Bringing a new life into this world is one of the most miraculous experiences for the parents. From the first cry to the first steps, parents feel a rush of emotions as they hold their baby and watch them grow. Matt and Nicole Ziesemer were ready to say “hi” to their first little bundle of joy but for this Michigan couple, the journey from finding out they were pregnant to welcoming the baby was full of unimaginable adventures. Nicole Ziesemer went into labor and the instances that followed amazed everyone at the hospital. The couple never planned for this ride!
Discovering The Big News
Nicole Ziesemer found something truly magical and beautiful in September 2017. She was pregnant with her first baby and was over the moon when she discovered that she had a bun in the oven. While she absorbed the big life-changing news, she was planning to break it to her husband in an exciting and unique way. The soon-to-be mom could not just tell him directly in one breath. She had an adorable plan in her head but she had no clue what their fate had decided for them.
New Adventures Approaching
For any couple, the news of being pregnant makes them ecstatic as they know the unbound joy that a baby brings into their lives. That positive pregnancy test is just a little indication of the adventures that lie ahead on this journey. “This was my first pregnancy, and it was all new to me,” she revealed in an interview. This soon-to-be mom chose the Labor Day weekend for Matt to unravel the surprise package.
“World's Greatest Father”
The Ziesemer couple met online in 2012 and had been inseparable since then. The love birds spent 5 years together and now, they were all set to expand their family. Nicole had a gift wrapped for Matt and finally, she could see the expressions on her husband’s face. “She gave me a shirt that said ‘World's Greatest Father’, and that's how I found out,” Matt shared. Now, these soon-to-be parents were going through an emotional roller coaster but this wasn’t the end of the unwrapping of parcels.
Life-Altering Months
Nicole and Matt had a lot to look forward to in the upcoming months. Autumn brought them such wonderful news and they thought they had plenty of time to plan the future before the arrival of the little member. Turns out, Nicole only found out that she was expecting after a couple of months had passed. Her doctors revealed her due date to be January 30th, 2018. So, they were five months away from commencing a new chapter. The twists were ready to emerge out of the blue.
On A Shopping Spree
For Matt and Nicole, the news of becoming parents sunk in after a while and their happiness levels were just rising with each passing day. Two months and they will be blessed with a beautiful baby. So, these soon-to-be parents had to gather all the stuff and decorate the baby nursery. They bought a baby seat, a baby crib, and a few cute and charming baby clothes and onesies. The question was - were these preparations enough for the baby?
Firm On A Natural Birth
In the era of advanced medical processes, Nicole and Matt were wishing for a natural birth. They were keeping all the equipment and settling all the other stuff required during the birth. “We decided not to do an ultrasound, just as little intervention as possible,” Matt shared. They had to review the birthing plan considering all the health emergencies. They wanted to skip out on the hospital rounds. So, they connected with a midwife who would be guiding them throughout the pregnancy and would be present on the big day.
Christmas Bells Were Ringing But…
It was Christmas week and their anticipation was becoming stronger but Nicole fell sick during that week. “Nicole had the flu [for] 3 days … so she had not eaten anything or really slept since Sunday,” Matt explained in the Facebook post. The flu caused a certain level of discomfort for pregnant Nicole. She wasn’t feeling right, was continuously tired, and lost her appetite. Apart from this, she was experiencing unbearable pains in her stomach. Nicole surmised that something was wrong with her health but the reality struck her a few days later.
The Midnight Call
Nicole’s health was not taking any good turn and she was feeling extremely uncomfortable with the sickness lasting for so long. One night, she woke up at 12:30 a.m. and discerned the reason for this sickness. “My beautiful pregnant wife Nicole Ziesemer woke me up Friday early morning at 12:30 AM to tell me her water broke. Yes, that was 4.5 weeks early as we were due on January 30th. So, we called our midwife,” Matt wrote in his Facebook post. Something felt mysterious!
Few Weeks Early
Nicole was now around 36 weeks pregnant and in the middle of the night, she woke up to realize that her water just broke. This was a clear indication of the fact that she had been experiencing contractions for 2 days that made her ill. Since she was a little far from her due date, complications could arise and they could not risk anything at such a sensitive time.
Ditching Home Birth
They decided to grab their stuff and head over to the hospital. They had to ditch their old-school plans of home birth for the safety of the baby. So, the hospital seemed like the right choice in that panicky moment. “We decided to go to Gerber Hospital in Fremont because they work well with our midwife and think more on the natural side of things,” Matt added.
Listening To Your Body
Pregnancy is a journey that brings with it a lot many adventures and once the little one arrives, everything seems to be new and refreshing. No one can achieve an impeccable balance of emotional, mental, and physical strengths when they are preparing to have a kid. The most complex part of this journey is the birth - the big day when the parents are craving to see the face of their little bundle of joy. In Nicole’s case, this part seemed to be quite uncertain as they were about to find out.
Finalizing The Hospital
The soon-to-be parents were really close to holding their baby in their arms. They unanimously landed on a hospital that would understand their concerns about natural birth but the only issue was that the place was at a long distance from their home. In addition to this, the weather wasn’t really supporting them that night. The obstacles were already showing up and how!
