Conyers, Ga. (Sept. 16, 2021)—Every new parent knows how important it is to have time to bond with a new baby. But getting that critical quality time was complicated for Sheena Campbell, after she gave birth to her twin girls, Amyah and Amyrah, at 30 weeks.

While both girls were healthy overall, neither weighed more than a few pounds when they were born about six weeks early. So, they were taken to the NICU at the hospital where they born in Canton, Ga.

Campbell, however, now lives in Conyers, Ga. She used to live in Canton, so that’s where her regular doctor was and, thus, where she had the babies by caesarian section on Aug. 20.

This situation meant that Campbell had to leave her girls behind at a hospital that was an hour and a half away from the home she shares with her 8- and 3-year-old boys, who needed her too.

“It was really hard on me. Having just had a C-section, it was uncomfortable to be in the car that long,” Campbell said.  

When her doctor learned that she lived more than an hour away, he told her that she might have the option to transfer the twins to a closer NICU. He called Piedmont Rockdale Hospital in Conyers, which had room. Campbell agreed to move the babies for the care they needed closer to home.

She is now just 17 minutes away from Amyah and Amyrah.

“When they were at Northside Cherokee, I was starting to get depressed not being able to see the girls. It means a lot to me to have them so close now,” Campbell said.

Her care team at Piedmont Rockdale went a step further to make life simpler for this new mom. They arranged transportation, which had also been a problem for Campbell, so that she could visit without having to coordinate a ride on her own.

“I’m in a better place now that I can come see them as much as I want,” Campbell said.

Campbell added that the twins’ brothers are asking her daily if “it is time to pick up the girls yet?” They even offered to share some cake with them from a recent birthday celebration.

The excited new siblings will probably only have to wait a couple more weeks.

Campbell said the twins will remain in the Piedmont Rockdale NICU until they gain a little more weight, but they may be ready to go home around their original Sept. 28 due date. In the meantime, she said they are “doing really good.” Amyah is now 3 lbs and 13 oz. She was the first to open her eyes and is developing a reputation for being the feisty sister. Amyrah is 4 lbs. and was the first one to smile.

To learn more about maternity services at Piedmont Rockdale Hospital, visit www.piedmont.org/maternity-services/piedmont-rockdale.