After resting up from the party, Sanem and Can settled down to await the arrival of their little ones. Many times, Sanem would be sitting and writing in the evening while Can was reading, and she would just start laughing. Can would say, "You can stop anytime now, it's over with."
That would just make her laugh even harder, and Can would start laughing with her, because it was very funny. Sanem would start sputtering, "Triplets in black mini dresses and start all over again." Can said smiling, "Am I ever going to live this down?" Sanem would start laughing even harder. He said, "I guess not," while laughing!
At the next check-up Sanem was thirty-six weeks. Her OB, Dr. Osman, told them that, unless Sanem went into labor before, that she would do a C-section at thirty-eight weeks.
She said, "The babies are doing great, but starting to run out of room to grow. We will check you again in one week anyway." Sanem was starting to have mild contractions daily, but no actual labor yet. Can was working from home, so she was never alone. Her Anne and Baba were coming everyday with food, which was very, very exciting for Can!
On the night before her next doctor appointment, Sanem woke up from a sound sleep with excruciating back pain. She just kept moving around slightly trying to ease the pain, but nothing was helping. She hated to wake Can, but she needed to go to the bathroom. Very gently she started rubbing his beard and whispering, "Can, Can love, I need to get up. Please help me, Can." When she said his name the last time, he sat straight up and said "Is it time?" He jumped out of bed and started throwing his clothes on, and saying, "Do we call the doctor now or on the way, I forgot?" In the meantime, Sanem was carefully scooting to the edge of the bed. She very gently said, "Can, will you help me stand?" He ran to her side of the bed and lifted her in his arms. Saying, "What do you need?" She patted his face and said, "I need to pee, would you please help me stand?"
For a second he just looked at her and said "Not time, huh?" She just smiled at him, he put her down, then held her arm as she walked to the bathroom. When they got to the doorway, Sanem leaned to turn the light on, she had a sharp pain in her lower abdomen, and felt dampness down her legs. She looked up at Can and said, "Now it's time, and we can call on the way."
After arriving at the hospital, Sanem and Can were taken to the Maternity Ward. Dr. Osman came in to check Sanem, after she dressed in Can's favorite gown. "Open in the back!" he told Sanem chuckling, when she started complaining.
After the exam, Dr. Osman, said, "it would better for the babies, to go ahead with a C-section now, as it would be less stressful." Sanem and Can were prepared for this, as they had already discussed this procedure. Sanem agreed to less stress for the babies, but ask if she could be awake for the deliveries. Dr. Osman agreed that she could have an epidural, as they had arrived at just the right time, before labor was to far along. Can was a nervous wreck, thinking he would have to watch them make the incision. Sanem told him he could hold her hand, then just see the babies afterward. Can was surprised when the nurse came in with blue scrubs, and told him he had to go change clothes before coming into the operating room. He really got nervous, especially when she gave him a surgical hat to wear. Sanem told him to go change, because she couldn't wait to see him dressed up as a doctor, maybe he could keep the outfit for dress-up later. He went into the bathroom, laughing. Meanwhile the nurse got Sanem prepped for the epidural and surgery. She had already been given something mild for the back pain and it was helping.
When Can came back into room, after changing, nurses had Sanem ready for delivery. They were just putting meds into tubing connected for epidural, and Sanem was saying that her toes and legs were feeling numb. After a few minutes, preparation was made to go into the delivery room. Sanem looked at Can and told him he was so cute, and that they definitely needed a doctor suit for home. Can just laughed a little, because he was really very nervous. The nurse said, "Come on Baba grab Anne's hand and let's go meet your babies. He walked by the bed holding Sanem's hand to the Operating Room.
When they got into the room, they were both shocked to see how many people were in there. Dr. Osman told them, that not only her surgical team were there for Sanem, but there was Pediatrician and Pediatric Nurse for each baby. Sanem and Can had been told this in advance, but were still surprised by the number of people, just for them. Can stood back against the wall, until they got Sanem ready and a screen up between her and the surgical area. When they were ready, he went to stand by Sanem's head, and kissed her and held her hand. There was a lot of visible love between these two, and the staff thought they were the cutest parent's to be ever!
