                - Try to have someone in your room to get you what you need, 
                talk to the nurse, etc. Do not be afraid to ask for pain 
                medications- take all that they will give you and then ask for 
                more.  

                4. How about post-operative? What should I 
                expect? What should I do? 

                - Call the hospital operator and get your phone turned off so 
                you're not tempted to answer it. You need your sleep 
                desperately, especially if you're pumping. 

                - Be aware of the symptoms of post-partum depression and the 
                'baby blues'. You have a lot of hormones floating around your 
                body, and these can lead to more intense emotions than  
                singleton mothers may feel. One mother's story- "I had almost 
                overwhelming feelings that I wasn't equipped to mother three 
                babies, that I was going to be crazy having my mom stay with 
                us, that God had somehow mistaken us for a couple that could 
                handle this...I wasn't really incompetent-- I was just hormonal. 
                It cleared up around ten days after they were born, which was 
                coincidentally the day they came home from the hospital." Make 
                sure that those around you know what to look for- some cases 
                of post-partum depression do need medical treatment. 

                - Don't expect your stomach to flatten out right away. You will 
                probably still look pregnant when you leave the hospital. Give 
                yourself a break- you've just given birth to three babies! 

                - If you can manage it, ask the NICU nurses to put your babies 
                on a 4 hour feeding schedule before they leave the hospital. 
                This will make your life at home easier.  

                -You may have little or no incision pain.  

                - If your babies are not in the NICU, ask the nurses to bring 
                the babies to you rather than you going to them for feeding and 
                cuddling. 

                - Expect a lot of gas in your stomach after the operation. Your 
                stomach may blow up, move like there are babies still inside of 
                you, you may have shoulder and neck pain from the gas. Walking 
                the halls and rolling on the bed may help to relieve some of the 
                gas.  

                - Oversized sweatsuits, or loose-fitting leggings and sweaters, 
                are more comfortable to wear than street clothing after the 
                surgery.  

                - You will probably bleed a lot as you shed your locchia. Ask 
                the nurses about it if you are concerned- you have a lot of 
                stuff to get rid of after having three babies in your uterus. 
                Bleeding will last longer than a singleton pregnancy- two months 
                is not uncommon. 

                - You may be able to get a 'belt' from the hospital- one woman 
                got one- it was about 8" wide and connected with velcro to stop 
                the flab from sliding over her incision. Ask your nurses about 
                it. 

                - A sanitary pad placed horizontally over your incision will stop 
                your underwear from rubbing against it. 

                - Get people who visit to bring you the food that you couldn't 
                eat during your pregnancy! 

                - If you have a hard time screening visitors, ask the nurses to 
                intervene and either cut short visiting times or deny visitors 
                altogether. This is not the time for socializing- let people visit 
                when you are home and they can help out at the same time. 

                - Carry a pillow with you everywhere in case you have to sneeze 
                or cough. Just hold it over your incision and use it as a brace.  

                - Ask for as many painkillers as you can get. There are no 
                medals for suffering, and they won't give you anything that 
                could harm the babies through your breastmilk. 

                - Route all of your phone calls through the nurses' station. Get 
                people to leave their names and numbers, and you can return  
                the calls that you want.  

                - You will probably be on a fairly liquid diet for a few days 
                while your digestive system recovers. When you start eating 
                solids, your system will feel definitely odd- cramps and lots of 
                flatulence are completely normal. 

                - You will not be allowed to drive for a few weeks afterwards 
                because your reactions are slowed by the anesthetic- try to 
                line up rides to the hospital/doctor's appointments. 

                - Watch how you move- because your stomach muscles are so 
                weak you can overcompensate with your back muscles and end 
                up with strains and pulled muscles. Don't be afraid to ask for 
                help, especially with sitting up. 

                - One way to sit up by yourself is to put yourself into the fetal 
                position on your side. Use your arms, and pillows, to slowly 
                wedge yourself upright so that you are sitting sidewise on the 
                bed. 

                - Once you get home you may want to sleep on the couch- it's 
                usually lower than the bed and easier to get in and out of. 

                - If your kids are in the NICU, your most important task is to 
                get yourself healthy so that you can care for them when they 
                come home. EAT and REST- and listen to the nurses. If they 
                tell you to take a day off, do it. You will soon see more of your 
                kids than you can possibly imagine, and you will have lots of 
                time to cuddle with them then. 

                - If you have a pet, make sure that you lock it out of your 
                bedroom at night- the last thing you need is Rover or Kitty 
                jumping on your stomach in the middle of the night. 

                - You may want to rent a hospital bed to help you sit upright 
                after surgery- your stomach muscles may not be as cooperative 
                in helping you to sit up after surgery. You may have to place it 
                on the main floor of your house if you can't manage stairs.