Racing Through The Blizzard
Matt wrote in his post, “I don’t know who remembers Thursday night into Friday, but along the lakeshore was a complete blizzard, so first I had to snowplow and snow blow the driveway, because we got 10 inches of snow and then we [drove] two hours to Fremont in a blizzard!” The harsh weather conditions added to their worries but they were determined to deal with the blizzard and reach their destination.
Towards That Big Moment
As they approached the hospital, the good news was drawing near too. The couple reached the hospital and were allotted a room at around 4:00 A.M. “We get to the hospital around 3:30-4 am and get settled into our room. Nicole was really starting to notice her contractions at that time. But once she realized what they were, she realized she had been having them for about 2 days prior,” he explained. Through mere serendipity, the couple noticed someone familiar in the hospital corridor.
Unveiling A Surprise
When Nicole and Matt were diving into the pool of mixed emotions, they had a stroke of good luck. A person from their family happened to be at the same hospital just at the right time. “So 7 A.M. comes around and Nicole’s brother Raymond walks in because he is filling in for a 7-7 shift at the hospital so right then we knew we were at the right place. Especially since he never works at Gerber, typically downtown GR,” Matt wrote.
Familiar Face
They were glad to have a familiar face around them when they needed to support the most. “So we were able to see him throughout the day.” The presence of someone from the family brought a sense of relief to the couple. While they believed one surprise, a few awaited them. There was another face at the Gerber Hospital that they were pleasantly surprised to see.
Family’s Precious Presence
Nicole’s brother was present at the hospital and made sure to drop by her room so that she knows that there is someone from her family around to support her. Before her brother came in for his morning shift, another family member was working there during the night when Nicole was admitted. Matt mentioned in his post, “Then his wife Emily is a nurse at Gerber and she was working the 7-7 night shift and sure enough she was our nurse for the whole night!!”
Severe Contractions Begun
When Nicole’s water broke, they rushed to the hospital but the doctors knew that the baby would still take some time to come out. “When we first got to the hospital Nicole was dilated to a 3,” Matt explained. “Around 2PM Friday Nicole moved to 4cm, then around 3AM Saturday she was at 5 cm and then at 7AM she was a 7. Contractions continued to get stronger.” The pain was taking a toll on her and they finally had to make a huge decision that they never planned for.
Medication Became Essential
Nicole was experiencing harrowing pain and Matt was really concerned. He talked to doctors about this and he knew that their natural birth plans had to make a sacrifice. “After watching her suffer for the last 30 hours pushing and breathing and screaming I knew we had to do something else so I consulted several people and Nicole and I decided to start a small dose of pitocin; well this really got contractions going and got her dilated to a 10. So at 1 PM Saturday she started to push,” he revealed.
First Ultrasound
Nicole and Matt were moving on the natural path since the day they found out about the pregnancy but the final day called for a major change of plans. After a dose of pitocin, they were now preparing for the next unexpected step. They never had an ultrasound but when Nicole was in labor, doctors recommended one to ensure the health of the baby and so, they had to get it done.
Epidural To The Rescue
The excruciating pain seemed to never end for Nicole despite one small dose of Pitocin. She had a backache and could not stay in one position without having a panic attack. Matt further shared, “So to deliver this baby we had to do something to get her out of pain so we decided to do an epidural and this helped her pain a ton!”
The Pushing Begins
After the epidural injection, Nicole could finally breathe without feeling that awful pain. She was ready to push and welcome the little one into this world. “[Nicole] pushed for another 2.5 hrs after the epidural, and then the baby decided to start showing signs of stress for the first time, so at this point, Nicole and I are exhausted, ready to do whatever is necessary to get the baby out, so the doctor used a vacuum because of the higher heart rate,” Matt wrote. They had never anticipated this turn of events and more twists were awaiting them.
Everything Unpredictable
The initial phases of pregnancy were smooth for the Ziesemer couple but after Nicole’s water broke, things were not in their control anymore. Nicole had to put up with intense contractions and terrible pain in the hospital and her water broke almost a month before her due date. However, this couple didn’t know that all of these challenges were worth every bit of pain. It was time for their good fortune to double up!
Beaming Arrival Of Baby Blakeley
The Ziesemer couple entered the Gerber Hospital on Friday after midnight and their first baby girl was born on December 30th, 2017, Saturday at 10:06 P.M. They were holding and embracing the little girl, Blakeley Faith Ziesemer, and were in seventh heaven. The doctors checked the baby girl and revealed that she weighed just four pounds which was almost half the weight of a healthy infant. Something wasn’t right but the new parents were about to know the answers to this medical mystery.
Upcoming Twists
After hours of unbearable pain and complicated decisions, the couple had their baby girl in front of their eyes and it was a surreal moment for them. Matt expressed, “My wife was an absolute trooper!! I was so proud of her for what she went thru and how she dealt with the pain and everything … [and] I thank the entire staff at Gerber for all they did for us. They were great!!” They assumed that it was time to head home with their baby daughter but the delivery room chapter didn’t end yet.
