underneath with the other hand. After tucking her cozily inside, she gently lifted Gretchen out and set the bundle in the crook of Alyssa’s arm. “Here you go.”
“Oh, she’s so adorable.” And tiny, especially being the smaller of the two. She clutched the baby protectively to her chest, infused with a wave of love. She’d do anything for her children. Anything.
Gretchen moved her head toward her breast in arooting movement, her tiny mouth making sucking motions. Alyssa drew a quick breath of excitement and glanced at Carla. “Look, do you think she’ll be able to nurse?”
“It’s possible,” Carla agreed with a smile. “Your milk hasn’t come in, but the colostrum they’ll receive is even more healthy than milk. And worth a try, don’t you think?”
“Yes.” She was a little uncertain how to go about the whole process but Carla was great, helping her with techniques to encourage Gretchen to latch on. The baby only suckled for a few minutes before stopping.
“Don’t worry, preemie babies do tire easily. Once your milk comes in more fully, we’ll give intermittent feedings of your breast milk as often as the babies need it.”
“But what if they’re not strong enough to drink as much as they need?” Alyssa asked.
“We’ll give feedings through a nasogastric tube.”
A nasogastric tube didn’t sound good, but she tried not to show her discouragement. Carla tucked Gretchen back in her isolette and then drew Grace out for her turn. Gracie latched on to her nipple a little quicker than Gretchen, but also seemed to get tired quickly. Alyssa wasn’t sure either of the babies got any nourishment at all from the attempt.
“How am I going to keep up with breast-feeding both of them?” she asked, after she’d finished with Grace. The responsibility was daunting and she suddenly doubted her ability to be a good mother to the twins. “At this rate, they might need to be fed every hour.”
Carla put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Nursing is a wonderful experience, but the nutritional value of your breast milk is what’s most important for these little ones. Even if they can’t nurse for lengthy periods, they can get the nourishment they need if you pump your breasts and freeze your milk. We can feed them through a nasogastric tube if need be and then through a bottle. At least with bottle feedings, Dad can be more involved, too.”
Jadon. The image of his strong, large hands holding and feeding their daughters filled her with a mixture of longing and trepidation. Would he stick around for the long term? Or would he get tired of the responsibility of having a family and leave, like her father had?
At least now he could stop being so protective of her. Although she suspected he’d shower the babies with his concern instead.
“Was Jadon here?” she asked Carla.
“Yes, he spent a lot of time with the girls. He asked Dr. Downer, the neonatologist, lots of questions. I think he left about an hour ago, maybe a little more.”
An hour ago? He hadn’t been in her room when she’d woken up.
Her stomach clenched with anxiety. So where was he?
CHAPTER NINE
S O THIS was it. The beginning of the end. Jadon was gone. Alyssa walked back to her room, trying not to feel overwhelmed by the concept of raising the girls all by herself.
When she crossed the threshold, she stopped, startled to see a huge bouquet of more than a dozen pink roses in a vase on her bedside table. There were also two pink “It’s A Girl” balloons tied to the side-rail of her bed.
She read the small card tucked between the roses, feeling ashamed for doubting him when she realized the flowers and balloons were gifts from Jadon.
“Arranged some extra time off work, then ran home to get your suitcase. Be back soon, Jadon.”
He hadn’t left unexpectedly, other than to talk to his boss about having time off and to buy flowers and balloons. Ashamed, she realized she’d jumped to conclusions. He hadn’t left her.
“Oh, she’s so adorable.” And tiny, especially being the smaller of the two. She clutched the baby protectively to her chest, infused with a wave of love. She’d do anything for her children. Anything.
Gretchen moved her head toward her breast in arooting movement, her tiny mouth making sucking motions. Alyssa drew a quick breath of excitement and glanced at Carla. “Look, do you think she’ll be able to nurse?”
“It’s possible,” Carla agreed with a smile. “Your milk hasn’t come in, but the colostrum they’ll receive is even more healthy than milk. And worth a try, don’t you think?”
“Yes.” She was a little uncertain how to go about the whole process but Carla was great, helping her with techniques to encourage Gretchen to latch on. The baby only suckled for a few minutes before stopping.
“Don’t worry, preemie babies do tire easily. Once your milk comes in more fully, we’ll give intermittent feedings of your breast milk as often as the babies need it.”
“But what if they’re not strong enough to drink as much as they need?” Alyssa asked.
“We’ll give feedings through a nasogastric tube.”
A nasogastric tube didn’t sound good, but she tried not to show her discouragement. Carla tucked Gretchen back in her isolette and then drew Grace out for her turn. Gracie latched on to her nipple a little quicker than Gretchen, but also seemed to get tired quickly. Alyssa wasn’t sure either of the babies got any nourishment at all from the attempt.
“How am I going to keep up with breast-feeding both of them?” she asked, after she’d finished with Grace. The responsibility was daunting and she suddenly doubted her ability to be a good mother to the twins. “At this rate, they might need to be fed every hour.”
Carla put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Nursing is a wonderful experience, but the nutritional value of your breast milk is what’s most important for these little ones. Even if they can’t nurse for lengthy periods, they can get the nourishment they need if you pump your breasts and freeze your milk. We can feed them through a nasogastric tube if need be and then through a bottle. At least with bottle feedings, Dad can be more involved, too.”
Jadon. The image of his strong, large hands holding and feeding their daughters filled her with a mixture of longing and trepidation. Would he stick around for the long term? Or would he get tired of the responsibility of having a family and leave, like her father had?
At least now he could stop being so protective of her. Although she suspected he’d shower the babies with his concern instead.
“Was Jadon here?” she asked Carla.
“Yes, he spent a lot of time with the girls. He asked Dr. Downer, the neonatologist, lots of questions. I think he left about an hour ago, maybe a little more.”
An hour ago? He hadn’t been in her room when she’d woken up.
Her stomach clenched with anxiety. So where was he?
CHAPTER NINE
S O THIS was it. The beginning of the end. Jadon was gone. Alyssa walked back to her room, trying not to feel overwhelmed by the concept of raising the girls all by herself.
When she crossed the threshold, she stopped, startled to see a huge bouquet of more than a dozen pink roses in a vase on her bedside table. There were also two pink “It’s A Girl” balloons tied to the side-rail of her bed.
She read the small card tucked between the roses, feeling ashamed for doubting him when she realized the flowers and balloons were gifts from Jadon.
“Arranged some extra time off work, then ran home to get your suitcase. Be back soon, Jadon.”
He hadn’t left unexpectedly, other than to talk to his boss about having time off and to buy flowers and balloons. Ashamed, she realized she’d jumped to conclusions. He hadn’t left her.
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