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It all started October 2000. I had severe diahrea and a loss of apetite. My stomach sounded like an ocean and by November bowls were like water. I couldn't eat! I have a history of ulcers and gastro problems. A very long history dating back to the time I was a really young kid and I was 33 so it wasn't a stretch that my regular doctor's assistant diagnosed me with irritable bowl syndrome. I got a prescription and within 2 days felt much better. My doctor's assistant called on the third day to say that the drug manufacturer had pulled my perscription off the market and she called in a different perscription. The original drug was making people with ibs so constipated that it was killing them. Well, this new drug didn't do anything for me. One week I had diahrea the next week I was constipated and by December 2000 my regular doctor said if I wasn't better in 30 days I would have to see a specialist. At that time we knew there was a possiblity that I could have crones disease because the symptoms were similar to what I had and I was in pain all the time. I was sick and run down. I would sleep all weekend long and when I got home from work I felt like I was exhausted. February 21, 2001, I couldn't stand being sick anymore so I called the doctor and told them I wanted a referal. Since I would end up having to take a pregnancy test at the specialist I told the doctor I wanted to get that over with at her office and then I would take my referal. I had been going to the doctors office and complaining about how sick I had been at work. I looked pale and just plain awful. I joined a spa locally so I could swim indoors and get some exercise because I thought this would help. Everyone at work new something was wrong with me and I was scared to death it was crones. I went to the doctor's office took the test and waited while they processed. I would have to wait for them to call in the referal so it wasn't a big deal. The technician came out and in a matter-of-fact manner said, "the test is positive. Who do you want for Obstetric care?" I was in a dazed state. I didn't expect this to say the least. I contacted my OBGYN and went in the next morning. I had periods through December so I figured I was 3-4 months pregnant. After the exam the nurse practitioner asked me how far I thought I was and I told her. She said, "Syndi, you are a lot further along. I think 6-7 months." I burst out crying. I wasn't prepared for this at all and it was happening so fast. I wasn't ready to be someone's mother and not this fast! What about the medications and how could I have been pregnant this long and not know it?! I had no other symptoms. I never felt my uterus stretch, breasts were not tender, no morning sickness, my appetite decreased it did not increase so how was this even possible. I went home and told my boyfriend who was shocked to say the least and the next week I went to get my first sonogram. I thought all I had to worry about was the health of the baby. I went in with my boyfriend and the technician started scanning my body to take measurements and that is when my boyfriend stood up and slowly walked towards the monitor. Silly me I thought he was just in awe of the little creature. Then the technician said," Congratulations, you are having twins!" I thought I was going to have a panic attack....my boyfriend saw this before the technician said a word! I was in shock again. I was at this point 25 weeks along. I started slowly getting used to telling family and friends. One of the babies was a girl for sure and the other we couldn't tell but I now had to go in for monthly sonograms to monitor the progress. I really didn't get the chance to enjoy prenancy or really to let the idea sink in. Our families were excited and happy for us but I remained in shock. I was overwhelmed and just accepted it as something that was meant to happen this way. At 29 weeks gestation I was in labor due to some unknown reason so the hospital kept me over night and released me the next day. I was going to have to go on bed rest for the entire 3 months left. A day later still on medication we found out that a bladder infection set the contractions in motion. That night I landed in the hospital again and the next day I was fully efface and dialated one centimeter so I was shipped to a hospital an hour away that dealt with pre-term labor before 35 weeks. My boyfriend worked nights so I told him to go to work and I would be fine. The next morning he got a call to leave work and get to the hospital. The couldn't stop the labor and I was in between 3-4 centimeters. I had a ceasarian section and gave birth to my daughters who were 2 lbs 12 oz and 2lbs 14 oz. They were breathing on their own when they came out and much bigger than we thought they would be. They spent 7 1/2 weeks in two different hospitals and they battled a heart murmur, yeast infections and jaundice. Today Olivia and Lillie are the joy of my life and they are 12 lbs each at 21 weeks. Everyone jokes about how I had the shortest pregnancy in history and I just believe that it was meant to be. We feel like the luckiest people on this earth becuase our daughters are healthy, happy and beautiful!

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My son was born May 20, 1999 weighing 2lbs. 10oz. His due date was August 4, 1999. He's now 27 months and weighs 30lbs and is 34 inches tall. He was in the NICU for a total of 4 months because no doctors could find out what was wrong with him. Eventually they did and finally released him after a few surgeries later. His and "our" stay in the NICU was longer than most children born at 29 almost 30 weeks gestation. Today he is completely healthy and i've seemed to forget (stored away in memory) most of the ordeal we experienced in the NICU. The one thing I can never forget is how wonderful his Primary Nurses and Nurse Practioners were to us. To this day, I thank God for the beautiful son he gave me even though he was so small and "different" at birth. My advice to every parent who has to deal with a preemie birth is God chose you to have a miracle child because you are strong and special. Make it a learning experience and trust Him to help you through it. He made me see how much Faith I had in Him and myself. Everyday is a new challenge but one you will be able to use later in life. God Bless all of you!

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My daughter was delivered at 6 months. She weighed just over 600 grams at birth. When I first saw her, I could not belief my eyes, she was so tiny, with all these tubes attached to her and so frail looking. She is now 19 months old and is approximately 25 pounds now, and every day I look at her and thank god for this precious little miracle he has given me.

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ashley born at 21 weeks weighing 1 pound, today 3 years later doing good has cp but she has came along way.

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It is SO good to have a site like this and the many others. God Bless!

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Mark turns 9 today! He was born at 28 weeks, weighing 3lbs 8oz. Early birth due to toxemia.