Dr. Osman made sure that Sanem was totally numb and started the surgery. Everything went pretty quickly after that, the first baby out was, a little boy. Sanem said, "Ates, is he okay Can?" When Can was getting ready to peek over the screen, they heard a loud cry. They just looked at each other, with tears flowing, and smiled saying together, "Yes, he is!"
The first Pediatrician pulled the warmer bed around so Sanem and Can could watch, as he listened to baby Ates, heart, lungs, and examined him all over. The doctor handed baby Ates over to his nurse, saying "everything looks good so far." The nurse checked his weight and said, "My, my little man you weigh 5 lbs 2 ounces!"
By this time Dr. Osman was saying, "baby number two is a girl", and they could hear her crying immediately. Sanem said, "Yildiz is going to be a bossy sister." They watched the second Pediatrician check over their little girl, with the same good results. His nurse checked her weight saying, "This little girl weighs 5 pounds even!"
Now Dr. Osman was saying, "last one, and number three is a girl." All was quiet for a few seconds, everyone was holding their breath, when a lusty cry filled the room. Can and Sanem were both crying, smiling, saying, "I love you" at the same time.
The third Pediatrician was examining little Deniz, and after a brief exam, he said "everything looks good." His nurse took baby Deniz to weigh her and said, "This little girl weighs 5 pounds even, also!"
All of the staff started clapping and cheering. No one could believe petite little Sanem, had carried over 15 pounds of babies, as long as she did. Sanem told them, "I believe it, maybe I can see my feet now." It was a very happy group in the delivery room that morning.
Sanem's doctor was very proud of her and how well her delivery had gone. She had been able to carry them for one day over 37 weeks, which is very very good with triplets.
The staff encouraged Can to move closer to his children as they were being bathed. He went from one to the other, with tears flowing down his cheeks. Sanem was crying and smiling so big, while she watched him and her babies.
Dr. Osman, finished with Sanem's stitches, and told her she would be going back to her room. She also, advised Sanem to not try and get up without help, as she will be numb for a while. She turned to Can and said "Now Baba you will have to take care of your babies, till Anne can be up. Do you think you are up for that?" Can just grinned great big and nodded his head 'yes'. Everyone just smiled at this sweet couple.
When Sanem, Can, and the three little babies were back in their room. Sanem had Can call all of their family and friends to announce the babies were here! Since they came to hospital in the middle of the night, and knew that Sanem would probably be having a C-section, they decided to call afterward. Besides it gave them a few minutes, alone to count finger and toes, and get to know their children.
While they waited, the breastfeeding nurse came into talk with Sanem, about what she planned to do about feedings. Sanem told her that she had planned to nurse about every three hours, one baby on left, then one baby on right, then one baby on left. Then to pump the right side for in between feedings. Then switch around next feeding. Sanem laughed and said, "Of course it depends on how the babies plan to eat, but I thought when we got into kind of a routine, then Can can bottle feed, also." The nurse was very impressed that Sanem had thought ahead and wanted to try and breastfeed her babies. She cautioned Sanem, to go easy on herself, if she had to bottle feed every once in a while it would be okay. Just rest, eat right, and ask for help. The main thing is healthy babies, healthy Anne, and go easy on yourself. While she was there, she helped Sanem latch Ates onto her breast, as he was awake, and it would start stimulating milk production. While he was nursing, Yildiz started turning into Can's shirt as if to nurse. The nurse helped Sanem with latching of Yildiz to her other breast. Can was amazed, as his wife was nursing two babies at once, while he held the sleeping Deniz. She was a natural, and so beautiful. The nurse showed Can what to do about burping, and helping with latching on for nursing. She said someone would be back in the room in a few minutes, to review diaper changing and umbilical cord care. This is a lot for this time and we will review more as we go along.
She was very impressed with the young couple, and knew they would do well, as long as Sanem took care of herself.
She was pretty sure that Can would be there for taking care of Sanem.