Miracles Lined Up
The new mom endured all the pain and when she finally saw her daughter’s face, everything felt magnificent. The doctors examined the mom to give her final treatment. The OB had to stitch minor tears but as soon as the obstetrician gave a closer look at the placenta, the entire medical team gathered there. The birth of their baby girl was not the only miracle that happened in that delivery room that day. Something magical was waiting to make an appearance. Nicole’s doctor examined her and witnessed something unbelievable!
“There Was A Head”
Something was weird! Nicole’s doctor, Dr. Megan Forshee examined the mom and discovered something totally unexpected. “I reached in to check the patient and realized there was a head,” Dr. Forshee revealed. Wow, there was another Ziesemer baby on its way! “We thought [Dr. Forshee] was joking and she was like, ‘I don't lie about these things’,” Nicole shared. Nicole was actually pregnant with twins and had no clue about it all this while. The excitement just doubled as another baby was spotted. Will Blakeley have a twin sister or a brother?
Packed Room And Rushing Emotions
Nicole was actually carrying another baby in her womb and Blakeley Faith Ziesemer was about to have a sibling. Everyone geared up for the second delivery. Nicole had to refuel herself with some energy to push again. Matt and Nicole’s family were right outside the delivery room and had no idea about the series of events that were taking place inside. Matt shared, “The entire floor of the hospital was in our room it was packed just making sure everything was going to be ok. It was crazy!”
Welcoming Cade Matthew
The second round of pushing commenced and this time, the anticipation doubled. “Nicole, thinking she was done, has to push again, and now her epidural had worn off, so her back pain was awful, but she did it,” Matt shared in his post. They welcomed their son, Cade Matthew into this world. “…and at 11:05PM December 30th Cade Matthew Ziesemer (5 lbs)was born! My wife is by far the stronger person I know especially after what I saw her go thru these last two days,” he further added.
Magic Spells In The Delivery Room
While everyone was delighted to see baby number 1 stepping into the world, another little bundle of joy was playing hide and seek. Since the Ziesemer couple was not allowing much medical intervention during the pregnancy, they were clueless about the twins growing inside Nicole’s womb. “It was just a shell shocker because no one was expecting it, everyone in the room thought they had seen a ghost,” Nicole shared. Even the ultrasound right before the baby’s delivery didn’t reveal anything. Now, the focus was on baby Cade’s health.
Spot Me If You Can
Doctors discovered that baby Cade had been hiding behind his sister and this is why he wasn’t spotted in the ultrasound that was taken right before the delivery. No one could imagine the miracle of birth to take such an incredible twist. The medical team that was gathered there had to conduct a thorough examination of little Cade for the parents to take a sigh of relief.
Under Utmost Care
“Since he was pushed out so quickly and never had contractions really, his lungs and fluid in his lungs didn’t come out as good as his sister's,” Matt described the condition in his Facebook post. The second little bundle of joy was being taken care of by the experts now. The new parents were only wishing for their little ones to be healthy before they could take them home.
Double The Trouble, Twice The Cries
The Michigan couple weighed up the situation and pondered about the next few steps that they had to take. There was a lot they had not planned and now, it was time to be amazing parents to miracle twins. Matt shared the updates in his post and wrote, “Cade is on the cart in the corner of the room and Blakeley is hiding under the blankets on Nicole’s chest. It takes the family a few minutes to realize there is another baby there when Nicole lowers the blanket.”
Two Of Everything
Nicole revealed, “My first thought after delivering the second baby, ‘oh crap!’ we need a second crib, a second car seat, a second everything.” They had been shopping for one baby but fate had dropped two miracles in their lap. So, how were they planning to deal with this sudden shift? They had a lot to consider but they didn’t let the stress fade the unbounded joy.
What A Week!
For Matt and Nicole, the childbirth experience turned out to be full of unbelievable instances. “We just had no thoughts that there was going to be another child, our whole house is prepped for one child,” Matt expressed. He wrote, “This has been one of the best days of my life, and also one of the biggest emotional rollercoasters I have ever been on.” For once, they shut all the worrisome thoughts and lived in that moment as they watched their twin babies.
Unveiling The Surprise To The Family
The couple’s family was awaiting the news outside the delivery room and the new mom and dad decided to break the big surprise to them by calling them inside. Matt recalled the amazed faces of their family when the couple announced the birth of twins. He wrote, “Our families were absolutely shocked just like us when we told them!!!” A commotion arose inside the room.
Watching The Miracle Unfold
Everyone was stunned including some of the staff of the hospital who showed up in the room after hearing all the chaos. “For about an hour they seriously thought something bad happened because we had so many other hospital members rushing in to our room when the news dropped there was a second baby in there and now they learned why it took so much longer and why we pretty much had the whole floor of the hospital rushing into the room,” he mentioned.
Home With The Twins
Matt updated everyone on Facebook about the miracle twins. “We are ALL home together as a family of 4. It’s good to be home..... Thank you to all who have supported us with positive and kind comments. They mean a lot of us,” he wrote. The couple brought the adorable babies back home and were extremely grateful for every person who was there through those unexpected times. “Even though I’m more of a natural person, things happen for reasons, and there are definitely times for medical intervention and this was one of those times,” he shared.
