Born at Bailey – Double the Blessings

At 6:03 p.m. August 19, 2013 baby girl Jimena was born, weighing 6 pounds 13 ounces. At 6:08 p.m. she was joined by her sister, Paloma, weighing 5 pounds 9 ounces. New parents Alma and Sean Larkin were overjoyed their daughters were healthy and here after 38 weeks of a pregnancy Alma says was “simple and smooth.”  

As first-time expectant parents, the Larkins were excited to learn they were pregnant, but did not expect to hear they were having twins, even though twins run in their families. Sean has a twin brother and both Alma’s grandmothers were twins. “Dr. Chainakul told us we should have discussed this before having children,” jokes Sean of their likelihood of multiples.

“Most of our family was like, ‘We knew it,’” says Alma. “And I was like, ‘Someone should have told us!’”

As a first-time mother, Alma says she didn’t know much about pregnancy before experiencing it for herself. While she admits she had a good pregnancy, it was not always easy. “Something was always aching, but I was not on bed rest, I did not have (gestational) diabetes or preeclampsia like some women who are pregnant with twins have,” she says.  

Alma wanted to make sure she did everything for her twins to help them from delivering early. She says she paid special attention to making sure she was hydrated, as her OB/Gyn, Dr. Nicole Chainakul advised. As her pregnancy progressed, Sean says they both learned when to take it easy. “Really towards the end we found out about the importance of rest,” he adds.

“I wanted to clean the house and paint the house and do a bunch of things,” Alma says of preparing for the girls’ arrival. “But I thought resting is important, so they won’t be premature. I sat down for many days.”

As mom and dad enjoy their twin daughters in their room at Bailey Medical Center, they share their first impression of the hospital and staff upon visiting the unit earlier this year. “We saw the rooms and the nurses,” says Alma.

“We were sold,” adds Sean. “It’s clean and small – you get a lot of personalized attention. The people are friendly and knowledgeable.”

The Larkins would like to expand their family again someday, but Sean says there will only be one more pregnancy. “And how ever many are in that bunch, that’s where we’ll stop,” he says.

In the meantime, Alma says they will make plans to return to Bailey when the time comes. “It is the place where we are going to have all our babies,” she says with a smile.